Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie D Sánchez.
Stephanie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey began when I attended community college and started taking Chicano Study courses. Learning about the history of where I come from, and my roots spoke to me on a deep emotional level. Growing up, I struggled with my identity and who I was, as so many of us do. When my mom left my dad, we moved into a pretty wealthy neighborhood. She wanted the best for my sister and me, even if that meant making sacrifices to live in a neighborhood where we would be safe, while at the same time getting the best education possible. Throughout my school years, I felt rejected by the Latinx students at the school; they believed my family had money because of where we lived. I was called many names and told I was not Mexican. They had an illusion of my family and me which was not reality; reality was my mom worked hard and struggled as a young single mother raising two daughters on her own, as many families do when they immigrate to this country. At the same time, I felt like an outcast where we lived because we did not have money and there was not a substantial Latinx community. “Ni de aqui, ni de alla,” translates to “neither here, nor there,” which so often refers to the first generation Latinx community of not being seen as American even if we were born in this country, while at the same time being rejected by our parent’s country of origin even if we speak and know the culture. This is how I felt for many years; I did not feel I could identify as either Mexican or as American because in my mind there was a checklist of boxes I could not check off to be one or the other. This is why Chicano Study courses spoke to my soul; I learned how to connect to my roots and appreciate who I am and discover that I do not need to check off any boxes to be one or the other because I am both. It was then I decided I wanted to work in a job where I could build bi-national relations in the San Diego-Tijuana region. I started working on campaigns with the hopes of landing a position where I could do precisely that.
As so often happens in life, what we plan and want to do does not always play out the way we imagine it will. As I worked on campaigns, I worked mostly in fundraising, and from there, I was offered a different job, where I learned the treasury side of campaigns. I fell in love with the work. Not ever did I imagine doing this kind of work, yet here I am, working on different campaigns doing the financials.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting my own business has been quite a journey, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I had self-doubt, I suffered from imposter syndrome, thinking I was not good enough, and the list goes on and on. I had a great support system along the way and still do, but even then I had self-doubt.
When I started my own business, I was working full-time because I was not financially stable enough to make ends meet from my business only. After I got out of my 9-5 job, I would come home only to find myself working again on my political accounts, getting very little sleep. I finally took a leap of faith and quit my full-time job to focus on my business. There are sacrifices one has to make when starting your own business. We may have an idea of how things will manifest, but then something happens, and it turns out a completely different way.
In all reality, the most beautiful thing about starting your own business is that you are the creator, you are creating life in your own business, and it is a beautiful thing. My mind is usually filled with all the things I need to get done because I am by myself, that I have not taken the time to appreciate what I have created, which now that I think of it is pretty freaking magical. My advice to all women, trying to start your own business, I say go for it. Yes, it is scary, and it may not come easy, you will fall but rise, rise to all the challenges that come your way, learn from your mistakes because when you have an idea that is worth birthing no one or nothing should stop you.
What should we know about Política Campaign Treasury? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My work consists of political finance, which covers managing funds raised and spent on political campaigns. Each campaign can be different depending on which district and office the candidate is running in. In January 2019, it will be two years since I started my business and I have been blessed to work on some pretty awesome campaigns. I have many family, friends, and colleagues I am so grateful for helping me along the way, giving me advice, and recommending me to work on campaigns. I am very proud to say I am the only Latina Political Treasurer small business owner in San Diego. I find this to be very important and like to sprinkle this wherever I can in my business. Two ways I have done this is by the name of my business “Política Campaign Treasury,” and my logo, which has wings that represent the eagle wings from the Mexican flag and the stars that represent the stars from the American flag, because I am Mexican American. I still feel like I am very much in the beginning stages of starting my own business and still figuring things out even though it has almost been two years. I have ideas that I want to incorporate but have not gotten that far, yet.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My mom has played a considerable role in my success, and I don’t thank her enough. Now as an adult, looking back and thinking about how young she was raising my sister and me, I have a great admiration for her and her perseverance and determination to give my sister and I a better life than she had. I remember when we were kids, my mom would take us to the 99 cent store and we would go shopping and buy little knick-knacks. We would then go home pack up our backpacks with the stuff we bought and snacks; we would hop on the trolley and make the journey down to Tijuana. While in Tijuana, we would be walking the streets and as we saw children who were selling things or asking for money, we would take off our backpacks and give them some of the snacks and nick knacks we had bought. I enjoyed doing this and seeing the smile on the children’s faces, even if I was young myself. I felt the joy to bring happiness to other children. I did not see it then, but I know my mom was trying to teach my sister and I a lesson, that even though we did not have much, we had enough because even though we may have felt like we did not have anything, reality is that we were fortunate to have what we did have. This in itself is a success. It is these little things my mom has done or said, that have pushed me to strive to do my best, be compassionate, give back to my community in the best way I know how.
Contact Info:
- Email: sdsanchez@pctreasury.com
Image Credit:
Carmen Flores
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