June 12, 2024

Life & Work with Stephanie Santana

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Santana.

Stephanie Santana

Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I took a leap of faith to change career paths. I left my full-time job with the US Government and joined the entertainment industry. I started out with mainly modeling but fell in love with acting.

In the summer of 2023, I went viral on my Instagram account for a cop-acting role. I went from 8,000 followers to over 130,000k! I couldn’t believe it. It gave me so much anxiety as my phone never stopped going off. Now I’m in the process of launching my own company based on playing a cop and some more exciting projects!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road was and never will be smooth. I’ve noticed that regardless of where you are at in life… New challenges come. First, I wondered if leaving my full-time job was a bad move. I worried about financial instability. Then, it came to feeling safe and secure with people I was working with that I met online. The list continues to grow, but it got me to where I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an actress diving into the business development world. I have a team helping me launch my own company that is called “Hot Cop.” I became known on the web as “Hot Cop” from the video that went viral on set. I am proud of myself for following my heart and not giving in to my doubts. If I did, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

What sets me apart is my diverse appearance, skills, personality, and not being afraid to be real in front of a large audience. I share every moment of struggles, feelings, etc.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
My advice is to believe in yourself. Don’t try to be like someone else; find your niche! I wish I knew that this industry would either make or break you. You need to have tough skin and handle rejection well.

Not everyone is going to like you. It’s very hard being in the spotlight at first and hearing so many people talking about you. I must admit that I had a few breakdowns reading comments online, as people can be harsh.

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