Get to Know Us
Glass & Grain Studios is a creative storytelling house built on a single conviction:
every story is larger, deeper, and more human than the world ever gets to see.
We don’t chase the tip of the iceberg—we capture everything beneath it: the layers, the labor, the intentions, the missteps, the triumphs, and the quiet truths that shape what the world eventually experiences.
Our work spans film, photography, narrative development, branding, design, and immersive media. Whether it’s a founder, an artist, a craftsman, a company, or a community, our role is to map the full arc—origin to outcome, spark to execution—revealing the depth that gives a story its resonance.
We collaborate with people and brands who value honesty over polish, substance over noise, and meaning over momentum. Authentic storytelling isn’t an aesthetic to us; it’s a responsibility. A chance to preserve legacy, foster connection, and show the world not just what you do, but why it matters.
Glass & Grain Studios was founded by Norton Christopher and Matt Carroll—two storytellers shaped by different mediums but driven by the same instinct to reveal what others overlook. One grew through kitchens, farms, hospitality, and human-centered narrative; the other through design, production, and visual architecture. Together, they blend perspective and craft to build stories that are textured, honest, and whole. Their full journeys live in their bios, but their shared mission is the foundation of this studio:
to tell the entire story, not just the part the world already sees.
From the origins that shaped you to the work that defines you, we’re here to illuminate the complete narrative—crafted with intention, anchored in truth, and built to endure.
Beyond the glass. Beneath the surface. Storytelling distilled.
Meet The Team
Matt Carroll
Visual Architect I Creative Director I Southern Storyteller
Born in Birmingham, AL and raised in Meridian Mississippi, I’ve had art and design in my blood for as long as I can remember. What started as sketching buildings and imagining worlds pushed me to study architecture, where I learned how form, function, and storytelling work together to create meaningful spaces. That foundation shaped the way I see everything — through lines, light, balance, and emotion.
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With more than two decades of experience across film, photography, and creative design, I bring a seasoned artistic vision to Glass & Grain Studios. I blend narrative-driven storytelling with striking visual craft, creating work that is both emotionally resonant and visually unforgettable.
Throughout my 20+ year career, I’ve led creative direction for a wide range of productions — from cinematic brand films and commercial photography to full-scale visual identities and design concepts. My approach is rooted in a deep understanding of narrative, an eye for detail, and a commitment to elevating every project with originality and purpose.
Before launching my own studio, I served as Technical Director for a local city, overseeing major creative, visual, and structural initiatives. But even in that role, the calling toward visual storytelling never faded. Ultimately, I made the decision to pursue the dream I’d held since childhood — building my own creative agency where I could bring stories to life through my lens and vision.
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At Glass & Grain Studios, I continue to push creative boundaries, shaping our signature aesthetic and guiding teams to execute bold ideas with precision and artistry. My passion for visual storytelling is reflected in every frame, making me a driving force behind the studio’s reputation for high-quality, impactful creative work.
This is the craft I was built for — and I’m just getting started.
Norton Christopher
Hospitality Architect I Creative Director I Southern Storyteller
I was raised on thirty-two acres of red-dirt land in Rodessa, Louisiana, where my grandparents taught me a version of hospitality that wasn’t spoken—it was lived. We grew our food. We shared everything. There was always something warm on the stove, a pot of coffee brewing, and an open seat for anyone who needed one. That steady generosity, that rhythm of taking care of people, became the foundation of everything I believe about service.
The early part of my career moved fast and in every direction: kitchens, dining rooms, crop-spraying, and eventually nuclear medicine, where I became the first technologist assistant of my kind in the country. Later, working as a corporate trainer for major hospitality brands, I learned systems, structure, consistency, and how leadership and culture shape every guest’s experience. Those years gave me the discipline, operational understanding, and clarity I still rely on daily.
But the true turning point came at Wine Country in Shreveport.
That’s where intention and craft entered the picture.
Wine Country was my introduction to fine dining—real chefs, real technique, classical service, and the beginning of the modern cocktail renaissance. I became obsessed with history. The stories behind spirits, old recipes, forgotten ingredients… research lit the spark. I went deep.
But I didn’t know the “rules.”
I didn’t know the technical foundations most bartenders were trained on.
That ignorance became my lane.
Because without knowing the lines, I wasn’t afraid to color outside them.
That mindset—history-driven curiosity, instinct, and creative freedom—carried me through the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. I built programs rooted in seasonality, Southern memory, and a kitchen-level respect for ingredients. My “garden-to-glass” approach grew directly out of the land I was raised on: use what’s honest, what grows nearby, what carries a story worth telling.
In 2019, I launched Shaken & Stirred Co., a consulting and creative studio for bar programs, menu development, brand building, and storytelling-centered hospitality. As the work expanded, the vision evolved naturally into the formation of Thank You, Kindly Hospitality Group.
Thank You, Kindly Hospitality Group is now the home for all my creative and hospitality ventures—a place where authenticity, craft, and intentional service guide every concept we build. It’s the modern expression of everything my grandparents showed me on that red-dirt farm: take care of people, give more than you take, and let warmth be your signature.
Today, whether I’m directing creative programs, designing menus, or shaping new brands, my work returns to the same core truth:
Honor the land and the people that raised me.
Follow the story.
And never be afraid to color outside the lines.