Fireside Chat with Monica Tovar, President and CEO of TMD Creative

Añadido: 2026-05-28

[00:00:01]Five, four, three, two, one.

[00:00:50]Hello and welcome to our fireside chat presented by Digital Nest and Nest TV.

[00:00:54]We have a very special guest with us here today. Our theme of the evening is creative to CEO, talking about all about beginning entry- level skills, developing those to become a leader and a CEO within our community. So, our special guest today is an experienced leader who has created multi-level marketing strategies for many businesses and nonprofit organizations. Her passion for the community has led her to sit on multiple boards and committees on the Central Coast. Prior to being TMD TMD Creatives President and CEO, she's held leadership roles within the media industry and has recently been named the 2026 Selen Valley Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Round of applause for our guest.

[00:01:32]YES.

[00:01:37]>> Please welcome Monica Tovar. It's great to have you. Thank you for being here.

[00:01:40]>> No, thank you.

[00:01:45]>> What an amazing team. No, thank you so much for having me. This is really exciting and I'm really blessed to be asked to be doing something like this.

[00:01:52]So, thank you you guys for all being here and being so supportive. So, thank you.

[00:01:56]>> Yes, thank you for being here. Again, I know you have a busy schedule, but we want to jump right into it. So, let's ask a hard-hitting questions.

[00:02:02]>> What is your go-to karaoke song?

[00:02:06]>> You guys don't realize how hard that is for me.

[00:02:10]>> Yeah, I have to give you some background. I grew up with a musical household. So, mariachi, kumbias, reae, Mottown, that's what I grew up with. So, for you to ask me one song, it seems like an impossible question. And then I got into radio. So, my playlist got really crazy. Yeah.

[00:02:28]>> So, country came in, Roken Espanol, you name it. So, it's very hard. It's a very complicated playlist, but in a beautiful way, I have to say, very cultural. Um, but I've had to choose one. And if you know my reason, it's Three Little Birds from Bob Marty.

[00:02:44]>> Oh, great song. Great song.

[00:02:46]>> I hope it's relatable.

[00:02:48]>> Yeah. I wish you were here for a karaoke night. We just had Man, be careful what you ask for.

[00:02:54]>> Well, um, let's jump into a little bit about your background. We really want to know about your upbringing and the journey that got you into the media industry. So, can you tell us a little bit about just your growing up in the area?

[00:03:03]>> Okay, let me cap like summarize like 20 years of my life real fast. Um, like in five minutes, right? Um, I was born in Oakland. Um, I was raised here in Selenus, but uh, the fact that my dad was a musician, I gave you a little taste of that.

[00:03:17]>> He was a full-time musician and running multiple mariachis in the Bay Area. And so that's where we lived for three years of our lives until we were raised. My mother said, my sister was born and said, "We're moving back to Selenas, which is wonderful because I am a small town girl and I really love this community." But it was really important that that we grew up in a smaller community for my mom to raise us. Um, again, we actually moved multiple times.

[00:03:46]Normally, I think it's for people to be going maybe to two elementary schools throughout their elementary years. I went to five. Um, not normal, but that was my mother. Mom, I know you're watching. Um, but I used to call her my little nomad because every time she saw an opportunity to move to a better apartment or a nicer area, a bigger house, she saw that because it was going to be better for her children. So, it was really important for us to kind of be moving whenever we had an opportunity.

[00:04:18]But I don't think she realized how hard that was for a seven-year-old, an eight-year-old every single year having to move. And I know she didn't do it on purpose. It was for it was the for our for the best of us, right? But at the end of the day, what I learned was to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

[00:04:38]Um, notes, if you're taking notes, >> take notes.

[00:04:41]>> Um, that was something that she taught really hard and really fast. Um, but again, those are little nuggets that you learn later on in life. But something else that she taught me without realizing was the fact that every time I went to a new school, guess what? I didn't have friends. And so I learned how to network and communicate at seven years old.

[00:05:07]So guess what? I communicated. I was very observant. I'm very shy. And I know a lot of people it's really hard for them to believe that, but I was very shy. and for me to go into a new school and check out the playground. I was scoping it out who was more likely to be my friend. I would approach them and say, "Hi, my name's Monica and I'm new to the school. Do you want to be my friend?" And it was, "Yeah, sure." And then somebody else heard that I was new in the school. Oh, do you like to do the tether ball? I was like, yeah, I'm really competitive. I love it. So, I learned early on how to network. I identified who I was and I shared what I was looking for a friend and so in other words a goal and that's what I was doing every single year. Now that was something that was really hard for me but till this day I still network communicate what I want from anybody but that's a skill that you know again she was not trying to provide me but it was something that she was blessing me with. So that was something that I learned early on. Um, another thing that I've actually always looked back on is uh the fact that um from the ages of 13 to 17, I had the opportunity to work at law firms. Now that's something that's not normal. Just even back now, even today, I don't can't say there's a bunch of 13 to 17 year olds working at law firms. To have a young Latina in the long time ago, 13 to 17 years old to be working at a law firm was really unheard of. And that was again because my mother was um in the restaurant world for a very long time. But then she saw an opportunity to be a courier and eventually office manager at a law firm next door which was next door to the restaurant that she used to work at. And that is when she said I'll actually re reenact the conversation when I was 13 years old.

[00:07:18]And that was legal back then. Okay, you guys, a law firm would you could work at 13 with a work permit.

[00:07:24]She called me over the summer and she said, "Hey, baby, do you want to work over the summer for that kineta you want to be in because God knows we only we only had what we needed. We didn't have the extras, right? So, I know you want all this stuff, you know, extra clothes and the hair things and and you want to be in Seattle and LA.

[00:07:48]maybe there's an opportunity here for you to work at the law firm.

[00:07:52]And when I look back at it, no questions asked. Yes, I need the money. I want to be in the gins. I want the extra money.

[00:07:59]There's no thinking about it. We needed it. So, I started working there, but I go back.

[00:08:06]I could easily been intimidated. I said, "No, mommy, you pay for my dress." And done. Because it's scary to work at a law firm.

[00:08:14]I think even now looking at opportunities and realizing wow I could have easily said no and I would have changed the entire trajectory of my life. I changed my life because I was working in a professional atmosphere since I was 13 years old.

[00:08:32]Not many people can say that again even today. And so when that happened, I also saw an amazing attorney that worked there that was it was actually one of these law firms not far from here on Alice South Street. And it was a pretty large law firm back in the day. And one of them was um eventually started working for the California Rural Legal Assistance. His name is Luis Harammo.

[00:08:59]And if you're out there and you watch this, love you. My first mentor ever.

[00:09:03]Um, but he was the one that kind of sat me down and made me realize what an opportunity and the position I was in to have access to this law firm because he realized that it was something that was very major. And of course being 13, you don't realize that until they bring it to your attention. But the one thing the things that he kept on reiterating were ask questions, learn from the people around you, don't be intimidated by all of these other people that are around you. They're w all willing to help you if you ask.

[00:09:38]And so I took that with me forever anywhere I went. And this particular law firm heard about these girls who scan documents uh during uh the summer. They called us up and guess what? I got another law firm to call us after school. Are you busy? I was working with two law firms throughout 13 and 17 years old. And again, that is not something that is very normal and I'm very very fortunate to be able to say that I had that. And that's just the legal side, but I can stop now from there.

[00:10:13]>> Sounds like you were quite the go-getter since seven. I think you heard that. I was very shy, but I kind of forced myself. Again, being uncomfortable was very, >> it was forced onto me, you know. So, you learn really quickly. So, it's either you sink or swim, and I decided to swim.

[00:10:29]>> That's great. That's great. So, going back and looking over some of your your background, we saw you have quite a bit of media background. How did you really get pulled into the radio industry and then what was your really your transition? What called you into the this becoming, you know, the CEO of your own company?

[00:10:48]>> That's funny. Um, my husband's here because it's really a funny story. Um, we I thought I was going to be an architect, so I love the design thing.

[00:10:56]So, I I was really in technology and and computers when it was first coming out. You guys, this is a a time when there was one computer in the entire office, and I was the one that knew how to work it. We ended up going to school for computer A drafting. We have an associates degree, both of us, for computer edited drafting. But when we moved back to Selenas, yes, I did move again. I moved throughout my entire life. And when I came back to Selenas, we realized that we were kind of really ahead of the curve. And Selenus Valley was not ready for computerated drafting. It was all manual and they were not hiring skilled people like ourselves. So my fiance at the time, husband now, he was um interviewing with the temp agency and when he they called him for this position at this Spanish radio station, they called William, my husband, first to say, "Hey, are you interested in they need somebody with computer skills who's bilingual?"

[00:12:00]He goes, "Oh, thank you, but I I already have I'm already working." And I believe he said, "But my wife or my fiance has the same skills." That's right. Send her. I was like, and he goes, "Hey, you want to work at a radio station?" I said, "Sure." And again, music has always been a part of my life. So, I was like all about eventually, I don't know how radio was going to be in my part of my life, but it was definitely going to be there forever. And sure enough, I showed up and I'm not going to lie to you. I said I was bilingual and I technically wasn't.

[00:12:32]I understood Spanish, but I didn't speak it as much because it was a time where it was just a little different when we grew up that we really were pushed to speak English a lot. We understood it, but then we would speak back in English.

[00:12:44]And so I just said, "Yeah, I'm bugging. Not a problem. I can fix that." But then what they really wanted were the computer skills. And this this is walking into a world where technology and media was really changing. And I was at the cusp of it with that skill. And that's where I think a lot of opportunities happened because I brought back what that attorney had taught me. It's like you go in learn as much as you can from everybody and then you're also going to be utilized if I again I'm use being used as a resource not only because of the skills that I learned but also how I was implementing them in the office.

[00:13:26]So was so radio I accidentally fell into it and I have to say it's my husband's fault and you know I just lasted you know 20 years in it. I got into radio and television. So that was a big transition there and going how you mentioned about going into CEO that was not something that just happens. Um it's definitely um with time you're looking at an opportunity where I just wanted to be learning every what everybody else was doing. I was not looking for any kind of title. The titles kind of followed me a little bit where I was really trying to observe as much as possible and utilize that skill.

[00:14:09]I wanted to learn as what I could from any industry that I could. And then when there was a position available, director of sales for multiple iHeart SMG um and Spanish network, that was really um a big change for me to be in management.

[00:14:29]And I had a crew of I want to say at least the first time I was a director of sales I had to be about 10 to 12 sales reps and I have never done this before but I said hey let's this I've been doing this all my life let's just try see what happens God knows it was a learning experience because I was fairly young I was a manager before I turned 30 I was probably 29 years old and running a crew of about 10 to 12 people and that was a lot of pressure but I was only going to learn by doing so and then kind of picking other people's brains and then yeah I'm not doing that again right and kind of utilizing that skill later on and so after my 25 years there was an opportunity where the previous owner of TMD had mentioned multiple times hey come work for me hey you should be a partner hey you should, you know, later on says, "You know what? You should buy my company. You should definitely take over. I can't keep up with how fast things are changing." And I said, "Oh, no. You're doing great." But then he would call me a lot, right, as a resource. And that's where I took it a little bit more seriously. And these were conversations that were ongoing.

[00:15:50]And so when the opportunity came up, remember this network that I keep on talking about throughout my whole years, I really built a career on networking.

[00:16:00]And when it came to a big challenging moment like acquiring a business, it was very important to utilize that network and say business lawyer, CPAs, who do I know and who do I trust? And so I think timing was a lot to do with it.

[00:16:16]Obviously the discussion with my husband and are we ready for this? He's a very talented photographer himself. So kind of like coming into that decision it was obviously not a decision I was going to make on my own. Um it was a partnership but it was also really important to know do we have the right people in place to be able to do something like this because there's so many businesses that crash after the first year. We're here almost at five years. Thank God. Woo! We did it, you guys.

[00:16:48]>> We're about like 5 years in. It was like there's definitely some ups and downs and learning. You know, again, I am one to like put myself up for a challenge.

[00:16:59]And that was probably one of the biggest challenges in my life, but it's something that we have to do because I feel so much stronger every time we're we're challenged in a different way because we have to constantly be learning.

[00:17:11]>> Yeah, definitely. So, speaking of learning, Digital Nest is really, really heavy about elevating these skills, right? Unseen professional skills. So, I'm curious, what are some of the top three skills that you really value in the professional industry, in your industry?

[00:17:27]>> I think it's really important to have relationships. I think back in my first um years of sales and being in that industry, it was very transactional and it was like who's next? What's next?

[00:17:42]What's the next contract? And then I realized that that was not my vibe. That was not my style. Um even though I worked in corporate world, so that's all they cared about were the numbers. And that's when I realized that is not my style. And a lot of people were reaching out to me as a consultant just overall.

[00:18:00]And I I love that they valued my opinion that I was like this should be like this. It should be a relationship. It should be that trust factor. And so relationships are really important because we don't call our customers customers. We call them our partners.

[00:18:17]And because they are our partners, they utilize us as much as possible. And that's what I hope for all of our our client list, our partners, uh that they look at us as their partners. So again, very important that relationships are built to really be able to create what it is that you're trying to do for the client.

[00:18:38]>> Definitely. I really like the calling customers partners.

[00:18:41]>> Yeah.

[00:18:42]>> It makes it feel a little like home, you know?

[00:18:44]>> Right. Well, we have a common goal. They succeed, we succeed. you know, if you put them first, we will succeed with them.

[00:18:53]>> Yeah. So, what do you see are some of the challenges for organizations that are seeking media today? And how do you and your team respond to those challenges?

[00:19:02]>> I think there's multiple challenges. Um, and I think is embracing certain of those challenges. Again, I think we're oversaturated with a lot of things in media and consuming so much information.

[00:19:16]Even for young people today, it's a lot that we have to like step away. But it's really important that when we're doing say a media plan for a client, really being able to identify you're not going to speak to everyone.

[00:19:31]You need to identify who those clients are, who's your customer, and focus on them. You're not going to speak to everyone. And you shouldn't because then you're just wasting money really. And it's our job to identify that. So being able to f not being able to focus on being very strategic of what you're doing for a client. Um and that's really hard for some people that just want to be everywhere. So being able to educate our partners and our potential clients that it is you're not going to be speaking to everyone because they're like I want to be plastered everywhere.

[00:20:06]And it's like that's good, but that's not going to get you the business at the end. We have to be really strategic. Uh relationships is important. We talk about the oversaturation. That's why that partnership is so important because we should be the consulting firm. We want them to come to us and ask those questions. So the AI, we know that that's something that's been our in our industry, but it's really important to incorporate it, embrace it to an extent, right? We have to be efficient. And so people used to think that that was a threat and it's not. And I know you guys have been really good at embracing that as as a firm um with digital nest. And so it's really important that we where can we see that it can help us and so not you we still have a human aspect of things and it's really important because connection is really important because we can go content crazy all day long but does it resonate and then speak to the right people. So being able to educate a lot of people on how to utilize a lot of these things and kind of minimize not overdo things.

[00:21:07]>> Yeah.

[00:21:08]>> Again, I love the focus on that human connection through that process as well.

[00:21:12]That's so important, especially in today's age with all the AI and everything coming in. Nothing beats human connection.

[00:21:17]>> No, it's And people people see it. Kids see it. They know exactly if it's AI or not. And I hope they do, but there is a lot that you can see it. and it's like eh it's like I want something designed for me. And so that's where we design, you know, with purpose. And I think it's really important that we continue to do that because we're listening to the client and actually being able to execute.

[00:21:40]>> That's awesome.

[00:21:41]>> So, we're getting into our final question here.

[00:21:43]>> So, ready? That's fast.

[00:21:44]>> Yeah. So, your busy schedule, managing and maintaining the business, how does your team inspire you and what do you do personally to stay creative?

[00:21:53]>> I love my team. I think a lot of people know this, but there's no me without my team. And a lot of people give me attention, and it's not me. I I don't exist without them. And I'll cry looking at them. But they are definitely such um again, I jumped in never saying that I knew everything because I don't. And if I ever said that, then I'm not doing my job right because I'm an evolving learner, right? I have to be able to incorporate the multiple talented people that I have in my office and I have different levels, right? So in all generations, so I different ages, which is really important because I'll even tell them, you guys, I'm the audience. The font is too small.

[00:22:45]And it's really important to pay attention to that, right? But they're the ones that keep me creative. I could tell you for 20 years to have a full-ervice marketing firm was something that maybe was like a dream in the back of my mind because I always had ideas, but I couldn't execute because I didn't have the team to do that. And when I was able to walk into a team that was just so talented and I said, "This is what I have in mind." And I was like, and they did it. They were able to execute what has been stuck in my head. and I didn't know how to create it because I didn't have those skills. So I value every single position to its core. Like I don't care who you are. Like it is they are everything because I am nothing without them. I really am not.

[00:23:34]>> That's amazing.

[00:23:40]>> Thank you Monica for joining in our show. It's not over yet. So we'll be right back. back. We got a quick commercial break after these messages.

[00:23:49]>> I was with Digital Nest for a year and a half. The reason I stayed with business for more than a year was because my first year I was a video production associate. But as time went on, we had a spec ad project where I realized I was really interested in advertising. So I decided to pivot to marketing. And during my time at Digitalist, I got a another internship with another company their name is Olivia's Heritage where I did their social media marketing and through there I started gaining more experience with social media and eventually I joined the marketing team with business. One challenge that I feel like the nest has prepared me in overcoming is just general confidence in my skills. Imposter syndrome is real.

[00:24:34]It's a very real thing, especially when working with other, you know, other creatives who are super talented. It can be intimidating at times. My piece of advice for anyone looking to start with business or looking to join Digital Nest is take advantage of the resources. If you see that there's an opportunity for you to start a project or do something, whether it be creatively, professionally, my main thing is just take advantage of the resources that are given to you and make something with it because at the end of the day, this is for you and I mean the proof is in the pudding. Like just use what's given to you and take advantage of it. I'm really going to miss my time here and I'm going to miss the people that I that I met, the friends that I made, and yeah, I'm just really grateful for the time that I I've spent here. And see you next time.

[00:25:36]Today's workshop was primarily just to teach nonprofit communications professionals how to leverage AI, but we really wanted to do it in a way where it was just really, really fun and exciting to be a part of.

[00:25:49]>> AI is rapidly becoming one of the newest, most emerging technologies out there in the workforce. is that going to be affecting how people go about their job, how they implement it in their workflow. So, I feel that educating my community is an important part of the process to empowering them to be able to not only know what AI is, but how to use it effectively.

[00:26:16]Really the importance of it is that it's going to hopefully create a ripple effect so that when they bring that knowledge that they learned today back to their organizations that knowledge is going to spread all over Santa Cruz County and then we will have effectively taught basically everyone in that industry in Santa Cruz County how to use AI effectively.

[00:26:43]>> Hi, I'm Hiel. I'm the brand manager at Digital Nest.

[00:26:49]A digital brand manager is someone who owns the brand for an organization. But I like to think of this position as catering an experience to any external audiences we have, whether that be youth, donors, partners, etc. A typical workday for me looks like a lot of fun. what is what I would say kind of usually involves a little bit of designing whether that be on Adobe products or Canva, Figma, but a lot of strategic work too and understanding how people are going to perceive us and really get our brand to a certain level that others can understand. It's professional, but it's also very youthful.

[00:27:31]A fun fact about me is that I'm a part of a dance group. I don't actually dance anymore. I used to dance for, but now I lead the social media for that group, and it's two other girls and myself, and we run all social media for it. We just hit 1,000 followers. Woo. It's another nonprofit, and so I guess I'm kind of passionate about nonprofits and my community.

[00:28:09]Welcome back to Nest TV. We are live at the Selenas Nest. I'm excited to introduce our friend Jenny Dere, our senior development manager.

[00:28:22]So, Jenny helps keep our eye on the ball in terms of programs benefiting our associates, our members, and our staff.

[00:28:27]With 5 years experience in fundraising, Jenny is passionate about serving her community and providing people with tools they need to succeed. So, we're going to jump right into it, Jenny. All right. Your team is down one. It's two outs with a runner on second. 3-2 count.

[00:28:40]Pitcher is staring you down. What do you do? Swing for the fences or chance the walk?

[00:28:44]>> You said it's two outs.

[00:28:46]>> Two outs.

[00:28:46]>> It changes if it's one out, right? Yeah.

[00:28:49]>> Okay. I mean, >> coming from a pro baller, as you can see, um I would say you got to hit it out of the park. You hope that even if it doesn't hit all the way that maybe it hits the ground and you can advance to base and it might be you out but your team gets to score.

[00:29:05]>> That's awesome.

[00:29:05]>> Yeah.

[00:29:06]>> Yeah. Take the big swing, right?

[00:29:08]>> Yep.

[00:29:08]>> Try to get that big thunder. That's what Jenny's all about. That's what we're big money.

[00:29:12]>> That was really the idea behind that question there. So, um I want to take a moment to really make a connection for our audience here. Our members are the young people that we serve, ages 14 to 24. We provide access to tools for them to be creative. So with that in mind, hearing about all the skills that our employers and business owners, similar to Monica just explained, what are some of the common themes that you see amongst our members that are NEST supports?

[00:29:35]>> Yeah. As far as like the the tools that they're deeding, I think one of the biggest things that I loved that Monica, you shared was the networking. And I think that you can see that when our associates, they begin or our youth.

[00:29:52]These are people in high school or college age and they're coming from all different kinds of backgrounds, but they have to figure out how to work together on a project and come together with different skills, different understandings of their life and different understandings of what it means to be a professional and passionate about your career and somehow align that vision. And then even beyond that, one of the things I've loved to see is the once a neester, always a neester. And you see that when someone graduates or flies the nest, they'll bring people with them. If there's a job that's opening at wherever they're hired, the first people that they're reaching out to is the ones who are in their cohort. And that's huge. I think back to like what I could have done when I was in high school, 14 years old, and I I think my life would be completely different if there was something like the Nest that gave you those tools. And especially like with AI these days, >> I think that the Nest does a great job of like meeting that middle ground that like sometimes schools, they can't keep up with their programming and the Nest is giving them like it's a little corny, but it feels like it's that Nest edge.

[00:31:01]And so when they're going into interviews, they can write down that they've had demanding client work that they know how to run projects and manage without a supervisor. We've had like bosses have to leave and then teams like 23 24 year olds stepping up and interacting with like really high demanding clients and figuring out how to like execute that vision. And I think that those those tools like it's it's the literal ones like learning project management software, but it's also the soft skills of learning how to connect with someone, learning how to connect with a client and executing that vision.

[00:31:35]>> Yeah. You mentioned quite a bit the tools, right? So what is what does dig do to empower the create creative mind with the tools needed in today's tech and entrepreneur workforce?

[00:31:45]>> Yeah, I think we're full of creative vision no matter where we come from. And something that I hear all the time about the Nest is um creativity and talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. And I think that the Nest does a great job of opening those doors for our youth when they have that creative vision and they don't know where to go with it.

[00:32:05]That the Nest is welcoming you in with that open arms. And you can try film, you can try software development, you can try coding. And some people come in to the nest knowing like, oh, I I know I love software development, but they take one class on like social media marketing and they're like, oh, actually, I think I discovered it. Just like you were saying with being an architect and like >> Oh, yeah. I wasn't an architect, but >> I thought I was going to be an architect. Right.

[00:32:31]>> And so, you come in with these ideas of like who you are and what you love to do and then you meet people who inspire you or you take a really great class one day. you drop in for Quest Club and everything opens up again. And I think that that's the best thing that the Nest can do is encourage that creativity and also that voice because it's something I'm I'm sure again that you have to deal with as a client has a vision and you have to figure out how to express it.

[00:32:57]But what if you don't have that same vision? And so learning how to come together on that and so that something that you do is always personal to your work, but it still accomplishes that need I think is like what really I would describe the nest as.

[00:33:11]>> That's great.

[00:33:12]>> Yeah.

[00:33:12]>> For the person watching in our audience and for the person watching on our live broadcast, how can someone who wants to learn more >> about digital nest get involved in support?

[00:33:21]>> There's so many ways to get involved.

[00:33:24]Um, we can do we offer mentorship if there's ever advice that you want to share and you want to take a neester under your wing and kind of share the industry ins and outs.

[00:33:33]>> I had one >> had one. See, and it's amazing. I had one.

[00:33:37]>> I mean, I come from development and they paired me with a software developer, so we weren't sure what to talk about at first, but we got there.

[00:33:44]>> And um, I would say outside of that, I mean, we have these amazing community events and bringing the adults in and kids. We serve 14 to 24, but you can be any age to come and appreciate what the Nest has to bring to our communities.

[00:33:59]Um, and I wouldn't be doing my job uh as my boss is back there in the background.

[00:34:04]Of of course, we accept donations and funding. So, if you are aware of any opportunities or people who love what we do and want to power our youth, just visit digital nest.org/donate.

[00:34:15]Um, but I would say the most important thing um is hiring our youth. Um, right now we I'm sitting in front of all of these like very talented people who are doing way more than I did at this age.

[00:34:30]And it's high level work. And I think that that's what it's always going to come down to is if you want someone who can jump into a project, hit the ground running, they know what a client needs, they know what project management needs are, and they have that vision and they can express your vision for you, you can't go wrong with hiring the Nest. Can I jump in really quick >> because I have an Esther, >> you know, I have Tony and that was >> Shout out Tony Tony. Y >> and I I thought it was very important to to hire our local talent. Um again, there's so many hidden talents here that are not given the opportunity and I wish I had those opportunities. I was very fortunate to have multiple opportunities, but there is so many talented people here in our backyard and literally two blocks away from the office. And when I reached out, I believe it was Jacob I reached out to directly because we were on the board together. That's something else to talk about. But we were on the United Way board together and I just said, "Hey, I need somebody here. Let me connect you with this guy. He's going to get you the right person." And Tony did what he needed to do and it was perfect because he's so talented and he's continuously learning and it's really important that I am always providing like what other skills can I >> get them what other um say platforms there's skillshares things that we share with each other say you have to continuously be learning because it's an ever evolving industry right >> and for him to already come in at that point where he was just so talented I very much encourage businesses to hire local talent and if you're going to lo hire local talent that might be the place to start when it comes to digital nest just because they are already working with front-facing clients and having those having to do those last minute projects asking the questions that are needed to be asked to be able to execute the campaigns or whatever it is that the client's needing. So again, they're they have a little edge >> um than any other candidate, but everybody's needs are different, but it's really important. Why not start here?

[00:36:40]>> Yes, >> absolutely. That's what we're all about here. Getting our talent from our backyard.

[00:36:44]>> Yeah, I love that.

[00:36:45]>> Super important.

[00:36:46]>> Thank you very much for your time, Jenny. Thank you, Monica. Without further ado, we have a musical performance by one of our guests, Greenway Derby.

[00:37:33]plastic horseshoes and rubber boots.

[00:37:45]Takes a long hall to make it through.

[00:37:56]I want the pavement all covered in blue.

[00:38:08]Where I'm headed is sure ain't new.

[00:38:17]I don't care.

[00:38:23]Oh, I'm going to Carolina.

[00:38:28]Oh, I going car.

[00:38:42]Sideshow rockets can't keep me sane.

[00:38:53]All things slide by and slip down the sand.

[00:39:04]Worn out pallet concrete neck.

[00:39:16]Through it all, I still love you the best.

[00:39:25]Oh, I'm going to Carolina.

[00:39:31]Oh, I'm going Carolina.

[00:39:36]Oh, I'm going Carolina.

[00:40:02]Heat. Heat.

[00:40:08]Heat. Heat.

[00:40:42]Heat. Heat.

[00:40:50]Heat. Heat.

[00:41:28]cuz I'm going Carolina going to Selenas.

[00:41:45]and welcome back. We are getting ready to wrap up our show, but before we do, I just want to hear one last thing from our from our guests here. So, um, what is one final takeaway that you would want our members or our audience who's listening to really receive from uh this interview and this talk?

[00:42:03]>> It's a good one.

[00:42:03]>> That is a good one. Um, I think the the theme for me is is is keep your people close and don't be afraid to kind of step out there to, you know, reach your hand and say like, "I'm new here. Would you like to be my friend?" And to keep that back and forth. Um, LinkedIn is easy. Like, celebrate people's wins, celebrate their posts, and stay connected. It doesn't have to go too deep, but that connection can take you places I don't think anyone ever expects. So just keep yeah keep your circle growing.

[00:42:37]>> Awesome.

[00:42:37]>> I have to like concur with her because I I built a career on it because of that.

[00:42:42]And I love the social media platforms where you can connect but how important it is to do it in person as well because you have to learn that. You can't learn that online. You have to learn how to shake a hand, ask the questions, being able to introduce yourself because that's very awkward. But you have to continuously do it to get comfortable.

[00:43:03]>> How many times do we have to get uncomfortable before we get comfortable?

[00:43:07]So that is definitely something that please put yourself in those awkward situations that you don't feel comfortable doing because at the end the success follows that because you are connecting and you are putting out there what your talent is and the opportunities will arise from that.

[00:43:26]>> Awesome. Thank you so much. Beautiful.

[00:43:33]>> Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and we do have something special for you.

[00:43:36]>> Yes, indeed.

[00:43:38]>> This is a token. Thank you so much.

[00:43:41]>> The little >> I love it. Thank you.

[00:43:43]>> Thank you for sharing everything with me. Thank you.

[00:43:46]>> Awesome. Thank you. Thank you so much >> again for joining us. It's really been a pleasure to have you. Um again, thank you to Monica Tovar for being our our special guest. Thank you to Jenny Dere, our musical performance by Greenway Derby. We have quite a few events. If you want to learn more about the digital nest, check out our Instagram page. Come on into the centers. Our centers are open Monday through Friday 2 to 6 pm. We have a few upcoming events. We have our nest of all event here in Selenus on June 9th. Come on by, meet our instructors, meet our staff, learn from our team. And we also have a parent cafesito. If you're interested in learning about what our young people are doing, what your young people are doing, come on over and join us. Have a good night and thank you from Digital Nest.

[00:44:37]Hey, hey, hey.