Exploring Life & Business with Mark Sanchez of Rising Sign

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

Hi Mark, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I started working in the sign industry at the age of 15. My dad came to the US from El Salvador and within a few years became a business owner. One thing I really do admire about a lot of people who come to the US from other countries is their entrepreneurial mindset and my dad definitely instilled that into me at an early age. I worked with my dad to understand the business and learn everything that had to do with neon signs. At the age of 21, my dad had to leave the country to take care of his mom back in El Salvador, and that’s when my brother and I took over the business. We ran my dad’s company for about 10 years, making many mistakes along the way. Unfortunately, the mistakes coupled with the 2008 market crash and made it, so I had to leave the company as it was no longer able to sustain both of us financially.

I ended up looking for work with some of the larger sign companies and spent the next 10 years working in the sign industry as a Project Manager and understanding the complexities of how a larger business works. The mistakes I had made with my dad’s business, as well as the knowledge I gained climbing up the ladder with the larger corporations, gave me the confidence to start a new business. So in 2021 I officially formed Rising Sign and have been working to make a name for myself here in Arizona as a sign company that treats community businesses with the same attention to detail as if they were a Fortune 500 company.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest obstacles I faced when starting Rising Sign was overcoming imposter syndrome. Although I had a vast amount of knowledge in the industry itself, the struggles of business owners were a new one. With my dad’s company, we took over a business that was already established and just kept things going as they were. With my business I had to make myself known around Arizona, as a business that people could trust with their branding. Signs are definitely not cheap to make and it’s a lot to ask for someone’s trust in making sure their sign is up to par, at a fair price, while giving as much value and care as I could. Thankfully, I met a good group of people along the way that provided their trust in me and also passed me referrals so that I was able to establish Rising Sign as a legitimate business in our first full year.

Going into year 2 has been exciting with bringing new people on board, getting larger and more credible projects, and setting our sights a growth while still keeping the community feeling. We are working with more non-profit organizations on giving back to the community by helping wherever we can spread growth, through business that line up with our core values.

We’ve been impressed with Rising Sign LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Rising Sign is a full-service sign company that specializes in electrical, architectural, and experimental signage. We are very community-based and are looking to help other small businesses grow with a sign that is eye-catching and as unique as the establishment itself. We understand that starting a business is a dream for many people, we understand the struggle and hard work it takes to get that business off the ground, and we also understand that a good sign is one of your best forms of advertisement. We work together creatively to make sure we deliver a quality product at a value-driven price. We deliver attention to detail that every person and business owner deserves. I believe that’s how we stand out from most sign companies who may not.

We pride ourselves on keeping communication open with everyone involved. Understanding where obstacles may lie and how we can best work together to address them. We also want our professional relationship to not be purely transactional, as it is with many contractors, but rather a partnership where we can help each other’s businesses flourish. We show our appreciation by sharing their business via social media or word of mouth and as customers of their business as well.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
As the person I am today, I can say that everything has worked out for me even when it hasn’t. Whether the good luck of being born to a mother and father who did their best to get out of a war-torn country and allow me to be raised in a place where I could pursue my dreams and passion or the bad luck of having my dad’s business fail under our watch. It has all led me to where I am now. I work every day with people I care about by my side. We work with the purpose that means the most to us.

We also practice Mindset Mondays, where we take the time to reflect on things in our lives and show gratitude. We talk and plan ways to better help our community including a big giveaway we are planning for the end of 2023. I’ve been so fortunate to have gone through all the positive and negative things in my life because it’s all led me to finally work with a purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.risingsignaz.com
• Instagram: @risingsignaz