One-on-One with Samantha Patrick, business developer with Nilson Advertising Management & Entertainment

Poised and ready to go.

That's how Samantha Patrick explained New Mexico-based Nilson Advertising Management and Entertainment, or NAME.

The company, founded in 2022, is in the process of rebranding and has already gone through a few logo changes.

"(We're) trying to find the identity," Patrick said. "I think we've gotten closer to what that brand is. It's just about getting Nilson Advertising out there."

Patrick, who works on business development with the company, said Nilson Advertising is unique because it's both an ad agency and has an in-house radio group. The company also has plans to expand to Las Vegas, Nevada.

What drives you? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

"I really like helping people and solving problems, and so working for Nilson Advertising, I get to do that in a lot of different ways. So just getting up and looking at the chaos that is the world around us and helping people overcome those obstacles. And it could mean a lot of different things."

What's your favorite part of the job?

"I'm naturally a networker and a connector, and so seeing non-traditional connections that flourish, I really, really enjoy — like seeing the dots and connecting the people and making things happen."

What are you doing when you're not in the office?

"Usually working. I actually am usually working on a project. ...

Executive Women's International, I'm on the board for them. I've been with them since 2019 in literally every capacity. And I'm usually holding a couple committees because we kind of shrunk in size during COVID-19. I jump in and do whatever I need to.

I'm also on the board for American Ad Federation, so I'm involved in the addies and planning and just trying to build up that creative community, since everything's kind of disconnected now that 2020 happened. And so just building up that community and creating a space for the ad agencies and their creatives and the people that support marketing and advertising."

Along the lines of your board positions, can you talk more about the importance of inclusion and diversity in these kinds of workspaces?

"With Executive Women's, the reason that it started was back in 1938 in San Francisco. The place for women in the philanthropy world (then) was really only for affluent people, people who had money. So there was a lady named Lucille Johnson Perkins who was not that. She was a secretary, but she still had the need to be able to give back to her community and help other women. So that started.

It looks different than that now, but including everyone at all pay levels, all races, every situation is really the heart and soul of Executive Women's. We have people from across the U.S., and we have Canada. We have 32 chapters. And so we have all shapes and sizes. We have small firms, we have large firms. And so we accept pretty much everyone. It does say women, but we do have men. It is a safe space for a lot of people."

Do you see that same representation in the ad world? Or do you think that's something still being worked on?

"I'm pretty new to the realm. It's been the last year-and-a-half, so I'm on my second term with ad agencies. I think that there is a new generation that's coming in that is going to completely change the ad agency model. That does open up doors for different agents and different creatives — and that could look like anything. I think there's been one model for so long that now, I think the digital world is really opening it up for everybody."

Tell me about that transition, going from one model to a new generation bringing something new in.

"We're in a unique position at Nilson Advertising because we're here. We're local — (but) I hate to say local, because that sometimes indicates small; we're not small. We're big, and we're growing, and we have big dreams. We want to disrupt the ad agency world, just throw a different flavor in. We're really, really, really working toward giving up the return on their investment, not just taking the money and putting it all in production. We really want to be able to take what you have, take where you're at now and grow it very intentionally.

I don't know about the industry as a whole. I think ... the established agencies or people in that agency role aren't (always) open to collaboration. All the digital and different streaming, it opens it up for more collaboration. ... It doesn't have to be a competition. It can be a collaborative space.

I think that the workforce, in entirety, is going toward collaboration, working together. ... It's really showing in the advertising world, because we're seeing more and more freelancers. We're talking about creating a freelance membership because we see the growing need for support. ..."

You grew up in Albuquerque, right? So what's kept you here?

"Yeah, since I was 3.

My family, my parents. I also really like the people that I have connections with. I like being that connector. ... We definitely have a unique business environment; I really like it."

What are your goals for the future?

"Personally, I really want to support the conversations around (science, technology, engineering and math) because I think that we've kind of pigeonholed those, like into (only) doctors and engineers and all of that. But if we think about it, everything is really STEM — hair stylists, plumbers, dancers. Everything could be in the realm of that.

Just opening up those conversations about that for our kids, our students because our world doesn't support that kind of linear conversation. And so just having those conversations and showing people you don't have to have a college degree. You can be successful, and sometimes you can be more successful. I'm not knocking college, but I also think that not everything is so black and white.

Just being a resource and helping New Mexico grow and love on our community because we actually have a lot going for us here. We aren't poor; there are just poor pockets. And just being of the abundance mindset."

THE BASICS: Samantha Patrick, 39, born in Atlanta, raised in Albuquerque; two dogs, a snorkie and a Pomeranian; certification in medical administration, Pima Medical.

POSITIONS: Current: business developer, Nilson Advertising Management & Entertainment. Past: agent, New York Life; business office manager, Genesis Healthcare; warehouse manager, Hudson News.

OTHER: Executive Women International of Albuquerque, 2019-current; Executive Women International Corporate Board, 2019-current.