May 8, 2017

Meet Janet Sanchez of JS Design+Create in Pasadena

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Sanchez.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Janet. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in the city of Lynwood, CA was a bit of a challenge, but I have parents who pushed me and my siblings to aspire to be greater. Throughout school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do until I took a drafting course in junior high, and I enjoyed the line work, rulers, and precision of the drawings. It was at that moment I realized I wanted to do something in Design. After high school, I went off to Architecture School in Pasadena and realized I was a little fish in a big pond. The major I chose was predominantly a male dominated field at the time. I met professors and made friends who inspired and challenged me so much that I was able to build the confidence that, at the time, I lacked. I never thought at any point in my life that I would have my own business. I grew up in a working-class family and all we knew growing up was graduating school to hopefully get hired anywhere. When the time came to join the work force, I thought I had already jumped through all the hoops, boy was I wrong. At the time, I was 23 years old, and being a young female in a male-dominated field seemed a little too much to handle at times. I had two mentors, who pushed me to learn as much as I could first-hand, with no special treatment. I am eternally grateful for that opportunity because it gave me that chance to prove that the girl from Lynwood was just as qualified and smart. They did not judge me based on age or gender, and because of them, I am able to be where I am today. After a few years of working for someone else, it was time to venture out on my own. Starting a business does not happen overnight; it took me years to establish my clientele. After my normal, full-time job, I would go home and work on my own projects, which is only sustainable for so long. Eventually, I took the leap of faith, quit my job, and decided that in order to be successful you have to take a risk sometimes. It was frightening not having the security of a paycheck, but sometimes the timing just feels right.

Has it been a smooth road?
Being a small business owner can be very challenging. I wouldn’t say that it has been a smooth road; there are still definitely some potholes and many learning experiences along the way. It can be very scary running your own business. You have to trust your instincts and make tough decisions, not all of which are the right ones. You have more skin in the game and more to lose when things don’t go right, but there is an immense sense of gratification when you can overcome the obstacles and prove that you do have what it takes. When you run your own company, you have to deal with the limitations of your own time and resources. A struggle I have accepted is that I will never have enough time. When I worked a 9-5, I always thought the work week just moved so slowly, and now it’s just flying by! I now believe the saying, “There is not enough time in the day.”

We’d love to hear more about your business.
JS Design+Create offers a complete service from Design to Build. If you are looking to remodel, expand or tear down the whole house, we provide an easy transition to all of that. We don’t only do Residential work, but Commercial as well. We walk our clients through the entire process because it can get overwhelming. I am proud that we are able to keep our clients happy, and we in turn get to enjoy the work we do. It makes me extremely happy to be able to make our client’s vision a reality and see their reaction when a project is completed. What sets us apart from others is the ability to adapt, we don’t push a design on a client that is not fitting to the space. What used to count against me, I feel is now a key asset in JS Design+Create’s identity. We bring a fresh perspective in the work that we do.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Pasadena is a great place for business and not just for my line of work. I think our city is a great place of opportunity for someone starting out. I have had the opportunity to befriend business owners of the same trade in my area and the support that we offer each other is quite amazing.

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