Learning From His Single Mom, Parent Portfolio Co-Founder Jonathan Sanchez Realizes Financial Independence at 37
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December 1, 2022
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Now living a financially-stable life, the couple founders of Parent Portfolio, a website that serves families to make progress with their money and helps the younger generations become financially wise, teaches their kids lessons towards a successful life.
Born to a financially precarious environment, Jonathan Sanchez was reared with a thrifty outlook by his single mom, which made him yearn for financial stability.
Sharing the same financial sentiments, or even more, with his mother made him believe that if he would be able to get a degree and land a well-paid career, he would be freed from all his money issues.
However, he then realized that his mindset was not as easy as it seemed as, despite achieving a profession together with his wife, Jacqueline Sanchez, their incomes were just enough for their family’s essential needs.
The Sanchez couple’s life turned 360 degrees after realizing a $1 million net asset by being economical, able to save, doing part-time jobs, and venturing into real estate.
At 37, Jonathan realized his long-dreamed financial independence and stability. In 2020, he decided to share this with other people by co-founding the Parent Portfolio with his wife.
Aside from helping other people, the couple is also bound in educating their kids with the following five valuable tips they shared on CNBC:
Always rethink one-time purchases. Living within the means and spending efficiently only on what is needed;
Budgeting gives you more freedom. Planning your budget is financial freedom which benefits you over and over again;
Don’t let social media influence your spending. Do not be pressured by what you see in the public network and discipline yourself in using gadgets;
Know where the money comes in, and where it goes out. The couple exposes their children to their income resources, introduces them to the “real world” and even shows diagrams on how to deal with the people and offices they transact with; and,
Start saving early, and don’t expect to get rich overnight. Learning from the fable of The Tortoise and The Hare, the couple teaches their children of being wise and patient.
“For now, your mother and I are responsible for providing for your needs and wants. A bank is a safe place to put your money because it allows the funds to grow over time. And when you’re old enough, you can use that money for your own goals,” Jonathan tells his children.
Nathaniel “Nathan” Cayanan is a Filipino-American currently working as a lecturer at Cal State Fullerton part-time, where he teaches business communication. He has been teaching English composition and academic writing for almost a decade and has been in education for 17 years, 8 of those years in college. He studied creative writing and screenwriting at USC and earned a master’s in writing because he wanted to be a filmmaker, but found himself teaching English comp – which he loved for a time.
On a whim last year, Nathan applied for DC Comics Milestone Initiative, a talent development program created in partnership with groundbreaking publisher Milestone Media and Ally Financial for marginalized writers and artists who want to break into the industry. It was highly competitive, but, somehow, the story he wrote for the application caught their eye, and he was officially accepted into their inaugural class. He took part in a program that mentored them as they tried to advance in the comic book industry.
He’s putting more effort into his creative career, not only writing some comics or graphic novels but drawing too. Now, he will be making his DC Comics debut as a writer. His story features the superhero Icon during the Cambodian Civil War.
With his first story to release in just a few months, Nathan’s career is on the rise. But how did he get to this point? Let’s explore the decisions and experiences that brought him here.
I APPLIED BELIEVING THAT I WOULD FAIL
I’ve always loved stories, be they in movies, books, or comics. I have read comics ever since I was about eight years old, my first comic being Batman #416. I watched movies as much as I could growing up, falling in love with not only the stories, but also the craft of telling them.
I studied creative writing and screenwriting, but as most people know, it’s not a career rife with opportunities, so I found a day job teaching while I tried to develop my creative career. But teaching was a job that took a lot of time and energy, so the amount of effort into my writing career was relatively low. I loved teaching, so I was okay with this for a while, especially since I constantly got rejections for stories I wrote. In short, I settled.
However, about 5-6 years into my college teaching career, I started to feel pigeonholed. Despite earning stellar reviews and even winning Teacher of the Year in 2018, I wasn’t getting consistent opportunities. I was passed up for full-time positions several times. And even though it’s common for adjuncts to make up for a lack of full-time work by finding employment at multiple colleges, many community colleges would not hire me to teach part-time despite me having more experience and qualifications than other candidates they did hire.
So, I realized I needed to let go of this career and go back to school in 2019 for something more practical and get an MBA to pursue opportunities outside higher ed. My logic was that I would continue to teach part-time at only one school and leave my admin job at another school, while I went to graduate school (again).
Then the pandemic happened, and I started to also lose some of the classes at that school because of low enrollment and cut hours. Simultaneously, while I was doing well in my business program (I was earning a 4.0 at the time), I was a bit depressed. The world was collapsing, people were just very unpleasant, student-teacher dynamics changed, and I felt like a failure in TWO careers I pursued.
I applied for the Milestone Initiative, thinking that I’m going to just go work in an office if I give up my passions completely, so I might as well make one last effort and “die trying,” knowing that I fought until the bitter end. I actually applied believing that I would fail and that I just needed one more rejection letter to make it official. But, instead, I was accepted, and that really changed things moving forward.
The world was collapsing, people were just very unpleasant, student-teacher dynamics changed, and I felt like a failure in TWO careers I pursued.
nathan cayanan
CREATIVE INFLUENCES
I have so many creative influences. In film, there are Wong Kar Wai, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Aaron Sorkin.
If we’re talking literature: Haruki Marakami, Juno Diaz, Amy Tan, Lan Samantha Chang, Edgar Allan Poe, Cormac McCarthy. Comics, Tom King (who was my mentor in the Milestone Initiative), Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, Alan Moore, and Frank Miller. I mean, this list can go on and on, and they all have different influences on my creative voice and eye.
Digital illustration of Sugar Pie DeSant, Filipina jazz singer in the mid-1900s. Drawn by Nathan Cayanan. Colors by Lala Narita.
CHALLENGES OF TRANSITIONING INTO THE CAREER
Most of my work so far is indie and still in the process of being made. I have one comic I’m writing and drawing and any money I get will come after it’s printed, and assuming that it sells enough.
Similarly, I have a graphic novel I’m writing, and an artist is drawing it, and we’ve been offered the opportunity to publish it when it’s finished, but we won’t see a dime until we see units sold in the future. This is why many of us have day jobs. I still teach, just less than I did, and only at a university closer to home. But we do this because we love the art of telling stories.
Drawn by Nathan Cayanan: Ninoy Aquino, a Filipino politician who was assassinated during Ferdinand Marcos’ rule in the Philippines. This illustration depicts Aquino and his wife, future president Cory Aquino, when they lived in Boston, after he was exiled for standing against Marcos.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING WRITERS OR ARTISTS
It’s not easy, and I think admitting that first is important. Too many young aspiring artists ask for advice, but what I feel like they’re asking is how they make this a career where the opportunities are plentiful, the money is endless, they can do it only from 9-to-5, get a 401K, and feel happy 24/7.
Every person I’ve met in the creative world (especially in comics) has said the same thing. It’s a grind. But, if you love the art, I mean genuinely love it (as opposed to the potential for fame and money), then go for it. But, as many writers and artists have told me, 90% of us have a day job. So, prepare to work, even if you make it. And even when you do, enjoy it, because it may not last.
Also, while it may not feel like it should be important, your ability to work and communicate with others is highly important. VERY few people are talented enough to never have to interact with others. Instead, most must be able to work with each other.
Editors have told me that they don’t care if you’re talented. If you’re not professional, no one’s going to give you the opportunity, especially if you’re rude, always late, flakey, or overly stubborn. You don’t have to be the life of the party or admired by the masses. But surely, you have to be reliable and don’t be a d*&k.
Drawn by Nathan Cayanan: “It just speaks to the times as we see Asian hate crimes on the rise.”
Crystal was feeling emotionally and physically drained from her job before she finally decided to quit. She didn’t have any plans lined up when she did, which was very unlikely for her. So she decided to pursue something she’s passionate about – stickers and stationery.
Juice Box Club was molded out of creativity, perseverance, and determination. This small business has faced numerous hurdles along the way, from financial uncertainty to unexpected delays in product arrivals. But despite the challenges, Crystal has remained committed to her dream of sharing her unique designs with the world.
Crystal’s designs are inspired by real-life experiences, from personal passions like fitness and mental health to inside jokes with friends. And speaking of friends, Crystal recently launched a new collection of plushies called Boba Friends, inspired by her own friend group and their real-life pets.
Now, her small business is more than just a sticker shop. She is now designing and selling lifestyle items (glassware, tote bags, apparel) and even plushies! Let’s dive into the story of how The Juice Box Club was born.
HOW THE JUICE BOX CLUB CAME TO LIFE
The process of setting up my own stationery shop was very nerve-racking and exciting at the same time. When I first started off, I used Etsy and I had a lot of support from people back home in New York City, where I was born and raised. However, when I learned that it took a huge chunk of the profits, I took it off and started my own website. I registered my shop as an LLC because I felt like this was going to be a long-term commitment.
I decided to start my own stationery shop because it was always a hobby and passion of mine. I would always collect envelopes, paper, and stickers.
The concept of The Juice Box Club came from some drawings I did and then while I was sharing it with my friend, we were messaging about a cute name. The Juice Box Club kinda reminded me a little bit of The Breakfast Club, an extremely memorable movie, and that’s what I wanted my brand to be.
The challenges I have faced circled around finance, having too many ideas, running it by myself, products not arriving on time, machines not working, and rejection.
Finance — in terms of not knowing if I’ll make any sales this week or the next. I do sign up for a lot of in-person pop-up events! I rely on that more than my online sales since the internet nowadays is so funky with algorithms. I also like interacting with customers because they have an opportunity to get to know the brand firsthand.
Having too many ideas — definitely a challenge because I didn’t wanna grow too fast and then have a bunch of inventory. I used to work in fashion and I was used to always developing NEW items. I felt like I had to do the same with my brand, but I realized that I don’t and it’s okay to slow it down.
Running the business by myself — also pretty hard! Sometimes I would ask my friends if they’d want to help me at bigger events. But most of the time, I’m a one-woman team. I had to do everything from designing, packaging, shipping, content creation, handling emails, etc.
Products not arriving on time — There are times when I outsource items since I don’t have the time or the tools or make them. When I first started, I outsourced my stickers and they were LATE by 1-2 weeks. There was also another time when all of my plushies came EARLY and I had to store 12 big boxes (1,200 plushies total) in my garage and some in my house.
My Cricuit machine was not working in the beginning — I was making and hand-cutting all my stickers. I gave my Cricut a break and went back and tried it again until it finally started to work properly.. after 5 months.
Rejection is something I dealt with a lot growing up, so I thought I’m okay with it by now. But getting rejected by big conventions or wholesale sites hits differently. However, I learned to see it as dodging a bullet. If it’s meant to be, it will be, maybe at the right time.
DESIGNS INSPIRED FROM LIFE
Everything designed in my shop all ties into my life somehow. When I first started, I had seven juice box designs. Six of them were themed — three were inspired by my personal passion for fitness/bodybuilding and the other three were inspired by the importance of mental health because I’m a very functional-anxious person and have a hard time relaxing.
Some of my juice box designs were inspired by my texts with my friends so you might find cute and funny quotes on them. For example, “broke b*tch juice” was inspired by my convo with my bestie, Beth, we always talk about how things are so expensive and how we’re always broke. Or if you see the Pokémon x Soju collection, it was a merge of my childhood and adulthood — because I grew up playing Pokemon with my brother and spent my college years pounding shots of soju.
The Juice Box Club Pokémon x Soju Collection
THE BOBA FRIENDS
Growing up, I didn’t have a consistent group of friends. Most of them just either change or grow apart. But when I moved to California, I met my best friend who later on introduced me to my current friend group.
Some of us in the group have pets, so I then designed characters based on our pets, and their personalities reflect the owner! I called them Boba Friends because boba gatherings are one of the most common hangouts to do now! They have different flavors as well. I own the two cats, Platinum and Luna. My best friend Beth owns Sesame, a lionhead rabbit, and my friend Justin owns Kona, the Shiba Inu. Now none of us owns a bear or frog but I dedicated Ribberto the Frog and his personality to my late friend Josh because it was his favorite.
The Boba Friends Plushies
In the future, I plan to continue producing more drawings and products for The Juice Box Club. I hope to have my products in shops and stationery stores. I am also working on a YouTube channel to show my journey and reach more people.
From sleeping in makeup to owning a makeup brand that lets you do just that, Fiona Co Chan’s innovative beauty brand, Youthforia, is taking the beauty industry by storm.
When the pandemic hit, many of us were forced to adapt to a new way of living. For Fiona, it was a chance to create something truly innovative. The founder of Youthforia has been making waves in the beauty industry with her bio-based formulas.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Fiona recently appeared on Shark Tank, where she wowed the Sharks with her BYO Blush and nailed the negotiation process. Fiona let us dive deeper into her mind during the biggest pitch of her life.
Fiona revealed that she practiced a lot for her pitch, but changed it at the last minute to include a demo of their BYO Blush. “I was really nervous about doing that because normally when I do makeup at home, I have a lot of time to apply my makeup on – but for the Shark Tank pitch, I applied it in seconds,” she said.
Fiona applying the BYO Blush in front of the Sharks
She admitted to feeling nervous up until the point she applied the BYO Blush, “You can see it in the clip – but I can see myself in the mirror and I crack a big smile – that’s when I felt really confident and decided to have a lot of fun with the experience.”
But the real highlight of Fiona’s Shark Tank experience was her fierce negotiating skills, she was determined to make a deal that she was comfortable with. “The entire time I kept thinking to myself, ‘Is this something I want to do?’ and I kept countering until it was something I’d accept,” she said.
Fiona’s negotiation skills did not go unnoticed, Mark Cuban offered her a deal and she was over the moon. When asked what was going through her head at that time, she said, “So much – it all went by really quickly. There are parts of it that, watching it back, I didn’t even realize happened!”
Mark Cuban and Fiona Co Chan (ABC/Christopher Willard)
The entire time I kept thinking to myself, ‘Is this something I want to do?’ and I kept countering until it was something I’d accept.
-Fiona co chan, youthforia
Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Fiona’s husband has been a constant source of support, “When we first started Youthforia, he was the only person I was interacting with because it was lockdown,” she said. Having someone by her side during this challenging time gave her the strength to keep pushing forward.
Launching a company in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t easy., Fiona had to create formulas that no one had done before, using bio-based ingredients instead of fossil fuels. Finding manufacturers willing to work with her was a challenge, but with determination and hard work, she made it happen. She told herself, “If it’s never been done before – you don’t need imposter syndrome.”
Looking ahead, Fiona is excited about the future of Youthforia and has plans to deepen the brand’s relationship with its existing retailers. She said, “My dream is to make a full face of Youthforia products!”
To other entrepreneurs just starting out in the beauty industry, Fiona’s advice is to share your authentic story, “My biggest advice for brand founders is to share your authentic story – of why you’re starting a company or why you created a product.”
Fiona’s journey with Youthforia is one of determination, hard work, and a passion for changing the beauty industry. With her innovative approach to makeup and her commitment to bio-based ingredients, she is sure to make a lasting impact.
Her passion for art started at an early age, and she fell in love with photography when she got her first camera in elementary school. However, like many artists, she was told that there was no money in art and decided to pursue a different career path.
She went back to photography when she purchased her first digital camera in 2003. As a mother with a young baby, she started Cubrix Photography during the recession in 2008 and posted on Craigslist with her son as a sample portfolio.
Today, she specializes photographing in newborns, marriage proposals, weddings, and Bar Mitzvahs – “pretty much the milestones of their life” as she says. Madeline’s unique perspective on storytelling in photography and her empathy for others makes her work truly stand out.
In this interview, Madeline shares her most memorable moments as a photographer, how her Filipino heritage shapes her work and her personal and professional goals as an evolving artist.
PURSUING ART DESPITE ADVERSITIES
I was born & raised in Pangasinan, Philippines. Art has been a huge part of me growing up. My loving mother thought I had a great left hand when it came to art and sent me to art class at the early age of 7. Since then, I can see art everywhere through my eyes. I developed an interest in photography when I was in elementary years, my first camera was Kodak Ultralite (Film).
Throughout the years, I was told, there is no money on art. So, I have set aside my passion and pursued a different career path. By 2003, I purchased my first digital camera. Photographing became my hobby again, I would capture the beauty of nature, my favorite being sunsets.
I started Cubrix Photography when the recession began in January 2008. My first child was only 1-month-old back then when I started taking his photos with little to no props. With no incoming income from my previous web development firm, I have to rapidly think, my camera was my only valued asset I have left which makes money. I immediately started posting on Craigslist LA/SF/IE/OC – on a daily basis with my son as a sample portfolio. That’s how I first started to get my first batch of clients.
My children – Dylan and Kyla
By 2nd quarter of 2009, I drove to San Francisco once a month to sustain my daughter’s baby formula & diaper supply for Dylan & Kyla. There was a season, I had barely any bookings and I was forced to sell some of my photography equipment so we can go to Costco to buy our necessities. By the year 2009, I was nominated and rank the top 5 out of 32 portrait photographers in Los Angeles. LA City Voter. The awards continue 2011 (3/57), 2012 (1/61), 2013 (1/45) & 2014 (2/29)
Expertise picked Cubrix Photography as one of the top 23 out of 1,336 newborn photographers serving Los Angeles (2017 & 2018)
As of today, my business runs based on “referrals/word of mouth”, I average 10-14 sessions per week including newborns, baby milestones, family, headshots, marriage proposals & special events. I still travel to San Francisco yearly, expanded to Great Neck, NY for the past 3 years, and travel 2x a year. I amcurrently I’m on my 4th batch in the newborn + children Photography workshop in Manila Philippines this July 2023.
INCORPORATING STORYTELLING INTO PHOTOGRAPHY
I was once taught by my first mentor, Alex Hernandez from Lifetouch, “Paint with light”. You may have some astonishing pictures that are technically perfect; however, there are two more elements that make a strong image even much stronger. The images should evoke strong emotional feelings in the viewer’s psyche.
Calasiao, Pangasinan
CAPTURING MORE THAN JUST PICTURES: THE MOST MEANINGFUL MOMENTS AS A PHOTOGRAPHER
So many, I feel each session, event, or newborn workshop I photograph was all memorable for me. But there were few who really stood out the most.As a portrait photographer, I trained myself to be emotionless despite what was happening during the time of the documentary.
I had this newborn session many years ago, while I was doing my craft, out of the blue, the mom started crying. Her husband passed away recently. I had no words to say and kept doing my job. I keep telling her baby was so beautiful – her dad will be so proud of her someday.
Yearly, I teach newborn workshops in the Philippines. While I was telling my students the profits were donated to a charity that makes special shoes for claw feet babies. It was hard for me to finish my speech – I was so emotional as I taught them the importance of giving back whenever your life is very comfortable.
On a lighter note, for this one-year-old boy’s milestone, every time I sing, he gives me a bad look. When I stop singing, he will stop the grin. I don’t have a talent for singing at all!
The little boy giving me his bad look
At events – Photographing 25 Billionaires during a private meeting event – one of the guests was Bill Gates. I was so nervous I didn’t even say hi and shake his hands!
STAYING INSPIRED AND CONTINUING TO GROW AS A PHOTOGRAPHER
Surround Yourself with Success: Physically surround yourself with successful photographers. Go to photo conferences, and meet-ups, join a mastermind, and go to photography events and photo walks. If these don’t exist in your area, start them.
Booking signing with Anne Geddes, world-renowned baby photographer for 35 years. Belly Baby and Beyond: A Collaborative Conference
HOW MY FILIPINO HERITAGE SHAPES MY WORK AROUND THE WORLD
Filipinos have extremely strong cultural empathy. I would like to think that we would never have been able to succeed across such a varied portfolio of countries (across six continents) without embodying this very strong Filipino value.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ROADMAP AS AN EVOLVING ARTIST
Personally, to stay healthy and be able to photograph my children’s newborns. To be able to get grants and build 20 libraries per year for our children’s charity – JollyBox Philippines.
Jollybox Philippines
Professionally, to be the first South/North East Asian Nikon USA Female Ambassador. To achieve a Master’s in WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International ), currently at the associate level. To continue to teach newborns workshops in the Philippines on a yearly basis.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS
An artist will always be an artist, in spite of everything. Pursue it, no matter what. No Matter what, you are emphasizing that you are definitely going to do it, even if there are obstacles or difficulties.
CONNECT WITH MADELINE
Whether you’re a fellow photographer or simply an admirer of stunning visual imagery, connecting with Madeline through social media and exploring her photography portfolios is a great way to stay up-to-date on her latest creations and gain inspiration for your own creative pursuits.
