SANTA FE, N.M. - TelAve -- Upland Studios today announced the commissioning of former NFL player and performance trainer Dontrell Johnson as the inaugural participant in its Bespoke Authorship Practice.

The Bespoke practice is a private, one-to-one commissioning model created for individuals whose careers and lived experience warrant intentional preservation through authorship. Operating independently from Upland Studios' Residency program, Bespoke commissions are editorially guided and discreet by design.

Johnson's work will focus on performance, discipline, leadership, and identity beyond professional sport—translating years of experience on and off the field into a permanent body of intellectual property.

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"Bespoke work is about discernment," said April Sheris, President of Upland Studios. "Some stories don't need incubation. They need care, structure, and authorship. Dontrell's work reflects that distinction."

Upland Studios' Bespoke practice marks a new chapter in the company's broader mission to preserve cultural intelligence through publishing, media, and intentional storytelling. While Upland's Residency program serves as the required pathway for consideration into its annual anthology, THE ICONS, Bespoke commissions operate separately and are reserved for select individuals whose work stands independently.

Dontrell is a former NFL player, home gym architect, and respected performance trainer whose post-league career centers on mentorship, physical excellence, and leadership development.

This commissioning represents the first of a limited number of Bespoke projects Upland Studios will undertake.

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About Upland Studios

Upland Studios is a modern cultural house dedicated to authorship, permanence, and editorial discernment.

Operating more like a fashion house than a traditional publisher or studio, Upland Studios commissions, shapes, and issues work that enters the cultural record across books, film, and intellectual property.

The house operates through a defined hierarchy:

• Commissioned by Bespoke — private, one-to-one authorship for individuals whose stories warrant preservation
• ICONS, In Residence — a selective intellectual association shaping voices for the annual ICONS anthology
• Books Are The New Rich — an ongoing conversation on authorship, ownership, and cultural capital
• Original Films — authored cinematic works developed and released with editorial discipline.

Upland Studios is led by Editor-in-Chief April Sheris and is guided by the belief that visibility fades, but the record endures.

Upland Studios

The House of Modern Storytelling