David Sanchez is the owner-operator of 10mgmt and a featured Businessman on Glossed & Found. As an Entrepreneurship teacher in the Business & Entrepreneurship department, David offers perspective and inspiration to his students from his own experience and industry research. In this interview, he provides us with a look into his life, but he shares some great non-traditional advice for students.

What is Your Story?

In 2009, I began volunteering at the Pedersen–McCormick Uptown Boys & Girls Club as a Big Brother. For 2 years, I mentored the same child and was really shown the importance of working with the children in providing positive role models. My child, in the 7th grade, couldn’t read. And this is a Chicago Public School student, so there are some major gaps in our city education. We worked together on reading, writing, etc. In those 2 years, I began working closely with the Summer Fashion Program and haven’t stopped. The summer fashion program is for children 7-14 ages to learn skills in fashion. They sew, design, and model their outfits on the runway. Each year, I work with the program on bringing in models, designers, and magazines into the space and we spend a day with the students on learning life lessons through fashion and then teach them how to walk the runway. It’s so fun.  More importantly, we use fashion to provide inspiration for their futures.

What projects have you been working on recently? Does it relate to what you do at Columbia or our community?

Ideally, I only have time for one major volunteer program a year, and while myself and my partner are involved in many organizations, I find the Fashion Club the most exciting and rewarding. I find the work strengthening my relationship to teaching and academics.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Beauty. In my “spare” time, I own and operate a modeling and arts agency, so I represent a wide variety of models, hair and makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, and fashion photographers. I find that beauty isn’t necessarily so literal. It’s energy, an outlook, a perspective, and I relate most to those who have a strong perspective.

What was your most inspiring moment interacting with a student?

Honestly, almost every class. I find that when I bring the material to life and see the physical connection and excitement with the students, that’s most rewarding for me. You can really see the light bulb go off in their minds. One of my students from my class last semester wrote a paper on me. It was so rewarding, I’ve saved it. Also, it is rewarding when students email me positive feedback from the class/lectures because I know I did my job well. I’ve inspired them to think critically about their relationship to the material.

How does your time outside the classroom influence your time in the classroom? 

I draw my lectures from so many sources that if I’m not listening to my outside world, I’m not preparing for class well. I find involvement in my business and the community is absolutely necessary to be a great instructor at Columbia. My students are sharp and when I apply the material and show them real-world everyday experiences with the material, they become alive.

What words of wisdom would you give to the current students?

Don’t make excuses for the work. Turn in your work on time and turn in great work. Don’t turn in something that is just ok. Wow me.