Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Lopez.
Hi Josh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Every opportunity that I get to share my story is a true blessing so thank you. I hope it inspires you to never give up. I was born in Puerto Rico, the oldest boy of 6 siblings. My Mom and Dad were married very young. My Dad was a Vietnam Veteran who returned from the war and had a lifelong battle with PTSD and drugs. We grew up very poor in South Bronx, New York. At a very young age I experienced homelessness, my family lived in a car, I dropped out of high school and my Dad was addicted to drugs. I had my first job when I was 13 years old. My Mom, who has always been the rock of our family, instilled in us these values; to never give up, to always work hard and never lose faith. Fast forward, I got the opportunity to return to school in Puerto Rico, finished school, finished college and graduated valedictorian of my class. In my last year in college, I landed my first record deal as a singer for a Latin pop group who had a number 1 single on the radio. I decided at a very young age that I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. I felt I could have gone down a very dark path but by God’s grace, I was able to start on a path that lead to where I am today. In 2003, I started a window covering company going door to door with a small Toyota Tacoma Truck. Today, we are in 3 cities and have an incredible team! What makes San Antonio Shades and Shutters so unique is that we are family and we focus on treating every client like family. I am so proud of our team and what we have been able to accomplish. Recently, we were featured on The CW Network telling our story. I feel beyond blessed to have accomplished so many dreams! I recently wrote a book titled; ‘Don’t Give Up’, this is my life mantra. Don’t give up on your purpose in life, on your dreams, on the people that matter. The greatest accomplishment in my life has and will always be… my family. I met my wife 19 years ago and we have been married for 17 years. We have 3 children; Joshua, Cristian, and Sofia Grace…they are my world. Life has definitely come with great challenges, mountain tops and valleys but each one has played a crucial role in the journey. I am beyond grateful for all of it. My encouragement to anyone seeking to start their own business and pursue a dream is…find your purpose, work hard and never give up!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like many, I experienced challenges very early in life that made me who I am today. I am thankful for the hard times. We grew up very poor in South Bronx, New York. At a very young age I experienced homeless, my family lived in a car, I dropped out of high school and my Dad left us. I had my first job when I was 13 years old. Later in life, I found out that it was because of many of the challenges that I had growing up that I could value tenacity, perseverance, hard work and grace all meshed together. A few years ago and finished an Ironman Race which is a 2.4 mile swim, 113 mile bike ride and ran a marathon completed in one day. One of my greatest takeaways that day was that in life…there will be many things you can’t control but you can always control your preparation and response to those things. On the day of the race we had up to 30mph winds, inclement weather, very choppy water and with every obstacle I was able to dig deep to some of the challenges I experienced earlier in life and not give up. Life can definitely be like a race. Never give up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I started a window-covering business in 2003. Today, San Antonio Shades and Shutters is an amazing team and we serve clients in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, Texas. We have been featured in several magazines for our work and this past year, we were featured on The CW Network telling our story of small beginnings to success. It has been a dream come true. We feel blessed to have an incredible team that is loyal and works very hard to achieve great work. We also are so grateful to thousands of clients over the years that have been loyal and truly a pleasure to work with. We offer all window covering solutions for indoor and outdoor…home and residential properties. We will be doing this for years to come. We love what we get to do, where we get to do it and who we do it for. Thank you, San Antonio!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
There are very few places you will visit and feel like family with a lot of the people that you meet in San Antonio. There are a lot of great people that I have become family here. We have been able to thrive as a business here for many years. This is highly attributed to our amazing clients that are loyal. Being leaders in our industry is very important to us. San Antonio has some of the most amazing architecture and we offer our clients a lot of variety when it comes to window coverings, especially in the luxury home space. From motorized modern window coverings to outdoor sun shades that accent a Spanish-style home! We love what we get to do!
When I am not cheering my kids on with club sports, or running our family owned business. I am singing or enjoying good music. Being a music artist and music lover…I love that you can experience Mariachi, Jazz, Top 40, Inspirational music throughout the week!
Lastly, those that know me..know that when it’s Taco Tuesday, they will get a recommendation or two on tacos. They might even get a free taco! San Antonio has the best tacos. Some of my favorite places are; Nacos Mexican Eatery; recently featured on Netflix, Pericos Restaurant, who in my opinion has some of the best service in town with tacos. There is so much variety and something for everyone when it comes to food in San Antonio!
Lastly, when it comes to getting involved to help the community. San Antonio shows up. As a business and as a family we love linking arms with the community to make a difference. Some of our favorite organizations to link arms with are; Community Bible Church, F45 Gym, SA Food Bank, SAMS Ministries and Don’t Give Up foundation.
I absolutely love San Antonio! The culture, the food, but most of all…the people! Viva San Antonio!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sashadestx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshdlopez/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAydR1RvH27ViWYczz6PPfw
Image Credits
Pic 1 – Justin Ellis
Pic 2 – David Teran
Pic 3 – Eva Magaña
Pic 4 – Ironman Foundation
Pic 5 – 70 Rainey
