Title at Blueprint
Delivery Manager
Joined Blueprint
August 2020
First job
Lifeguard
Favorite book
“Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts
First concert
Alanis Morissette
Favorite sports to play
Tennis and horseback riding
Where did you grow up?
I am from Marin County, California, but my family spent every summer and Christmas in France with my dad’s family. My father is French, and my mother is American, so we spoke French at home and English outside the house. We did move back and forth a couple of times, but we lived in the states most of my childhood, and I attended school in the states. Growing up this way gave me perspective on two different cultures and opened my eyes to a larger world. A large part of our days in France involved long meals with the family and time on the beach with cousins everywhere. We have a 400-year-old family home in a small seaside town called Carnac where everyone knows each other. The streets are all cobblestone, and it only takes a few minutes to walk to the beach. In the States, we lived in a small town, but weren’t surrounded by family and life was so much less about community than in France.
Megan has a love for horseriding and was in horse riding competitions at an early age (pictured riding her first horse.)
Is that part of what led to your love of travel?
Yes! Because of my experiences in France, I decided to attend the International University of Monaco for two years, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Monaco is a very small country you can walk across in 20 minutes, so most of my weekends were spent exploring Italy and other nearby countries. The traveling, museums and life-long relationships I built while studying there made it a very memorable experience. To this day, the French Riviera is my favorite place on Earth.
What did you do after leaving Monaco?
I returned to the US and earned an MBA from Dominican University of California. My first job after completing the program was at an international matchmaking firm. I fell in love with the industry – it wasn’t as saturated at the time and was kind of like the Wild West. That company sent me to London to open a new division, and I ended up launching my own matchmaking firm that merged the traditional offline elements of matchmaking with new online technologies. I stayed in London for about five years, and that experience really cemented my love of travel and different cultures.
How did you end up at Blueprint?
I had moved back to the US and was speaking at conferences in the offline and online dating world and consulting, but I was really interested in the technology behind the business. When my husband and I moved to Washington, I took a project management certification course from the University of Washington and was introduced to a Blueprint alum who thought my background would make for a good fit, as Blueprint actively seeks people from different backgrounds. I was really interested in combining my entrepreneurship and project management skills and applying them to the tech world, where I could be involved in any number of industries. I was also looking for unique, exciting opportunities, and Blueprint still had that creative, fun startup feel where I could use my creativity, pitch new ideas and have room to grow in all different directions.
How was it transitioning into the tech industry without a technology background?
I had been exposed to tech in the matchmaking industry because I was working to incorporate the offline and online sides of the industry. I’d overseen a few huge projects to build technology platforms, so I had had some exposure. But there was still a big learning curve – mostly involving terminology. When I look at the people at Blueprint, though, one of the things that stands out is that we all come from different backgrounds and walks of life. So many of us don’t have traditional technology backgrounds, but diverse perspectives make the work we do much more impactful.
How do you feel your previous career set you up for success at Blueprint?
Starting companies and project management have a lot of similarities – you’re overseeing something from start to finish. I love people and relationship building, which makes sense for matchmaking, even though I wasn’t a “matchmaker.” In my role at Blueprint, I am in constant contact with our clients, so strong relationships and good communication are essential. I think one of my biggest gifts is being able to read the room – understanding the client and anticipating what they’re looking for goes a long way.
What is the coolest thing you’ve done at Blueprint?
As a delivery manager, I’ve been on lots of different projects, which is fun for me. I oversee a few projects at a time and make sure we deliver what has been agreed upon and that the client is happy. I’ve worked with restaurant chains, grocery stores and government contractors, and each project has been completely different. Working with the restaurant chain, I was able to earn a change management certification because we knew that would be an important part of that engagement and likely many other engagements. Being able to take ownership of our change management work has been exciting. I love that I can pivot quickly and do whatever needs to be done to solve our clients’ business problems.
Megan with her husband and their two rescue dogs at Devil’s Lake, Washington.
What do you do outside of work?
My husband and I are super outdoorsy. We have two rescue dogs, so we love to take them out hiking. I played division 2 tennis in college, so I still like to get out on the tennis court. My husband and I are also starting the process to foster to adopt. I always knew I wanted to adopt children, so we’re excited to get licensed and start that new phase of our lives.
What has been pivotal to who you are today?
Living in so many different countries has definitely fed into who I am. I’ve lived in the UK, France and Spain. I even spent six months in Denmark and Norway. I kind of feel like home for me is between here and Europe. Living in London, for example, you can meet people from six different countries just while grabbing lunch or a coffee. Being around so much diversity and people who see the world differently opens your eyes to so many other points of view and experiences. It allows me to see things from other people’s viewpoints.
What is a mistake you made during your career, and what did you learn from it?
My philosophy is that there are no mistakes. Everything is a learning lesson and happens for a reason. Even if it’s a mistake at the time, you learn things you wouldn’t have otherwise. I do wish I would have listened more to my intuition, though.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Be kind whenever it’s possible, and it’s always possible.
