Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Concheri.
Hi Meghan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out cleaning commercial offices when I was 11 years old. A few days a week after school, I vacuumed cubicle after cubicle, and my younger brother would follow behind collecting individual trash bins. I was praised by our mother, a new business owner, for my speed, albeit missing some detail. My brother was praised for his accuracy, albeit working too slowly. In time, I learned the significance of balancing both timeliness and attention to detail.
From those early days cleaning offices, I knew I never wanted to work in one. I have been self-employed since I was 19. I was living in New York City and had just experienced the second instance of sexual assault while working in a restaurant. After that, I was done working for others. I decided to be a writing tutor for students across various disciplines: Business, marketing, art, literature, history, while earning a degree in Global Studies. Shortly after completing my degree, I joined forces with a childhood friend to help develop her international jewelry brand. For anyone who has read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Museo, our brand, represented the metaphorical crystal shop on the top of a hill. This business taught me how to manage artisans, conduct SEO, and simplify complex processes. Museo was not my destination, but it was critical for my development toward my ultimate purpose.
I was in Costa Rica in 2019 when I had the most incredible experience to date – a waterfall rappelling tour with Maquique, a company run by locals, fueled by love and connection to the land. I knew I wanted to return home to create an unforgettable experience in San Diego.
I launched Pure Bliss Picnics seeking to connect people with one another, and with nature. I am an avid coast-explorer, typically wandering with a blanket and snacks in my backpack, ready to sit, relax, and soak up the views. Fortunately, San Diego’s 70 miles of coastline is rich in hidden gems and mesmerizing scenery.
Pure Bliss Picnics is the culmination of: Core values that I live by (eco-centric decision-making); Skills I’ve learned over the years (leadership, marketing); Insight that I try to instill in others (mindfulness, being present with others); and The source of my inner peace (surrendering to the boundless beauty and lessons of nature).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pure Bliss Picnics has been both the simplest business I’ve worked on – because of how connected I am to it – and the most challenging business to hold on to – due to regulatory shifts.
This business feels simple because each aspect of the process is aligned with actions that I enjoy. I started out sourcing all picnic food locally on my bike. It felt blissful biking to stores each morning to prepare freshly made menu options. The menu options built into Pure Bliss picnics is one of my greatest differentiators in this market.
As I invested more in picnic design, I crafted my signature look – the floral-vine tent – which quickly became a flow state to set up. I build all my own picnic tables. I sew custom linens. I capture special moments like proposals and baby announcements with my Sony a7 camera. Every aspect of this design harnesses different aspects of simple pleasures. This business also compelled me to gain mastery over time, and redefined my relationship with gravity and wind. I learned how to work with these elemental variables, rather than being overruled by them.
On the flip side – I have “lost” wildly successfully locations multiple times due to regulatory shifts. By wildly successful I mean this – guests were proclaiming their picnic experience as – “once in a lifetime,” “magical,” and “by far the best part of their time in San Diego.” Feeling the sheer joy and gratitude of guests makes every ounce of effort worth it.
The day I learned a local law changed, it felt like everything I built was disintegrating around me. To that point, I developed the company fully in compliance with local, city, and state policies. Then in February 2024, we picnic companies were abruptly subject to stringent regulation that was substantially incompatible our business models. It was painful because we are a blossoming market of young female-owned small businesses. The City did not work with us to come up with a mutually beneficial path forward, they just shut the door and posted new rules. The reality is – entrepreneurs need to be able to adapt to abrupt changes. Whether its regulatory change, economic shifts, any number of variables – resilience, resourcefulness and adaptability are fundamental to entrepreneurial success.
In this process of adapting, I have expanded to hosting outdoor Wedding Ceremonies, photographing proposals, permitted-only picnics in San Diego, as well as venturing luxury picnics into new markets in Malibu, and in Oahu. I am most thrilled about the momentum we are gaining in Oahu, creating jobs for talented and creative locals, and connecting travelers to local people, cuisine, and scenery. Pure Bliss Picnics has compelled me to shift from the person who gets everything done by herself, to someone who is training and empowering others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a storyteller. I started out writing poetry when I was 8. Painting, woodwork, gardening, design, and photography are my favorite art forms. I’ve turned picnics into an art form. I have embraced creativity for the majority of my professional existence. Furthermore, I have learned how to monetize creativity by working extra hard to be: organized, attentive to detail, and action-oriented.
I think creatives often get overwhelmed by being impassioned by so many different things, and feel uncertain about which direction to go. My message is always this: Take a few steps in one direction, pause and make an assessment, then decide to continue taking action in that direction, or pivot. Keep trying until something demands more of your attention.
It’s critical to take action and not drown in cyclical thinking, negative self-talk, or anything that inhibits action. Self-employed and entrepreneurial creatives have to work extra hard to hold ourselves accountable to keep working toward our visions. We also need to find others with similar values, perspectives, and approaches toward professional aspirations. This helps us feel understood while also having someone to bounce ideas off of and share lessons with. I have friends who absolutely need the structure of an office setting in order to feel financially secure, and I am happy they understand this about themselves, but entrepreneurs operate differently. We need to be okay with chaos and uncertainty, and need to be proactive with finances (such as budgeting, consistently feeding a savings account, and being okay with taking risks.)
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
So far the questions are great!
Pricing:
- 89 per person – menu options included
- Photography, specialty dessert, painting, and floral add-ons available!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pureblisspicnics.com
- Instagram: @pureblisspicnics
Image Credits
Photography by myself, Meghan Concheri, on Sony a7 Camera
