Today we’d like to introduce you to Stuart Sanchez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I got to where I am today by learning from my various life experiences. I always knew I eventually wanted to open my own business to spend more time with my family, especially after having two near-death experiences before I was 30. I started out by working in the auto industry. I worked my way up to manager at a car dealership, but realized that the long hours didn’t allow me to spend the time with my daughter. I wanted to be there for her as much as I could. After 10 years of working at the car dealership, I finally decided to take my managerial experience and apply it to my own business.
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?
It has definitely not been a smooth road to say the least. There have been quite a few struggles along the way, but I can’t say it’s been all bad. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for those struggles.
When I was six months old, I was taken away from an abusive family and put into foster care. There’s usually negativity surrounding foster care, but I feel as if I’m one of the lucky ones. My foster mother was great to me. I lived with her until I was adopted at age five.
My adopted life was great until my parents went through a troubling divorce. After that, I didn’t see my father much. He chose not to be in my life and it hit me really hard. It’s a lot to process when you’re at such a young age. I was lucky enough to have a mother who was strong and independent because I was able to learn hard work and determination from her.
When I was 14, I collapsed in school due to a heart condition that, if left untreated, would cause me to need a heart transplant by my 25th birthday. I immediately had heart surgery and made a full recovery, but this wasn’t the last time I saw the inside of a hospital.
When I was in my 20s, I was helping a friend fix his car when the car fell on me. It was amazing that I even survived. The recovery process felt endless as I was in the hospital for over a month. Luckily, I did recover and here I am at 34, living my dream of being a business owner.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Marco’s Pizza – what should we know?
My business is Marco’s Pizza. We’re known for our fresh, never frozen ingredients and dough made in-store daily. Marco’s is the nation’s fastest-growing pizza company and the only franchise with an authentic Italian founder. We even use the founder’s own pizza sauce recipe for our products.
I’m proud to be a Marco’s Pizza franchisee because the company truly cares about you. They have programs to help franchisees achieve their dreams and for a business, that’s a great quality to have.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My determination, even throughout all of the challenging experiences I had, I was determined to own my own business and spend that needed time with my family that I never had as a child. As I mentioned before, I didn’t have the best upbringing and I wanted to give my children what I didn’t have. Determined to own my business, I am now able to give my daughter the attention and life that she deserves.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5449 El Dorado Blvd.,
Houston, TX 77059 - Website: marcos.com
- Phone: 281-488-5200
- Email: ssanchez@marcospizza.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcosPizzaElDoradoBlvdTX/
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