So-Called: Team Bonding Highlights

There’s something powerful about watching a team step into a new space for the first time — soaking it in, grounding themselves, and recognizing the collective effort it took to get there. Partnering with So-Called for their team bonding event was a chance to help facilitate exactly that: a pause, a breath, and a moment of celebration for their newly acquired studio space in Rahway, New Jersey.

This gathering wasn’t designed to be formal or overly structured. It was meant to feel like an exhale — an evening where the team could reconnect as people, not just co-workers, and begin creating a shared energy for everything they’ll build in the new space moving forward.

Opening With Presence

We began with a short grounding reminder alongside a welcome speech from founder Chris Andrade, to slow down and simply be present inside the new spaceShifting the atmosphere — giving people a moment to acknowledge the transition, the growth, and the work it took to arrive here. Gratitude hung in the air in a way that felt both quiet and powerful.

Play as Connection

After the opening speeches, the energy flipped into something light and fun with a baby photo guessing game. It immediately broke the ice, sparked laughter, and reminded everyone of the many worlds, histories, and childhoods represented in the room.

Moments like this — playful, human, uncomplicated — are often what make a team feel like a team again.

Creating Something Together

The core of the event centered on a custom paint-by-number activity designed around the So-Called logo. As each person painted their section, you could see the metaphor coming alive in real time: every individual piece mattered, and together they created something bigger than any one person could make alone.

Some people painted quietly and intentionally. Others moved around the room, checked in on each other’s sections, or shared ideas across tables. There was no pressure for perfection — only participation, collaboration, and presence.

A Space Filled With New Energy

As the afternoon unfolded, the new studio began to feel less like an empty space and more like a shared home base. People wandered, talked, laughed, revisited the meditation energy, and let themselves settle in.

By the end of the event, the team had created not just a collaborative artwork, but a memory that now lives inside the space itself — one of ease, creativity, and collective grounding.

A Moment of Transition

Supporting So-Called during this milestone felt meaningful. Watching a team honor their growth while establishing a new creative environment reflects exactly what Dezire Higher values: intentional connection, community-centered creativity, and moments that allow people to reconnect to themselves and one another.

This event marked a beginning — not just of a new studio, but of a renewed sense of collaboration and shared vision. And I’m grateful Dezire Higher could help weave that moment into place.

Check out So-Called to see their ongoing creative projects, community collaborations, and the storytelling work happening inside their new studio.

Event Photography by Talyssa Barbosa