talkStrategy is a woman-owned, full-service, independent communications agency.
Our experience runs deep and includes entrepreneurial small businesses, regional organizations, and international brands. We get shoulder to shoulder with municipalities, utilities, and causes, marching their issues to successful fruition. And we are ready at a moment’s notice to jump in on crisis communications whether you are an ISD, church, or business of any stripe.
Based on the specific needs and challenges of your organization, we bring any combination of:
- Actionable Strategy
- Public Relations and Public Affairs
- Marketing and Advertising
- Crisis Communications
Advocacy and Cause Marketing - Digital and Social Prowess
- Content Marketing
- Websites that Work Hard
- Partnership in Action
So are we a marketing agency?
Or a PR shop?
Or an advocacy and government affairs firm?
Or a digital, web, and social media company?
Yes. Yes, we are.
Meet the team
Girl talk.
Behind every strong woman there are more strong women. And a powerhouse team.
talkStrategy leadership is the superfecta of three accomplished communications mavens:
Anamaria Suescun-Fast
Chief Executive Officer, Owner
talkStrategy CEO and Owner, is bottled lightning and an all-around Jefa. Texas communications royalty, Anamaria has perfected the pursuit of perfection and throughout her career, she’s lived and breathed the details and minutiae that keeps clients coming back year after year. Always in-the-know, always on the job, and always thinking about the next big opportunity for our clients, Anamaria’s superpower is her knack for forging alliances and authentic relationship building. She will demolish a can of Pringles in one sitting, and is a serial dog rescuer with a bleeding heart of gold.
#SuitsWithSneakers
Laura Hotten
Chief Creative Officer, Chief Digital Officer
Duality and dexterity. Left brain, right brain. Multi-cultural and multi-talented. Laura has agency chops in spades yet she is more. More than a creative director, more than a digital expert, more than a web designer and programmer, more than a producer, more than a strategic thinker. Laura is more than talkStrategy's Chief Creative Officer or Chief Digital Officer, she’s “go ask Laura,” “Laura will know,” “run it by Laura;” a fearless feminista force. Creativity is in her marrow and flows into everything she does...even when she codes.
#HoodGoneGood
Kristine Smith
Chief Strategy Officer
If curiosity killed the cat, Kristine has nine lives. Our talkStrategy Chief Strategy Officer asks a lot of questions, poses countless “what ifs?” and never backs down from a “devil’s advocate” opportunity. She is driven by inquiry into what makes people tick, what’s important to consumers, and how to find real ways to connect with them. Her passion for people extends to her supervision of the account team, where she is coaching the next generation of talkStrategy staff and interns to take over her job and possibly the world.
#VintagePunk
Meet the team
Specialists and Virtuosos
They are single-minded in their vision—to do smart work every single day.
Tina Dunk
Director of Digital Media
Tina’s love language is KPIs, GTM and CTR. An agency veteran with deep branding roots, her expertise in digital and social make her a natural at Integrated Marketing. She creates impactful work that gets results no matter the channel or industry.
St. Edwards University
Amy Zink
Director of Communications
Amy is an accredited public relations professional (APR) who loves bringing together clients and colleagues to think outside of the box while developing integrated strategies. As an AP style purist, she is happy to use (or not use) the Oxford comma.
North Dakota State University (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.)
Stefanie Arias
Senior Communications Strategist
With a background in journalism and content marketing, Stefanie loves telling stories that inform, engage and inspire. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her down an internet wormhole nerding out about [insert any random subject here].
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Mariah Contreras
Account Supervisor
Mariah’s active listening skills, unfettered curiosity, and collaborative work style are the embodiment of integrated marketing. Whether working with clients or her team, she balances deadlines and deliverables with disarming calmness and confidence.
Texas Tech University
Monica Ortega
Senior Account Executive
Monica’s expertise is managing projects that make an impact. Between balancing clients’ communication needs, supporting her daughters’ athletic activities, and being on UTSA’s alumni association board, she manages to always serve cute nails.
University of Texas at San Antonio (B.S., M.S.)
Jesse Leyva
Art Director
Illustrator, designer, artist, Jesse is our go-to for wild imagination and boundless originality. His abundant creativity runs parallel to his curiosity around client brands and positivity about The Work. Jesse is a dedicated dog dad. #relationshipgoals
The Art Institute of San Antonio
John Vigil
Art Director
John is a multifaceted graphic artist with a penchant for human-centered design. When he’s not flexing his design chops, he’s writing piano music, shooting portrait photography, or diving deep down rabbit holes of fantasy lore. #nerdalert
The Art Institute of San Antonio (B.F.A.), Liberty University (M.A.)
Tori Johnson -Inimgba
Graphic Designer
Tori is a creative with a passion for multimedia art, seeing projects from a 360 degree perspective. An adept web designer and graphic artist, her commitment to life-long learning and creating impactful work makes her an invaluable team player.
The Art Institute of San Antonio
Katie Garza-Umaña
Account Executive
Katie’s background in event planning has made her deadline dedicated, organization obsessed, and a detail devotee. She’s never met a project too complicated to pull off, a timeline she couldn’t tame, or a bridezilla she couldn’t win over.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Natasha Blackmore
Digital Media Manager
Natasha wears many hats drawing from her experience in: nonprofit and private sector, email and digital, creative and long-form writing, social and web. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty, whether she’s crafting ad targets or throwing pottery.
Amherst College
Kris Serold
Multimedia Specialist
Kris is a hands-on director, videographer and producer with an eye for creative solutions through a multimedia lens. When he’s not dabbling in AR, Interactive Projection, or Virtual World Building, he’s working on the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
The Art Institute of San Antonio
David Dunn
Account Executive
David relies on his attention to detail, dedication to quality control, and effective communication to ensure all-around client-satisfaction. Outside the office, he’s a culture sponge, hitting up museums, concerts, and new food finds.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Kiki Marshall
Social Media Manager
Storytelling runs through Kiki's veins. Mix that with her love of mass media theory and you have her recipe for crafting content in the virtual world. Catch her at the cinema—or making Spotify playlists—when she's not slaying social media trends.
Texas Southern University
Carson Beatty
Account Executive
Carson’s passions include (but are not limited to) fostering meaningful client relationships, building impactful campaigns, watching his favorite sports teams, and grilling the perfect steak. Fun fact: He can do all of the above simultaneously.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Brian Silva
Graphic Designer
Whether he’s cooking up a design, cutting video animation, or baking one of his signature pastries, Brian is skilled in using every ingredient with precision and care, and adding dashes of innovation and daring to create something truly delicious.
San Antonio College
Pedro Moreno
Graphic Designer
What propels Pedro is using his design prowess to foster genuine connections between brands and audiences. He nourishes his creativity and expands his perspective by shooting with vintage cameras, capturing the night sky, and pedaling his road bike.
Texas State University
Paola Carrera
Graphic Designer
Paola’s a visual thinker with an eye for impactful design and a fresh, thoughtful approach. With a background in theater, dance, and improv, she’s equally creative and quick-thinking. Can often be found museum-wandering or antique furniture shopping.
University of Texas at El Paso, University of Texas at Austin
Brady Phelps
Copywriter
A West Texas-raised writer, editor and occasional music maker, Brady is a purveyor of tone and timbre. Outside of obsessing over rhetoric, they’re often rummaging through record bins or reading the news with a furrowed brow.
University of Texas at San Antonio
Erica Mendez
Production Coordinator
With deep agency experience, Erica loves working with teams to ensure projects come together seamlessly. Her passion for process and details also applies to traveling and reading—both of which she enjoyed as an English teacher in South Korea.
University of the Incarnate Word (B.A., M.A.A.)
Cheryl Covey
Accounting and Operations Manager
Highly detail-oriented and efficient, Cheryl has been building her office management skills throughout her career. Highly creative and a maker at heart, Cheryl has been preparing to organize the herd of cats known as our team for her entire life.
San Antonio College
Karen Krause, PMP
Founder and President, Armogan Solutions
Our special partnership with Armogan Solutions can be summed up as symbiotic fangirling. Armogan Solutions shines a light on the root causes driving change, charting a path, a process, and a destination rooted in results. For organizations unsure of what to do before considering a communications campaign, Armogan Solutions can provide actionable guidance and direction.
Agency Interns
Kaitlyn McMillan
Intern, Marketing, Public Relations, and Digital
Baylor grad Kaitlyn is not playing. She’s here to soak up as much experience as she can before starting her Masters in Comms at UTSA this fall. Bucket list items: content creation, blogs, project management, learn learn learn, then learn more.
Baylor University, 2022
Our certifications
Hispanic American Business Enterprise (HABE)
Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
NAICS Codes
541613: MARKETING CONSULTING SERVICES
541810: ADVERTISING AGENCY CONSULTING SERVICES
541820: PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTING SERVICES
541910: MARKETING RESEARCH SERVICES
