What people say about you when you’re not in the room matters. Raymond Sanchez Jr. has seen that play out throughout a career shaped by relationships, mentorship, and people willing to put his name forward because they trusted how he would show up. It is also a lesson he learned early from his father, Raymond Sanchez Sr., who taught him to have a plan, think ahead, and understand that what you know matters, but so does who you know. Ray was only 22 when his father, a union carpenter working at the World Trade Center, was killed on September 11th. In the aftermath, Ray found himself navigating the legal process to establish his father’s death, an experience that ultimately helped lead him to law school. Twenty-five years later, his father’s example still shows up in the way Ray thinks about service, integrity, and whether he is leaving things better than he found them. He is equally intentional about making sure his father is remembered for who he was, not simply for what happened to him on September 11th. In this episode of Branding Room Only, Paula T. Edgar sits down with Ray to discuss the people and experiences that shaped his career, why doing the right thing when nobody is looking remains central to his personal brand, and how his father continues to influence the choices he makes today. They also reflect on their shared experience of losing a parent on September 11th and why telling their parents’ stories matters if their legacies will be more than names on a wall. 1:13 – What personal brand means to Ray, three words he’d use to describe himself, his two favorite quotes, and his hype music 6:38 – How a childhood in the NYCHA buildings of the Lower East Side forged Ray’s code of ethics 12:47 – The internship that quietly connected Ray to politicians, Broadway royalty, and two decades of career opportunities 19:43 – The exhausting, bureaucratic maze of proving his father's life ever existed, just to get what Ray was legally owed 22:24 – Going to law school and working at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 28:13 – The one thing to consider before accepting any job offer, and the roles Ray took on doing meaningful work in the Hispanic community 37:53 – A perfect demonstration of how personal branding is about what people say about (whether you’re in or out of the room) 41:00 – Why Ray ran for NYC Council District 7, joined a non-profit six weeks before federal investigators raided it, and became its new executive director 51:49 – Why Ray almost lost his cool with a city bureaucrat over the phone 57:19 – Raymond Sanchez Sr. as a man and a father, and what his son Ray remembers most about him 1:03:39 – The morning of September 11th through Ray’s eyes, and his father's quiet act of heroism that day 1:11:32 – The dehumanization of the 9/11 victim’s compensation fund, and how that experience proved to be a turning point that led Ray to law school 1:18:26 – How losing his dad the way he did turned Ray into who he is now 1:21:31 – Standing up for our communities as legacy, and why the phrase “victims’ families” never told the whole story 1:24:19 – Pushing back against being only defined by 9/11, why it took 15 years for Ray to talk about that day and tell his father’s story 1:28:15 – The joyful, fun parts of Ray today that his dad would recognize and be proud of 1:30:54 – What ethics demands of you when nobody’s watching, and Ray’s special talent to quickly synthesize complexity Connect With Raymond Sanchez Jr. Raymond Sanchez Jr., Esq. has spent two decades building a career at the intersection of law, government, and public advocacy — moving fluidly between City Hall, the private sector, and the nonprofit boardroom in ways that have repeatedly put him in the room where a crisis needed a steady hand. He most recently served as General Counsel to the NYC Mayor's Office of Contract Services, advising the City's Chief Procurement Officer on citywide policy and compliance. Before that, he was appointed CEO of Aguila, Inc., a NYC homeless services nonprofit, where he led the organization through a New York State Attorney General investigation and a pandemic-era transformation of a 200-bed shelter into the city's largest COVID quarantine center. His earlier chapters include Managing Director at Mercury Public Affairs, Principal of his own government relations firm, and seven years as General Counsel and Director of Policy to the Bronx Borough President, where he helped pass NYC's Living Wage Law and secured the conveyance of the Fulton Correctional Facility for a first-of-its-kind reentry housing program. A first-generation Latino leader, Raymond holds a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law and a B.A. in Government from Wesleyan University, and serves on the board of Areté Education and as a special advisor to the La Unidad Latina Foundation. He is a two-time honoree on NYC "40 Under 40" lists and a recipient of the Council of Urban Professionals' Law Catalyst Award. LinkedIn | Instagram Mentioned In How Raymond Sanchez Jr. Honors His Father’s Legacy 25 Years After September 11 Hispanic Federation Latino Justice The Boys Club of New York (BCNY) 9/11 Memorial & Museum Curated Resources from Paula Sign up for Paula’s Upcoming Events Learn More About Paula's Personal Branding Strategy Session Offer Subscribe to The Branding Room Only podcast on YouTube Call to Action Follow & Review: Help others find the podcast. Subscribe and leave a quick review. Want more branding insights? Join Paula’s newsletter for expert tips and exclusive content! Subscribe Here Conferences are an investment—make sure you maximize yours. My Engage Your Hustle™ Conference Playbook gives you the strategies to prepare, stand out, and follow up with impact. Get your copy today. Sponsor for this episode This episode is brought to you by PGE Consulting Group LLC. PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level. Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change. To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at info@paulaedgar.com, and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn. 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