Ask anyone for a list of brands they’re proud to say are from Vancouver, and they’ll likely put Monos right at the top. The lifestyle company debuted in 2018 with luggage done right: hard- sided suitcases with a simple but beautiful aesthetic, dispelling the notion that nice travel accessories were only meant for the Rimowa crowd. Since then, the brand has expanded into many other travel-related products, from tote bags to wallets to packing cubes. In July, it’s expanding into the home category with a waterless diffuser. There’s also a cafe and listening bar planned for its Chicago store. So it’s safe to say that for cofounders Victor Tam, Hubert Chan, and Daniel Shin, things are truly just getting started. Here, Tam—who also acts as CEO—reflects on the company’s origins, its future, and everything in between.

What was the impetus for Monos? 

In the travel space, with it being so aspirational, there wasn’t really a brand that spoke to me. Everything seemed rather transactional. I didn’t feel like there was a brand that gave me the feeling of being transported, and I think that’s a big part of travelling: a new city, new culture, the hotel you check in, the restaurants you look forward to. These are all very transportive experiences. As a travel brand, we thought it’d be interesting to see how we could build something that lets people feel that. 

It seems like the hospitality element of a brand is becoming more common. What made you decide to further expand the universe around your brand by opening a cafe in Chicago?

I think it is definitely becoming a lot more common. I do think it for us, as a travel brand, it works more naturally. Travel is very much intertwined with hospitality—that’s pretty much what it is. So I do think for us, it’s a very natural extension of the brand. It’s called Postcard; it is obviously associated with Monos, but it has its own expression—and a big part of what we’re trying to deliver with Postcard is this kind of travel nostalgia, so a big part of the design will nod to that. People who find out about Postcard will naturally find out about Monos, so it does allow a new front door to the brand. Not everyone is in the market for luggage every single day, but a lot of people are frequent customers of places that they enjoy going to.

As you said, not everyone is in the market for new luggage every day. What does that look like for Monos in terms of how you think about a first-time customer and a returning customer?

I think the nice thing about our category is that there are so many little accessories and accompanying products, whether it’s backpacks or totes or packing cubes. First, most people buy only luggage, and once you build that trust, they want to purchase a lot of these other products that work very nicely with the luggage. We’re also launching into the home space this year. With most things home and with home fragrance especially, that’s a high-repeat product. And there’s a huge travel through-line to it. I think scent and fragrance is most linked to memories, to time and place. So there are so many opportunities in this category—not just luggage.

What are your go-to packing tips?

 I’m personally a pretty light packer. I use our packing cubes, which are super helpful because you can just take them out of the suitcase, and everything’s neatly rolled inside. And then there’s something else we’re launching pretty soon called the Packable Closet. It will fit nicely into our luggage, where you just pack the Closet and then take it out and hang in your hotel, and everything’s set up for you already. I think that’ll be a nice addition, which I’ve been testing for the last year.

Let’s talk about your time at Pavilion. What stage was the company at, and how did the space help your growth at the time? 

We had two experiences with Pavilion. The first one was when one of our friends won a spot in the incubator program. I think it was three months; we were able to work out of there with her, which was very nice. As a startup, there is a real need to work in-person with your cofounders to be aligned in real time and work through different strategic decisions, so I thought it was great. And we met other cohorts of incubator brands there as well. When you’re starting up, it’s a lonely journey, and to have people to show up to a regular place alongside you definitely helps. Because at the start there are always so many doubts, and there are always these hurdles to push through. It’s nice to be doing that with folks that are kind of on the same timeline. Then we had our next experience when we passed the startup phase and needed a much larger space for the team. Pavilion was able to really quickly accommodate us. That was great: it was a time when we needed to scale and needed flexibility, and they were super, super flexible. And obviously it’s a gorgeous space that plays very well with the brand in terms of attracting talent and people wanting to go to a place like that.

What is your office situation now? 

We’re hybrid. Starting from day one, before even Covid, the idea was about building a culture where it was less about work-life balance, and more about work-life flexibility. Balance is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Building a business, whether it’s good times or challenging times, there are going to be moments when it might not be that balanced, to be honest. But I think what we’re actually all ultimately wanting is flexibility. It means the ability to not have to be at your desk at 9am because you want to drop off your kid at school, or the ability to take two hours off midday because you’re going to go for a yoga session and then lunch with a friend. So allowing for flexibility is what we’re doing, and what is most valued, and then there’s the trust and accountability for people to get the work that they need to get done at the timeline that we need it for. So that’s where we’re at.

What else do you do to build the culture and keep people working with you?

It’s radical transparency, to be honest. I don’t come from a corporate background, so I don’t really have a hierarchical way of working; I see everyone as my teammates, and we’re all the same. As cofounder and CEO, I share, in real time, all the financials, and I expect that out of all the managers and directors. I think that’s something that’s working really well for us, because there is no information hoarding. Everyone—down to someone who’s new, who’s just joined, has all the information, all the context, about why we’re doing certain things. So it’s very flat in communication style. It works for us, and I think that it really helps expedite and supercharge everyone.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.