The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce presents Local Entrepreneur Profiles, a monthly series highlighting some of Santa Fe’s most successful businesspeople. Writer Andrew Koss is a creative writing student at Santa Fe University of Art and Design and was a former editor for the 2014-2015 Glyph literary journal. Local Entrepreneur Profiles will be published in the Business Advocate newsletter, ENews updates and online at santafechamber.com.
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Chris Webster Written by Andrew Koss
Chris Webster’s favorite day of the year is March 4th, he says, “because it’s the only day of the year that has that statement - To march forth!” Webster has been marching forth in the Santa Fe business world since 1972, when he established Christopher Webster Art Investments. Webster Enterprises comprises a wide array of business interests, including real estate, art, magazines, and tobacco. How does Webster manage to keep up with it all? “Life, to me, was never about being singularly focused,” he says. “I’ve always believed, if you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it.” When Webster first arrived in Santa Fe, he referred to his company as the “Santa Fe standard of excellence.” This drew a few looks from locals. How could he call himself the Santa Fe standard of excellence when he just started his business? Webster replied, “It’s what I aspire to be and that’s who I am.” As Webster traveled the world selling art, his clients consistently gushed when he told them he was from Santa Fe. Many wanted to retire or even buy a second home there. A spark flashed in Webster’s brain and Webster Real Estate was born. Webster created a real estate business so successful that Sotheby’s acquired it in 1997. In another validation of his business savvy, RJ Reynolds purchased the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, of which Webster was a founder, in 2002. It would seem that no challenge is too difficult for this entrepreneur. “The only limitations in life are those that you accept,” Webster stated. Webster finds great satisfaction in helping other people achieve their goals, whether he’s raising the venture capital to fund a fledgling business idea or helping a client find their dream home. He recently closed a deal on a house in Santa Fe for a woman from Beijing. When she saw the view from her new home, she began to cry. “She just can’t fathom what life is going to be like now that she’s going to be able to live in Santa Fe.” It’s that same adoration for the city that keeps Webster here. “The great things about this community haven’t changed in the 44 years I’ve lived here: climate, culture, cuisine and recreation,” Webster claims. He might not have chosen to sell real estate if so many people hadn’t told him they were interested in “pursuing the lifestyle that Santa Fe offers.” Modern technological advancements allow business professionals to commute or telecommute and still enjoy the lifestyle provided by this community. “I know people who have moved here from bigger urban cities because they wanted their families to have that quality of life here.” Webster believes success is possible in this city for anyone who is “willing to take risks, believe in themselves and utilize all the resources…that Santa Fe as a community has in spades.”
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Duke Klauck Written by Andrew Koss
It was a slower pace of life that prompted Duke Klauck to build Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe in 1981. While there might be opportunities to make more money somewhere else, Klauck notes that “people that you find to work here and live here, want to be here. They’ll put up with some of the disadvantages just to be in a beautiful place where you don’t have traffic and where you can access great things in a short period of time.” When you scale the ninety steps to the entrance of Ten Thousand Waves, you might find the soft-spoken man in an elegant kimono, working behind the front counter. He might serve you sake at Izanami next door. Putting himself in the shoes of his employees allows greater perspective on how he can improve his business. Constant, thoughtful improvement is one of three points of quality Klauck stresses at Ten Thousand Waves. “It’s a concept that they call ‘kaizen’ in Japan,” he says. “No matter how dialed in you get, you can always make something better.” As Klauck established his business, he became familiar with the art of massage and found it the perfect complement to his spa. Next came Houses of the Moon, a ryokan-style inn, providing convenient lodging for spa visitors. With the addition of Izanami, tourists from around the world enjoy a one-stop luxury vacation. “Ninety-five percent of our customers walk through the door happy, and they leave happier,” Klauck says. “It’s got to be better for your well-being to work in a place like that.” But even a world-renowned spa is not immune to market forces. Ten Thousand Waves saw its share of scarce times during the recession. Klauck says that business dropped 20 percent. “We’d gotten a little complacent. We weren’t looking at our expenses as well as we should have, so we had to [in order] to survive.” Spa guests began asking for the cheapest services. Klauck reduced prices and looked for ways to improve efficiency with staff and resources. Soon, Ten Thousand Waves presented itself as an option to customers who could not afford expensive trips to Europe. Instead of taking a vacation out of state, Santa Feans found an affordable staycation just outside the heart of town. Ten Thousand Waves continues to innovate and improve through its ‘kaizen’ philosophy. When tourist season ends, Klauck looks for new ways to attract visitors. Izanami helps draw customers to this Japanese hideaway with “sake of the day” promotions and excellent cuisine. Ultimately, it is the unique combination of services that keeps customers coming back. “There’s no other place like this in the U.S.,” Klauck says.“You can go to L.A. or San Francisco for a great shiatsu massage, you can go to some of these great hot springs and get a wonderful outdoor bathing environment, and you can go to Las Vegas and get amazing Japanese food, but you can’t get all that in one place except for here.”
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Fred Cisneros Written by Andrew Koss
The exterior of Cisneros Design looks just like every other modest structure in the business park where Fred Cisneros set up shop in 2000. But inside, visitors are greeted by the swooping black hair and checkered overalls of Big Boy, the cartoon mascot of the eponymous burger restaurant chain. “I wanted the space to be kind of a surprise when you walk in,” Cisneros says. From the giant red Mobil Pegasus sign to the 1950s-style refrigerator, it’s clear that one has entered the environment of a serious designer. Cisneros began his career as an intern with William Field Design. After graduating from college, his boss brought him on full-time. As he continued with the firm, he developed a substantial pool of clients. He attended Chamber of Commerce meetings, and networked as much as possible. “By the time I went on my own, I was established here. The business community knew me very well.” He started his company in 1994, just after the birth of his daughter, which provided him with great motivation to succeed. Cisneros thinks many of his clients followed him just to ensure he didn’t fail. After only a couple of months, he had to hire support staff. Cisneros Design currently employs 13 people, including its company founder. “That’s a pretty sizable firm,” Cisneros says, “particularly in our industry.” Amid the nostalgic memorabilia, the design team volleys critiques back and forth in an open atmosphere of collaboration. “They all have something to offer, which is why they’re here. We utilize each other as a sounding board.” When it’s time to take a break, there’s plenty of opportunity to recharge. “Foosball’s a big distraction,” Cisneros says. “This is a high stress business. We create opportunities to have fun.” Out of this lighthearted melee comes a company that excels in its unique form of branding. “We act as part psychologist, business planner, strategist, therapist, a little of everything,” Cisneros says. Many of his clients approach him with little in the way of a business plan. “They don’t really have a clear understanding of what their unique position in business is. What’s different about what we do is we provide a lot more strategy.” As Cisneros Design has grown, its clientele has branched out to include companies as far as St. Louis and New York. “One of our large accounts had actually started their business here in Santa Fe and moved to New York. It’s been a really long, mutually beneficial relationship for both of us.”Such a loyal customer base comes from the relationships that Cisneros has nurtured for many years. “If I’m treating my clients well, they’re going to continue to be my clients.” Though Santa Fe is a small market, he says there’s plenty of business to go around. “It’s kind of easy to embrace the full reach of our city. You know what all the resources are. You know who the players are. There’s friendliness about doing work here.”
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Marc Brandt Written by Andrew Koss
“There’s a distinct advantage to having a family-owned business in Santa Fe for 50 years,” says Marc Brandt, sitting in the showroom of Capitol Ford. “Santa Fe is a very people-to-people community. We’re a small town at heart.” The Brandt name has been synonymous with Capitol Ford since thefamily moved from El Paso to Santa Fe in 1965. Brandt’s father, Marcel “Marc” Brandt, purchased Sanco Ford, rebranding the company to reflect its presence in the capital city. Marc says his fatherran the business by The Golden Rule. “The Golden Rule says to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. If we have a culture of The Golden Rule here at our company, we’ll have success.” As a teenager, Marc worked at the dealership, pulling weeds, washing vehicles, stocking cars, and delivering parts. After attending college at New Mexico State University, he returned to Santa Fe in 1983 to work for his dad. At the time, Santa Fe auto sales were undergoing a big change. Marc’s father worked with the owners of several local car dealerships to build the Santa Fe Auto Park on the edge of town. “People thought that these businessmen were crazy,” Marc says. “There was very little development out here.” Capitol Ford joined Santa Fe Motor Company, Pontiac, and Honda Subaru in developing the auto park, having outgrown their respective facilities downtown. Marc likens car sales with professional basketball. “You want to win,” he says. “We want to be a good car dealer and outsell the other guys.” This is not to say that there haven’t been challenges.“In 2007, things got really hard in a hurry. Not just for the automobile business, but for the entire economy.” Nevertheless, Capitol Ford enjoys continued success. Working at Capitol Ford has become something of a Brandt family tradition. “I became General Manager in 1986. My dad died in 1993, so I got to work with my dad for a number of years.” Marc’s son, Zach, joined the company nine years ago and serves as the Service Department Director. “When Zach came into the world, I was in the car business. He was just fascinated by it and around it all the time. It really is a family business.” On occasion, one of themechanics that worked at the dealership when Marc was a child, will come into Capitol Ford to buy a car or truck. “As I look back and think about all the different workers…all the wonderful customers that we’ve developed, those are the things that we take for granted. But those are the things that make you feel the best.”
Local Entrepreneur Profile – WALLY SARGENT Written by Andrew KosS
The chrome-plated visages of Hermes and Chief Pontiac stare back at Wally Sargent from his desk at Santa Fe Properties. “There was a time when I had 25 or 30 antique cars,” says the 81-year-old company founder. He began collecting hood ornaments when car collecting became too expensive a hobby. Sargent says that he entered the real estate field in the 60s because “even though I liked teaching school, I liked driving Cadillac convertibles more.” After college, Sargent came back to Santa Fe to teach. At first, real estate was just something he did on the side after school and over the summer, until he started making more money than he did from teaching. “In 1963, I got into real estate full time and worked for the original Frank Gomez Agency.” Sargent witnessed the growth of Santa Fe from a small, tricultural community in the 40s and 50s into the thriving tourist town that it is today. “The town grew faster, had a lot more people moving in, and we ended up having a lot of art galleries.” As the city grew, so did the real estate business. Sargent says that one of the greatest things about selling real estate in Santa Fe for more than 50 years is that “we didn’t have major growth spurts. We had a slow, steady climb.” He formed Santa Fe Properties with Gerald Peters in 1986. He wanted a company that felt like a family, where employees could trust each other for support. “We built a culture of trust and friendship, and I think that’s primarily why Santa Fe Properties was so successful.” By following the golden rule and running an honest business, Santa Fe Properties grew to employ nearly 125 agents, retaining much of the same clientele throughout its 30 years. Sargent left Santa Fe Properties in 2007, just before the fall of the housing market. Gerald Peters asked him to come back in 2009 to help reenergize the company. Sargent serves as President Emeritus, helping out with recruiting and anywhere else he can. “I would be restless just doing nothing, sitting at home. I don’t get here at 8:00 in the morning but I come in later in the day. I’m usually home by 5:00 for a cocktail.”With the decline of the housing market, a great deal has changed. “The challenges have been trying to build the business back up, so that the market starts working again. And slowly but surely, it is. I’ve always thought that the future is going to be great, and I still feel that way.”
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Jennifer Martin Written by Andrew Koss
Every summer, Xynergy CEO Jennifer Martin takes her staff on a rafting trip. “It’s one of the ways to really see the beauty of New Mexico.” Martin says. The excursions are booked through a company called New Mexico River Adventures, Xynergy’s very first client more than 21 years ago. “It was the first rafting site on the web,” Martin says. “It brought them a ton of business.” Martin cultivated her love of programming and design when she was very young. Drawing on R. A. Montgomery’s Choose Your Own Adventure books as inspiration, Martin experimented with coding for the first time by creating games on her TRS-80. Little did she know that she’d be working with Montgomery years later on Comic Creator, one of the earliest incarnations of CD-ROM software developed for Apple Computers. Martin’s company started on the ground floor of web design and online marketing in 1994. After working on a project for Studio X, Martin saw the artistic potential for websites. “I didn’t know if the internet would take off. I was just really excited about it. You could put your stuff up and everyone would see it.” Without any venture capital, she began her own business, trading time with Studio X for use of their equipment. “We had to build very slowly,” she says. “But it just kept getting bigger and bigger”. With the internet still in its infancy, Martin had few resources for guidance. Over the years she has surrounded herself with what she calls people of excellence “Right now, the quality of the work we’re putting out is great. Having caring team members is so important.” Xynergy excels at building brand-specific designs, creating websites for clients who want to stand out in a crowd. The company has worked with a well-established mail-order company in Connecticut since 1998, though Martin has never met with them in person. “We communicate with them every week. Our clients know they can rely on us to be there. We’re committed to long-term client support.” Initially, Martin moved to Santa Fe to work on Comic Creator and has been here ever since. Xynergy moved to its current location in 2001. The company also has offices in Albuquerque and Taos.“New Mexico’s a beautiful place. My family’s here. What I love about Santa Fe is that it’s still kind of a small town, but it has city level art and culture.” One of the greatest rewards of Martin’s career has been working with individuals“who have a sense of excellence, and care about what they’re doing.” Xynergy works with numerous state agencies, as well as high-profile clients like author Andrew Sobel and film legend Shirley MacLaine. Martin says MacLaine’s site was successful because she is someone “who embraces new ideas and will run with [them] creatively.” As a result, her site was way ahead of the curve. with Jennifer Martin, MacLaine is in good company.
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Buddy Roybal Written by Andrew Koss
Amid a cornucopia of window treatments and carpet samples, the employees of Coronado Paint and Decorating man the bullpen at the front of the store. President and owner Buddy Roybal likes this central location, because it’s the first thing customers see when they enter. Coronado employee Kenny Mora mans the desk, answering phones and welcoming guests. Walking back to Roybal’s office, Mora calls his boss the “most beautiful, wonderful man you’ll ever meet.” What could engender such heartfelt words for one’s employer? Roybal explains, “We treat our employees very, very well. We make sure that they’re treated right and that they’re treating customers right.” Roybal’s business philosophy is rooted in a strong faith in God, something he cultivated through the help of his wife, Irene. “Every morning when we wake up, we’re thankful for our lives and we’re thankful for our blessings. This store is a blessing, so I treat it as a gift. “Roybal carries his personal ethics onto the job. “I live by one little rule here. Give God your best and he will do the rest.” That’s exactly what Roybal has done for the last 32 years. Coronado Paint and Decorating began in a warehouse on Llano Street in 1984. The former Sherwin Williams manager sacrificed a lot during the company’s first two years. “I couldn’t pay myself very much money,” he says. “You’re trying to survive and make sure that the business survives.” To help make ends meet, Roybal rented out his house and slept in the store. “It had a room in the back with a shower.” Since that time, the company has thrived, moving to its current location at 2929 Cerrillos Road nearly 20 years ago. Coronado’s work can be seen in more than just local homes. It’s virtually impossible to live in Santa Fe without coming into contact with the company’s work, ranging from the recent renovations to the El Dorado hotel to the Church of Christ’s new building on Galisteo Street. Roybal built his customer base by offering competitive prices and good service. “We have diversified ourselves with multiple products, so that when a customer comes here, they can shop for a decorating need completely in the store. They don’t have to go to two or three different places.” In addition to decorating work, the Coronado name is heavily associated with giving back to Santa Fe. “Coronado is very well-known in the community,” Roybal says. “There are a lot of non-profits and there’s a lot of need.” Anyone who walks into the store asking for a donation will receive something, even if it’s small. Every year, the company takes a group of people down to the Plaza to paint the benches. Roybal is also helping to coordinate the New Mexico Mission of Mercy, a free dental clinic at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center in April that will provide free dental services for 1,300 people. “Most small businesses are so entrenched in their business that they don’t reach out,” he says. “Get involved, get out of your little business world and you’ll see the fruits of it.When you give without wanting reward, the blessings come.”
Local Entrepreneur Profile – Jennifer Kimball Written by Andrew Koss
La Fonda Chairman of the Board Jennifer Kimball stands in the hotel lobby, laying out renovation plans. The front desk will be pushed back. The gift shop is moving to the end of the building. “We’re going to put couches here in the lobby, so it’s more open and gracious,” she says. Open and gracious is the perfect way to describe Kimball. She treats every guest and employee with the same degree of kindness. “Some of our staff members have been employed for 30 – 40 years,” she says. “That’s unique in the hotel business. We’re a family.” That idea fits well with her general business philosophy.“It’s not just about squeezing blood out of a turnip. It’s about running an ethical business, being good to your employees, and being good to the local community.” Many locals are regulars, frequenting the various shops that lease space in the building. “We have 16 tenants, a bar, a spa, and a hotel,” she says, “You have to wear a lot of different hats to do this job.” Kimball’s relationship with La Fonda stretches back to the hotel’s former owners, Sam and Ethel Ballen, who knew her parents in Dallas. Years later, she moved to Santa Fe to be closer to the outdoor activities she loves. “I didn’t want to have to take a vacation to go skiing,” she says. Kimball served as an advising attorney for the hotel, then, after Sam Ballen passed away, she became Chairman of the Board. “It was a steep learning curve,” she says.“Right now, I’m here all day, every day. As an attorney, I only saw a small part of the business. As Chairman, I have an overview of everything.” Part of Kimball’s duties includes overseeing the ongoing renovation of the facility. It’s been a slow process, beginning with the hotel restaurant, La Plazuela. Construction begins in January on La Fiesta Lounge. Special care is taken to maintain the historic features of the building. What was an outdoor fountain now rests in the center of the restaurant. Murals and mirrors from the 1920s line the hotel exits. A restored nativity scene from the 1940s rests in the lobby, at the foot of the stairs. “Back in the day, this place probably would’ve been torn down to put up a new hotel,” she says. La Fonda will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2022. As the only hotel that touches the Plaza, it doesn’t look like they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon. “We’ve been here so long.,” Kimball says.“I’m lucky to have an ownership group that allows us to look into the future and do what’s best for the hotel and the employees. When you take a longer term view, you make better decisions.”
