President of Rancho Mesa Insurance Dave Garcia interviews Client Manager Megan Smidt on her upbringing, personal life, and professional career.

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Director: Alyssa Burley

Producer/Editor: Megan Lockhart

Host: Dave Garcia

Guest: Megan Smidt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence, "Elevators Need Rock Too" by Spence

transcript

[Introduction Music]

Dave Garcia: Hi, this is Dave Garcia, President of Rancho Mesa. Thank you for joining me and listening to the latest edition of “Getting to Know the Rancho Mesa Family,” brought to you by StudioOne™, our Safety and Risk Management Network. Today's guest will be Megan Smidt, our Client Manager in our human services group here at Rancho Mesa. Hi, Megan. Welcome to the show.

Megan Smidt: Hi, Dave.

DG: Okay, so let's start by finding out a little bit more about you. So tell me, where did you grow up?

MS: I mostly grew up in Escondido.

DG: Oh, really? So you're a San Diego native?

MS: Yeah.

DG: Okay. And you went to schools in Escondido?

MS: I moved a lot when I was a kid, so I went to Orange Glen High School and Escondido High School, and I graduated from Suzanne H. Nelson, which is in Temecula. It's like an independent study.

DG: No kidding. Well, that's unique.

MS: Yeah.

DG: Did you do any activities while you were in school?

MS: I played softball for one year. That's about it.

DG: What position were you?

MS: I played third.

DG: Okay.

MS: Yeah.

DG: Yeah. Hold down the hot corner.

MS: Yeah.

DG: So, you know, outside of work, what are some of the things you enjoy doing?

MS: Um, I like to do a lot of crafts. I like hanging out with my family, my daughter, my stepson.

DG: Okay, so we're going to- we're going to dig into some of all of that. But tell me about when you say crafts. Certain things come to my mind. But what do you mean by crafts? Is that-

MS: So I make, like, custom tumblers. I have a laser cutting machine, which I've been making, like, ornaments with.

DG: Really?

MS: Yeah, I can make shirts. Custom shirts.

DG: Wow, so you're very creative then.

MS: I have a whole craft room in my house.

DG: Do you really?

MS: Full of equipment. Yeah.

DG: So is it just for family and friends or do you…?

MS: Yeah, mostly. Mostly. We have a little business, but we don't- I don't promote it much.

DG: You're not out on Sundays down at the beach or something like that?

MS: No, no.

DG: Do you have any other hobbies or hidden talents?

MS: I don't think I really have hidden talents, but I like to sing. Like I'll go do karaoke every once in a while.

DG: Really?

MS: Yeah, but I have to have a drink or two first.

DG: Yeah, that's not surprising.

MS: Yeah.

DG: Have you always like to sing?

MS: Yeah, since I was a little girl.

DG: Yeah, it's funny. There's several people here that, as I've talked to them, mention the fact that they like to sing. So I do think at some point we're going to have to, you know, rock the Rancho Mesa band.

MS: Have a karaoke-

DG: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Let's file that one away, everybody. Okay. So when you get a chance to get away with your husband and your kids, is there any favorite vacation spots you guys like to go to?

MS: Um, I think my favorite vacation spot is Hawaii, but I have not been there with my husband yet. We went to Yellowstone last year, and I love it there.

DG: Oh, really?

MS: Yeah.

DG: Yeah. So I've been to Yellowstone when I was a little kid, and it just blew me away. The beauty of it.

MS: Yeah.

DG: So where did you spend time in the park?

MS: Yeah, we've- we were there for a good week.

DG: Oh, really? So you saw the whole thing

MS: Yeah. We went around the whole park.

DG: What animals did you see?

MS: Bison. We saw wolves. We saw bears. A couple of mama bears with cubs.

DG: Really?

MS: Walking around, yeah.

DG: Stay in the car.

MS: Yeah, it was pretty cool.

DG: Yeah. Yeah. It's just a beautiful area. It takes a little ways to get there, but it's so worth the trip. So when you went to Hawaii back then, do you remember what island you went to?

MS: I went to Kauai and Maui.

DG: Oh, okay. So you've been to both? Yeah. And what do you feel about those? You like one better than the other?

MS: I think I liked Maui better. I was so young, though. I didn't really appreciate, like, the scenery, like I would now.

DG: Right. Right.

MS: But, I mean, I still loved it.

DG: Yeah. Hawaii is one of my favorite spots, too. I think for me, Maui is my favorite. Kind of gives you the- everything there. Yeah, the tropical, you have the sunny and the water.

MS: Yeah.

DG: -things like that. But yeah, I think Hawaii, because it's not that far for us here. You know, it's a five hour flight. Somewhere in your future I'm sure there'll be another trip.

MS: Yes.

DG: Well, well, good. Okay, so let's shift gears and talk a little bit about your role here at Rancho Mesa. You're a Client Manager in our human services group. So, how long have you now been with Rancho Mesa?

MS: In February it'll be three years.

DG: Oh, great. Yeah, Love that.

MS: Yeah.

DG: Three going on 27 more, right?

MS: Yes, that’s right.

DG: Your whole career. So in in the Human Services group, as a client manager, what are some of your roles and responsibilities?

MS: I am one of our clients’ main contacts. So I’ll do, like, day to day servicing, helping with policy changes or sending out evidence of property certificates.

DG: Is there any part of your role in specific that you really enjoy?

MS: I love that I work with non-profits.

DG: Yeah.

MS: I think they're all like wonderful people and I just I really enjoy working with them as our clients.

DG: Yeah, I think that was part of the reason we developed that side of the company is, yeah, we recognize how much good work they're doing in our communities and we wanted to be a part of it in some small way, right? So I feel what you feel.

MS: Yeah.

DG: It's encouraging when we feel like we're kind of furthering their mission and what they're doing and the people they're helping.

MS: Right.

DG: And it's a big part of it. So the human services side of our business, really, that's what that's all about. Nonprofits- it's schools, it's health clinics, people that are- or organizations that are serving the community out there.

MS: Right.

DG: Yeah, I think you were kind of handpicked for that role because of the fact that you're so much of a people person, your awareness of what's around and how you can help and always willing to pitch in. So it's a really good fit here at Rancho Mesa. And that's why we asked you to move into that unit for us. What are some areas you'd like to expand or grow with in your career here at Rancho Mesa or within your human services, the group itself?

MS: I think I would like to get some more designations. I'm working on my management liability specialist. I'm almost done with it. So I think I would like to educate myself further and continue to grow that way.

DG: Yeah, that's great. I think we want to encourage that. You know, this is a career, it's a profession. And we like the fact that you take it so seriously like that.

MS: Thanks, Dave.

DG: All right. So let's switch to if you met a stranger and they said, oh, you work at Rancho Mesa, what is that?

MS: Well, I would tell them that we are a commercial insurance company and we're more like a big family than anything. So…

DG: Yeah, you feel like that that kind of permeates throughout the organization- the family feeling?

MS: Yeah, definitely. And even between some of our clients, I feel like-

DG: Yeah

MS: They're aware of that, also.

DG: Yeah, it's interesting. You know, we've- we'll have a significant anniversary as a company next year. It’ll be 25 years and we've actually have some of our original clients for 25 years.

MS: That’s awesome.

DG: So they really have become a part of that family.

MS: Right.

DG: So we want to encourage that for sure. Do you think there's anything specifically unique about Rancho Mesa?

MS: Again, I think the family aspect.

DG: Yeah.

MS: I feel like you guys treat clients and employees all as family and I love it.

DG: Great. Well, we love that you love it here because we love you being here. Okay. So I think the next time when we talk with you, Megan, we're probably going to ask you to sing a song.

MS: So you better have the vodka ready.

DG: Yeah. Fair warning. So we'll let you know. So I guess we'll take that one after ours.

MS: Okay.

DG: Yeah. Well Megan listen, thank you for joining me and for letting us get to know a little bit more about you and your role here within Rancho Mesa.

MS: Thank you, Dave.

[Outro Music]

DG: You're welcome. That'll do it for today. So thank you all for listening to our latest edition of “Getting to Know the Rancho Mesa Family” and for tuning into StudioOne™ our Safety and Risk Management Network. Until next time, please stay well.

Alyssa Burley: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.