We were lucky to catch up with Fernando Sandoval recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Fernando , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Finding purpose is complex; I believe that personal experiences and wise counsel helps unravel it as it emerges through life’s pursuits. The friends we have, the books we read, and the things we watch have a huge influence on what and who we become. With that said, purpose may be hindered or empowered. I found my purpose in my faith, my family, my business, and it’s what drives me to reach success. For me, purpose transcends money. I understand money plays a big role in our lives and to be honest, that is part of the plan, but it’s not my aim. For me It’s more about who I want to become. The results we see and gain when we act are the reasons why we have passions, goals, and dreams. It’s why we keep pushing harder each time. Everyone’s purpose is unique, hidden like deep water, but reachable. Find your niche and take the complexity out of it. It’s never too late. Keep moving forward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m Fernando Sandoval, the General Building Contractor at FS Builders Group, Inc., with over two decades of experience in construction. Initially, I was a hands-on builder for 10 years before transitioning into running my business for the past 11 years. While I loved the field’s energy and learning opportunities as a hands-on builder, being a business owner has brought new responsibilities and excitement. I now orchestrate and conduct projects, collaborating with clients, architects, designers, and engineers. We specialize in building Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) of various types and sizes, serving diverse purposes like housing families, generating rental income, and increasing property value. Besides ADUs, we offer full home remodels to meet growing family needs or transform homes into vibrant spaces. For more information, check out our social media or website.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I can see there were qualities I had that later developed with time, experience, and failure. As far back as I can remember I have been very artistic, which has enhanced my creativity and foresight. I’ve also had the aptitude for planning and organizing. Lastly, I have been mechanically inclined and good with my hands. The small things I’ve learned throughout life have matured in a way that has helped me to envision end results, pull people together to work as a team and my hands-on experience has helped me to know what works and what doesn’t work. I assure you that things have not been perfect. My gift of failure has been a priced possession. I’ve learned more from that than I have anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t fail on purpose, but when I did, it humbled me and built resilience within me. Failure is not my identity. Those mistakes were defining moments and steppingstones that helped me to reach higher.
My advice to those early in their journey and those who want to grow I say this: (1) Be honest with your clients and be honest with what you are selling. Your name carries a lot of weight. Our name is our reputation. (2) If you want to get ahead in life and if you’re serious about it work smart, work hard, and be disciplined. Discipline is not just during working hours; discipline must also be maintained outside of work. The lack of discipline outside of work will follow you and without a doubt creep into your working hours. Set yourself apart. (3) Continue to learn and continue to grow. Success is not found, it’s created. Has it all been a walk in the park? Absolutely not. It takes a lot out of you. It’s been hard to get where I am today, and I still have a long way to go. Be mindful that not only do great things take time, but they also come with a cost. When I think about exercise, for example to be fit; I think about how you must deliberately put your body in subjection to meet that goal. I see it the same when I think about entrepreneurship. It must be business before pleasure not the other way around. I don’t want anyone to think that hard work is about having a long face, a grim life or not having any fun. Take a break when you need to, a vacation or whatever helps you to unwind, but whatever you do – PRIORITZE. At the end of the day, it’s about realizing a dream. Dreams will be different for everyone in size and in just about every way. However, to get to them, most dreams do involve much sacrifice, discipline, and hard work. The motivation in the process will be your perspective and your perspective will be your motivation. Have you ever heard the controversial saying, “The cup is half empty vs the cup is half full.” The idea is that the half empty cup perspective is pessimistic or negative, and the half full cup perspective is optimistic or positive. Your perspective will determine your motivation. If you find yourself complaining about everything, maybe it’s not your thing or maybe it’s just you. The things that don’t work change them and the things that do work, improve them. Change the way you think. We tend to act on what we think. Starting things is easy. It’s through and during the journey where people find themselves throwing in the towel. Lighting the fire is easy. Keeping the fire lit is a bit more challenging. Those who are looking into the horizon or are already putting what they learn into practice know exactly what I’m talking about. I feel obligated to give you both sides of the coin. Don’t let this discourage you, let it fuel you instead. Put the best plan you have into action.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
There are numerous books that have played pivotal roles in my personal and professional life. However, if I were to choose one, the works by Jim Rohn have significantly aided in my development. I used to think that my thinking was incorrect because I felt as if I was the only one that thought about certain things in a certain way. Not because I thought of myself as someone less or more than others, but because most of the people I would express my thoughts and dreams to made me feel as though I was reaching too high, like I was out of my league, or as if I had to stay in a certain lane. I knew what those looks, sighs and the eyes rolling to the back of their head meant. I kept my distance from them, and I had to keep reminding myself to keep moving forward. Thankfully, when I began to read and listen to Jim Rohn’s philosophy on success, family, and business solutions it fine-tuned what I was already leaning towards in my thoughts. In this path you will find that balancing business life and family life will be challenging and imperfect. It will always be a work in progress. The great thing about books is that we can always go back to being encouraged and ultimately inspired. Books support our journey. There is a rich history of experience in our world that many people have lived through and I’m grateful they also had the opportunity to tell their story. Deep down inside I think that to some extent we live to leave a legacy and to tell our own story in hopes of helping and inspiring others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fsbuildersgrop.com
- Instagram: Instagram: @fsbuildersgroup
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Alfred Flores
