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For Dori Grey, working as a staff member at Dray has been much more than he’d ever expected from a part-time position; as a budding entrepreneur interested in all things related to business, start-up ventures, and social branding, Dori’s direct witnessing of the growth of Dray has been a priceless experience. 

Dori, who originally hails from Jamaica and is around six months “semi-sober,” has enjoyed and learned immensely from Dray’s growth and early successes. “Watching Pat [Dray’s owner] work has been incredibly interesting and helpful for my own growth,” Dori said. “Pat’s a lot like Lewis and Clark: he’s trailblazing this NA space in Boston, and it’s fascinating seeing him work. Being around him is a lot like being in a classroom.” 

Whenever possible, Dori, who also works in real estate sales and is working on several social and educational start-up businesses, also seeks out Pat’s entrepreneurial mentorship. Dori’s family immigrated from Jamaica to Texas, and he eventually attended the University of Houston, where he co-founded a college note-taking start-up that was eventually acquired by a larger corporation. From there, Dori first enjoyed the success of the acquisition but, eventually, ended up feeling like he was “floundering.” In time, with family rooted in the area, he ended up moving to Boston, first with a job in condo management and then with an opportunity in condo sales. He met Pat one day at the South End Buttery, and Dori ended up with a part-time role in the new Dray store. 

At the time, Dori still occasionally drank alcohol, but he has since cut back drastically after learning of all the incredible options at Dray. “Once I started working at Dray, I told myself I wouldn’t have another drink until I tried every product in the store here at least once,” Dori said. “That took four months, and I found myself gaining so much time back by not drinking.” Dori, who is now thriving once again – in part because of the daily inspiration he gains from Dray and Pat’s mentorship – is nearly always busy juggling several jobs and start-ups. Therefore, any gained time is a priceless resource for Dori. “I didn’t know how much time I’d sell back to myself by not drinking,” he said. This extra time has given Dori the space and freedom to once again create, innovate, and grow.

While cutting back on alcohol has changed the landscape of some of his prior friendships, Dori says it’s all been worth it. “What I’ve gained has been more valuable,” he said. “If it weren’t for this place, and everything I’m learning and growing right now in working with Pat, I don’t know that I’d be in this good of a place in my life,” he said. For Dori, the future is bright: and so is the future of Boston and the non-alcoholic community, he says. “It’s great to see the community embrace a place like Dray,” he said. “The net gains from a place like this are all just going to come right back to the community.”

Stop by Dray soon to meet Dori and our other great staff members!

Dori Grey, Staff Member at Dray! 

Pronouns: he/his

Favorite product at Dray:  “I’ve tried everything here, but I’d have to say my favorite is Woody's Non-Alcoholic Blanc de Blanc.”

Profile written by Erin Trauth, Contributor