Meet Megan Graham | Event Director & Yoga Teacher

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

Hi Megan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I have lived my adult life under the influence of “Anicca.” This concept is one that acknowledges the impermanent nature of life. Everything is always changing and when we try to hold on and force something to stay we end up in misery.

So, I work, daily, to let go of my expectations of myself and others as well as the outcomes of my work. This does not mean that I do not care but instead that I am present to what I am doing, what my goal is but I am not only judging myself by the results of the goal.

I opened my event planning company, in Lubbock over 12 years ago. I had a blast but I wasn’t making enough money to support the business and my personal bills.

At first, this brought me a lot of misery, I felt like a failure.

I did not possess the skills to quantify my business to receive loans. I did not have the funds to hire more staff to take on larger more revenue generating events. I felt trapped.

As I began to detach myself from the end result and focus on the path in the middle, my joy began to return. I began to focus on what I did have, a clear vision on what makes me happy.

What makes me happy is making other people happy through events that celebrate life’s moments.

How could I get to this path?

Well, working for a private club. I still get to plan parties and events, but I have the security of insurance and benefits. This does not mean that I don’t still assist my long time clients on the side. I do. But now, I get to do so in a space with much less worry and strife. All because, I let go of my attachment to what my life “should” look like.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My intent each day at work is to ensure the humanity of my team is recognized before their productivity.

We are human first and if our humanness is out of sync we will be less effective at work. I start each day by asking my team how they are feeling. This done together in morning meeting while also reviewing our calendars for the day.

In addition, I send a weekly, private, survey taking a pulse of how they are feeling with their weekly tasks ahead, how they feel they are balancing their lives outside of work, and how I can assist.

I still have aggressive budget goals, I still want to exceed expectations as a department but I do not want to do that at the expense of my team.

I have had jobs where it was clear I was a cog in a machine that was going down the track whether I was on it or not. It did not feel good to know I was expendable. While it is it true, we all are. Then it is also true that I should prioritize my joy and life. Let the machine run while I am there and let my life run when I am not. I want this same balance for my teams.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the diversity of Houston!

We would definitely have to start with a walk around the Arboretum Trails with my dog. I love how in the middle of the city it feels like you are a world away.

Then I would need to stop at Common Bond for a coffee and breakfast treat.

If we could sneak away to Matagorda Bay and enjoy the beach for a bit that would be amazing, if not, perhaps a jaunt down to Seabrook for a little salt air and lunch at MerLion.

Next would be happy hour at Padre’s Wine Bar or EZ’s Liquor Lounge in the Heights. Both have very different vibes but that is why I like them.

Ending the day with dinner and Brennan’s, celebrating the Bayou City cuisine that is unique to this part of Texas.

Of course there are so many other wonderful attractions but I firmly believe that to dine well is to live well, so that would be my focus.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout out is to a fellow business owner, Emily Phillips. I met Emily when she opened a wine shop, Host & Toast. I have seen her business morph and transform as her life has changed.

She is resilient and thoughtful. Never afraid to ask if her decisions are serving her well.

She went from a bricks and mortar wine store that also sold some home goods to a wine bar to an at home wine delivery service.

As her life needs changed she was willing to sit with herself (and her family) and ask if the dream was working for them or against them.

It was beautiful to watch her re-imagine the dream in new and different ways. There is a philosophy called the life, death, life cycle. In this philosophy, one must be willing to let one dream die in order for another to be born.

Watching Emily live this philosophy in her business and life taught me how to do the same.

Her bravery in change is a testament to understanding that the only failure is not trying.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bougieintexas/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-marie-g-5ab5a01/