Martha Delia Valencia Velasco Sees the Heart at Casago

Martha Delia Valencia Velasco lights up every corner of Casago Rocky Point. For more than 20 years in housekeeping, she welcomes everyone with her warm smile and signature greetings: “Cómo estás, muñeco?... mi hermosa, mi hija” — “How are you, handsome?... my beautiful, my child.”

Her bright eyes, infectious laugh, and heartfelt stories make her stutter easy to overlook. Martha speaks with deep admiration for Casago founder Steve Schwab (and the company’s earlier days as SeaSide). Her memories of the journey are vivid and full of affection.

Through every season, she has stayed committed to doing her job with care, while gaining a fresh appreciation for family and her teammates.

Drawn to hospitality

From Guadalajara, Martha and her family arrived in Puerto Peñasco in 1992. She already knew the hospitality world from a short stint as a bartender. She later joined the housekeeping team at Marina Pinacate condos, where Esthela Hernandez was manager.

When Esthela moved on, Martha met Steve Schwab. As she tells it, Steve had just opened an office next to the pizza place on Blvd. Juárez with Cyndi’s Beach Rentals. After separating from his partners, he formed SeaSide with offices in the plaza across from Pinacate.

Steve soon invited Martha to join his team. Her eyes sparkle as she recalls: “I feel proud because he offered me the job — I didn’t ask. He simply said, ‘If you’d like to work with my company, the door is open.’”

That moment came around 2003, when another property management company suddenly closed right before Christmas. Steve stepped in to keep staff employed and guests taken care of. Some owners even pitched in with food baskets for the team.

First impressions

Martha actually met Steve’s mother before him. She and her daughter used to sell handmade wreaths at local beach RV parks. Steve’s mom welcomed them kindly, offering water and conversation. “She was very kind,” Martha says. “Steve comes from good stock.”

Observing Steve lead the company surprised her in the best way. “Wow,” she sighs, “I had a very different idea of gringos. But watching him, I saw his focus on work, honesty, respect, and tolerance.”

Early on at Princesa de Peñasco, Steve gathered the whole staff in the clubhouse (with an interpreter) to emphasize honesty, respecting owners, and never abusing their trust. That direct approach left a strong, positive mark on Martha.

She also noticed him working late hours at the old office near Pinacate. One evening, she saw him at his desk with his baby son in a carrier beside him. When the baby cried, Steve would gently rock him or offer the pacifier. “It impacted me so much,” she shares. “I thought gringos were cold, but he showed real affection. I learned from him.”

Martha admired his persistence too — when he spotted a new owner, he’d grab his portfolio and knock on doors to introduce Casago’s services.

A dose of humor

With a giggle, Martha remembers the early days when some teammates nicknamed Steve “chanclón” (big sandals). He actually wore huaraches that looked a bit oversized for his feet — something she says many gringos do. “But he was happy and content in them,” she laughs.

She once gave her honest opinion to an owner about a new condo while Steve listened. She loved a beautiful handcrafted mirror with a ranch scene but wasn’t a fan of a large, heavy trunk that might not be safe for kids. After the owner assured her everything was fine, Martha quickly added, “Ah yes, everything is beautiful!” Steve just looked at her — and never asked for her decorating input again.

Years later, the condo sold and the mirror left with it… but the trunk stayed. “And nothing ever happened with the kids!” she exclaims with a big laugh.

Martha Delia Valencia Velasco: The observant storyteller

Martha is a natural storyteller, weaving observations, tangents, and humor with unwavering loyalty to Steve and Casago.

She once told him, “You’re going to do something big here because of how you knock on doors.” She laughs now: “He doesn’t knock as much anymore — it’s video calls — but sometimes he still wears those huaraches.”

That same encouraging spirit shines through in the affectionate nicknames she gives teammates — “muñeco,” “muñeca,” “chiquito” — even when she’s just met them. “I like to remind everyone they are beautiful and valuable,” she says. “There may be someone like you, but never more than you. Trust in what you can give.”

Over two decades, she’s watched generations of staff and guests come and go. She fondly remembers when Casago gave awards and pins based on guest feedback (she earned two but sadly lost them). Her daughter became her assistant, her late mother joined the team (subtracting a few years from her age on the application), and coworkers rallied to support her during tough times.

She also speaks warmly of the Mexico Children’s Foundation started by Steve, sharing stories of how it helped coworkers’ families with medical needs — including Steve’s fundraising walks from Phoenix to Rocky Point, which she once helped welcome.

Ongoing training & education

Learning has been constant at Casago — from cleaning standards and customer service to inventory, work orders, and new technology.

“Blessed be technology,” Martha says, picking up her iPad. “I was already older when they gave us these. I struggled at first, but coworker Octavio was so patient and taught me. We used to take pictures and upload with cables — now it’s so much easier, though the iPad isn’t required.”

Beyond tools and standards, team meetings focus on how everyone feels about the company and the people they serve. The culture of respect that Martha first saw in Steve has spread throughout the team.

Seeing the heart

When Martha faced a serious health challenge with her vision and nerves — requiring expensive medicine — her coworkers showed incredible solidarity. “While I couldn’t see well, what I did see was Steve’s way of being reflected in them,” she says.

It was a dark time. “I felt like the world was closing in, but I didn’t want to be defeated.” She kept working, often relying on memory, while her daughter took time off from her studies in International Business to help check her work.

Describing her vision loss, she paints a poetic picture: “It was like when rain is coming — everything cloudy, the sun gone, but I could still feel it. Later it felt like a room with no doors, no windows, no light.” As treatment helped, her sight returned gradually — first like moonlight on a field, now more like an old black-and-white TV. Through it all, she kept going.

Legacy of learning

Martha’s stories are filled with pride in Casago and deep respect for Steve. She still sees the same tenacity she noticed early on — the drive that has helped the company grow in new directions.

“When I see him, I remember what I told him years ago,” she reflects. “He’s still tenacious, and now both he and Casago are growing even more.”

“I keep working, and I do it with joy,” she concludes. “I may not love the work itself, but since I’m able, I choose joy — because without it, I can’t do it well.”

“In this company, I’ve learned so much: tolerance, getting to know people, respect, integrity, and how to treat guests so they’ll always want to return.”