We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabe Alvarez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabe, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
At a young age, I was always looking for ways to make money. I did have a few jobs in my teen years but always knew I wanted more. After high school, at the age of 17, I found employment as an intern at an engineering firm where I quickly moved up to be a Autocad designer. My career as a designer lasted 13 years of which I split time between two civil engineering firms. It was through the last 5 years of that season in my life that I really started to explore the possibilities of entrepreneurship. The final push to go out and start a business was the birth of my first daughter, Mikayla. She was born just 2 days before my 30th birthday and that is when I knew I had to bet on myself and go all in!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Career Journey & Professional Growth:

Architecture and Construction has always been my passion since a young age. I was able to land my first job right out of high school thanks to my older brother Luis who was a civil engineer at that firm. I was fortunate to work on a wide variety of projects, which further sparked an interest in the field of design and construction. During my 13 years working in the corporate world, I continued to learn more about the industry by educating myself by reading books and attending seminars and different events. GA Design Build was born in 2009 and here we are now 15 years later still going strong!

Proud Achievements & Excitement:

I’m proud of how my career has evolved over the years, particularly in managing complex projects that push the boundaries of creative design and execution. It’s always exciting to take a client’s vision and transform it into something tangible by delivering on an idea. One of the highlights of my career has been moving into the development side of the industry. This has taught me to become a better businessman and how to better handle company finances. Over the last 4 years, we have also started to acquire properties to develop housing to hold as a personal portfolio. We currently hold 5 doors that are rented, in the process of finishing a 6 unit ground up development in South Los Angeles, and have another 11 doors in plan check that are almost ready to build.

Challenges & Growth:

It definitely wasn’t easy getting to where I am today. Like any profession, Design & Construction comes with its set of challenges from tight deadlines and budget constraints to managing clients’ evolving expectations. I’ve learned that patience, persistence, and clear communication are key to overcoming these obstacles. There were moments where projects didn’t go as planned, but those were often the greatest opportunities for learning. Each challenge has helped my problem-solving skills and taught me the importance of consistent growth. We still work on becoming better every day.

Lessons Learned:

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to remain open to feedback and new ideas. Collaboration is essential in our field, and listening to different perspectives often results in a better final product. Another lesson is that our business is not just about buildings; it’s about people. Our greatest projects are the ones where we end up leaving happy clients.

What Sets My Brand Apart:

Through our work, we aim to create more than just beautiful structures. We want to craft spaces that have a lasting impact on the way people enjoy the space for years to come. Our brand is all about thoughtful, people-centered design that meets both functional and emotional needs. Starting from the initial conceptual design all the way to construction, really allows us to deliver a custom product that is going to give the client the space they need within their desired budget!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Over the years, My wife and I have really enjoyed downtown Long Beach, Belmont Shores & Seal Beach. From there you can continue down south along the coast to Huntington Beach and down to Newport Beach. When in LA there is always live music to catch. We enjoy going to concerts whenever possible. Lastly, catching a Dodger Game is always a good time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my wife Charlyn Alvarez for always supporting me in my career. When most people would decide to play it safe while starting a family, she supporting my decision to quit my steady, well paying job just 1 month after having our first child in order to pursue my plans of starting my own company! Since then, she has left her job as a nurse to dedicate all her time to raising our two beautiful daughters, Mikayla(10) and Leanna(8), and work part time within our organization.

Website: www. gadesignbuild.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ga_design_build/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GADBinc

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gadesignbuild90242

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