Mike and Debbi Sanchez own and operate Effect Media Group – a full-service marketing agency providing innovative solutions for businesses and brands focused on scaling to the next levels. They publish gmhTODAY – a quarterly lifestyle magazine covering the people, places, and things that make South County great. They also operate One Giving Tree – a nonprofit focused on providing Christmas trees to local kids and their families who would otherwise go without. They are both life-long Gilroy residents, high school sweethearts, only do things they love, and always crack up when they realize how long they have been together.
What do you do for work?
Effect Media Group is a full-service marketing and advertising agency. We help our clients articulate and share their stories, develop a unique user experience to attract more customers, and scale to the next levels of success. Our strengths are strategic planning, graphic design, custom websites, social media management, print publications, events, and video production. We also produce a quarterly lifestyle magazine, gmhTODAY, and distribute it throughout South County. And, in our tremendous free time, we operate One Giving Tree – a nonprofit that provides Christmas trees to local kids and their families who would otherwise go without.
How did you initially get started in your industry?
In 2016 Mike was working in the corporate world when he was hit by a drunk driver. While recovering, he started working on websites for friends and their local companies. Soon, he took on social media management and studied marketing theory, video production, and graphic design. Debbi has been in the event administration world for over 20 years, earning 5-star ratings from private and corporate clients. In 2020, during the great economic shutdown, Mike and Debbi were presented with a wonderful opportunity to publish gmhTODAY magazine. In 2022, Debbi joined Mike full-time to help manage the magazine and grow Effect Media Group. We are both drawn to this industry because we love seeing others accomplish their dreams and goals. To be a small part of that process is an honor and a privilege.
Who or what is your biggest influence?
For Mike, it’s his mom. For Debbi, it’s her dad. They are our two biggest heroes and examples of great character, kindness, and selflessness.
What’s something you’re excited about right now?
We are very excited about our company’s growth and the ability to help even more businesses succeed in these times.. New tools and technologies in the marketing world will help us do more creative work and provide better service. In the nonprofit space, we are continually working on community initiatives and building partnerships that will benefit and provide opportunities for many South County residents.
What brought you to Greenhouse Coworking?
We made a commitment to be a part of downtown Gilroy. We are at a critical point in history right now: are we a “Bedford Falls” or a “Pottersville”? We think Gilroy is somewhere in-between. As life-long residents, we want to be aligned with those who want the best for Gilroy in all aspects; the downtown area is just one of those critical components. We felt that to be in the game, we had to be on the field, so to speak. Greenhouse Coworking is located right in the heart of downtown Gilroy. It is also an example of how great our downtown, and our community, can be–a collaborative, positive, open space that promotes relationships and partnerships, creative ideas and conversations, and amazing possibilities!
What’s your favorite thing about Greenhouse Coworking?
Our favorite thing about Greenhouse Coworking is the camaraderie. With several businesses and nonprofit groups working out of the same space, a buzz fills the space: people working, chatting, creating, and making their marks in their own special ways. We love CMAP and all they offer to the businesses here and the community at large. Lunna takes excellent care of us as the office coordinator, Victor is always helpful with anything we need, and Jeanine is full of energy and a problem solver. We are right in the heart of downtown, which helps us support local businesses, and helps our clients find us.
Do you find it easy to make friends and networking connections here?
Yes. Everyone is nice and we all help each other! It is a very collaborative space.
How do you balance work and personal time?
LOL. Balance is overrated… and mostly a myth. We work hard, play when time allows, and sleep soundly! At the end of the day, we enjoy what we do very much. So, we don’t always consider it work…it’s more of an adventure.
Can you tell me about any pets you have?
Our little furry child, Snacks the Yorkie-Diva, just went to doggy heaven in early February. She gave us ten amazing years of unconditional love. She also expected us to wait on her hand and foot, so we did! We miss her bunches but have lots of funny, warm memories to remember her by.
Do you anticipate staying in this area for a long time?
We plan to stay as long as it takes to see our downtown and the community of Gilroy be the best it can be. We owe it to our predecessors and our future generations.
