Brainstorming in a Brewery: Inside Freda Salvador’s Unconventional Offsite

Date: August 29, 2017
Topic: Made in Peerspace
By: Peerspace

Co-founders Megan Papay and Cristina Palomo-Nelson wanted to create a brand of women’s shoes that were equal parts unique yet uncomplicated, stylish yet straightforward. With that mission in mind, FREDA SALVADOR was born. Sustainably produced in a family-run factory in Spain, these shoes are meant to ease you into your everyday.

Fast forward six years later, FREDA has evolved into so much more than a designer footwear brand. They are a community of bold, ambitious women who are passionate about what they do and where they’re going.

To celebrate the company’s sixth birthday, the team wanted to reflect on their past success but also align on what lies ahead. Co-founder Megan says, “We wanted to connect on our core values and also spend some time dissecting our brand description to make sure the way we are talking to our community is on par with our goals.” Read more from Megan and how the FREDA team found their creativity in this light-filled brewery.

Explore this Modern Brewery

The big idea

“We wanted to get out of our office to fully relax and simply focus on being present in the conversation.” Megan continued, “To not let our daily to-do lists or the pile of samples that need to be put away pull us away from a creative flow.” In order to do this, the team sought after a more creative meeting room for the day, leading them to book this modern brewery in San Francisco.

“We wanted to totally disconnect from the distractions of the daily grind.”

While they came into the day with a loose outline, they had a clear goal of what they wanted to achieve. “We wanted to connect with our team about our core values and also spend some time really dissecting our brand description to make sure the way we are talking to our community is on par with our goals.”

Breaking in the space

“The brewery aspect made it a no brainer. We wanted casual conversations over beers. Nothing uptight or formal. Girl talk.”

While a brewery might seem like an unexpected offsite, FREDA SALVADOR isn’t your typical shoe brand. Plus, Megan says, “It was so easy. With tables already included in the space, we just pushed them together family style. The natural light and high ceilings, made the intimate space feel really open.”

To help fuel their creativity, they brought in a large bulletin board, some product, memorabilia, and pens and paper. To keep her team happy and well-fed throughout the day, they brought in BiRite sandwiches and ended the day with local beer on tap.

The finished product

Megan left the offsite feeling inspired — not only about her team, but also about the FREDA Community at large. During the offsite, they filled the bulletin board with adjectives that define both the brand and their designs, saying, “That board was full of powerful words and it felt so amazing to physically see them together and know they are how our team sees FREDA.”

At the end of the day, the team all could agree that FREDA is bigger than shoes. “We are a group of strong, bad ass ladies, who support each other unconditionally. We cheer each other on.”