25th Hour Communications is a proud women-led company. In honor of Women’s History Month, 25th Hour is celebrating its women leaders and profiling them throughout the month.
“Possibilities are endless when you are pushing technological limits.”
This is the motto that Trish Lamantia lives by. It’s an approach that has driven her to live in ten different cities across five states; to work in a number of different industries from live television to augmented reality and working among some of the best and brightest tech and finance scions in Silicon Valley, Calif.
Trish loves the people where she grew up in Southeastern Minnesota, however, she was determined from a very young age that she wanted to expand beyond that area to see and experience the world.
Her personal and business philosophies have grown and intertwined over her lifetime. Lamantia considers herself to be “a bit of a risk-taker,” an approach that has punctuated her life with several career changes, the decision to become an entrepreneur, and a healthy dose of adventure sports when she has the time. When the time comes to make a change, she takes a deep breath and dives in.
“There was this desire from a very young age, that I really wanted more. I wanted to explore the world and that has led me to where I am today. I want to be able to instill that desire in my children and provide that opportunity for them,” said Lamantia, who is a mother of two.
“I’ve learned that anything is possible. When you set a vision and you set a plan --anything is possible,” she said. A case in point: “I learned way more about business finances than I ever thought I wanted to.”
But Lamantia had always been independent. On her 21st birthday, she packed her bags and moved to New York City. “The conservative side of me at least made sure I had a job lined up when I got there, but other than that, I packed up what I could fit into my suitcase and I left,” she said. “And that has really been my path since that day.”
These momentous and decisive actions are characteristic of her business approach as well. After working under a few entrepreneurs throughout her career, Lamantia knew it was something she wanted for herself someday. It was this spirit, combined with her intrepid personality (and the support of her husband, Joe Lamantia) that motivated her to take the plunge and join her former colleague, Jennifer Aries, at 25th Hour Communications, then still in its infancy as a company.
“One day she said ‘yeah, I want to come work for you. But I want to be your partner. I remember exactly, I was sitting in the backroom, my husband was sitting in the kitchen, and all of a sudden, I felt my shoulders just relax,” said Aries, founder of 25th Hour Communications. “I said ‘yeah, let’s talk about this.’ And the company has just taken off like a rocket ever since.”
Lamantia signed on as a partner and Chief Executive Officer in 2016. Working as partners, 25th Hour Communications has expanded to include more service offerings and its client base has grown to more than 150 clients. It is the partnership and respect between herself and Aries that has delivered such winning results. She feels fortunate to have had a lot of role models in her day, including Aries. Since college, she has surrounded herself with many influential people, particularly other entrepreneurs she admires.
“I have so much admiration for Jennifer and what she was able to start with the company,” Lamantia said. “Being able to join forces with her and really grow this company -- taking it from a team of two people and growing it to the team we have today, there’s a lot of reward in that. I love that we have been able to grow a company, employ people and empower a team to make a huge difference in the lives of college students across the country.”
In 2019, Lamantia and Aries also founded Digital Dynamics 360, an advertising technology firm that works hand-in-hand with 25th Hour Communications and offers services including DD360’s revolutionary SMART Mailer, Over The Top Advertising (OTT), geofencing, white-label options and other leading-edge digital marketing solutions.
In spite of her adventurous streak, Lamantia is deliberate and intentional about how she makes her decisions. She isn’t quick to jump onto a bandwagon or the latest new trend. She takes her time to consider her options -- that way, when she does take the plunge, there is absolutely no hesitation. Not every risk she has taken has panned out, but every one of them, she said, has taught her something about herself and what she is capable of.
Crystal Berry, vice president of marketing and communications at 25th Hour Communications, said Lamantia is an imaginative and ambitious CEO, who cares deeply about her team.
“Our co-leader is brave, passionate and holds the 25th Hour bar of excellence very high! Trish is a powerhouse entrepreneur who pushes us to think outside our comfort zone and extend our capabilities to make #team25th unstoppable,” Berry said. “Her vision keeps our industry fresh and our products relevant to our partners. We are lucky to have such a foundational woman in our corner.”
In her role, Lamantia naturally is always looking to the future -- she hopes to continue the upward trajectory of 25th Hour Communications and DD360. Her goal?
“We want to build the team to 25 people and expand our services with new, unique niches and product lines that fulfill the needs of our clients,” said Lamantia. “Each and every member of our team is valued beyond measure which is why I have no doubts regarding our future. Jennifer Aries’ dedication to our vision combined with Vice President Crystal Berry’s exceptional leadership in advertising creates a dynamic team that is able to make things happen. It’s truly an exciting time to be in this industry.”
Lamantia said having a little bit of that risk-taking spirit is good for an aspiring entrepreneur. Women who want to start their own businesses should “just plan to the best of (their) ability and take the leap,” she said.
“If you don’t take that first step, it’s just never going to happen,” she said.