How do you explain your profession to people outside of the industry? What do you find most exciting and/or rewarding about this work?
Most people I talk to have either had the chance to visit an M&M’S store, heard about them or at the very least have a love for the brand. When I tell people that I get to design those spaces, they are always so excited and that’s what I find the most rewarding. It’s rare to have a career where your main goal is to bring fun into people’s lives.
What milestone or accomplishment have you made in your career that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of the relationships and ways of working that have been established during the design phases for our last three stores. Designing and opening a store from scratch requires tremendous teamwork and I am lucky to have some of the most talented and retail-savvy individuals in my orbit. An incredibly close second is seeing our projects come to life and appear on the covers of several industry magazines (a long time personal goal).
What is one notable achievement (personal or professional) that you've made over the past year?
Establishing a new design language for M&M’S stores over the past year is a legacy that I am extremely proud of. We’ve worked extremely hard to ensure we’ve created a system with a long shelf life and it is exciting to see how it has impacted the brand as a whole.
What is a piece of media that has inspired you professionally?
Ralph Lauren, my former employer, continues to inspire me today. His commitment to world building within retail spaces and his cinematic view of reality is so immersive. He taught me that a retail experience can be truly transformative for people.
Please share one fun or surprising fact about yourself:
I dominate “Friends” trivia.
