We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan Gross a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Megan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

When I first launched my event production company, I named my business after a word I liked: bonafide, aka “bona fide,” which means “in good faith” in Latin. When applied to business deals and the like, it stresses the absence of fraud or deception. A bona fide sale of securities is an entirely aboveboard transaction.” (Merriam-Webster dictionary’s definition).

I resonated with this definition and since my business was going to be an extension of me, I decided it was the perfect word to describe my event business.

However, bonafide is not an uncommon name, making it challenging to find a domain. So I had this “innovative” idea to change the spelling of bonafide and put my spin on it, coming up with “bonafidely.” (I live in Silicon Valley, where companies make up words all the time, so I thought, I’ll do the same. And sure enough, a domain was available for my made-up word.)

Unbeknownst to me, people don’t like pronouncing words they don’t know. My made-up word was creating an unnecessary barrier.

Then I met Tracy.

Tracy is a talented visual identity designer who loves words and has a knack for them. She’s quite the linguist and knows the Latin derivative of many words. She told me that two of her most popular requests are to name (or rename) businesses and to name babies.

I worked with Tracy on the former.

Tracy says, “Your visual image is one of the most valuable assets you can own. If it’s strong, it helps you get noticed and appreciated. If it’s weak, even a great idea won’t be enough to help you compete in today’s crowded marketplace.“

After a few sessions of naming exercises that involved coming up with names and phrases in line with my brand and services, we finally settled on the perfect name: The Bon Soir.

It’s elegant, sophisticated, engaging, and there’s a sense of je ne sais quoi to it. But there’s a deeper meaning to The Bon Soir here.

I spent some time living in Paris, and during my time there, I got a job at a posh “temple of Parisian nightlife” called Le Matignon by Hôtel Costes. The food in the restaurant wasn’t anything remarkable, but the energy was everything. People would dance on the tables – Bagatelle style – until the club (connected to the restaurant) opened its doors.

My job was to be the [American] VIP Relations hostess and welcome and entertain the guests. I barely spoke any French at the time, but as I welcomed all of the guests into Magitnon Club, I perfected my “bon soir”.

And because I had ample opportunities to perfect my bon soir pronunciation, people would reply with lengthy responses in French, thinking I spoke fluently.

I am very fond of this memory. It represents the courage I had for my [what used to be my] dream job, throwing events at nightclubs in Las Vegas, and the tenacity it took to live in a foreign country where I barely spoke the language.

So I started doing research to see if there were any other event businesses named The Bon Soir and if the domain was available, of course.

Upon my research, I discovered another meaningful history to this phrase.

Back in the 60s, There was a popular nightclub in Greenwich Village called the Bon Soir, where Barbara Streisand would perform.

This is what Barbara had to say about it:

“I had never even been in a nightclub until I sang in one.

And that was a fluke since I had no intention of being a singer. I wanted to be an actress, but I couldn’t get a job. Then a friend told me about a talent contest at this little Greenwich Village club called the Lion, where the prize was $50, and dinner was free.

I sang two songs and won, which led to being hired at a more sophisticated supper club around the corner called the Bon Soir, with an actual stage… and a spotlight. It was 1960, I was 18 years old, and this was the first time I felt the warmth of that light. Everything else in the room went black, and I couldn’t see any faces, which made it easier to concentrate on what I was doing as an actress… reaching deep into myself to identify with the characters in songs that came from the theater.”

As soon as I read this story, I knew the name The Bon Soir was perfect for my business.

It ties together my background with joie de vivre in déjà vu fashion.

And as fate would have it, the domain for The Bon Soir was available. ✨

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Whether producing bespoke experiences across the globe for luxury clients, my mission has always been to inspire, entertain and connect.

Combining my adventurous spirit and refined aesthetic sense, I’ve shaped my my perspective by living in diverse cities like San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Paris to create unique experiences. My goal is to create unique experiences that inspire joy and wonder. With an interesting portfolio that includes collaborations with renowned companies such as Mastercard, Quintessentially, American Express, and Airbnb, along with working with notable artists and celebrities like The Rolling Stones, Serena Williams, and Chef Daniel Boulud, I’ve had the privilege of crafting moments of happiness through my work.

I am the Creative Director at The Bon Soir where I specialize in curating intimate dinners and high-impact events for discerning individuals and companies. Drawing on my personal experiences and extensive network, I strive to create exclusive and cutting-edge opportunities. Infusing each project with creativity and sophisticated taste, I bring a white-glove touch and an exceptional eye for detail to ensure that every event is a truly memorable experience.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my business partner through a Female Founders and Funders community sponsored by SVB. At the time, I didn’t know I wanted (or needed) a business partner. But I wanted to connect with other females who were on a similar journey.

One of the members of the community told me I had to meet this woman Heidi who was a bridge builder at events. We met over Zoom and connected instantly. We both were going through the joys and pains of leaving our corporate jobs to start an event business.

We decided to check in with each other every month to support each other on our journeys.

3 months later, I was approached by a big tech company to produce their 1,000 person company event.

I had never produced such a large event on my own. I knew I couldn’t do it alone.

So, I approached Heidi to dangle the idea of teaming up to produce the event as partners.

We ended up winning the deal with the client and are producing a 3 million dollar event.

We also just signed our next big deal for a venture capitalist client.

Having a business partner was the best decision I never knew I needed in business.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

LinkedIn. I post about my events and business practices. I also post personal stories that are sometimes obviously connected to my business and sometimes not. I want my network (clients) to know me. And since my business is an extension of me, it’s all relevant.

Contact Info:

• Website: thebonsoir.com
• Instagram: @thebonsoir
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megananngross/

Image Credits
Photos from The Supper Club Photographer: Naveed Ahmad