Happy Accidents Abound at Monkey C Media

By Rebecca Cougler
“If you’re doing what you love, things just fall into place.” This is how Jeniffer and Chad Thompson describe the fortuitous events, which led to their marketing company, design house, and art gallery in South Park. Jeniffer is a writer with a background in publishing and Chad is a professional photographer. In 2004, the Year of the Monkey, a fellow writer asked them to help publish and market her book. Things went so smoothly that she referred them to another writer and so on. Jeniffer describes their reaction as, “Oh my gosh! We have a business; we’d better come up with a name.” Thus Monkey C Media was born.
As of July, the couple, along with graphic designer Julio Pompa Frizza and project coordinator Anna Bobro, runs their company from a bright and airy storefront on a charming, tree-lined block of Beech Street in South Park. Initially they worked from a guesthouse in their backyard, but they always knew they would move to a larger space so they could open an art gallery. According to Jeniffer, she would pass by their current location and think, “Someday I am going to be in this space. It just felt right.”
After extensive restoration, with Chad doing most of the work himself, the shiny concrete floors, cream and green walls, and modern lighting create an inviting atmosphere for art appreciation in front with office space located discreetly in back. For Chad, “The gallery is a labor of love. We leave the door open while we work and greet people if they come in to see the art.” The idea seems to be working; they sold five paintings at their first opening. They plan to rotate shows every three months to coincide with the South Park Walkabouts. Interested artists should contact them via email at gallery@monkeycmedia.com. “We want to give something to the neighborhood,”said Jeniffer. “We want to have local artists, book signings, poetry, and music.” For the next Walkabout, they plan to have cupcakes and a performance by local music legend Gregory Page.
The Thompsons are enthusiastic South Park residents who enjoy supporting and collaborating with other local businesses. They left San Diego for a while but found themselves moving back when, by a twist of fate, the magazine they were both working for in Portland folded while they were visiting here. Coincidentally, some friends happened to have a house for rent in Jeniffer’s favorite neighborhood: South Park.
And things continue to fall into place. For instance, their business has grown in a way that allows them to combine and express their individual talents. Chad specializes in video and photo. He does portraits and headshots but, having recently completed a project for Eclipse Chocolat, he is newly excited about food photography. Jeniffer has written a book and teaches a seminar on maximizing website potential called Website Wow, “It’s for the novice who wants to build a website. I want to help people feel empowered.”
The pair has been married for ten years and, aside from a few wisecracks from Chad, they both have a positive attitude about working with a spouse. “I love working with Chad because at the end of the day, when we want to talk about work, we know where each other are coming from and we share the same goals,” Jeniffer said. They also share a tendency to attribute their success to being in the right place at the right time, but perhaps they are just smart people who have put themselves in the way of good fortune. z

Monkey C Media
3011 Beech St.
(619) 955-8286
www.monkeyCmedia.com