Meet Fernando Sandoval | General Building Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fernando Sandoval and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fernando, what matters most to you?

One of the things I hold in high regard is the value of hard work. For  most of us, no one is ever going to give us anything. Whatever we  desire or fix our eyes to attain in business we must work hard  towards it and for it. This is where the discipline of personal  development comes in. We all have the potential to do great things in  life, but we also have the potential to do absolutely nothing with our  lives. We all have what it takes to get wherever it is we want to get  to. I always try to encourage people to reach their full potential. I was  told once that a small business grew very rapidly within a short  period of time. The growth, clearly, was a good thing for them;  however, the business had a lot of small issues that didn’t get  resolved. So, naturally, when rapid growth came those small issues  became huge problems they couldn’t handle. The point to the story  is, “If we’re faithful in the small things in life, we will be faithful in  the big things in life.” When we start with ourselves and incorporate  the hard work, the discipline, the focus, the loyalty, and the  consistency within us, it will reflect in the things we do in life and in  our business. What matters most to us should be non-negotiable.  

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Here at FS Builders Group, Inc. we are a family-run construction  business. I am the CEO/President, and my lively wife Erika is the CFO  of our small business. My daughter Ivy is currently working onsite.  She’s in training to be a part of the interior design work. We have a  great crew who I respect very much as professionals and individuals.  We are grateful to have them as part of the team. We work on  residential construction in design-build projects, new construction,  room additions, ADU’s, garage conversions, and full home remodels.  We also work on commercial construction in design-build projects,  the change of use of retail stores and remodels. There’s a phrase in  the industry called “turnkey” construction projects. This means we  start the project from beginning to end. We break ground on the  project and by the time we turn the key to the entry door it’s move in-ready. 

I understand that there are many good contractors out there, but I  also know that there are a lot of bad ones as well. I’m sure many  people can second that motion. I often tell the crew that for us to be  set apart from others, our aim is to be the best or at the very least  because we’re imperfect people to be among the best. I don’t say  that nonchalant as business lingo. I say that to them because I want  them to reach a higher standard of life for themselves first, their  families and clearly, we all benefit. Both who we are and what we do  will be the diving factor that will set us apart as people of character. With that we want our clients to know that we care about them as  human beings and not just as a number. 

As a business owner in the construction industry our biggest  challenges are the problems we run into on the jobsite. Problems  onsite and in life are inevitable. They put us to the test each time. I  think that due to struggling in life at a very young age and through my  adulthood I have learned to problem solve. In hard situations I’ve  tried to always find new ways to resolve and strategically make them  into better situations. When most people think certain things should  only be done one way all the time, I try to always think critically and  outside the box.  

Some of the things we are most proud of and get excited about is  when we have the time and opportunity to speak to the young men  and women about their career path and their passion for it. We  recently visited California High School in Whittier CA. to speak to the  teens at the A & E Academy Class (Architecture & Engineering). My  colleagues, the architect, the engineer, my daughter, and myself as  the general building contractor had the privilege to not only give them  good information, but also to do our best to encourage and inspire  them to pursue their dreams. When you have a lot, there’s a lot to  give – life experience is what we have plenty of. Overall, these are a  few things that I think set us apart.  

My objective in life is to be successful. My highest priority in my  pursuit of success is my relationship with God, loving and nurturing  my family, and the growth of my business – in that order. Someone  once asked me, “What if you don’t make it?” My reply – If I don’t  make it without achieving my big goals, I will die satisfied, with  unequivocally no regrets because I had done everything in my power  and to the best of my ability. Be that as it may, in my opinion, 

success is not one single end goal, they are many small  accomplishments along the way. The longer we work on them the  larger those successes become. With success also comes failures. I  want the world to know that despite my mistakes and failures they  could not keep me down. Success is a journey. Keep your eyes fixed. 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

There have been a lot of people throughout my life and business  career who in one way or another contributed to my journey, where I  am today, and more than anything else where I’m still going. First and  foremost, my first shoutout is to God. My life as a youth and as a  young adult was spent on the streets of Pacoima, California and  because of how I chose to live my life I was bound to incarceration  upon incarceration. Nevertheless, my life took a drastic turn for the  good because of Him. My story would have been totally different  otherwise. 

I met and married my lovely wife Erika who has been my biggest  supporter and my biggest critic in the business. I love her for that  because her motive has always been constructive, and it has helped  me to be better at what I love to do. To be authentic, it hasn’t always  been easy, but we have made it work for us. She and I have worked  hard together to build this business and to keep it moving forward.  We have learned to keep things in perspective, while at work we keep  things professional and at home we’re husband and wife. Together  we build each other up. My wife is my greatest treasure, my best  friend, and my business partner. She has been by my side through all  the seasons, year in and year out. Her contributions have been  essential to our marriage and our business.  

My dad has also shown much love and encouragement. He has seen  all my ups and downs, my challenges, my breakthroughs, when I’ve  had nothing and when I’ve had plenty. He has always been there for  me, especially during life’s difficulties. One of the biggest highlights  about my dad was on a day I accompanied him when his company at  the time, in Los Angeles, California sent him to Guadalajara, Mexico,  to resolve an issue with some of their production machines that had  stumped previous technicians. Up to this point I had never seen my 

dad in action as an industrial mechanic. What I saw in my dad that  day blew me away. He wasted no time. He came in to meet the team,  observed the situation, and fixed the problem in a moment’s time. He  was quick on his feet, innovative and unconventional in his approach.  He not only helped the team to fix the problem, but more importantly  he provided them with the education to continue to make  improvements for themselves in the future. I witnessed this shortly  after I started my business, and it has been a gold nugget that has  always stayed with me. It’s something that I think about often – an  inspiration. 

There was a time when I had no intention to work for myself and  start a business, that is, until my contractor friend Raz (Erasmo  Reyes) encouraged me to get my general contractor’s license. He,  thereafter, sponsored me and the process began. He played a big part  in introducing me to a new chapter in my life.  

Overall, no one gave me any physical possessions, but they did give  me information and ideas I translated into action. I worked hard to  get to where I am today, and I’m still actively growing. Most  commonly, for myself, I have received much of my mentorship form  the love of reading books, especially, biographies, autobiographies,  and history. I enjoy learning about people’s successes and how they  made it. Their mistakes and how they bounced back. Those types of  books and magazines like this one are what makes the “Shoutout”  echo to the rest of the world. 

Website: https://www.fsbuildersgroup.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fsbuildersgroup/?hl=en

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fs-builders-group-van-nuys-2

Other: Email: fsbuildersgroup@gmail.com

Image Credits
Alfred Flores