In order to celebrate the relocation and grand opening of Hughes Marino’s new Orange County office, we did what many businesses do. We had our own version of a “soft opening,” so to speak. Instead of a big ribbon cutting ceremony, we chose to keep the initial opening close to our hearts. At Hughes Marino, we firmly believe that the family model is a good business model, so when we completed work on our brand new office in the beautiful Jamboree Center in Irvine, we held a private celebration for the entire Hughes Marino family.

But just because it was a small event doesn’t mean that it was anything less than special, especially since we were fortunate enough to include renowned business author, speaker, and all around good guy Mike Robbins in our celebration (who has been especially busy lately, as his new book just came out this month). Mike has worked intimately with the Hughes Marino team for several years. We were a lean team of just 20 members when he first met us. Today we’re close to 40. Suffice to say, he’s been invaluable in helping us to maintain our culture as we’ve grown, and we’ve come to consider him a part of our family.

Naturally, our San Diego based team members were enthusiastic about supporting our burgeoning Orange County office, so we rented a bus and headed to Irvine, where Mike met us for an all-hands team building session. He offered sage suggestions (as always), and broke us out into groups where we talked about our current challenges, successes, and the many ways in which we appreciate one another. After a catered lunch where everyone had the opportunity to relax, socialize, and enjoy a delicious meal in our comfy new space, our San Diego based team members headed home, leaving the Orange County team to share a special afternoon session with Mike on their own.

While Hughes Marino is indeed a family, we felt it was important for the Irvine office to develop its own dynamic, which is why Mike’s afternoon session proved so valuable. There’s little doubt that the culture of the smaller, but equally strong HM team in Orange County will emphasize authenticity and appreciation as their M.O., just as our San Diego team always has.

All in all it was a wonderful day that gave us a chance to take a step back and appreciate how far we’ve come as a company, and, as always, enjoy some fun and laughs among friends. To top off an already great day, our own Margaret Chiu, who planned the fun-filled day, surprised the team with this awesome video of the day’s events. Enjoy!