A few years back, as a teenager in high school, and now Shadow Ridge senior-Alex Santiago De Jesus became a businessman and created his company LV Stucco. Santiago De Jesus had a lot on his plate-school, work, home life, but that didn’t stop him from reaching high and taking charge for what he wanted. During his time as a businessman, he had to face challenges and even had to restart a few times when his company went under. Despite that, Santiago De Jesus defeated all odds and is still thriving today. His company does just about everything. From commercial and residential stucco installations and repairs to painting interior and exterior homes.
It all started when Santiago De Jesus’s father would take him to work with him.
“Growing up, my father would take me to work at a young age for a few reasons. One-because we couldn’t afford a babysitter. Two-he thought it would teach me work ethic. Three-because sometimes they would need help on the job site,” Santiago De Jesus stated. “I learned the trade at a very young age, but I would also learn a little bit about the business day and I remember one day, we were at work and the boss pulled up in a really nice truck. I told my father, ‘I’m going to buy that truck one day.’ My father replied ‘I know you will.’ That day, he told me how I can do it. It’s not rocket science, it just takes time and guts. So I decided to take the risk.”
Santiago De Jesus loves what he does but he doesn’t do it for him, he does it for his family.
“Me and my family are first generation immigrants here in the United States. Growing up, we didn’t have much but thankfully we always had food and a roof over my head. I would often see my parents work countless hours for dirt pay and when I was nine years old, I went to Mexico for the first time. This experience showed me how my parents grew up and it humbled me a lot. I came back to the US and saw how much opportunity and freedom we have here,” Santiago De Jesus mentioned. “I hated the fact that my parents worked and worked, so I decided to take a risk in business. I’ve tried many times and failed many times, but so far my contracting business has been the most profitable. Most people open businesses to pursue financial freedom, which is definitely one of my goals, but I would also like to provide good pay, great benefits, and opportunity for those who seek it. I want to be able to help my parents retire so they can live the childhood they never had because when they were my age, they were already working their butts off. For example, my mom had to drop out in sixth grade because of how poor her family was.”
Having a business at a young age can be quite challenging because it’s not easy to get everyone to trust the young prodigy.
“As a young contractor, I often face the challenge of finding clients and having them trust me. I’ve been working in construction since I was 10 years old, so I have about seven years of experience. Along with that, each of my employees hold 20 or more years of experience in the trade,” Santiago De Jesus said. “We have more than enough men and equipment to take on any job. I just need to find people that would give me the opportunity to do what I promise. So, little by little, I started networking and learning how to talk and conquered my fear of rejection. I’d take risks everyday and be prepared for anything. But stress is inevitable either way, especially when it comes to business. So I have found different ways of coping so I could distribute my time to both my business and things that bring peace in my life, such as family, nature, traveling, and playing sports.”
To make the trust process go a little smoother, Santiago De Jesus always tries to communicate properly and ensure that he knows what he’s doing with pictures or past references.
“One thing I always try to do is communicate and make sure the customer is reassured. I constantly communicate with them and check up to make sure things are going according to plan so they feel confident that they hired the right contractor. I also consistently check up on my job sites, and make sure to keep it a clean and safe environment because we mostly work in residential homes right now,” Santiago De Jesus said. “I treat my clients and employees just like I want to be treated. It’s not brain surgery when it comes to customer service, but it’s definitely something I prioritize because 70% of my jobs come from referrals. I like to hold a good reputation because the day I sell my business or hand it down to my son or daughter, I want to be remembered as a good and reliable contractor who delivers high-quality services at an efficient time frame.”
As time goes on, Santiago De Jesus has big hopes for his company including expansion and a better working environment for his employees.
“I would love to see my company expand and take on new construction builds, commercial builds and keep doing residential. I hope to have more than a few teams tackling different jobs and would like to also hire project managers, human resources, and secretaries for my office. Also accumulate trucks and equipment and wrap them all with my logo and phone number. But something I am very excited to do one day is provide benefits for my workers. This includes retirement plans, health benefits, pay time off, etc. Treat others how you want to be treated,” Santiago De Jesus mentioned. “I remember hearing this one quote, ‘If you wouldn’t work there, then why would you make others work there?’ It’s stuck with me since. In the construction industry, you see a lot of Hispanic immigrants who come here looking for a better life. But, unfortunately, those immigrants do not receive social security benefits, and I know a lot of them who worked here for years have to go back home to retire. Providing retirement plans will help them retire stress-free.”
During his time as a businessman, Santiago De Jesus has had many great accomplishments, but the proudest moments come from celebrating with his parents in the end.
“My proudest moment has probably been seeing my mom and dad proud of me. They have a lot of faith in me. I use that as motivation because I have failed multiple times in my business, but my family keeps me going. I do this for them, not me,” Santiago De Jesus said.
Probably the most important life lesson Santiago De Jesus has learned was never giving up.
“Don’t ever give up. I know that probably sounds corny, but I remember seeing John Cena on WWE always say ‘Never give up’ and he’s not wrong. Having resilience is the key to success, Santiago De Jesus stated. “If you’re scared of taking risks because you want to avoid failure, then you’re avoiding success too. Success doesn’t happen overnight, so be patient. Accumulate as much knowledge as you can. I believe that knowledge is power and you can never have enough education. Learn how to talk with people, don’t be scared of rejection. Talk to everyone, no matter who they are or where you are. You never know who you’re standing next to. You could be standing next to the next Bill Gates for all you know.”
