Brendan and Heidi McGill
Brendan McGill, chef/owner, Hitchcock Restaurant Group
Heidi McGill, radical empowerment coach, Heidi McGill Coaching
How did your love story begin? Heidi: Brendan and I met at a party through a mutual friend while we were in art school, 20 years ago (so crazy!). He was a bit of a troublemaker, and I had vowed not to date bad boys anymore but, after a couple months, I finally agreed to a date. I knew he was different on that first date when I asked him if he believed in fairies and he said yes, without making a joke or poking fun. I suppose it was less about whether or not he really believed and more about whether he would accept that part of me. He might’ve been shining me on at the time, but 15 years later we went looking for fairies together with our two boys on a trip to Iceland. And our whole life is woven with magic, so I guess it was the right question to ask!
Favorite thing about one another: Brendan: Heidi has always kept me on my toes. I love her open mind and utter lack of complacency in this life and our relationship. While I think big in some ways, she thinks “bigger” about the big picture. Again and again, we’ve had life experiences that I would never have thought possible, only because she never allows convention nor practicality to limit her vision.
Heidi: His eternal optimism and his ability to take something incredibly huge (because I always have wild ideas) and not only support it but see it through to fruition. None of my dreams have ever been too big or too out of the box for him to talk me out of. That’s how we’ve created such magic in our lives and done things most people would think is impossible. For example, living in Maui for 18 months during a pandemic with six restaurants across the Pacific Ocean and coming out of it even more connected and rooted in our love for each other. In our world, anything is possible.
Favorite date night: Brendan: These days, our favorite move is to just stay in! When one of our moms can take the boys for a night, we’ll run out for a quick dinner then hurry home and just enjoy being in the house with the unique ability to have a grown-up conversation without being interrupted, or just watch an R-rated movie on the big TV. For special occasions, the best move for an Islander is to book a weekender in Seattle, Portland or out on the Hood Canal to really escape.
Favorite tradition you have as a couple: Brendan: Our tradition is to travel, as much as possible. When work travel calls, we take the kids and make it a family adventure. We’ve pulled the kids out of schools for extended travels, packed off to the other side of the world with infants, and before kids we sold everything we owned and bummed around Europe for the better part of a year. We’ve shed a lot of the old family traditions, especially around the holidays, and might spend Thanksgiving in Alaska with my brother or Christmas in Mexico or Hawaii with other family. Travel expands all of our horizons, helps our children understand that the world is bigger than Bainbridge Island, and delivers some perspective for all of us.
Heidi: My favorite tradition we have as a couple is taking a walk together with the dog. We don’t get a lot of opportunity to do it, just the two of us, it always feels so delicious, and it’s something we’ve done since the beginning of our relationship (we’ve always had a dog). I just love the quiet presence that these walks bring. Slow conversations, in the moment, reflecting about life and each other. There aren’t a lot of other opportunities to be in this particular space together in our life, so I revel in it, every chance I get.
What does your happily ever after look like? Brendan: Happily ever after looks like this: a big farm property, somewhere rural within a couple hours of Seattle, with animals, an orchard, row crops and a place to gather friends and family. Happy, healthy children. At least a couple winter months each year somewhere warm when business in Seattle slows down. Weekenders to keep things fun and interesting throughout the year. Both of us engaged in our careers and charitable work, but able to put it down, turn off phones and disappear with each other when we please.
Heidi: I love the idea of this next chapter being a culmination of the last two decades and really growing roots from all that we’ve learned about ourselves and the world. We are at this sweet spot in our relationship where we have been through so much and are ready to enjoy the fruits of our labor. But, also knowing that there will be many more adventures to come, because that’s just how we roll.