Next time you see us ask us for a business card, you’ll love how they look and feel!

The ceremony was held at the San Pedro Street Market in downtown San José.  As soon as Sally and I walked in we were given name tags that said Milagro Marketing  Yeah…we were representing!  We were then introduced to the full bar and the appetizer table.  The food was delicious and the drinks, well they were flowing.

The room was filled with people from all different advertising agencies in San José.  We had the chance to meet many of Dave’s old friends and mingle with new ones at the mixer. We walked around the tables and admired all the creative work done by all the agencies in town.  I was very impressed by all the different types of media, digital and print.

Soon after the mixer, the award ceremony began.  As they began presenting awards, I realized the power of a single well-executed ad.  It’s awesome that in San José there is a group of inspired people that come together to celebrate all this great work.  It was a truly eye-opening experience for me to see and meet these new people.  Not only did I get to interact with a  whole different crowd than I was used too, but be around a group that is so dedicated to originality and creativity, and the best part was seeing Milagro’s work being recognized amongst this inspiring community.
By the end of the night we were all tired but Dave was not!  “One more shot!” he said.  How could me and Sally turn this down.  We had one shot of Tequila to celebrate us winning our award and vowed next time it would be more than one.

Nowadays, every answer you may ever need is at our fingertips. Particularly here in the Silicon Valley, people are fine with sitting behind the computer monitor all day, and terrified of picking up a phone or much less meeting in person. Social media and smartphones may single-handedly eliminate all personal contact. It might seem better but in reality it may not be as effective as we think. Having something always available and convenient, makes most of us, put it off or have it linger. But there’s nothing better than physically meeting and putting your ideas on the table, literally.

On Monday, when I arrived at Milagro, I didn’t receive the warm welcome from the team that I usually get. I said hello to everyone and sat down at my desk, but everyone was silent, typing and clicking away. No one turned around or even glanced at me. Usually when I arrive to Milagro, I’ll sit at my desk and then the team will gather to let me know what Ill work on or catch me up on some of the work they’ve been working on. I must have sat at my desk for literally twenty minutes, in total silence and I was beginning to feel a bit awkward. I had the feeling something was wrong but I thought to myself, maybe its better if I don’t ask. I thought to myself, maybe David yelled at Sergio or Sally. Or maybe Sally and Sergio got into a fight over something. You could almost cut the tension with a knife. A few minutes later I quickly realized what was going on when David received a phone call.

As he answered the call the tone of voice was different than his usual one. He was very short with the person on the other end and you could tell he was annoyed. Finally, after a couple minutes, he hangs up and begins to go off on an angry rant in Spanglish. All I remember is him saying “pinche” like five times, we all couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I think we all really enjoy David’s rants, whether they are about Chicano studies, or life experiences, or even angry ones, when Dave goes on a rant it’s always a time when we all come together, talk and laugh. The mood in the office began to shift as Dave began to make jokes about the situation. From what I heard on the phone though, I don’t ever want to see Dave angry ever again. After a while everything returned to normal, the usual chit-chatter about nothing and everything.

Later on today, Dave’s old friend from College came in and told us so many stories about their college years and the nightlife they had here in San Jose; about their pagers, scooters and cell phones size of a desktop! Haha. Being that I am from San Jose as well, it’s pretty cool, listening to them reminisce about when they were my age. One day I will be sharing stories of my own. Until then I’m off, on another Friday to write memories of my own!

The moment I walked through the doors of Milagro, the Tequila bottles and the full bar sitting next to David’s desk instantly caught my attention. Then as I continued to look around the office, each corner and wall had something different to offer. The music, art and vibrate colors that filled the office were a true celebration of our cultura. I instantly knew I would fit right in.

Hello everyone, my name is Alex. I’m the new intern here at the office and I am so happy to have the opportunity to be able to come in and learn something new everyday. I barely started interning at Milagro and I already feel myself becoming inspired by all the creativity that fills this office. I am currently student at San Jose State University, majoring in Business Administration and Marketing. Surprisingly, I came across Milagro’s amazing work via Facebook. After a little more research I was in love with everything this agency offered.

My first day at Milagro, I was out with Sally, the former intern turned “digital diva” shooting a small video for Latino College Prep Academy. I quickly learned her title was well deserved. From the footage she shot she was able to create an impressive piece where the sound and imagery helped depict the school’s message.

Everyone at Milagro has a great sense of humor. Sergio is always telling me funny stories making the day go by too fast and if I look over his shoulder I can see him transforming a picture with just a few clicks. David, I must say seemed a bit intimidating the first couple of days, but now I learned to relax. He is extremely funny and sarcastic, always making me laugh with his funny impressions of people. I have only known him a few weeks, but he is a very talented and smart individual. I feel like he’s the “cool” professor I never had.

My first official assignment from David was finishing a flow chart for The National Hispanic University media plan. I must say it sounded simple, but I quickly realized I was in trouble. I am guilty of “being a PC” user, lost in an Apple store. Everyone here has a Mac or an iPhone and I am two steps behind. I was having trouble learning how to work the spreadsheet, but after a couple days playing with it, I can say I got the hang of it. Finally!

Which brings me to my favorite part of the day at Milagro, Lunchtime! Everyday at around 12pm we head out for lunch. Milagro is a very multicultural environment. Whether its ribs, pho or Mexican tacos, we are always grubbing and chismeando about our lives outside of the office. There is never a dull moment here. It’s great to be in the presence of people that are very wise and professional, yet know how to stay fun. The line of work they do is brilliant and I can’t wait for what’s coming next. Stay tuned, as I’ll be keeping you updated weekly on anything and everything Milagro. Que Comienze La Fiesta!

15s spot for Dia de Los Muertos Festival @ NHU from milagromarketing on Vimeo.

As I see the way that Milagro is growing, and taking on more projects I’m excited about the idea of graduating and where I’ll be going from there. I only need two more units to complete my Design/ Media Arts degree, and now all I need to complete are a few more classes for my Chicana/o Studies degree. During my fall quarter at UCLA, I felt empowered by bringing my summer experiences at Milagro into my class projects. Being around Sergio and David, who have a very strong background in Chicano Studies and Marketing, inspired me to bring my cultura into my artwork. I finally found a way to express certain aspects of myself through digital media like photography and sound. Although there aren’t many Latinos in the design media arts department at UCLA, I didn’t feel shy to discuss topics that are prevalent within the Latino community, in the other hand I felt proud to contribute ideas different and new to the department. This last quarter I took a photography class where I explored immigration and labor through the lens of a camera, depicting the story of jornaleros in impoverished areas of Los Angeles. In my sound class I recorded sounds elements from Westlake, a district in Los Angeles that serves as an entry point for hundreds of immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, to make a musical composition.

As I sit in the same workstation I did last summer, I feel an enormous feeling of gratitude for having the opportunity to still be part of such a great team of inspiring people.

Feliz Navidad!

Sally Perez

When I got introduced with the idea of interning at Milagro, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am majoring in Design/Media Arts so I have a background in design, yet I had never really had the opportunity to see it played out in a professional environment. At school the teachers give us a design assignment and after completing our project, we would present it to our classmates and teachers. The teacher then gives us feedback and we move on to the next project. At Milagro marketing I’ve been able to see the way that assignments that I was once given in school are developed in real life scenarios. At school we are allowed to mess up a few times and that’s how we learn and become better designers. Here at Milagro I’ve learned that mistakes are not acceptable once you start dealing with clients and money. Before coming to Milagro, when ever people asked me what I wanted to do after I was done with my undergraduate education I’d tell them I wanted to go into web design and forget about school for ever. I was fed up with school and felt like I had learned all I needed to know.

I was so wrong!

Being here has taught me that in order to be a successful designer I need to keep on learning, this learning process never stops. I look at Sergio, who is the senior designer at Milagro, and I’m amazed by everything he knows and does. And it only makes me desperate to learn more and be the best I can be. David has encouraged me to pursue a graduate education after I receive my Bachelor of Arts degree. I haven’t decided what I exactly I want to study once I am in grad school but I have started looking into graduate programs in California.

Today as we had had lunch, David asked me whether Milagro had made any type of difference in my life. I told him that being at Milagro had been a truly inspiring experience and has helped me see all the different options that design can allow me to explore; the possibilities seem endless.

I leave Milagro today feeling accomplished and blessed. I was given a very unique opportunity to do what I love at a marketing company that targets the Latino community, my community. I’ve also been very fortunate to be able to work with and develop strong relationships with two amazing and talented individuals, David and Sergio.
He Dicho!

I figured getting to my internship on time was more important than looking good, so I rushed out the door and sped off to Milagro. Yes! I made on time, I proceeded to work on my projects. I didn’t really feel bad about not wearing make up or fixing my hair to be in the office because I felt very comfortable around Sergio and David. Throughout the summer we had developed a relationship that was family like; I was sure they wouldn’t point out that I had just rolled out of the bed. I went about my day at Milagro with no worries.

As I sat in my desk talking to Sergio, when David approached us, he asked us if we wanted any thing to eat. I told him I wasn’t hungry and continued to work on my design. He asked me, “ You didn’t wear any make up today, huh.” I told him I didn’t have time to put any on. He said, “ Girl, this isn’t a dorm room, this is a professional environment. “ I couldn’t help but laugh out loud because at some degree it was true. I had rolled out of bed and as much as I tried to look my best, I looked like a hot mess. I didn’t take his comments to the heart because we are always really honest with each other; David is like the older brother I never had. I joked around with him and told him that regardless of what he thought I felt beautiful inside. I told him I was here to design and not to look pretty. Sergio and Eric who were around us were laughing, and David said good point “ …but when your at Milagro Marketing, you represent us therefore it’s important to look professional.” I completely understood what he was saying and I stopped trying to argue with him.

As funny as our discussion was, David brought up a very good point; the importance of looking presentable at all times. Many clients walk through the door unannounced, or David asks me to attend a high level meeting, therefore its crucial to be prepared for anything that might arise while on the job.

He Dicho.