Meet Meg Lewis, Founder of Ghostly Ferns, Darn Good, and Fool Proof.
This week we talk to Meg Lewis, a value-based designer creating experiences for happy companies. Meg is 1/4 of Ghostly Ferns, a collective of designers & commercial artists and the co-owner of Fool Proof, a shared workspace for creativity & collaboration in Minneapolis. She specializes in creating positive emotional connections between companies and their community by adding personality to their brand. Meg has worked with brands including: Google, Slack, Big Cartel, Samsung, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast, Away and others. Meg is also a speaker and frequently coaches brands on how to become happy companies and individuals on how to make money being themselves!
Sandip: So let’s start from the beginning. Tell us where you’re from, your background and a bit about growing up.
Meg: Here we go! I learned how to talk in Ft Worth, Texas, where I developed a thick southern accent. At 7, my parents realized it had gone too far when I was elongating 1 syllable words into 2 syllable words. One time I was excited when a server plopped down a surprise milkshake and I shouted, “Sheee-it, that’s a big shake!”. My family and I immediately moved north. I spent my coming-of-age years in a suburb of Kansas City where people smoke meth and go hunting. It’s there where I realized I wasn’t like most people. As soon as I turned 18, I moved to Los Angeles to attend fashion school but didn’t like how competitive the fashion industry is.
At 21, I moved to Chicago to learn UI/UX design but struggled to find a community. At 23, I moved to Brooklyn to become a freelancer and was excited by how driven, just like me, everyone was. I fit right in with folks who wanted to move fast and support each other! At 28, I moved to Minneapolis to give the kindest city in the world a try. I’m totally in love with how content, community-minded, and humble this city is! I’m still here today, and even though I can’t bare the thought of staying in one city forever, I’ll be here for a while.
Sandip: When would you say you first got into “design” in the formal sense?
Meg: I think every adult human has a story of how they loved design as a kid, because that’s when a lot of us were our most creative selves. I loved to create “experiences” in my bedroom for my guests. Whether it was a carnival theme, with various games placed around the floorplan of the room, or an underwater theme with inflatable furniture galore. This is significant because apparently I’ve always been interested in creating fun, interactive experiences in order to make the world a happier place for those around me.
“I remember thinking, I wish I had a community of other freelancers around me that I could ask for help and for years I struggled to find it, until I started Ghostly Ferns.”
Sandip: Do you recall your first job as a “designer”? What were some things you liked about it? What lessons did you learn?
Meg: I left college early to start freelancing. My first client, when I was 21, was a photography studio. I barely knew how to code and I hardly knew how to design but I pretended to know what I was doing and, my goodness, the client loved everything I did! Behind the scenes I was panicking and googling “how css”, but I never let the client know I was a fraud. I remember thinking, I wish I had a community of other freelancers around me that I could ask for help and for years I struggled to find it, until I started Ghostly Ferns.
Sandip: You design, write, and do lots of teaching through your talks and workshops. How do you do it all? What drives you to want to do it all? What do you enjoy most about doing it all?
Meg: A few years ago I set a life’s purpose for myself: to make the world a happier place. When I start something new or begin to feel overwhelmed, I like to remind myself that I’m here to serve this purpose and the world needs me. Feeling needed by the world is a powerful thing and really helps me to find the motivation and the drive to do, do, do! Having a life’s purpose is also a great baseline for each career, and life, decision I make. Is this thing fulfilling my purpose? Yes. Great, let’s do it Meg!
Sandip: You are the founder of Ghostly Ferns, which is a family of freelancer BFFs as you explain it. What’s that mean? Can you share more about how Ghostly Ferns works?
Meg: Ghostly Ferns is an excuse for my best buds, and myself, to work together as often as possible. We’re currently a group of 4 (a product designer, an illustrator, a commercial artist, and an experience designer). Since we each have our own specialty, we can take on a client by ourselves, given their needs, or work as a team on large-scale projects. Most of the time we work as individuals with a client, but every so often a larger company will hire the whole Ghostly Ferns gang as a group.
Sandip: So you have experience working in-house but also in client services. What are some things you love about each? Do you have a preference?
Meg: I’ve only had a Jobby-Job for about 2 months of my career. When I moved to NYC, I moved for a freelance client who promised to hire me full-time if I moved for them. They held up to their end of the deal, but the company folded only 2 months after I got there! That’s my only baseline for having an in-house design job, everything else is freelance. I can’t imagine doing anything else but freelance after it’s been 8+ years of setting my own schedule and having the freedom to buzz-off in the middle of the day to see a movie and have nachos. I love being a freelancer because I love change. Every day is different and every project is vastly unique. One day I’m designing surfboards and the next day I’m writing a blog post about how much I love my butt. The next week I’ll be illustrating compression socks and designing a wayfinding system for an exhibit.
Sandip: Talk to us about your latest project, Fool Proof. Tell us more about that and why you wanted to do it.
Meg: Fool Proof is a shared workspace here in Minneapolis that I co-founded with my buddy Erik Westra. We’re a small group of friends, old and new, who work alongside each other in a fun environment of creativity and collaboration. We started Fool Proof after I moved here and was struggling to find my own design, and friend, community. I’ve always thought career and life should go hand-in-hand so I wanted to build a community of like-minded people in similar fiends who would spend their days in a friendship-fueled environment. Working alongside folks who are truly your friends is energizing, hilarious, challenging, and so fun. At Fool Proof we also host workshops, events, pop-ups, and so many more wacky/weird things.
Sandip: You work with your significant other, Brad Evans. For many that might be challenging, what are a few things that have helped you both make it work so well?
Meg: When I tell people that I work with my partner I get the response, “That sounds hard, I could never work with mine. It would be bad!”. That response baffles me! I love him and genuinely love being around him so of course I would want to spend every career moment and life moment with him. Working with my s/o is something I feel so privileged to do. I’m also a huge fan of ending relationships when they’re no longer making you whole and truly happy. If, in the future, I start to lose my mind being around him all the time (and vice versa), it might be time to let the relationship go. I want what’s best for his happiness, too. But, for now, I get to enjoy the benefits of cuddle-working and it’s pretty sweet!
Sandip: You have a love for black, white, and pink, is that fair to say? Why are those your favorite colors?
Meg: My life takes me in different directions and I find myself being attracted to different things visually, and emotionally. Right now I’ve developed a love for a certain color palette that I can feel passing and forming into something new. I’m always excited to be curious and love to dive into what I can’t explain but exists deep within me. I don’t think too much about it, I just embrace it!
Sandip: How did “Darn Good” come to be? Those letters are tattooed on your fingers so it must have some significance for you.
Meg: Oof! Great question. I have a hard time forming an answer that satisfies most people. Humans have a way of wanting to find meaning in everything. It’s why we’ve formed religions and faith. My faith lies in the unknown, being curious, and leaning into my curiosities without expecting answers. When it comes to my tattoos, some have deeper meaning, but others are a reflection of what I was curious about at the time. Darn Good is a phrase that I’ve been attracted to ever since I found myself. In 2013 I had a personal epiphany that led to true self-love and understanding of who I am. This is when I found my life’s purpose. I emerged with a deep love for myself and an attraction, and curiosity, for new things. The phrase Darn Good is something that formed during that time and won’t leave.
Sandip: One of your more recent projects is the work you did for Slack Frontiers (which is bonkers good). Can you share more about the project, how you started, the process, and all the little details you helped bring to life for the branding of that event?
Meg: This one was fun! Slack hired myself, along with the Ghostly Ferns crew, to design the experience, brand, website, and all the key art that went along with their conference, Frontiers. This type of project is really where the Ghostly Ferns gang shines as we’re each able to use our skillset for a different element of the project. While I worked on the brand & event experience, Brad was truckin’ away on the website and Laura was executing lettering and illustration.
This project was led by Slack’s own Kristy Tillman, who is outstanding at directing our vision and bringing her knowledge of the brand into the entire experience. We love working with Kristy! Our team designed the higher-level brand and key pieces of the event and experience. With such a huge event comes a ton of deliverables, all of the smaller details were executed by Slack’s team.
“I’m always excited to be curious and love to dive into what I can’t explain but exists deep within me. I don’t think too much about it, I just embrace it!”
Sandip: You’re big into branding and personal branding. What are some tips you’d suggest for people just starting? Any tips to help them avoid any common mistakes most make?
Meg: It’s taken me a few years of gagging and eye rolling when hearing the term Personal Branding to realize it’s actually not disgusting. The term Personal Brand sounds like you’re curating your life to make yourself seem like a brand rather than a person. GROSS! I’ve come to love thinking about personal brand as though you’re a unique person unlike anyone else in the world (true!) and you should be showing your true self off as often as possible. When you do this, it creates a “brand” unlike anything that exists because it’s YOU. It’s so simple!
My biggest tip is to harvest what makes you truly unique and special, stop trying to hide it, and dial it up to 100! When we can embrace, and learn to love, our true selves it creates an environment of growth and magnetism both in our real lives and on social media. Branding for businesses is the same. Brands have founders & missions unlike any other company, so why design and position your brand to look like everything else out there? You should be harvesting what makes your brand’s owner(s) & mission special and make a personality for your brand that reflects that. BOOM, BABY!
Sandip: You’re quite the public speaker too! Did you ever have a fear of public speaking? What’s drawn you to want to share with others?
Meg: I love public speaking because it helps fulfill my life’s purpose! If I can go on stage and make the audience happier, even for an hour of their lives, I’ve accomplished my purpose. When I was a kid I wanted to be a comedic actor when I grew up and spent my summers at comedy and acting camps. Public speaking and performing was something that came with the territory and I think it really set me up for success. I never get nervous about speaking in front of people, but I have learned that I am a better speaker when I don’t rehearse or plan what I’m supposed to say. Rather, I speak from my true self. Sometimes I get nervous because I’m literally very unprepared, but I just have to have faith in knowing what I need to do (or not do) to give into what makes me better.
Sandip: It’s different for everyone, but walk us through the process of starting a new project at Darn Good or Ghostly Ferns. How do you like to start, your processes, the different phases, tools you like to use, etc.
Meg: I’m a sucker for change so no two projects ever have the same process. I also love adapting to my client’s process. I typically ask them how they feel most productive and I like to leap into their routine or project management style. Sometimes clients like to start with a long kick-off call or on-boarding process into their own system. Other times, clients like to be hands-off and let me do my thing unassisted for days at a time. I love all styles of working and really enjoy peeking into, and embracing, everyone else’s preferred styles.
Sandip: What’s been your favorite project to date? Why?
Meg: All of my favorite projects are my personal projects! Whether it’s Ghostly Ferns and the products we make for ourselves, or it’s Fool Proof, I enjoy working for myself. I’m THE BEST client. When I design and create things for myself I have a great time and am generally laughing and smiling at what I’m making constantly. I know exactly what I need to make in order to make myself happy and I leave every day feeling like I have a successful client relationship!
Sandip: Have you had any mentors that helped you along the way?
Meg: I don’t feel like anyone out there is doing something that I want to be doing, so I’ve never had a formal mentor. However, there have been some people I’ve looked to, throughout my life, for constant inspiration. These people have molded my life, and career, and are always pushing me to be smarter, more clever, and more curious. Lucille Ball, Mr. Bean, and Pee-Wee Herman are three of my biggest life coaches. I just need to watch them, channel their energy, and let myself gain insight from their talent! My brain and curiosity can do the rest.
Sandip: As someone who provides personal career consulting, what advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Meg: Come on, Meg! Stop pretending to be someone you aren’t because you’re afraid that others might judge you. You’re waisting your own time and not fulfilling your purpose by being a curated version of yourself!
Sandip: Do you have a person, place, or thing that inspires you?
Meg: When I have supportive, fulfilled, encouraged people in my environment I become my most inspired self. That’s why I’m constantly creating communities, large and small, where folks can become friends and support each other in work and life. When groups come together for the sake of friendship, not networking, it’s a beautifully inspiring thing.
Sandip: You somewhat recently moved to Minneapolis from NYC. First, let’s hear about what sparked the move. What do you love most about living in Minneapolis? What do you miss most about NYC?
Meg: I love to move! There are so many amazing cities in the world and I want to live in all of them. Brad and I left NYC because we needed a bit more metaphorical, and literal, space and I was getting tired of all the cat calling and harassing in New York. We decided to move to the exact opposite of NYC, Minneapolis. In Minnesota folks keep to themselves, show their neighbors kindness, and love their homes and spaces. I love how Minnesotans care so much about their environment, parks system, education system, and supporting their local economy.
It’s such a great, humble city that never brags to the rest of the world. With that said, I miss NYC terribly. It is my true home. It’s where I fell in love with myself, found my best friends, and made my career. I miss the tight-knit, amazingly supportive design community. I miss the bagels and the time I used garlic knots as hand warmers in the winter.
Sandip: Do you have a favorite book or podcast (or both)?
Meg: I’m not about pretending to be someone I’m not, so I’ll level with you. I’ve never been a podcast lover and listen to a small amount of crime podcasts and only read Scandinavian crime fiction. I’m a sucker for forensics and mysteries! I’m a huge fan of visual storytelling and find my true inspiration from filmmaking, cinematography, and most importantly, scores. I wouldn’t go as far as to call-out a favorite book or life-changing memoir, but I would definitely recommend y’all give Scan crime fiction a try if you haven’t already. Don’t go straight for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, dive deeper!
Sandip: What are you listening to these days? Do you have a favorite artist or band?
Meg: I mentioned how much I love scores and Max Richter is my true hero. The Leftovers soundtrack, and the show tbh, moves me unlike anything. Other influential scores for me are Vertigo, The Life Aquatic, Arrival, and I Heart Huckabees.
Sandip: I love those scores too! Do you have any daily routines?
Meg: Oh snap! Y’all know how much I love change so I absolutely 100% do not have a daily routine. I’ve never even bought the same shampoo twice. I like to wake up (without alarm, obv) and decide what I feel like doing that day. Some days I feel like working from home, others I feel motivated to get into Fool Proof immediately, and occasionally I feel like seeing a late morning movie and working later in the day.
“When I have supportive, fulfilled, encouraged people in my environment I become my most inspired self.”
Thanks so much for reading! Each week our team publishes an interview with a designer, illustrator, filmmaker, animator or artist that inspire us. A big thank you to our friend Meg for taking the time to chat with us! You can see more of Meg’s work over on Darn Good, Ghostly Ferns and Dribbble. You can also follow her new workshop at Full Time You and also see her on Twitter and Instagram.
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