Meet James Garcia | Operator – Design & Build

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

Hi James, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Community is at the core of what we do, throughout Moniker Group. As designers of physical spaces, we have a unique ability to create an environment and atmosphere for people to come together, learn and grow with each other. Whether Moniker Design is designing it, or Moniker Building Co. is building it out, we look at everything through this lens. It might not be something explicitly obvious to the people experiencing it, but people do feel it, even if they can’t quite put their finger on it. People have been drawn to this, and resonate with it in a way we never imaged. This mentality carries over in the way we work. When we approach the execution of someone’s vision as a collaborative team, all working towards a common goal, it usually creates a better experience and product for everyone. It’s ultimately about approach all of these interactions with a spirit of hospitality and finding ways to serve rather than be self-servient.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have the pleasure of running two sister companies, Moniker Design and Moniker Building Co., which are supported by extremely talented artisans, creatives, and craftsmen. We’re part of a larger Moniker Group ecosystem of businesses that approach different industries through the lens of reimagining what hospitality means. We believe you can approach all work through the idea that you can serve others and treat business operations the same way as someone might experience hospitality through the traditional context of restaurants and hotels. The broader Groups mission is to create unique experiences designed to impact people through the virtues of hospitality.

Moniker Design is a full service interior design studio specializing in residential and creative commercial projects. We, along with all of the Moniker Group brands, have a blank line in our logo, meant to symbolize the blank space to write in the dreams and visions of those we work with. As designers, it’s our responsibility to translate the very core of who our clients are and their dreams into a physical representation of them and their vision. We’re entrusted with something very special in that regard, and safeguarding that vison and turning it into something they may never have been able to imagine for themselves is a responsibility we take seriously. Being hospitality-minded in our approach, we strive to create an experience for our clients where they feel heard and understood. We want them to come away from the experience feel like we really “got” them. Creating spaces like we do is awesome, and our clients deserve to enjoy that experience as much as possible.

Community is a core focus in everything we do. Our goal is for the spaces we create to have a lasting effect on everyone who experiences and interacts with them. Coming together has a unique way of impacting people, and we want that impact to last long after they leave. We aim to create an atmosphere that holds a place in people’s memories, as they look back and appreciate the time they’ve spent there. This speaks to a deeper level of design than something purely aesthetic. And because we’re operators of these types of spaces, we have a unique perspective on the way people and their interactions can play into the design. The guests are a layer of texture and color to the design in their own right.

Moniker Building Co. (MBC) is the general construction and custom fabrication branch of our company. The GC division primarily focuses on residential and creative commercial builds in San Diego, and recently expanded to Bend, OR. Our fabrication arm has built out custom furnishings and interior finishes for everything from high end residential to some of the top hospitality projects across Southern California for the last 10+ years. It was actually our original service offering, doing interactive art and installations for conferences and events across the country. Operationally, we put an emphasis on organization, client interactions, and exceeding quality standards for the industry. Construction traditionally doesn’t have a great reputation for these areas, and we’re part of a newer movement within the industry to reshape that reputation and approach projects from a very collaborative and customer service-oriented approach. It has proven to be a very different experience for clients when we come into these projects with that hospitality angle.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I believe in eating and drinking your way through a city in order to best experience it. Culture seems to come through most in areas food, so that would be the driver behind our schedule. I live in Normal Heights close to Kensington, so we usually take friends to Pappeleccos for pizza and walk around Kensington, maybe get a beer at Clems. We like to take people to Balboa Park at least one of the days. I’m a big admirer of history and how it shapes the way things are, and there is so much in Balboa Park to learn about and it had a big influence on how that area developed. Of course you have to stop at Panama 66 while you’re there and get something to eat, maybe catch some Jazz. Taco Stand in Encinitas on our way to Tide Beach Park is a tradition for whatever day we spend at the beach. Working in Liberty Station, a visit wouldn’t be complete without burritos from La Perla #3 or pizza from Officine Buona Forchetta and getting a cocktail from The Bar at Moniker General. We’ll usually go to at least one Consortium establishment like Polite Provisions as well. They’ve done such a good job of impacting the hospitality scene in the region, and visitors are always blown away with their ability to transport you to another time or place. Sunset Cliffs is always a great stop, especially for people who aren’t from a coastal area. Sometimes we’ll get Ortiz burritos, park on one of the hills, and sit in the bed of my truck for dinner with a view. Nates Garden Grill usually makes it on the list for breakfast one of the days. For a best friend though, chances are most evenings will end with enjoying a whiskey in the back yard around the fire pit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This list could be in the hundreds, and there’s probably many more that I’ll never even know about. The older I get, the more aware I am of all the people throughout my life that have taken chances on me. At every pivotal juncture along my journey, there has been people that have vouched for me, put in a good word, gave me advice, or taught me lessons that I never even realized I was receiving at the time. A few stand out as especially meaningful. My high school vice principal and surf coach wrote a letter to his alma mater to recommend my admittance, where I ended up going to school. A former college professor that has continued to mentor me and offer advice through my professional career. A supervisor that recommended me to her friend (without my knowledge) as a new employee, which was my start at Moniker. And most recently, my 3 partners taking a chance on going into business with me and working together to create something awesome.

Website: https://monikerbuilding.co , https://www.monikerdesign.co

Instagram: Moniker Design, MonikerBuildingCo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-garcia-7479a938/

Image Credits
Fini Orlamuende, Christine Tustin, Philip Leclerc,