Meet Megan Gonzalez | Brand Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I’ve learned so much about my expectations of time since having my two boys (currently ages 2 and 3!). Naturally, I like to devise a plan and see it through–create goals to accomplish, priorities to keep first, and set limits to stick to the plan. Watching how much my children change so rapidly has encouraged me to rethink my expectations of creating one schedule or work/life balance and just seeing it through. It feels like we’ve had 50 or more different versions of balance since my oldest was born. Some versions of my days have erred on the side of more time away from my work and others more time away from my kiddos. I’m learning to be flexible and that no season–whether I am LOVING how it’s feeling or dreading the weight–lasts forever. This new observant way of being has allowed me to see how often I CHANGE, too, and giving myself grace to set a plan for work/life balance and then adjust as needed to stay healthy and available for the ones I love. Currently my work brings me SO MUCH JOY. The most it ever has. And on the flip, my family brings me ABUNDANT JOY. More than it ever has! (having a 1 and 2 year old was TOUGH). So when I feel torn between two things that I’m passionate about, I am reminding myself “too much good stuff!” HAHAHA I am a living AM PM ad. I have been reflecting at the end of every day on what I’m grateful for and what I want to change, and being present in whichever mode I’m in is a constant theme. When I’m with my boys, I try to stay off my phone. I will often leave my phone in the car (ok, that’s actually an accident) for the entire afternoon/evening and keep it in my bedroom some weekends. My phone often is a gateway to inspiration and ideas, but sometimes I have to even put a cork in those exciting feelings so I can be in the moment with my family.

What should our readers know about your business?
Growing up, my brothers called me MaeMae. In Chinese, Mei Mei means “little sister.” It’s a name that reminds me I am playful, creative, free. When I started this business in college, MaeMae was an easy name choice.

I’ve changed a dozen times since opening MaeMae, and the business always makes space for all the different, ever-evolving versions of me. I founded my creative studio, MaeMae, over 15 years ago to help brands—and the women behind them—express who they have become or want to be.

I’ve fallen MANY times on this journey, but I always get back up, I always try again. I’ve amassed weight debut–then pivoted to pay it all off and start a new creative offering. I’ve agreed to do projects I have no idea how to complete and totally failed, but learned so much. I’ve accepted a full-time position with a client, left, and started from scratch. The adventure of my business has found me practicing creativity and storytelling in many forms. Some chapters have included designing wedding stationery, styling photoshoots, designing brands, teaching, and leading teams as creative director and chief operating officer.

Each chapter of my studio is marked by my passion for people and their stories.

My latest chapter has started with a return to the Arizona desert with my family.

I’m soaking up fresh perspectives, collecting rocks with my boys, breathing deeply, testing how many outfits I can create around my newly inherited bola ties, building a new community, and designing brands alongside inspiring women.

I believe creativity is an active process, not a passive stroke of genius.

Blending process and play uncovers imaginative ways to represent creative brands—and the women behind them.

Creating with me is a therapeutic process filled with conversations, research, and lots of inspiration.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I lived in Phx for five years as a teenager. I’ve returned with my husband, sons, and dog beside me after living in Minneapolis the last decade.

An ideal day with a visiting bestie would include:
– coffee outside listening to birds in my courtyard. I make the best pour over and am teaching my three year old how to make them. He may sneeze a bit into it, but it’s still good.
– walking in nature (maybe around my neighborhood where we spot a roadrunner, coyote, or lizard OR we get adventures and head to Phx Mountain Preserve)
– this sounds so bizarre… but I love eating sushi at our local grocery store, AJ’s. Salmon hand roll or the Sunshine roll.
– I love bargin shopping so hit up Last Chance (it’s the returns and overstocks from Nordstrom) or My Sister’s Closet. When I lived in MN I would buy all of my shoes at Last Chance visiting my parents.
– How long is this day!? Do we have time to go to a spa!? In Scottsdale there are a billion spas and spending a day at the spa garden at the Biltmore would be a great way to wind down.
– Wrap this day up with dinner at Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen which is at the Andaz resort by hour house. Yum mediterranean food.
– sit outside by fire pit and have a nap cap.
– pop on matching pjs and night night!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Gosh. I am so fortunate to have such a massive list running through my head right now.

I want to recognize the trusting people who gave me a chance when there was only a tiny bit of proof I had potential: my first clients, Mike & Lindsay, who I booked by spamming them via Facebook; Audrey from Urbanic who shared her time and knowledge with me when I started my wedding stationery line and then threw me a launch party at her gorgeous store on Abbot Kinney; and my husband who cheered me on during the first several years of starting my business (it was pretty much an unpaid internship for myself…).

Website: maemaeco.com

Instagram: @maemae_co

Image Credits
Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 4.06.31 PM – shot my Kelsey Lee Photography Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 4.06.25 PM – shot by Kayla Adams All of the rest of the images were shot by me on my iPhone.