OCTOBER STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Q&A with
Marco Sandoval
Sunshine Enterprises’ Spanish Cohort Community Business Academy Instructor
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are putting the spotlight on one of Spanish Cohort instructors – Marco Sandoval. Marco found out about Sunshine Enterprises when he saw an ad on TV. He enrolled in the Community Business Academy (CBA) in 2022 and is now an instructor for that same program. “My family is the typical Mexican one that starts from scratch,” explains Marco. “No one had elementary studies, they learned at the school of life. My father always encouraged us to create a business and create job opportunities for the people around us. I had the privilege to study at the best university in Mexico. I am an industrial engineer, and I also received my master’s degree in international business at the same university.” After Marco graduated, he started his own business as a plastic recycler - collecting post-consumer PET and HDPE bottles and then processing and exporting them to China. His business grew and at one point he had 13 recycling locations throughout Mexico. Marco then franchised this business and had 47 locations in Mexico. “I moved to the United States in 2011 and learned the Mexican food distribution business in Chicago, focusing on the Midwest market,” recalls Marco. “In 2014 I got the exclusivity to sell ‘El Chavo’ brand products which is a very popular tv show in Latin America. Then in 2018 I opened Elynsa, a company that sells snack food products to retail stores such as 7-11, gas stations and liquor stores.”
Q: What is your favorite part of being a CBA instructor?
The time I can share with our students. I listen to them very carefully and try my best to identify their needs. I try to be part of their projects and support them to make their dreams real.
Q: What topic in the CBA curriculum is your favorite to teach?
Budget, personal finances, company finances, startup expenses, variable and fixed cost, pricing, break point, cash flow – those are the ones I love to focus on.
Q: How do you create a positive and inclusive environment to help all CBA entrepreneurs succeed?
Listening to them, giving them space to express themselves, having extra time for them, giving them tips and sharing my experiences with real life situations.
Q: Can you share some memorable moments or experiences during your time working at Sunshine?
I’m very excited to see my first student or graduate have success with her/his company. It is very gratifying when students or graduates express their gratitude for the support they have received from me.
Q: What strategies do you use to keep CBA students engaged and motivated?
I teach the course in a way students will understand by using real life examples and giving them enough time to understand the concepts. After class, I keep in touch with students in our WhatsApp group and have one-on-one meetings to talk about anything they need. Usually, our students are already working at their business and need someone to listen to them, share their problems. Sometimes just having someone listen is a relief for them.
Q: What challenges (if any) have you encountered as a CBA instructor and how have you overcome them?
A challenge has been managing all the information and sources we have to present to the class and finding the best way to connect all those sources for our students and graduates.
Q: In your opinion, what are the most important qualities a CBA instructor should possess, and how do you exemplify these qualities in your method of instructing?
The most important quality an instructor must have is being responsible. This is a partial time job and it is very normal for an instructor to have another job. Instructors must prepare themselves to give the best experience to students. They must be very open to listen and detect the needs of the students. Also, if the instructor promises something, they must honor that promise.
Q: Any final thoughts and/or advice you have for entrepreneurs?
Don’t lose sight of the final goal. It is always better to take baby steps to reach that goal.