Latifa Sanchez
Latifa Sanchez is a dynamic and multifaceted professional with over 25 years of experience in writing and more than a decade in customer service and administrative leadership. Beginning her career as a ghostwriter, Latifa honed her skills producing books for various clients, which later expanded into sports journalism. She now covers college basketball, the NFL, NBA, and WNBA for a major publication, and has co-founded a sports media company with her two sons, both former football players. Her work reflects a commitment to storytelling, integrity, and creating opportunities for others in her community.
In addition to her writing career, Latifa has built a successful presence in the accounting and tax field. For the past eight years, she has operated three tax offices, specializing in tax preparation and accounting services with a particular focus on educating college students. Her expertise in operations management, team leadership, and process optimization allows her to oversee daily operations, implement key performance indicators, and ensure high-quality client services. Latifa’s approach combines meticulous attention to detail with a dedication to mentoring and empowering her clients, fostering long-term relationships built on trust and reliability.
Latifa’s commitment to community service is evident through her nonprofit work. She founded Gate and Gable Incorporated, which helps individuals prevent evictions, and the Blazing Butterfly Foundation, supporting lupus patients and their families with care baskets, transportation, food, and rent assistance. While pursuing her MBA and managing multiple professional and philanthropic endeavors, Latifa continues to battle lupus and brain cancer, demonstrating resilience, perseverance, and a dedication to making a meaningful impact. Her career exemplifies a rare blend of professional expertise, creative talent, and heartfelt advocacy.
• Colorado Technical University - B.B.A.
• Gate and Gable Incorporated (Founder) - Eviction Prevention
• Blazing Butterfly Foundation (Founder) - Lupus Support Initiative
What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to my kids. I have three children, and they make it easy. They are supportive and they are always there, no matter what. It's a different kind of love and appreciation you have for them when they become adults. They've been my driving force through everything - through building my businesses, going back to school, battling my health challenges, all of it. They're the light of my life, and whatever they're into, I'm there 100%. Being able to bring my two sons into the sports writing business and make it a family company means we spend more time together, and that makes everything worth it.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was 'it's never too late.' I'm almost 50, and a couple years back when I decided to settle down and get my bachelor's, I was working with somebody who kept telling me that it was never too late. I probably thought that I was past the age of being in school and trying to get a degree, especially because at that time, I had two kids that were about to head off to college, so it felt kind of weird. But her telling me that it was never too late - I literally used that and pushed that to get my degree, to get these extra tax offices, and I'm still here trying to get another degree. That advice changed everything for me.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering my industry that no matter what, they can do it. No matter if they have health issues, it can still get done. No matter if they're a single parent, it can still get done. No matter if they don't have any family support, it can still get done. At the end of the day, you just have to believe in you. If you believe in you, you can literally do anything you want to do. Self-love is super important. Don't let your circumstances define what you think you're capable of achieving.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I've faced in my career has been my health. Before I got diagnosed with lupus, I had aneurysms, so that would keep me out of work and I couldn't work for a while. Then when I got diagnosed with lupus, in the beginning it was super hard to navigate. At this point, years later, I can for the most part manipulate my body how I need to if I have to get something done work-wise, but in the beginning it was hard. Jobs don't understand why today you're fine to go to work, but tomorrow you can't even pick up a phone and text or call anybody because the pain is just too much. My biggest obstacles have always been health-related. As for opportunities, ghostwriting opened incredible doors for me. I started off just ghostwriting books for various people, and that turned into meeting an NFL star who got me into sports writing on a bigger level. Now I'm covering college basketball, NFL, NBA, and WNBA. That same NFL client also got me more business for my accounting firm. One opportunity just kept leading to another, and being able to bring my sons into it and make it a family business has been amazing.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are honesty, integrity, and self-worth. These principles guide everything I do, from how I run my businesses to how I interact with my clients and my family. Self-worth especially - believing in yourself and knowing your value - is something I try to live by every day, and it's what I want to pass on to the young women I mentor and work with.