This past Friday, our amazing designer and friend, Megan Kwan finished her last day, completing her eventful three years with us. As we each signed off of our Zoom call, we wished her the very best for her journey ahead.

Megan joined us in the fall of 2017, just a few weeks after we opened the doors to our storefront concept, SORT. It’s hard to remember what the studio was like before her arrival, simply due to the impact she has had on both our work and our lives.

Together, we traveled to countries we only had dreamt of visiting. We planned countless surprise parties for each other… and somehow, we were always surprised, despite using the same approach every time.

From heavy topics to lighthearted banter, we talked of big dreams and learned so much from each other. We also shared tears together and witnessed each other reach life milestones.

I’ve listed all of these memories without mentioning anything to do with work yet. This is perhaps because the work was always somehow secondary. Work is important, but I believe it was the day to day interactions that made the work all the more meaningful. I’m reminded of a quote I recently heard from a podcast that said, “A business is only as strong as its relationships.” I’m seeing just how true that statement is today as I look back at the past three years.

Running a design studio certainly has its rewards and challenges. And through the ups and downs, we are more or less prepared for either outcome. Yet, saying goodbye to team members who have become family was never one we could prepare for. I’m not sure if this is something we’ll ever be prepared for.

When we first met Megan, she came by with a box of New Town Bakery apple pies and a zeal for life that filled every corner of our 400 square-foot office at the time. After that meeting, my gut always told me that Megan would make an impact in this world, and so we hired her because I selfishly wanted that impact for our studio. Now that we’ve experienced it tenfold, it’s time to send her off to further her remarkable path, and I can tell that zeal has only grown stronger.