Studio W Spotlight: Megan Garon

Sacramento, CA—We’re pleased to introduce Megan Garon, Marketing Manager at our Sacramento Studio, as this month’s Studio W Spotlight team member. Megan began her industry journey in college, when she joined a local architecture firm and quickly rose through the ranks due to her strong work ethic, marketing expertise and graphic design talent. She has been with Studio W for six years and is an integral part of our marketing team, leading the project pursuit process and designing much of the branded collateral. She has contributed to many of our projects, but notably assisted with the mural at our Sacramento Studio Office, Calistoga JUSD’s Calistoga Jr./Sr. High School STEM Building and Lake Tahoe USD Facilities Master Plan.

Megan loves being a part of her children’s sports, reading, and the #24 from Togo’s with a side of Baskin Robbins mint chip ice cream. Learn more about Megan…

 

What is your hometown, or where do you live currently and what do you like about it?
I grew up in Roseville, California, and attended Oakmont High School. I currently live in north Sacramento in the River Oaks community, and I love how beautiful our blooming area is. We are close to Downtown Sacramento but far enough away from the hoopla where our little suburb feels peaceful and safe.

What is your favorite restaurant or food?
I love Mexican and Italian cuisine but am simple at heart. I’ll take a #24 from Togo’s with a side of Baskin Robbins mint chip ice cream any day.

What is your favorite song, movie or book?
I love, love, LOVE reading! It is honestly an integral part of my day, of keeping my sanity and doing something for myself that will always be a priority for me. There are too many books to choose a favorite, but movies are a different story. I rarely watch TV or movies, and when I do, it’s very purposeful. I love Pitch Perfect because acapella is amazing, it’s fun to sing along to and I enjoy randomly quoting the movie with my husband. I also love the Harry Potter series because I like watching and dissecting it with my dad and sister. We all read the books first and have watched each of the movies multiple times.

Oh! And my absolute favorite TV series is FRIENDS. I remember as a child sneaking out to the family room while my mom watched the episode of FRIENDS where Ross has his leather pants mishap, and she could NOT stop belly laughing. Hearing that much glee from my mom was priceless and I’ve been hooked ever since.

What is a typical weekend for you? 
So. Many. Sports! My nine-year-old son loves ALL the sports and we often overcommit with his activities. He and I just finished playing and coaching baseball – he is still at a phase where he is proud that his momma is his coach! If that’s not the best feeling in the world, I’m not sure what is. Currently we are in tackle football and cheer season, in which both my son and daughter participate. My happy-go-lucky eight-year-old daughter is a cheerleader through and through, so this time of year is wonderful because it is truly a family event every Saturday.

Sundays are a day for this very anxious introvert to be at home and recharge away from humans! Unless absolutely necessary, I do not run errands or leave the house. I’ll hang out with my family, work around the house or read a book, but it’s a home day. It’s fantastic and helps me remain functional throughout the rest of the week!

How did you find architecture?
My dad was in the industry and helped me get a summer job as a receptionist for an architecture firm one summer whilst in college. A little under a year later I applied to the same firm and became their administrative assistant, eventually working my way up through three more positions to become their senior marketing coordinator. They said that I was the “fastest rising professional” they’d had, which really proved to me that my burgeoning work ethic had a strong foundation.

What is a building and/or destination that inspires you and why?
Last year, my husband and I traveled to Europe and visited many of the “must see” landmarks, Westminster Abbey, the Eiffel Tower, the Roman Colosseum, the famous Santorini blue domed churches, etc. It was a bucket list trip for us, yet the destination that my mind always travels back to is this little town of less than 100 people, Sokraki, on the island of Corfu, Greece, that I will forever hold dear to my heart. This ancient city built on the top of the island has withstood huge tests of time, from war and natural disaster to disease and decay. It feels weathered and worn, but their people protect and nurture it just the same. So beautiful.

 

What is your favorite aspect of working at Studio W Architects?
I love my team. We are a growing team, which is fantastic and oh-so-needed, but Chelsea Pozar and I were a two-person marketing team for over five years and our skills and work styles complement each other very nicely. I feel empowered to bring the best of my skill set to the table, to be myself and to focus on my strengths.

What is your most memorable project and why?
I’m not technical staff – my typical projects are qualifications and proposal pursuits. I’ve heard from many marketers that they are the bane of their existence, but it is honestly where I thrive! I love everything about submittal packages, from layout design and production, to becoming *basically* a firm historian with data retention from the hundreds of times you use the same stats in the many different and creative ways a client asks for them.

But! My most memorable project is probably the mural on the side of our Midtown Studio. I was able to gain a glimpse of how our designers feel when their projects are complete. The pride in seeing something I put my heart into come to life and be enjoyed by the community is a pretty surreal experience.

 

What project have you worked on at Studio W that made you grow the most professionally? Why?
I would say the projects that help me grow the most professionally are those that are outside the norm, such as design-build proposals (like one of our most recent wins with Landmark Construction, Calistoga JUSD’s Calistoga Jr./Sr. High School STEM Building). Each design-build submittal has been a challenging and complex pursuit with many firms involved and many moving parts. I certainly learn something new each time.

Two types of projects that I contribute to outside of my beloved proposals on a regular basis are facilities master plans, such as the Lake Tahoe USD Facilities Master Plan, and professional photography graphics/edits. Being immersed in these types of tasks grows my technical skills, yes, but they also provide a different insight into how I go about many of my marketing duties. I get to learn more about the industry, from different project approaches and types to funding mechanisms and how the many constituent groups are incorporated into the process.