Meet Neil Trachy | Marketing Professional & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Neil Trachy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Neil, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
There’s value in taking risks – having the confidence to really take a chance on something, fortune favors the bold and all that. But when it comes to big decisions, I always try to have the best possible understanding of the risks involved before taking the leap. Like there’s this romantic idea of quitting a job – just doing it on the spot after telling off your boss or something. And sure you can do that, but just because quietly planning an exit isn’t as exciting as storming out, doesn’t mean it’s not the better plan. It’s necessary to take risks sometimes, but you can be smart about it too.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
After handling the social media at the Kensington Cafe for a few years, I reached out to some friends of the owner who had started their own local agency, SILVR. I lucked out and managed to get a position there, eventually working my way up to creative director after several years with the company. I learned so much during my time at SILVR and I’m really proud of a lot of the work I did. I worked with some truly amazing clients, but one of my favorite memories was winning a national La Croix contest for our agency’s submission (a San Diego skyline made entirely out of La Croix cans and boxes). We ended up winning a custom La Croix-themed lounge remodel for our office!

While I really enjoyed the creative aspects of the job, it was ultimately the client’s last call on everything. So in my off time, I started working on my own content centered around my love for gaming – just sort of applying my professional knowledge to a personal hobby. I started an Instagram page and YouTube channel called Neiltendo Power – combining my name with the classic Nintendo Power magazine that used to come to my mailbox as a kid. It really started as just an outlet for wanting to do things my way – but it began picking up popularity to the point that I had a few gaming companies reach out to me asking about what I’d charge to feature them on my Instagram page. That’s when I started thinking maybe I could actually make something out of this – or at least do what I was already doing at SILVR, but do it independently and focus primarily on gaming.

Since then, I’ve gone off on my own, built up a handful of clients within the gaming industry, made meaningful connections with people I’ve looked up to for years, all while building up my own social media presence and leveraging it for additional passive income. Working from home and for myself can make it difficult to separate on and off time, but so much of what I do really doesn’t feel like work, so that tradeoff has been well worth it.


Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
After living in San Diego for 15 years, it’s easy to take it for granted. I’m always reminded of how great it is here whenever we have friends visit from out of town. If I had a week to show someone around, I’d want to squeeze in a cozy Japanese meal at Izakaya Masa, some delicious Georgian cuisine at Pomegranate, and a breakfast burrito or Mulitas from Tacos El Panson. Almost forgot – definitely would need to grab a smoothie, fruit salad, or torta from Señor Mangos. Love that place! I’d also be paying attention to what shows were coming to town, probably keeping the closest eye on Soda Bar since that’s kind of our neighborhood spot. If it was a friend who was also into gaming, I’d want to do some retro game hunting at Luna Video Games and maybe hit up Kobe’s Swap Meet over the weekend. And finally, if there was enough time, I’d love to take a trip out to Anza Borrego. It’s such a short drive from San Diego and it almost feels like a different planet. It’s a great place to completely detach from the city life and enjoy some beautiful hikes or dark sky stargazing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout Lauren Passero Brooks and the Kensington Cafe. I was hired at the Ken Cafe a few years after moving to San Diego and made so many incredible connections there. I met some of my best friends, joined a band, and got my start in social media marketing because of that place. It was such a great group of people – many of whom had successful passion projects on the side. It was inspiring to be surrounded by all of that and I think working there truly changed the trajectory of my life.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltendo_power/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NeiltendoPower