Episode 45– You can also listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google podcasts, and Amazon Music
About the Episode:
Are you dying to visit Santa Fe, NM but don’t know where to start? Do you love local food and brews but aren’t sure which are the best or what to have? Here comes Vigilante Guides to the rescue! Jerard Vigil and his team are here to help you with fun, historical and informative tours of The City Different. Learn more about Jerard and his tour company Vigilante Guides on this podcast episode.
Links
Vigilante Guides website
Vigilante Guides on Instagram
Vigilante Guides on Facebook
I Love New Mexico blog page
Bunny’s website
I Love New Mexico Instagram
I Love New Mexico Facebook
Original Music by: Kene Terry
Featuring:
Jerard Vigil
Born and raised in Chama, a small village in Northern New Mexico, 2 hours North of Santa Fe. I’ve been a New Mexican all my life and love what my State has to offer. From the history to the outdoors, the food to the chile, my home is worth sharing. Combining my love for travel, food, people, culture, and my deep New Mexican roots inspired me to create Vigilante Guides. We want tourists and locals alike to be able to experience our city the way we do every day – to live like a local.
Episode Transcript
Bunny : (00:00)
Hi there. I’m Bunny Terry, and you’re listening to the I Love New Mexico podcast. Whether you’re a native new Mexican, who’s lived here for your entire life, or you’re just considering a visit, this episode is for you. Join us as we share a lot of New Mexico stories. Talk about all things New Mexico, and include topics like what’s magical here, where you ought to visit, what’s happening, and the things you absolutely cannot miss in the land of Enchantment. We’re excited that you’re here, and we can’t wait to show you what an amazing place New Mexico is, because let’s face it, I love New Mexico Here on the, I Love New Mexico podcast. We are continuing our series talking about small businesses in New Mexico, and I’m talking to data, somebody who has a job that I’m, um, quite envious of because he is doing the fun stuff. Gerard Vhi, who is, um, was born and raised in Chama, has says in his bio that he’s lived in New Mexico all his life, and he loves what New Mexico has to offer. So he’s the perfect guest for this podcast. And he also says, from the history to the outdoors, the food to the chili, my home is worth sharing. And combining his love for travel, food, people, culture, and his deep New Mexico roots, he was inspired to create his business, which is vigilante tours. And Gerard says he wants tourists and locals alike to be able to experience our city by which he means the city that we share Santa Fe, um, the way that we do every day to live like a local. And Jerard, I gotta tell you, that’s such a great business model because I’ve found in my real estate business that whenever I do a post or even on I, the, I Live New Mexico blog, if I do a post that’s about living like a local, it’s what everybody wants to do. I mean, it’s just like, you know, if I go to, you know, Chicago or New York or Costa Rica to visit, I don’t wanna do what the tourists do. I wanna live like a local. So, so kudos to you for creating this. So tell us, tell everybody listening who you are and how you got this great idea.
Jerard : (02:32)
Yeah, thank you so much, and thank you for having me on this, uh, podcast today. Looking forward to, uh, chatting and sharing a little bit about our story and, and what we have going on here in Santa Fe. And so, I’m, I’m Gerard Vigil born and raised, as you mentioned, in in Chama New Mexico, small town in northern New Mexico. Was fortunate enough to, uh, kind of have a, a few years of travel throughout my, my time. Lived in Venezuela as an exchange student in high school. Lived in Spain and college, uh, to finish my, my degree in, in Spanish. Went to Fort Lewis in Durango and, uh, kind of, and then lived a period of time in, in Denver and Austin. And, and finally made my way back to, uh, Santa Fe as the mountains were calling. And, um, over the f over the course of the past few years, uh, COVID really amplified that, uh, period of time for me to start thinking of what I could do on my own right, um, as a 12th generation new Mexican. And we can talk a little bit about that here in a minute. Uh, I have this entrepreneurial spirit where, um, just grew up where my grandparents, my my parents, uh, you know, owned businesses and kind of saw them do things their own way. And, um, figured that this was the perfect time for, for me to, to do something, especially as I’ve come back to Santa Fe and have spent many, you know, years and, and holidays here, and seeing the amount of tourism and, and, and people coming to Santa Fe. Clearly the secret is out and, uh, and it’s just a, a wonderful place. And, and so we want to offer against something that is unique, uh, that is more of an experience, uh, than just a regular tour. Something that people can leave with and say, wow that was a fantastic time. Something that they’ll remember, uh, for the rest of their life. And, we just want to share, uh, again, what we feel makes, uh, Santa Fe, New Mexico so special. And so over the course of the past year, I, um, joined, uh, uh, Santa Fe Innovates and, uh, the University of New Mexico in a shark Tank cohort, uh, type format where we, um, this was, this was February of last year where we, uh, pitched our ideas. We had about a five week crash course with a 10 other entrepreneurs. And, um, I took second place in that, uh, shark Tank cohort where I got a, a little bit of money and worked with the Lavender Agency to help build the website and, and really kind of kick off the start of, uh, vigilante guides. And, um, and here we are a year later, uh, in, in the past year was, uh, fortunate enough, uh, to have a blessing and to our lives. We have a little baby girl, um, and, uh, she’s now six months. And so I, uh, I, I do have a full-time job, um, currently and, and was given a period of time off to really focus and get everything together, uh, social media, to digital, to, you know, the grassroots campaigning that I’m doing. And, um, now was, uh, was thankfully able to, uh, launch our business about six weeks ago. And, um, we were starting to do Saturday and Sunday tours and really just, again, offer something that is unique. Did a ton of market research on what, you know, competitors or what people are doing out there in, in the tour kind of world or experienced world. And a lot of, unfortunately, COVID impacted a lot of people during that period of time, but we’re, we’re trying to do things a little differently. Um, of course, a little bit more youthful, a little bit more fun, incorporating a little bit of everything. And so that’s why we’re starting with sip Savor and history walking tours. My, I I’m a big fan of food and drink. Everybody has to eat and drink at some point. And of course, we wanna highlight the amazing delicacies that we have here in New Mexico and, and then talk about, you know, our, our amazing culture history, the people, uh, architecture, everything that makes, uh, Santa Fe and New Mexico so special.
Bunny : (06:26)
So I’ve been following you on Instagram for a while, and, um, great job. What I see is that, um, and correct me if I’m wrong, you’re doing rail yard tours on Saturday and Plaza Tours on Sunday.
Jerard : (06:41)
That’s correct.
Bunny : (06:43)
And so if I am, you know, if I’m coming here from, I don’t, I don’t know, let’s say Boulder, Colorado, I’ve never been to Santa Fe. Um, how is your tour gonna be different than like, you know, the guy that stands on the corner down by the El Dorado and walks people around? I want folks to know how different you are.
Jerard : (07:04)
Yeah. I think first of all, what makes us different is the, the, the, the story that we tell, um, uh, with, with what we do on our tours is we incorporate a little bit of everything. So we, we start off, if, if I’m, we’re starting off in the rail yard tour on a Saturday as an example, um, we talk about Santa Fe and the history and our lineage, uh, the Native American and indigenous people who have been here for 21,000 years. Recent findings in, in, in White Sands of the first, uh, you know, footsteps that were found via solar, uh, imprinting, which date, back 21,000 years, 10,000 years prior to what they originally thought. And then we go into, you know, again our talking about who our natives are, our native friends, our, our Spanish lineage quires, and volunteers who came in the late 15 hundreds. And so we start off introducing a little bit about kind of what makes Santa Fe so special, the architecture, the art, our food, and, and, and, and, and drink scene. And then from there, we continue the tour and we stop at three to four different locations. Again, it is a sip and savor because we, we enjoy food and wanna highlight the, the different, uh, options that we have available. And I have a background in, in, in, um, you know, breweries and cocktails, bartended and served throughout college and, and, and afterward. And so our scene here in Santa Fe is quite amazing. We have right over 10 local breweries, uh, over 90 statewide, some of the best beer and, and cocktails around our margarita trail and scene. And so we, we try a little bit of everything, and we have a snack at each of those locations. And during this period of time, it is very interactive. So we have a lot of fun. We have trivia, we play games, we get to know each other. And so it’s a, it’s, it’s something where, you know, if, if you’re from Santa Fe and, and we’ve done a couple pilot tours with locals who grew, who were born and raised and grew up here, and even they learned a, a, a thing or two about, you know, Santa Fe and our history and, you know, specific, uh, landmarks that we have and that we showcase. And so we really try to make it a, a fun, affordable and interactive experience. So when people come on this tour again, they leave their feeling, wow, that was, you know, definitely worth the value. I learned a few things. And then part of what we do is we help guide them on additional things to do when they’re visiting Santa Fe, whether that be doing a mountain bike tour going up north to, you know, ACU and go ranch, checking out our, you know, native American, uh, landmarks like Bandier and, you know, uh, Choco Canyon and et cetera, et cetera. And so we really try to bring a holistic approach to the experience that, uh, will, you know, kind of fill the cup of anybody coming on, whether they’re there for the food or drink or there for the history or hopefully a little bit of everything.
Bunny : (10:06)
That is so cool. And so how, what size, I mean, if, you know, if I’m bringing a group, uh, you know, I’m coming for a weekend with my girlfriends, what, what size are your tour groups?
Jerard : (10:18)
Yeah, so we, we, we, uh, there is no minimum size. Uh, I, I will do a tour for one or two people, um, just cuz we’re getting started, but, you know, we’re looking at a minimum of four maximum of up to 12 people so they, they can, uh, uh, you know, contain a larger group of people. And we also are very nimble. And what I mean by that is, um, let’s say you’re coming in a, in a, in a tour is filled because we only have, you know, one on Saturday, one on Sunday, but you’re looking, you know, to do something a little bit more, more unique or custom. We have the ability to accommodate that. And so, um, if you’re looking for, you know, again a women’s group, a bachelorette, a, you know, a family, um, whatever it may be, we have the ability to accommodate and plan for, you know, people that are looking for something a little bit more custom. Of course, we have our Saturday and Sunday, uh, tours and experiences, but we, uh, we’re, we’re really trying to look at this, um, opportunity in a more holistic way. What we’re calling is creating an ecosystem of information. And so we want to be able to expand, um, because you’re kind of looking at the owner operator, tour guide, marketer, et cetera. And, um, the goal is to eventually grow to where we’re offering a variety of different experiences from not only food and drink, but you know, history and art and the outdoors. And eventually we’ll get a vehicle where we can take people outside of the plaza and, and take them to, you know, Santa Fe HQ and Beer Creek and, you know, different locations, again, outside of the Santa Fe area. And, uh, we really just want to be able to provide an experience that anybody can, can enjoy based off their interests.
Bunny : (12:03)
And I suspect that you have relationships with all of the people at the places, you know, the owners, the servers, that sort of thing. But, so it really is, what I’ve noticed is when I take clients out to dinner and I go to somewhere like Ella and I know the chef or, uh, you know, market steer where the, the owners are my good friends, that really seems to resonate with people who are viz team. Does that work for you as well?
Jerard : (12:30)
Totally, yeah. It’s all about, um, the, you know, network and, and, and having that personal relationship. And so to your point, when we can go, you know, show up to a location, and I know the people there and, you know, we can embrace each other with a handshake or a hug, it, the, the people on the tour really know, okay, this guy is, is a local and he is here to, you know, connect the community. And that’s what we’re, that’s what we’re looking to do. And you can see, um, VR website that we, we have experiences and then we have a community and, and through the community side of things we want to bring and, and, and, you know, the 3.5 million visitors coming to Santa Fe, we want those tourists, and again, locals alike to be able to integrate into the community and really understand, uh, the, the, the amazing things we have to offer. But also some of the challenges. Um, you know, we partner with youth shelters currently, so a portion of our profits every year are, are going back, uh, directly to that nonprofit. Um, we feel that it’s important to invest in our youth and in our communities, and this is just one of the many partnerships we hope to obtain in, in the future. And in a way of giving back. We think that’s important. One in four kids are in poverty in New Mexico education, obesity, et cetera. And so we, we talk about those things to really help educate people and say, Hey, thank you for joining us today. We’re gonna have a great time. But your investment in us is also gonna, you know, be invest an investment into, you know, our community. And, um, so absolutely the, the partnerships and the people we work with and the places we go to are integral are very important and an integral part of our ecosystem. So that way everybody has an opportunity to you know, pro to profit and to, you know, have a, have a great experience and, and just improve the lives of, of everybody around us is, is the goal.
Bunny : (14:27)
I love it. It’s so cool. It is. So, um, it’s, I mean, you’re not just running a business, you’re creating a community. So just because I know that we have people listening who, um, may be coming here for the first time, certainly there is a link to your business, but just, just to wet their appetite, talk about some of the things that, the places that you’re going, and I’m not asking you to pick a favorite, I’m just saying let’s give people a quick, um, you know, what, what are you finding that your tour guests are loving first in the rail yard and then downtown specific sites or places business team?
Jerard : (15:11)
Yeah, great question. And this has been a very interesting process, um, to figure out who, who, where we go, what do we highlight, who do we work with, um, et cetera. And this is an evolving door, right? That, that we continue to, uh, to find out what works and, and what doesn’t. And so we, we started with the rail yard and the plaza specifically because those are two very important districts and areas within the community, um, you know, very hip neighborhoods. And, um, so with the Yale Raily Yard specifically, um, the, you know, we, we have the arrival of the railroad in 1880, and that played a very important part in the growth of Santa Fe. And so we, we start there and talk about, you know, again, the farmer’s market and one of the top farmer’s market in the world. Um, and when you compare, you know, just again, a lot of feedback, uh, and on the amazingness and the opportunities that that brings. And so we talk about the farmer’s market, um, absolutely. And then, you know, the, the, the Railyard district in itself, 15 different restaurants, 15 different galleries, um, different places that you can go and visit. And then from there, we really wanted to highlight again and have a variety and a diversity of food and drink. And so, um, very excited to announce we’re actually, um, gonna be partnering with, uh, Tomasita. And so, um, when you come to New Mexico and you ask about, you know, what’s, uh, you know, what, what is New Mexico? What is this, you know, chilly thing about and Greater green. And of course we have some trivia questions, right? What’s the state question? And you know, what’s the state bird and things like that. But when we’re, you know, in our, in our tour, but we, uh, we, we are starting off the right way. I would consider meaning we’re highlighting what makes what I feel you New Mexico so unique and, and with the, and that’s a part of the food, and see the food scene. And so we start there and we, we try a few of their favorite items. Uh, um, and you know, just to kind of give you a little insight, we, we of course tried the red and green chili. We have a small, uh, mark of your choice, whether that be a, an their infamous swirl or a frog or, uh, you know, a house mark. And then we have some chips and
Bunny : (17:16)
Go ahead. I just gotta step in here and say, if they’re having a swirl or a frog, and then they’re going somewhere and having a beer, they should have some Advil in their, in their hotel room. Those are the best drinks ever, but Wow. Wow.
Jerard : (17:31)
. Yes. And so don’t have
Bunny : (17:33)
More than one.
Jerard : (17:35)
Yeah. And what we’re delivering on these, on these, uh, at each of these locations is not a full drink or meal. It’s a, it’s a, it’s a sip. And that’s why we’re calling it a sip in saver. A saver. We’re, we’re, yeah. Yeah, we’re at each of these locations for about 30 to 45 minutes. So it’s a, you know, we sit down, they’re ready for us. Um, we have a, again, a small bite end drink at each of the locations, and then we go to the next spot where we try some amazing craft beer. And, and that is with Santa Fe Brewery, the oldest brewery in New Mexico, established in 1988. And one of, I think, uh, we, we can share in one of our, one of our favorites, uh, and we try again, a variety of, of what they have some samples, uh, must say. And then we have some snacks along with that. And then the third stop that we try, that we stop at is, um, is the New Mexico hard sider, where we try some local, uh, siders that from, from locally grown apples. Ao it’s very unique on that, that location. Many people have gone and said, I’m not a cider person or fan. And by the end of that tasting, um, they’re, they’re all in. And, and we end up, you know, having a good team, good time and finishing the tour there. And in the plaza, similarly, one of our favorite tours because you really get to embrace and understand and, and you, you, you’re going back in time when you’re within the Plaza area because you get to see, you know, the Palace of the Governors. And we get to talk about, you know, our Native American indigenous friends and how they’re under the portal and what that system is like for them to be able to sell their jewelry, you know, highlighting, of course, the churches and architecture. And then we go down and we, uh, stop at one of our favorite locations where we try some actual authentic red and green chili beer, and that’s that chili line. Um, and so that is super unique. Um, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. It is absolutely fantastic. And then we have a little bit of a, a snack there, don’t want to, again, give it all away. Then we go across the street to, uh, to Paxton’s where they’re able to, to choose whether they like a craft beer, because they have over eight different breweries that they have to offer or a cocktail. So again, we’re offering a little bit of a variety to our customers. So if they’re not a complete beer drinker and they want to have something a little bit lighter, they can get, you know, something, uh, uh, uh, like a cocktail at that location. And then at the third location, we of course, um, stop at, uh, El Ccino where we, uh, have our, you know, fa famous Woodfire Pizza, red and, uh, uh, green chili and cheese pizza, again, highlighting the chili aspect of, um, of New Mexico and of the tour. And we talk about all of that while we’re at each of these locations. And we, again, and what I mean by interactive is we, we play cool games, so, you know, for you as an example, we, I could have you pull a card and that card is associated to a specific question, and then we, so we try to make it to where people are getting to know one another, having a good time, and really just you know, talking and embracing the, the, the culture and, and the, the city that we live in.
Bunny : (20:39)
That is, uh, you’re having fun, right? This sounds like a lot of fun.
Jerard : (20:44)
Totally. Totally. We’re having a, we’re having a good time, and that’s what we want to, that’s what what we’re trying to bring, uh, to people. And what we found over the course of the past couple years is a lot, everything is a lot of diy, right? You can go online and figure out, okay, where do I go to eat? Where do I go to do this? And so what we’re trying to do is take that aspect out of the planning. So when you’re coming here and you want, and people come here and they’re like, wow, like Santa Fe’s different, but we still don’t really get why and understand, you know, like, what is up with the architecture and why is everything Adobe, uh, or, and, and or, and why are, you know, our indigenous friends sitting underneath this specific area. And so we try to answer some of those things and highlight the history and kind of what, where that came from, but also, you know, where we’re at now and the eclectic community that we have and the diversity that has really come here, but also the, the, you know, so I’m 12th generation New Mexican. My family came up with Juan De in 1598 as a group of volunteers. Wow. Super amazing lineage. Um, the Vigil name, you know, goes back, uh, all the way to our studio Spain. Um, and, you know, essentially they say was, it was, uh, broken down as we were part of the protectors of the king and queen of Spain back, you know, dating back thousand years ago, essentially. And so the, the, the Hispanic and a lot of these families have been in New Mexico and, and never really left for hundreds of years. And so a lot of these families, and, and you’ll walk around New Mexico and you’ll talk to somebody, and there’s a good chance they go back 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 generations. And that’s super unique because a, a lot of us feel that belonging and, and, and just, you know, deep rudeness in, into the, the community, into our land. Uh, and we just want to share that with people that come here because it is unlike anywhere else in the, in the us. Absolutely. And, and really just, it is, you know, in the world. It’s, it, you know, it’s, it’s a pretty special place. And so that’s what we try to highlight on each of these tours so that way everybody can get the same sort of feeling that we have on a daily basis.
Bunny : (23:00)
So I just, I, you know, I mean, the reason I do this, I, you know, I started this blog when I, in 2009, when, when there weren’t many people doing blogs, um, and I did a, I I watched a, not a podcast , but I watched a video with Gary Vaynerchuk where he said, if you’re gonna do a blog, you have to write about something you love, because it sometimes becomes a grind. You know, you, if you are like Seth Gooden and you’re determined to write every single day, and you’re determined to create content online every single day, you better choose something you love. And it has never been a grind for me to talk about New Mexico. I’m, my heritage is much diff different from you, you know, my families came to New Mexico in the, the, you know, 19 12, 19 14 to Eastern New Mexico out where, you know, you know, just got, got in and got settled right before the Dust Bowl hit. But, you know, I’m a farm girl from Eastern New Mexico, but you are right. There is something that is so different about New Mexico and especially Santa Fe, but, you know, I also think it’s true of Las Cruces and Silver City, and, you know, Farmington and Aztec, that’s, it’s Clayton. I mean, everything there is something that’s so different, and I’m, I’m so proud to be a new Mexican, and I’m sure I mean obviously you are too, but I love that you’re giving that, um, you know, you’re letting people know who are visiting. I mean, you’re just giving them a bite of it, but it feels to me like it’s gonna inspire them to come back for more, right?
Jerard : (24:46)
Mm-hmm. . Yeah. And that’s the goal is we want to, in, in creating the community is, is, is they get a taste at each of these locations, and the goal is for them to go back and say, wow, that was my favorite beer, that margarita, that cider, that piece of food, red or green chili, we gotta go back there. And so yeah, we, that’s part of the ecosystem and, and we’re just getting started. And, um, we’re, we’re, we’re, we’re starting small, but, you know, the vision is big. And, uh, we, we hope to, again, not only just service Santa Fe, but surrounding areas and, and create, again, kind of a larger ecosystem where we can do this in, in, in other areas, right? Is kind of the, I’m a visionary and, and so I like to think big, but, um, we know that there’s an opportunity here and, and we just really hope to, uh, tap into that and, and, and, uh, you know, work with like-minded people and, you know, offer something that is, is kind of for everyone. You know, we’re, we’re, we’re going after a specific group right now, but, um, we hope to, you know, grow and, and expand and to, you know, a, a bigger, a bigger, uh, a bigger business and, and, uh, scale as we’re able.
Bunny : (25:57)
Gerard, I’m so excited about what you’re doing and I’m so glad that you agreed to come on the podcast because I want anybody who visits here to c go on one of your tours.
Jerard : (26:07)
Yeah, thank you. And, and honestly, just, uh, thank you so much. This has been, you know, really awesome and I really can’t wait. I’m that I’m extending the invite. You are more than welcome. Would love for you to come check it out, see for yourself, experience it, provide some feedback. We, we know that, uh, you know, everything’s not, not perfect, but we’re looking to, you know, grow and, and, uh, just again, continue to build the community and what you’ve done. And, you know, as I follow you and, and whatnot, the stories that you guys are telling, the, the dome in Abiquiu is an example. Um, always wondered what that dome was about. And so from your recent me broadcast Yeah. , yeah. I’m like, where did this come from? And so how the students, right? It was a lottery system for them to, to build that. And you know, the, how it’s a current, uh, gallery and whatnot is just learning about some of those stories is, is super cool. And so love following, love hearing, you know, what you do are doing as well. And I just appreciate the opportunity.
Bunny : (27:02)
Well, thank you so much for being here. And I’m, I’m coming on tour. Okay.
Jerard : (27:08)
Yes. No, I can’t wait. Can’t wait. We’ll connect outside, and make sure to get you on one soon, for sure.
Bunny : (27:14)
Absolutely. And I want everybody who’s listening to know that, um, if you go into the podcast, you’ll find a link to j to vigilante guides, and you will also find a link to where you can find Gerard and his business on Instagram. Are you on Facebook as well, Gerard, or just Instagram? Yeah. Okay. Facebook as well. Yeah. Mm-hmm. . So website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and TikTok. Wow. Any minute I’m gonna learn. Yeah. Yeah.
Jerard : (27:46)
It’s crazy.
Bunny : (27:49)
I’m an old dog, Gerard, but it’s, I’m ready to learn some new tricks. . Mm-hmm. . All right. All right. So people can find you. And I’ll see you soon.
Jerard : (27:58)
Thank you so much. Appreciate you.