Milestone moment for me and for the brick. team today.
When I set out on my entrepreneurial journey on 10/1/2010 I was confonting crises on all fronts - the economy was in shambles, my mother was fighting a terminal illness and to be completely honest, I personally felt like I hadn’t yet lived up to my own standard as an architect or as a leader. Starting brick was like jumping off a cliff into the ocean for no other reason than to see if I could swim - I had to know what kind of swimmer I was! I had no clients, no projects and $10k in the bank, but I wanted the time to 1) take care of my mom and 2) to see if I could also use that time to create something memorable and relevant in business.
13 years later, there are so many memories and so much gratitude.
I was fortunate to have that time with my mom and ultimately that time also afforded me the opportunity to work side by side through the years with my best friend and business partner, Matt Combrink, AIA, LEED A.P. to build a firm that has spawned not only great projects, but lifetime friendships with phenomenal clients that have supported us through the years. We have also had the great joy of helping launch the careers of many and have witnessed the personal and professional growth of some of the best architects, designers and business minds I know. It has been my honor to be a part of something so special.
And today, we are leveling up…big time.
As brick. joins the HGA family, we are beyond thrilled to be joining an organization that is committed to practicing architecture the right way. Following a firmwide focus on how the work we do together is not only beautiful, but also sustainable, equitable and enduring, our team here at HGA Oakland will continue in our quest to discover and create tangible value for our clients, communities, colleagues and our people.
Speacial thanks to my good friends Melissa Pesci, AIA, LEED AP and E. Tim Carl, FAIA and Scott Lindvall for your belief and your partnership in helping to get us here. Knowing that we have been brought into a culture that will nourish the collaborative and equitable culture we have built here at brick. is an amazing feeling and I know that the best lies ahead in all of our journeys together as practitioners.
My heart is full.
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