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Mackenzie Tubbs

Interview with Mentors Hellen Payeres & Ray Flores

by Leadership Fellows Protégé Mackenzie Tubbs

The College of Business and Public Policy's Leadership Fellows Program pairs high-performing CBPP students with a mentor in the Anchorage business community, giving students the opportunity to learn about real-world leadership from local business leaders. This year’s cohort includes 21 CBPP students, called protégés, and their mentors. To begin the program, each protégé interviewed their new mentor, and every week, we will feature one of these interviews with the mentors, who share their thoughts on leadership. This week’s featured protégé/mentor pairing is Mackenzie Tubbs, and her mentors Hellen Payeres & Ray Flores.

Hellen Payeres
Mentor Hellen Payeres.

1 Where are you from? How did you decide to pursue a career in Alaska? 
Hellen Payeres: “
    a. From anchorage, lived here since 5. Started in middle school, ended up at a local show with friends. Was in student govt., realized love for planning events. In hs, event planning merged with live music. Local shows would pop up and I would slowly get involved by selling merchandise or putting up fliers.
    b. Bitoz opened up in 2004 as I was getting out of high school, I was booking national bands. Got offered a lot of different jobs along the way. Created the Downstairs. Meeting the owner of Club millennium. Can you fill this room? Created a local scene.
    c. Got out of all-ages shows. Decided I didn’t want to work for anyone anymore.
    d. Met ray from local bands, combined resouorces with Shirts Up. Put more Money and work into it than you intended. ”

Ray Flores: “ Ray was born in Hatcher’s Pass. The concert thing just happened, he had seen a friend struggling with their employer and he wanted to help her out so that she got out of the job what they were putting into it. Ray came from screenprinting and merchandising, saw a void in the Alaskan market that needed utilizing, saw a potential for cool stuff (concerts/ shows). Many events/shows/concerts up here were pretty generic and recycled. Trying to give Alaskans their money’s worth out of a show. ”

2 Where did you go to college? What did you study in college? 
Hellen Payeres: “
    a. UAS. Studied Political Science. Working on campaigns. Music is positive no matter what. ”

Ray Flores: “ Art Institute of Pittsburgh online, Digital Design Diploma Also attended UAA for some accounting and business courses. ”

3 Did you have anyone you relied on for mentorship/solid career advice? If yes, what is the most important leadership advice they shared with you? 
Hellen Payeres: “
    a. Several. All of the different promoters that I was around and job related fields. Don’t be concerned about what everyone else is doing around you and focus on being true to yourself. Keeping standards high, good product, consistency, don’t be concerned about competition.
    b. Others may come and try to take what you have built.
    c. Promotion is a field where anyone wih $ can try. Just get a license.
    d. If I had worried about the others trying to enter the market, I wouldn’t be where I’m at.
    e. In any field when starting a new business, Keep your head down, focus on the prize

Emotional development. Professors can challenge your thinking and give you new perspectives. ”

Ray Flores: “ Nobody in particular, more of a trial by fire situation with a variety of shops and business models. Hellen was his main mentor for ShowDown. Mentor in how to do business was Frankie Chan, taught him how to do things a little bit differently involving agency and artist obstacles. ”

4 It is important and beneficial for CBPP and Anchorage’s business community to collaborate and invest in the next generation of leaders. What do you think should be conveyed to our next generation of leaders?
Hellen Payeres: “
    a. Be one step ahead on opportunity, essentially
    b. Keep ahead of the curve
    c. Intuitive, current ”

Ray Flores: “ Ray’s advice for the next generation of leaders, especially those coming from UAA and the CPBB, is to gain a stronghold here in Alaska. So many people want to establish themselves outside so quickly and that leaves Alaska with a smaller work pool. It’s not necessary to leave Alaska to establish yourself because there is so much potential for growth here, and much easier to stand out in the smaller population. ”

Ray Flores
Mentor Ray Flores.