🎙️ Colorado Food Magazine Podcast – Season 4 Premiere
Join host John Jaramillo, President of the Hispanic Restaurant Association, as he kicks off the fourth season of the Colorado Food Magazine Podcast with a special guest, LaTonya Paddock from New Padd Group Colorado Realty. In this insightful episode, John updates us on the exciting relaunch of Colorado Food Magazine and upcoming initiatives like the Latin Food Network, the Glendale Farmers Market, and the Chihuahua Verified Beef Program.
LaTonya, a seasoned realtor with over 21 years of experience, shares the journey of starting her own realty group and the challenges and rewards that come with it. She delves into the importance of leadership, continuous self-improvement, and the impact of recent changes in the real estate industry, including the National Association of Realtors (NAR) lawsuit.
The conversation transitions into LaTonya’s personal life, where she talks about her family, becoming an empty nester, and the significance of nutrition and clean eating. Sponsored by the Colorado Beef Council, the episode emphasizes the importance of knowing where your food comes from and the value of local, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free beef. LaTonya’s passion for providing quality food and maintaining lifelong relationships with clients shines through.
Whether you’re a food enthusiast, a real estate professional, or simply someone interested in leading a healthier lifestyle, this episode is packed with valuable insights and heartfelt discussions.
🌐 For more information, visit https://coloradofoodmagazine.com.
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Episode Transcript:
John: Hi, I’m John Jaramillo, President of the Hispanic Restaurant Association. I just want to give you an update on what’s going on at the Hispanic Restaurant Association since last year. We took a hiatus on the Colorado Food Magazine, and we’re relaunching that. We also have plans to launch the Latin Food Network later this year, have a cooking show, and just continuation of the mission and the vision. As I always stated, our mission is to advocate on behalf of the Hispanic restaurateur, chef, and now entrepreneur, to open and operate their restaurants and businesses effectively and efficiently. We’ve done a lot of processes, new things to help us do that. Our vision statement, as always, is to educate and elevate the Hispanic community across a multi-generational spectrum. So you’re probably asking yourself, what’s new? Well, a lot. This year we’re moving Hispanic Top Chef to Albuquerque, New Mexico, from September 29th to October 1st. It’s going to be at the National Cultural Hispanic Center. It’s the only federally mandated cultural center for the Latin community in the U.S. We started this year the Glendale Farmer’s Market as part of our complete entrepreneurial ecosystem so we can continue to bring revenue and customers to our culinary entrepreneurs. As I mentioned before, this is the start of the Colorado Food Magazine that’s allowing us to tell the story, tell everything, and we’ll continue with the Latin Food Network. We’re going to launch something called the Chihuahua Verified Beef Program. It’s going to be a really big deal for us. There’s so much more going on. Chef Pablo, Drew Jaramillo, we have a chief technology officer who uses machine learning and AI, bringing us into the 21st century. So we have the ability to scale. We’ve always been moving forward. We’ve had some setbacks, but we just didn’t have the right team around us. Now we do, and we’re looking forward to helping every entrepreneur out there that comes to us. Thank you.
Welcome to Colorado Food Magazine season four. We’re here with LaTonya Paddock of the New Padd Group Colorado Realty located in Castle Rock, Colorado. We’re here to talk about a lot of things. Thank you for being on and for this very impromptu podcast. This is the launch of season four. We really wanted to relaunch things because we’ve grown so much at the Hispanic Restaurant Association. We’ve talked to you about potential partnerships and how all these little facets come together. But first, let’s talk about you. How did, tell me about your group.
LaTonya: Well, New Padd Group Colorado Realty is brand new.
John: How new?
LaTonya: Oh my gosh, three, four months old.
John: Yeah.
LaTonya: I’ve been licensed for 21 years, but I hung my license with a big brokerage and decided it was time to do my own thing, take what I know and move on.
John: For a new path, new journey ahead of you. Has it been exciting so far?
LaTonya: Oh my gosh, it’s been amazing. It’s been such a blessing.
John: In what way?
LaTonya: Just, I think a lot of times there’s just so much fear of the unknown and now just being in it, it’s, I don’t know what I was so afraid of. It’s amazing. It’s, it’s very freeing and just the ability to, to be able to serve my clients in the way that I see fit, I think is.
John: You can develop your own culture. One of the big things we teach at the Hispanic Restaurant Association is leadership, entrepreneurship. And this is, you know, out on your own, you’re an entrepreneur. You stepped into the great unknown.
LaTonya: Yes.
John: That’s a big step.
LaTonya: It is.
John: What do you think your biggest fear was?
LaTonya: Just that I would disappoint the people that I was leading and that I wouldn’t, I just wouldn’t live up to the expectations and just the level of what they deserve. Just that I would let them down.
John: You said you can talk about leading them and letting them down. What do you think makes a good leader? What is a good leader in your eyes?
LaTonya: I think, um, just the ability to, I think humility, knowing that you don’t have to know everything, but just being brave enough to, to try it and being able to admit when you don’t know something and admit your mistakes and learn by those mistakes and better yourself because of it.
John: As a realtor, obviously leadership is very important, but you’re leading a lot of people and very independent, very like, how do we harness all this energy we have because we’re nervous. You literally have to kill what you eat or eat what you kill, so to speak, from a monetary perspective. Um, what do you do as a realtor to constantly improve yourself?
LaTonya: I mean, we have continuing education, of course. Our industry is, I mean, like most, it’s constantly evolving and there’s new ways to do things and, um, the market is changing, so you have to adapt. Um, so I think it’s just being aware of, you know, the things that are changing and then figuring out, okay, how can we best serve our clients with this information and how can we deliver the message and protect them and just be the, the leader and the expert with all of the new information.
John: Right. There’s a lot of things that change. You know, like high interest rates nowadays, obviously in Colorado, high property values and everybody from California seems like they’re coming in and we’re like, no, no, no, no.
LaTonya: Hey, job security for me.
John: That’s exactly right. I get that. So what are some of the things that you would want to tell an audience that are changes that, that they may not be aware of or the, the issues that a real estate agent faces that changes that, that, that really constrain you or like you have to change the way you do business, business practices. What are some of those things?
LaTonya: I mean, I guess everybody’s talking about the, the NARA lawsuit right now and the way commissions are.
John: What’s NARA?
LaTonya: National Association of Realtors. There’s a big lawsuit that, um, we’re in the middle of and it’s just, it’s a matter of how we communicate and how we set expectations with our clients in the industry. We, I think as, as an industry we’re failing, they, you know, the, what we were doing wasn’t enough and so, um, just as an industry we’ve learned, okay, we need to have better conversations with our clients and set better expectations and really just be clear on what their options are.
John: Is that what the lawsuit’s about?
LaTonya: Mm-hmm.
John: From you guys are suing them or they’re suing everybody else? What’s the plaintiffs and the defendants?
LaTonya: I don’t even know all those details. It’s, I mean, ultimately it’s the end user, I think. The way I see it is the end user felt, um, uneducated or felt that their realtor wasn’t explaining their options good enough.
John: Okay.
LaTonya: So educated.
John: Yeah.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: Okay. That’s cool.
LaTonya: I think that’s the ultimate basis of the lawsuit. I don’t know if it’s an actual person. saw a small little loophole. And, I mean, hey, if, uh, if it causes us to be better, then.
John: Oh, that’s good.
LaTonya: Oh, that’s a great way to look at it. Everyone’s better for it. Right?
John: Yeah, exactly. So what do you, um, that’s the negative kind of part, high interest rates and all that. What do you love about being a realtor?
LaTonya: Oh gosh. I think the trust level that’s involved, um, it’s, there’s a lot of emotions involved in buying and selling and the fact that somebody would choose me to be a part of that, that they would trust me in their most vulnerable time in their life, um, is, it means a lot.
John: And you help them achieve their dream.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: The start of a family.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: To get them through.
LaTonya: Or somebody’s downsizing, like, really life changes. That’s gotta be pretty cool.
LaTonya: Yeah. It’s, it feels really good and I do feel, I feel blessed because I, it’s not just a transaction for me and the way, you know, our company and our culture, it’s, it’s a lifelong relationship. It’s, it’s a journey and it doesn’t end at the closing table. It’s, it’s a journey that I, I know they have kids, they have birthday parties, I get involved to, I get invited to baby showers and weddings and.
John: Oh really? That’s pretty cool.
LaTonya: I love it.
John: Especially if you’re doing something right, if you get invited to those.
LaTonya: Oh, very good. It means a lot to me. So yeah, it’s, it’s the relationship that, that means the most.
John: Oh, very nice. Well, good luck on this continuing journey.
LaTonya: Thank you.
John: Obviously we met through, you know, the coworking space.
LaTonya: We did.
John: We’re both that.
LaTonya: Yes.
John: And you’re like, okay, who’s the weirdo? He’s just hanging out all the time.
LaTonya: I know.
John: Staring all the time. What’s going on here?
LaTonya: I have to make fun of myself.
John: It’s all right.
LaTonya: I’ll help you.
John: I know.
LaTonya: I’ll help you.
John: And you do.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: And so, and, but I also, you know, I, I know you have a family.
LaTonya: I do.
John: Let’s talk about them a little bit.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: We’re going to transition into you as a mom, what, you know, this, this and what you fed your kid. What’s important to you as a consumer in this particular case and meat and beef, you know, because this, this particular episode is sponsored by the Colorado Beef Council.
LaTonya: Yes.
John: And obviously I’m a big beef fan. And like, like you said, when I told you, you’re like, where’s the beef?
LaTonya: Yes.
John: It’s what’s for dinner.
LaTonya: Exactly.
John: The marketing works very well. Everybody knows that.
LaTonya: I love it. Not where’s the beef. Here’s the beef. It’s what’s for dinner.
John: So tell us about your family?
LaTonya: Um, family. I am an empty nester. I, my husband and I have been married for, we just celebrated 25 years.
John: Oh, congratulations.
LaTonya: Yeah, thank you, thank you. So, we have two kids, adult children, I guess I should say.
John: They’re adults, they’re not even.
LaTonya: They’re always kids to us.
John: They’re just my babies.
LaTonya: Mine’s 21, 34, and I’m like, we’re all kids.
John: My son just graduated, my baby, he graduated CU Boulder just this May.
LaTonya: Well, that’s right.
John: Yes, and then my daughter, thank you. She just got married, so I have a new son-in-law. In April, they got married.
John: Wow, you’ve had a lot of life changes.
LaTonya: Yeah, so we’re empty nesters. My in-laws actually live with us, though, so I mean, you know, everyone hasn’t left the nest quite yet.
John: So you’re not truly an empty nester.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: You’re just for dramatic purposes of this discussion, saying I’m an empty nester.
LaTonya: Feels good to say, but yeah, no, it’s good, it’s good.
John: Oh, very nice.
LaTonya: Yeah.
John: So, obviously, you, I met you and your sister, you guys, both of you are very fit. I look like you work out, so nutrition is very important to you.
LaTonya: Yes.
John: So from a food perspective, I’m the president of the Hispanic Restaurant Association. We’re very interested in feeding people properly and knowing where your food comes from. So give me some of the important factors to you, if you can go way in the way back machine to when you were not an empty nester, about what was important to you of putting in your kids’ bodies.
LaTonya: I mean, obviously, I want to provide a well-rounded meal, you know, protein, and just make sure that they’re, they have all the nutrition, I guess, that they need. And we’re, obviously, when we were young, we were on a budget, so trying to feed them well and good quality food with, you know, our small little budget was often a little challenging.
John: I understand that. So what was, you can talk about protein, and then for the sake of this podcast, since it’s sponsored by the,
LaTonya: It’s beef.
John: It’s beef, obviously. What would be an important item to you from a quality perspective? Let’s take price out of the equation for now. What would be important to you as, you know, in a protein, in a beef protein?
LaTonya: I would say it was probably local, you know? That it wasn’t from, that it was maybe farm-raised, or.
John: So you could trust its source.
LaTonya: Yes, thank you. That’s what I meant to say.
John: That’s one of the things that we’re really trying to emphasize, is knowing where your food comes from. Local ranchers. Local farmers. Local produce. Local, just about everything. So why do you find that important?
LaTonya: I think it just feels like maybe our standards are higher locally, that there’s less processing, maybe, or unnecessary processing. Maybe less hormones and antibiotics, things that we don’t necessarily need in our meat that have additional repercussions for the kids.
John: I’m gonna extrapolate from that and ask. Do you think you’ve lost trust in the larger institutions for that, that they really don’t have your family’s best interest at heart?
LaTonya: I mean, I think that there’s just so many news reports, where things are happening and all these stories are uncovered. So yeah, I mean, I think they’re trying to maximize profit. And oftentimes, the nutritious value or quality goes out the window for profit.
John: Okay.
LaTonya: It feels that way.
John: Yeah, exactly. I understand that. So you want quality. You want to know where your food comes from. So why did you mention about the no hormones and the no antibiotics and wanting to know they were raised properly?
LaTonya: I mean, it’s just not, just something as natural as possible, you know, that you’re putting into your kids and to our own bodies, right? Just when we’re trying to eat healthy, we try to eat clean and just not having added junk, I guess.
John: Right, that makes sense. I’m gonna ask you a couple of questions, just to kind of define, so I can wrap my head around what you’re asking. What do you mean by clean food? I know these are questions that I want to really ask you. That’s why this is, like I said, an impromptu podcast, but what’s important to you as a consumer, as a mom, also, you know, now as an empty nester, what do you find and why would you want that? You don’t trust, I agree with you, there’s been a loss of trust amongst the larger institutions and corporations.
LaTonya: I think, I guess what I’m trying to say is, as a mom, maybe you’re trying to recreate, like if I lived on a farm and I could just go and, you know, on any given day, decide that, okay, this is the cow that we’re going to eat, right? This is for our food, for our table, to provide for our family and it’s just such an easy step, right? It doesn’t have to sit and go down some conveyor belt and it’s just, it’s farm to table. You know where your food comes from. That’s an important part.
John: So, that’s pretty cool. So, what other facets of family life would you consider that you want to, from a food perspective, would want to feed your family?
LaTonya: From a food perspective? Maybe food for the soul.
John: Yeah.
LaTonya: My soul needs to be well-fed. I don’t know.
John: Can you elaborate?
LaTonya: Well, what about from the farm? We talked about beef.
John: Oh, we’re not just talking about beef. We’re talking about vegetables.
LaTonya: I changed the subject in my head.
John: You’re all over the place.
LaTonya: I didn’t tell you.
John: I didn’t get the memo.
LaTonya: So, just in general, just food. We definitely eat a lot of vegetables in our family.
John: Do you prefer organic? Do you go to the store like King Soopers or any of the other Safeway? Or do you shop local? Would you prefer to shop local?
LaTonya: I would love if I could have my own greenhouse in my backyard. I would love to grow our own food, our own vegetables. But I do not have that space or the time. So, I mean, we shop. I mean, I often search for organic if I can. And again, I think it’s just because it feels better. I don’t know if that’s-
John: I agree. The fuel you put in your body-
LaTonya: I don’t know if it’s worth the extra money, but it seems like it should be.
John: It does. It seems like it fuels the body. It makes you feel better. That’s such an important part of our mental health and our outlook, et cetera.
LaTonya: Yeah, I agree with you.
John: So, what other, I guess there’s no other things. Do you read a lot?
LaTonya: I listen. I love Audible.
John: What do you listen to?
LaTonya: I listen to a lot of things, boring things. I like historical fiction as a genre in general. Emphasis on World War II is the era I like. But I also like murder mysteries and I love watching Dateline because I’m a weirdo. So, I told you I was boring.
John: Well, I’m really interested because I’m a military history buff. I’ve studied it. I spent 20 years in the U.S. military, so I’m very, that’s part of my history and why we do things, et cetera, et cetera. So, what do you like about the history part about the military or the military history?
LaTonya: Well, I think for World War II specifically, I don’t know what I love about it so much. I just, I think it just, there was so much worry and fear, yet resilience and bravery came from something so terrible.
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