Meet Thalia Espin

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Thalia Espin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Thalia, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I get my work ethic from my parents. My dad should be retired, but that man loves to work and refuses to retire. If that’s not good work ethic, I’m not sure what is. Like many others, I grew up as a first-generation immigrant. We didn’t have much, but we made the most of what we had and got creative. My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic at a very young age and the idea of following through on anything I had committed to. My father has always said, “If you don’t know something, you can figure it out, but at least try.” My mother has always said, “Never take no for an answer.” With their love and support, I’ve always aimed for things I may be under qualified for, despite being scared, but I’ve always given it my all because I will work until I get it right or figure out how to make it right. I owe it all to them. They sacrificed so much for my siblings and me. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay them, but I’m going to try.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

When I was growing up, I was always very creative. I used to take apart my bikes to paint them, and I even attempted to wax a car when I was nine years old (unfortunately, I ended up ruining my dad’s van. Sorry, Dad!). I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in a creative field. That’s when I found advertising. Now, I work as a senior art director at an ad agency in Orange County during the day, and at night, I work on building projects for Thalia’s Party Studio. I pursued carpentry because I love to work creatively with my hands, not just on the screen. I’ve always said that building is like designing on a screen; and everything in the world is composed of shapes, it’s just finding out how to deconstruct them. I had never built anything in my life until we lost my grandma, and the grief took me to spending more time outside and trying to learn to build. My grandma also encouraged my creativity and was the first person to think I had a real knack for decorating/building. Being able to build things from nothing will always be such a fulfilling feeling and sense of belonging for me. If it wasn’t for her or the support of my family, I would have never started Thalia’s Party Studio.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’ve found these three essential skills or qualities to be impactful in my journey: commitment, time management, and advocacy.

It’s easy to give up and not follow through when feeling under qualified or when imposter syndrome takes over. However, opportunities arise for a reason, and one should always follow through. There’s a seat at the table for a reason! Time management has also been a massive quality because things will not always work out, and that’s okay. Things will go wrong, so the ability to pivot and adjust when necessary is crucial. I’ve had many sleepless nights from procrastination and not accounting for things going wrong, but lessons have been learned. Lastly, advocacy: if you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone? It’s easy to think of all the reasons not to prioritize yourself first, but in order to maintain a side hustle and a job, you have to. As a first-gen, I know firsthand how hard it is to celebrate your accomplishments and give yourself your flowers, but it’s the only way to grow.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to allow me to be creative. I know it’s hard for some first-generation parents to accept their children going into a creative field, and they still don’t fully understand what I do for work, but they have always been supportive and continue to be. They have always fully supported and tried to fund any crazy idea I’ve ever had. When I was younger, my dad and I would recycle cans, and he would let me use that money for arts and crafts. We still recycle cans, but he gets to pocket the cash now.

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