Ep. 568 Getting to Know Your Rancho Mesa Family: Brenda Colby
President of Rancho Mesa Insurance, David Garcia, interviews Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby, on her upbringing, personal life, and professional career.
Show Notes: Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter
Host: David Garcia
Guest: Brenda Colby
Editor: Megan Lockhart
Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production
© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
Transcript
Dave Garcia: Hi, you're listening to Rancho Mesa's StudioOne™ podcast where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive. I'm your host, Dave Garcia, and today I'll be joined by Brenda Colby, our Client Technology Specialist here at Rancho Mesa's Client Services Group. Today we'll be doing another edition of getting to know the Ranch Mesa family.
Brenda, welcome to the show.
Brenda Colby: Hi, Dave. Happy to be here.
DG: Great. Yeah, I'm excited to get to know more about you.
So let's just start off with a couple layup questions, Brenda. So where'd you grow up?
BC: I actually was born in Indio, California, and then shortly after I was born, moved to San Diego. So I grew up here primarily, and then my senior year of high school, I moved to Utah, and then came back after I graduated high school and have been here pretty much ever since with a few times moving around, but San Diego is definitely where I've grown up.
DG: Awesome. And so when you were going to high school here, everybody always likes to know what local high school did you go to when you were here?
BC: I went to Santana in Santee. That's where I grew up was in Santee. And then as I said, when I moved to Utah, I went to Bonneville High School there, and that's where I graduated from.
DG: Okay. And while you were in high school, did you participate in any extracurricular activities or anything?
BC: I did. So I ran track and field and then I also was in competition choir when I lived in Utah.
DG: Wow. So are we going to get a little rendition of something today?
BC: Absolutely not.
DG: Okay. Well, when you're outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
BC: I love spending time with my family and friends mostly. And then I try to get out hiking as much as possible. I'm a foodie for sure. So I love finding new restaurants to try or just going in and exploring new towns or areas and things like that. I always like having a new experience. So that's usually what I do when I'm not at work.
DG: Well, that's great. So, you know, I enjoy hiking as well.
Is there any hikes in San Diego that are your favorites?
BC: Yes. So there's one off Lions Valley Road. I think it's the Espinoza Trail. That's probably one that I frequent a lot Actually there's three different trails that you can take from there and I always go off the beaten path to the one that's kind of up on top of this ridge I just feel it's very peaceful there and there's when you're up on that other ridge You can kind of get a 360 view of the area and it's very quiet and there's usually not a lot of people there So that's probably my favorite hike.
DG: Yeah, it sounds really serene and while you're getting a little exercise at the same time.
BC: Exactly.
DG: Yeah, that's great.
So what other hobbies do you have?
BC: I like to read, and I like to do a lot of crafting. So recently I made some Christmas ornaments with some friends, and that was really fun. And I like to do pretty much anything that's outdoors. So I grew up, you know, with my dad, he was very outdoorsy. He liked to go hunting and fishing, and we camped a lot. He taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow and things like that. So we were always, you know, outside, whether we were fishing at the bay, we used to have this spot called, we'd go, let's go down to the bay, the place by the trash can. There was this dumpster that was kind of nearby the spot we always used to set up. And so that's why we referred it to that. But yeah, we just did a lot of fishing, whether it was at the bay or at the lake. We camped a lot. We did a lot of hiking, pretty much just anything outdoors. and so I'm still very outdoorsy to this day.
DG: Oh, that's great. So when you're fishing by the trash can by the bay, was that where you would catch the fish with three eyes and things like that?
BC: No, probably not. I don't even know if I really ever caught anything there at all, but it was still a lot of fun.
DG: I always like to ask the guests, do you have any hidden talents?
BC: This is always a very awkward question because I've been asked this before in the past. And I don't know if I would consider it necessarily a hidden talent or a talent at all, but I do love to sing. And I like to dance. And as I said before, I'm very crafty. So I paint and I draw. And I just love creating recipes as well because I love to cook. So I'm always kind of in the kitchen and I'm trying to figure out, you know, what ingredients would go with what. A lot of times I don't follow any recipes. I follow online even when I do look up something. But I am the queen of improvising, as I like to say, I'm self –proclaimed because no matter what this situation is, whether it's a recipe or any other situation, if I don't have all the necessary tools or ingredients, I always kind of come up with a way to get through it anyway. But I think that that's because I'm always thinking constantly. And I think that's critical thinking, which is a skill that I bring over into my job every day.
DG: Yeah, that's great. So we're going to have to get you to do some singing around the office then. You've got to hear this. Oh, and dancing too. So that would be quite the thing.
DG: So do you sing and dance while you're improvising a recipe?
BC: Sometimes.
DG: I'm going to have to get that on film for us.
So when you're away from work and you're away from San Diego, where do you like to vacation? Where's your favorite spot?
BC: So my favorite spot, I think, that I have vacationed with Salzburg, Austria, which is where the Sound of Music was filmed. And it's just a really beautiful area. There's this beautiful countryside as well as the town itself is, you know, cobblestone roads and the buildings are beautiful. They have really good food there. It's just, honestly, it's a very serene place, I feel like and Sound of Music is one of my favorite of the classics and so that was really cool to get to go see that and they have a cute little zoo over there in this beautiful garden you can walk in so I really enjoyed that place a lot
DG: When were you there?
BC: That was in I think December of 2018.
DG: Okay so fairly recent not that long ago yeah that's great.
BC: I mean I have a wish list of places. So Ireland has always been the top of my list. Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to go to Ireland, probably because I am Irish. South of France and Italy would be amazing too. And of course, Greece, everybody wants to go to Greece because I like that type of food. So that's what I'm going. But anywhere pretty much in the mountains, trees, I just like to be outside.
DG: Yeah, sounds like a great bucket list.
Okay. So what's something about yourself that most people don't know?
BC: Well, I am the youngest of seven kids, and I don't know why everyone gets so surprised by that. They're like, oh, my gosh, you have six siblings. I'm like, yeah, I do. And I actually have a stepsister also, so now there's eight of us.
DG: Wow.
BC: So people always are surprised by it to learn about that. I'm also a licensed esthetician and makeup artist. So I became an aesthetician and makeup artist in 2011 and I've maintained my license ever since. So prior to moving back to San Diego in 2019, I was actively working as an aesthetician and makeup artist. And when I had lived in Northern California for a short period of time, I actually was working four different jobs. So I'm always just on the go all the time. I was working with a photographer doing makeup for photo shoots and assisting during her photo photoshoots. I managed a women's fitness and wellness center at the same time. And I was doing my esthetician work in the women's fitness and wellness center. And I also started my own business. It was Dazzle Hair and Makeup Design with a friend that I made up there that was a hairstylist. And so we started doing weddings and events and things like that as well. And then all the while I started going back to school for psychology. So I was just constantly on the go.
DG: Wow. Sounds like you don't have a lot of empty time.
BC: Nope.
DG: So in all your travels, your studies, the different places you've lived, who's been the most influential person in your life?
BC: So this is kind of a hard one because I feel like there's been people throughout my life in different stages of my life who have influenced me. Of course, my mom, because she was such a selfless person. She was sacrificing everything for her kids all the time. She was so kind. She taught me how to be a caring and loving individual. I think I get a lot of my nurturing qualities from her as well. So I'm very grateful that I had a mom like that growing up. She taught me about what sacrifices are and how they impact other people's lives in a positive way.
And then my dad, of course, He was very strict when I was growing up. And I think at the time, you know, you're thinking, oh, he's always telling us, “we have to do this and we have to do that”. But then at the end of the day, I realized looking back that he taught me about structure. He was also very witty. So I learned a lot of my jokes and my sarcasm and personality from him as well. But he basically, one of the things that he really instilled in us was about respect. And how respect is a part of the foundation of having integrity, as well as honesty, that is always the best policy is, you know. So it's even whenever you be honest, even whenever you're having to say something that maybe is difficult. So I feel like those two things just growing up as a child were very influential to me.
And then when I was older in my 20s, I had started going back to school for psychology and I had this professor, his name is Dr. Brian Jensen. And he had two PhDs, actually. And some of the things that they taught in this class, I learned a lot. And it kind of sent me on this trajectory for personal growth that was like where my journey kind of began because I've always had a passion for helping other people. And, you know, I wanted to get into psychology originally because I had a passion for essentially helping people. And I wanted to focus on helping military veterans and first responders. but what I didn't realize is while I was on that journey of going to help other people, I learned so many skills from him and that class and I kept in contact with him after the class as well for quite a while. But he taught us about different character styles and basically what that taught me is that you can approach a situation no matter what it is from a place of understanding rather than a place of being defensive or you know not understanding why this person is reacting the way that they are but some of the things that I did learn from him too helped me in my journey of personal growth because I was able to identify specific emotions I was having and then learning how to identify where those emotions truly stemmed from. So I was able to really use that as almost like self-therapy as you get older, especially when you're going through difficult times throughout your life. And so he was definitely somebody who, even to this day, I still think back on that class. I still think about the emails we would share back and forth, just discussing different topics and things like that. And it's just really kind of shaped me into the person I am today with always trying to take a situation and find the lesson in it and use that for my own personal growth.
DG: Well, I'm sure if Dr. Jensen happens to listen to this podcast, as any teacher would, he'd be very proud of the fact that he impacted a life because I think people that are in the teaching profession, they're really in it to serve others. And it sounds like he made a terrific impact to your life. And I see it every day in you. So thank you, Dr. Jensen. And then having a mom and dad that you learn from each of them, that's special. And so the fact that you can look back and appreciate that, I think that's awesome as well.
So given all those people, what was the best piece of advice you received from somebody?
BC: So this was years, I was probably my early 20s and I used to go to this church in Santee. And this pastor was up there and he was kind of talking about different things and how to like approached life. And one of the things he talked about, or he said was worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair. You can keep on rocking, but you're never going to get anywhere. And that saying has stuck with me since then every single day. I share that saying with every person that I meet if I have the opportunity. Because it's truly, you know, you think about when you're going through something in your life and something, it's out of your control, it's unpredictable. If you sit there and stress out about it and you're worrying about what the outcome of something is going to be, what ends up happening. That doesn't really change the situation. The outcome's going to be what it's going to be regardless. And so you're just causing yourself unnecessary worry and stress. And so I have to constantly remind myself of that because I am kind of by nature, self -critical. But it has really helped me a lot.
And then the other, I don't remember who told me this, but someone says your opinion of me is none of my business. And so when I was younger, I really cared a lot about what people thought about me and I think it got to the point where I didn’t feel comfortable being myself because I was always worried about how someone was going to react. And then what I realized was I don’t really care what anybody thinks. What your opinion of me. As long as your secure with who you are and you know yourself and you know you’re a good person, you're doing the right thing. What someone else thinks of you really doesn't matter. So those two pieces of advice have stuck with me.
DG: Yeah, that's great. I think sometimes the short and sweet little tidbit like that, easier to remember. You can visualize it and then you can apply it. So those are two great ones. I'll take those away for sure.
So if you could instantly learn a new skill, what would that be?
BC: I would want to be wine maker.
DG: Of course. So how did that pop into your mind? Like you want to go stomp grapes in a barrel?
BC: I think it would just be really interesting to learn the whole process of making wine because I love red wine. I definitely like white and I love all the wines, but red wine is definitely probably my favorite of them all. And it's just when you have a really good glass of wine, it just really brightens your day. It's just the best. So I just felt like every time I've ever visited a winery or a wine tasting room or something like that I always thought to myself I wonder what the process is of making this and how cool would it be to just be able to do that?
DG: Yeah, well you know if you ever tour a winery where they walk you through it from the harvest to the smashing of the grapes to the fermentation all those things. It's a major process. It's not just, you know, squeeze the grapes and put it in a bottle.
BC: Right.
DG: So, yeah, there's a lot that goes into that.
So since we're on the wine topic, what's your go-to comfort food or favorite restaurant in San Diego?
BC: Gosh. Okay, well, my favorite comfort food is mashed potatoes and gravy. But it's weird. It's whenever I feel like I want some comfort food, that's the first thing that always comes to mind. It's so delicious.
I don't know that I have a favorite restaurant. Honestly, I think it's because I'm always trying new places. And, you know, each place you go to, you usually find something that you really like, but then you want to try different things on the menu and then you go back and you're like, well, I really like that one dish you ordered again. But, yeah, I don't think I have a favorite restaurant at all.
DG: All right. Well, while you're eating your delicious food and you're thinking about what's your next favorite book movie or TV show, what inspires you?
BC: Yeah, so years ago, again, when I was kind of on that path of personal growth, I came in contact with this book called The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall. And that book is really inspiring. I think anybody, if you haven't read it, you should definitely pick it up. It's a very short read, but it honestly provides you with a great lesson. And essentially the book is about this billionaire who passed away and he was leaving, you know, things to his family. And the one family member, he, instead of giving him all this money, because he kind of felt like the kid was on not the best path, he gave him a box and a task for a whole year of different things that he had to accomplish. And essentially, it taught him to be a hard worker. It taught him about, you know, giving his time, things like that. And so it essentially built character within him. And he went on this journey of self -discovery and personal growth as well. And so in the end, he was a better person for it and probably was more rich in that sense than any money could ever buy. And so I think that book really inspired me a lot and how it made me kind of realize like stop and think about how you're living your own life and what you could be doing differently or better. And so I think anybody should read it if you haven't.
DG: Well, put it on the list.
So I know you love insurance because you're here. But if you weren't working in insurance, what career path do you think you'd be on?
BC: I would probably still be working towards my degree in psychology, honestly. I never finished it and something that I'm very passionate about with helping others and things like that. So that's something I probably would pursue. And even if I was pursuing that still, I would probably at the same time, I have always had this dream of opening an apothecary shop that has a spa in the back. Because I love esthetician work, I love you know helping other people and making them feel better about themselves and that’s kind of why I got in the industry in the first place. So I would probably have that apothecary shop and I would create my own skincare line as well as other things that I would sell in the shop. And then also having local vendors in the area, be able to sell their things in the shop, too.
DG: Cool. So like somebody that's looking to always give back, you know, through connections with people, whether it's product, psychology, emotion, whatever. That's awesome.
Okay, lightning round. Quick choices. Coffee or tea?
BC: Coffee.
DG: Mountain or beach?
BC: Mountains.
DG: Early bird or night owl?
BC: Definitely night owl.
DG: Okay, so let's shift gears. Let's talk a little bit about your role here as a client technology specialist at Rancho Mesa.
So how long have you now been with Rancho Mesa?
BC: I just had my two-year anniversary, actually.
DG: Wow, congratulations.
BC: Thanks.
DG: And so what motivated you to join Rancho Mesa?
BC: So I actually knew somebody that worked here already and that I'd known for a few years, and they always spoke so highly at Rancho Mesa, just talked about how much they loved their job and how it was such an amazing company to work for. And they were so lucky and fortunate to have started working here very early on. So I always joked around and said, well, if they're ever hiring, let me know kind of a thing. And then you guys were hiring. And I found out. And I sent my resume over. And then when I came to the office to do my face -to -face interview, I was sitting in the lobby right there, and it was just, it was a feeling. You know, it was a vibe, a feeling, whatever you want to call it. But every single person that walked by was so friendly, everybody seemed so happy to be here. And everybody said hello to me. And so every interaction I had with anybody that day, I just knew as soon as I left, I was like, I have to work here.
DG: Oh, that's great.
BC: So, and here I am.
DG: Yeah. Well, we're very lucky to have you.
And as a client technology specialist in the client services group, what are some of your responsibilities and how do you go about supporting our clients?
BC: So I help clients mitigate risk by showing them how to implement our SafetyOne™ platform, which as you know is our proprietary safety platform that we created with our client's needs in mind. So I help them integrate that into their company as well as providing them with the HR platform and then navigating, you know, creating their own employee handbooks and things like that. I also help them find resources for addressing loss control letters. So if they get a loss control visit from their carrier, usually we will get a copy of it. And then I help them find the resources they need to address that. And then I also act as their point of contact for any help that they may need with any of those platforms or any other additional is that maybe are a third party or something we don't necessarily provide. But I always am, you know, on the search for helping them, get them what they need. And then, you know, of course, I participate in our StudioOne podcast, and we talk about the safety topics, and we do our workshops and webinars as well. So I either am helping in the background with that or we do a hands -on workshop as well, and that's for SafetyOne specifically. and so I co -host that as well and present that. So I really love it.
DG: Oh, that's great.
So are there just one or two areas you roll that you really, really enjoy? I know you enjoy it all. Is there something that kind of stands out to you?
BC: Honestly, the main thing I love about my job is helping people. And I feel like being able to provide people the necessary tools they need is very rewarding. I feel like I'm, like you said, giving back. I feel like I'm helping them in a sense. And so I think that's the part I love about my job the most.
DG: Yeah. And you see it every day. I see it with you every single day. You know, you seem more engaged when you're interacting with people, whether it's in the office or with a client or a carrier partners, representatives. I mean, you're constantly trying to please and make their day better in one way or the other. So I'm super excited for you to continue to do that.
And so here at Rancho Mesa, you've done a lot, many accomplishments. Is there any one in particular you're proud of?
BC: Gaining a title of specialists in record time. Yeah. Probably is the one I'm proudest of.
DG: Yeah. And for people that don't know that, that isn't something you just sign the bottom of the paper and you become a specialist. That's something you earn. And I think that's one of the things I'm proudest of here is we don't give up participation trophies. You know, we like people to stretch themselves and grow. And when they do, we like to recognize that when they're ready. Not when the clock says they're supposed to be ready, but when they're actually ready. And you did surpass the clock. So kudos to you.
BC: Thank you.
DG: So what areas are you looking to expand in your growth is here at Rancho Mesa?
BC: Well, of course, I'm always looking for more ways to help people. And whether that's presenting or training others or creating more training material where I have some autonomy and saying what we do is always really interesting to me. I think since I've gotten that specialist title, I think Alyssa, who's as the listeners may know or may or may not know, is the manager of our department, she's really kind of given me the leeway to be able to create different training material. We actively are working together all the time to come up with new processes and things like that. So honestly, like, that is something that I really enjoy about what I'm doing here and it's something I look forward to doing more of.
DG: Yeah, we appreciate your input because it's one of those things where, you know, we actually trademarked the word OneofOne™ because, you know, it's a bar that keeps being raised. Once we accomplish something, you know, we're coming back to you and listen to the team and say, okay, now how do we take this to the next level? And I love the fact that you embrace that challenge and aren't, like, afraid of it, you know, where it's like, isn't never enough because it really isn't never enough. There's always something more that we can do.
You know, one of the things we have our core values here, and core values to me just talks of culture. And so culture is really important aspect to me of how we maintain here at Ranch Mesa. What's your favorite part about working with your team speaking of culture?
BC: The people. Everybody here seems to really fit together. I think that it's amazing that there are so many different types of personalities, but somehow we all have some commonality and that I think that is reflected with the core values that we have for Rancho Mesa. We all seem to have the same passion. As we always joke that insurance is boring, but really working here is not. And so we make insurance fun, and we feel like a family here, and we have each other's backs, and it makes coming to work enjoyable.
DG: Yeah, I always like this next question. So let's say you're hiking and you come across a stranger and you're both taking a break to drink water. And they say, hey, what do you do? You say, I work at Rancho Mesa. How would you describe Rancho Mesa to a stranger?
BC: I always say it's the best place you'll ever work. This actually recently happened to me. I was at the T-Mobile store getting a new phone. And the gentleman that was helping me, he was talking about, you know, oh, do you want to get a new case for your phone? And as he's saying it, he's shaking his head no to me. And I thought, wow, like that really shows that this is an honest person. Like, he knows that they're overcharging and you can get it cheaper somewhere else and things like that. And so I was talking to him about, I said, do you want a job?
DG: Yeah, right.
BC: And he goes, what? And he's like, what do you do? And I told him, I work for Rancho Mesa. And I was like, I promise you, it is the best place you'll ever work. I mean, the culture is amazing, the people are amazing. Everybody's very supportive of each other. And, you know, obviously the benefits are great, all of the other things behind the scenes. But ultimately, what it came down to is that I think he would have been a great fit here. I gave him my business card and told him, you email me your resume and we'll pass it along because, I mean, I just feel that, you know, you come here and it's not like you're just getting a job and that's what you're going to be doing for the rest of your life. You come here and there's endless possibilities. There's room for growth. There's real support from everybody here, not just the person sitting next to you, but even the leadership as well. And the culture is just unlike anything you've ever experienced. And it just feels like home. So I love it here.
DG: Yeah. Well, I love to hear what you're saying. It's awesome.
So is there something really unique about Rancho Mesa inside of all that?
BC: The leadership, honestly, is probably the thing I find the most unique. I feel like a lot of jobs you go into, it's they have all these roles and things like that. And they tell you what to do, but they're not really leading you. And a good leader leads by example. And I feel that you and everybody else here that's in a leadership position really does lead by example. And we work together as a team. Nobody ever makes you feel like they're above you. they make you feel like they're there with you. And I think that that's something that really sets Rancho Mesa apart. That's what makes us unique. You guys are always there to give us input, but you're also willing to take input in as well. And you're always there to support us. So I feel like I've never experienced anything like this, and I've worked in multiple different types of industries.
DG: That's great. You know, it's one of those things that I hope that you always hold us accountable to those high standards, because that's what you described is what we honestly believe in. Because I do think actions speak louder than words.
BC: For sure.
DG: You can paint a lot of slogans on the wall, but if you don't back them up, they don't really mean much. But to some people, you have to be held to count. So we want that. Even up to me. If I'm out of line, somebody will just tell me I'm out of line. That's okay.
Okay, here we go lightning around again three words how would you describe Rancho Mesa's culture?
BC: Supportive, fun and family
DG: All right love it. What's the one thing you learned from a co -worker that really stuck with you?
BC: No idea is a bad one.
DG: Really?
BC: Yeah.
DG: Yeah I’m probably the king of that one because I’ve had a lot of the bad ones.
BC: You're the one who actually taught me that.
DG: Okay there we go. If you could trade jobs with someone here at Rancho Mesa for a day, who would it be and why?
BC: I would trade jobs with you because I want to see it from the other side.
DG: So you want to work Saturdays too?
BC: Yeah, I'll be here.
DG: Okay, great. And what's one word your friends or families would use to describe you?
BC: Loyal for sure.
DG: Yeah. Well, listen, it was a pleasure to get to know you. We should do this again in the future, you know, down the road because things will change. Life changes, right? Things change in life. And I really appreciate that you're here with us, honestly. And I hope you retire with us.
BC: I hope so.
DG: So Brenda, thank you for joining me today.
BC: Thanks, Dave.
DG: And thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by Studio One. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.