The Bossticks - Cara Santana - Work Ethic, Secrets To Personal Brand Success, Traditional Vs Digital Talent & Hustle

Episode Date: January 8, 2019

#161: On this episode we sit down with actress Cara Santana. Cara has built a brand as a digital influencer as well as an actor using the power of social media. She is also an entrepreneur who has built and sold a business. On this episode we discuss work ethic, secrets to personal brand success, traditional talent vs digital talent and hustle. To connect with Cara Santana click HERE To connect with Lauryn Evarts click HERE To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE To Call the Him & Her Hotline call: 1-833-SKINNYS (754-6697) For Detailed Show Notes click HERE This episode is brought to you by Misfit Wearables and their brand new smartwatch, Misfit Vapor 2. This smartwatch has it all. Right now for our listeners, Misfit is offering an exclusive offer of 5 FREE replacement straps with purchase. Just head over to misfit.com/theskinnyconfidential and enter promo code SKINNY to redeem. This episode is brought to you by FOUR SIGMATIC We have been drinking this company's mushroom-infused elixirs and coffees for over a year now. When we need a break from coffee but still need that extra morning jolt and focus the Mushroom Coffee with Lion's Mane and Chaga is the way to go. Lauryn also drinks the Mushroom Matcha which is a green tea designed as a coffee alternative for those of you who want to cut back on caffeine without losing focus and cognitive boosts. This stuff doesn't actually taste like mushrooms, it's delicious. All of these blends have a ton of nutrients and amino acids to give you balanced energy without the jitters. To try FOUR SIGMATIC products go to foursigmatic.com/skinny and use promo code SKINNY for 15% off all products.   

The following podcast is a dear media production. This episode is brought to you by Misfits Wearables and their brand new smartwatch, Misfit Vapor 2. So I talked about this on my Instagram. You guys know that I love to get my 10K to 15K. Sometimes it's, you know, a little lower, but I like to get my steps in. You know what I mean? Anyway, I also love multitasking.

And let me tell you, this smartwatch has it all. It's also very chic. They have a rose gold one, which I love. Right now for our listeners, Misfit is offering an exclusive offer of five free replacement straps with purchase. You can replace the straps, guys. They're so cute. Just head over to misfit.com slash the skinny confidential and inner promo code Skinny to redeem. This episode is brought to you by Four Sigma. Guys, Four Sigma is literally one of my favorite companies. We interviewed Tarot, who is the founder on the show, and he is amazing. We're even going to Finland

with him to forage for mushrooms. Anyways, they have all these powders that are superfood blends, okay and they're kind of like an elixir too my favorite is the mushroom hot cacao i do it at night it really really helps with my sweet tooth so nice to wind down anyways they have a special offer for just to see him and her listeners go to foursigmatic dot com forward slash skinny and inner promo code skinny at checkout for 15% off your entire order she's a lifestyle blogger extraordinaire fantastic and he's a serial entrepreneur a very smart cookie and now Lauren And converts and Michael Bostic are bringing you along for the ride. Get ready for some major realness.

Welcome to the skinny confidential, him and her. You know, I've always been someone who sort of marched to the beat of my own drum. I'm always someone who's had a voice. I've always been someone who's used that voice for better or worse. So I think it just comes naturally for me to talk about the things that I'm passionate about. I know a lot of people shy away from topics that are potentially controversial, and I totally respect that and I understand that. For me, it's just that's what I'm passionate about. So if I'm going to start sharing my life with people, I might as well share my life in an authentic way.

And so for me, that's what is authentic and unique. That clip was from our guest of the show today, Kara Santana. On this episode, we discuss the work ethic behind the influencer space, misconceptions around the social space, traditional media versus digital media, the biggest secret to personal brand success, and how to digest information so that you don't give into biases. For those of you who are new, I'm Lauren Everett's, the creator of The Skinny Confidential, which is a podcast, a brand, a YouTube channel, and a book. And I'm Michael Bostic. I'm a serial entrepreneur and brand builder.

Most recently, the CEO of Dear Media, which is the podcast network, currently representing close to 30 shows, many to launch in the new year. Excited to present some new content. Lauren, happy new year. 2019. Fresh off a plane, back in the studio. If you're looking to be inspired, you guys have to listen to the Edmellette episode. It's so, so good and has so much fire in it for 2019.

That episode is doing really well. We launched that last week. For those of you that were busy, nursing your New Year's Eve hangovers and missed it, I would definitely make an effort to go back and listen to that one. It is inspiring. It'll kick you into gear into 2019. Ed was a great guest, one of our favorite interviews. And I don't think you should miss it.

I listened to my own episode this morning. Did you hear me? When I was taking a shower, I was listening to the episode because it was so inspiring. Narcissistic much, but okay. No. I normally don't listen all the time. This one I had to listen to and go back to because I needed to take notes. There was a period of time when Taylor wasn't editing our show when I was editing, and I had to listen to all of our episodes and edit them. And I am ready to take a little hiatus of listening to my voice, which I am not the biggest fan of.

Wow. So I'm puffy. I'm bloated. I'm ready to kick this year into gear with some intermittent fasting and definitely lots of workouts. I'm in great shape. I'm not puffy. I'm not bloated. My face is flawless. My skin is on point. Taylor, is he serious? No, I just want to, you know, give a little contradiction there. No, I'm just kidding. I still, you are still a vision to behold, and I am not looking nearly as good as I should be after the year. We drank way too much over the holidays. Everyone's like, I'm not starting the new year hungover. I'm like, listen, I'm nursing about a two-week hangover. You know, listen, you got to let loose let it sometimes. So for those of you who don't know, we were in London and Staud, which is in Switzerland, and had a great time, really lived it up and partied. And what we realized is that from the days of the 24th to January 3rd, no one is in office. So we're going to keep that in mind every single year.

There was not anyone in office or anyone working, which was very nice. We had a break. It's an interesting time to self-reflect and to think about internal work, but it's definitely also a nice time to check out because everyone's on break, everyone's on holiday. We decided this year that, as people know that listen to the show, that we were going to take off for the holidays for the first time ever.

And I think it's a nice rhythm to get into maybe every other year with the family, every other year on our own, doing something different around the holidays. Lauren and I have never been out of the country or actually out of our family's houses or homes during the holidays. And so it was a nice little change up,

a little romantic time. We had a lot of romantic time. Got a day in a couple times. Come on, Michael. Honestly, a lot of woo, a lot of martini's, but also for me, a lot of self-reflection. I brought a lot of books. I probably read like six books. I journaled a lot.

And I really thought about my intentions for 2019. And what I've realized about me is that I have to really be quiet and silent to sort of make my next move. Like I need silence, like two weeks a week of silence and solitude. And I think that just going away. and being away and turning off, really. I mean, I wasn't on social media for like a good four days, which is different in London. I took some time off to really enjoy my husband in the city. We had two friends there, Neil and Faith.

And so that was so nice. I feel like it's such a recharge and I'm like ready to kill it now. Yeah, it's a great time to get away and just think. And, you know, we read a lot of nice books over the holidays. There's a couple books that I would recommend that I read over the holidays. One is The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Green. We're getting ready to have an interview with him. And also I went back and read some books that I had read some books that I'd

read in the past. It's interesting because I read a lot of different things throughout my life, or I've read a lot of different things throughout my life. There's an author named James Clavel, who's one of my favorites, who I talked about a lot on this show and who I recommend a lot. But the last time I read his books, I was probably 16, 17, 18, and going back and reading it 20 years later, however much older I am, 15 years later, is interesting to get new perspective. So never be scared to revisit a good book. You'll be surprised at the gems you pick up on things that you've read in the past and the way that you interpret those things as you get older. The books that I read while I was on vacation, because some of you guys were asking on DMs, were

Brooks Shields. There was a little girl. I also read both of us, My Life with Farah Fawcett by Ryan O'Neill, and Grace Notes, My Reflections by Kathy Seagall, remember her from married with children and sons of anarchy and eight simple rules for my teenage daughter. How could I ever forget Peggy Bundy? And then I got obsessed with Farah Fawc because of Ryan O'Neill's book, and I read My Journey with Farah, who's by Alana Stewart, who is Rod Stewart's ex-wife, and also reading, obviously,

The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Green, because he's coming on the podcast. So those are some books that I read. Oh, I also read Brutely Honest with Mel B, the Spice Girl. That was a little dark, but I liked it still. So those are some book recommendations for you. I feel like all of those books have helped me reflect and learn and take some time for myself, and I think you guys will like them. They're all autobiographies or memoirs. Besides the Law of Human Nature. That's, that's, that's not a memoir. What would you call that? That's more self-help, self-development? Development, nonfiction. If you're a listener of this podcast and you have not tried four-sigmatic powders, you need to. I'm telling you. I would recommend starting with the mushroom hot cacao. We have

talked about this multiple times, but it's one that I keep going back to. They come in these little packets that are super easy for travel. And what I do is I just keep them in my tea jar. And at night, I'll do like a warm, hot cup of water and then I'll pour my mushroom hot cacao in there and then I'll add lemon, stir it up. I got one of those stirs. You know, don't mean to brag it's been on my Instagram. One of those stirs to stir it all up. And then I sip it in bed while I'm watching Vanderpump rules and just relax and wind down.

It's the perfect treat for when you have a sweet tooth. For me, my sweet tooth usually strikes after 10 o'clock. So this is something that's been really efficient because there's zero calories in it. and it's a superfood. I feel like I'm getting my mushrooms in. My superfood's amazing, right? So if you didn't know, there's tons of benefits and magic to mushrooms, okay? They help you relax.

They help you be well. They energize you and they support productivity. So if you want something in the morning and a lot of you guys have asked me this over DM, I would definitely go with the macha. I think that's one that's so good. I even add lemon to that too, if we're being honest. With lemon, you could add stevia to it. You could even make a smoothie with it with almond milk.

it's so, so good. So I actually created a page with 4Sigmatic because I'm so obsessed with functional mushrooms and it's 4Sigmatic.com slash skinny and basically on this page is a curated list of the ones that I like. Anyway, it's all curated for you guys. It's very, very easy and you can use my code Skinny at checkout

to save 15%. So if you're looking for a coffee alternative or something to wind down with at night, go to 4Sigmatic.com slash skinny and use the promo code Skinny at checkout for 15% off your entire order. You guys are going to love these mushroom packets. They're delicious. You just open a pack. You can add it to hot or cold water. And the best part is they don't taste like mushrooms. So just try it. Let me know what you think. DM me, send me picks. I love to see it all. At 15 years old, Kara Santana left El Paso, Texas for California, L.A., and she hasn't looked back since. She carved out her niche in Hollywood and she continues to pursue tons and tons of passions. She is a major entrepreneur, actress, fashion blogger, and producer. She's had roles. in Salem, Santa Clara Diet, and CSI to name a few.

She has a fashion blog called Kara Disclosed and a major Instagram account. I don't know how she does it, but with all that, she also has time to do her entrepreneurial journey, which is called Glam Squad. You might have heard of it on my Instagram a few times. With that, let's welcome Kara Santana to the skinny confidential, him and her show. This is the skinny confidential, him and her. This is going to be a fun time. sometimes we have rosé it depends on the day oh i like that all right so let's hop right into it

give us your background your story where you grew up what your childhood was like man we're just jumping right in sometimes sometimes it throws people because we just jump in and we go back and do the intro later so here so my whole backstory so i was born and raised in el paso texas my last name is santana but i'm italian and russian everyone thinks i'm mexican i speak fluent Spanish, but I'm actually just a Russian Jew from Texas. I moved out to Los Angeles at 15 years old. I went to boarding school for the performing arts. I always had a passion for acting. And I've been out here ever since, and now I'm 33 years old. And in the past, I don't know, 15 years, gosh, that makes me sound so old. I've had a career in entertainment. I've also

launched a tech business. I have a influencer career as well. So I like to think of myself as someone who's got their hands in a lot of pots. Why didn't you do a couple more to I know. Well, yeah, I have some things on the horizon. We're getting into producing and doing some fun things. But I love, you know, what I love about it is, and I think I watched my mom do this, she's a huge inspiration in my life. But I love that women today can be multifaceted and we don't have to be in one box. I mean, look at you, for example, you have your hands in so many different pots. And I think that that's really exciting that today we're embracing the modern woman and they're multifaceted and there's lots of duality. So I'm just trudging along in those footsteps.

steps. 15 years old, you moved to L.A. by yourself? Yeah, I don't know what my parents were thinking. Wait, we need to dissect that. I went to boarding school for the performing art, so it's not like I was running amok. But yes, I was out here pursuing a career in entertainment, getting my education at the same time. But yeah, I look back at my parents. I'm like, if I had a daughter, there's no, no way that she would be living in L.A. at 15. Your choice, their choice, are mutual. It was mine. I did a full PowerPoint presentation. I knew I wanted to go to L.A. I wanted to be an actress. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do that living in El Paso, Texas. So I begged them. And after a year of public school, they were like, okay, this is her dream. This is her passion.

Like, we'll let her go and do it. So you arrive in L.A. at 15 years old. Walk us through, like, what's happening, how you sort of went from 15 to where you are now. Well, that's a long trajectory. But yeah, I started going to school at Idaho Wild Arts Academy, which I loved. I mean, it was geared towards people pursuing the arts in a professional capacity. So we, how half of our day was geared towards education. The other half was pursuing whatever our craft was. So for me, it was acting, but there was creative writing, there was dance, there was musical, theater. There was, there was all different elements, filmmaking, et cetera. And so I did that. I graduated in two and a half years and then moved down into L.A. and started auditioning and

working in the industry. And sort of that was that. When did you decide that you wanted to take it from acting to also adding influencer to your resume? So that's such, it's such a good question. because, you know, as an actress, like we pride ourselves in anonymity and mystique because, you know, we have to be able to meld into any character and into any world. And so with the advent of social media, I was really, really nervous at first to sort of show too much of myself and concern that it would alienate me from different projects or different roles. And at the same time, I started dating my fiance, my now fiance, and we were getting a lot of attention. He was on a really big show at the time.

And so we were getting photographed a lot and people were really interested in what I would was wearing and what I was, you know, my beauty routine and what I was doing for a workout. And he was the one who was like, I really feel like this is a great opportunity to connect with young women because I'm so passionate about, you know, supporting women and cultivating young women. And he was like, this is such a great opportunity to have those conversations. And so I thought, okay, I can use my social platform in whatever way I want to. And so for me, that was about, you know, letting women look and feel their best, which led to obviously starting my beauty company and so it all sort of melded together in a way that I thought was really genuine and organic for me.

When it comes to acting now, a lot of people say now you need a social following to get casted or it helps. Did you encounter any of that or is that stepping back, deciding to go and present yourself on social, do you think it was a benefit or do you think it was a hindrance acting? You know, I think it's what you make of it, obviously. Like, you know, the work is what comes first and you obviously. and you obviously have to be really talented. That being said, there's so many talented people who don't get the opportunity to showcase their work because people don't know who they are.

And now you have, you know, you've got major movie stars doing television. And so all the lines are sort of blurred. And people want to make sure that you're going to tune in, that the audience is going to tune in. And what better safe way is there to do that than finding someone who already has a built-in audience? So I think it's been helpful in a lot of ways. and I think as long as you're presenting what you want to show people, then I think it can be incredibly helpful. How is the response from, like, say, the acting world,

like the traditional acting world, like when I think act, like Daniel Day Lewis types. I mean, he's at the... Yeah, I mean, he's probably... He's barely... Your friend, Daniel Day Lewis? Yeah, well, when he listens and he'll call him. Exactly. Well, I mean, look at Nicole Kidman, Rees Witherspoon.

I was just... I spent the weekend with Jamie Fox. Like, he's on Instagram. Nicole Kidman's on Instagram. So I think a lot of really high-profile, well-regarded actors are realizing, like, they can have their voice, they can put out what they want to put out, and any sort of degree of scrutiny about who they are, they can negate right away. And they can present to the world and to their fans exactly who they are. And there's power in that because for so long, right, you have tabloids or the media writing about you and presenting information that potentially isn't true. And now you can say, hey, that's not true.

where, you know, this is how I feel about this and you can mobilize your audience, whether it's, you know, about politics or social issues. So I think there's a lot of great power. I think anything in extreme can be detrimental, right? Everything in moderation, you drink too much water, you drown. So I think there's a balance. And I think finding that balance for everyone is different, but I certainly think overall a super positive thing. Well, it's really interesting because you can control the message now. Like, the reason I love this show is no matter what we do publicly, like you can always address it, like, each week you say, okay, this is actually what's really going on.

Before he was so reliant on the media and they controlled that message. And now anybody can control their own message with their own social or podcast or video, whatever it is. Exactly. The rock has done a good job. The rock has done a good job. We were actually talking about him this weekend because he does. I mean, he has such a huge engaged following.

And he has now the biggest movie star in the world. And I don't think that those two things are mutually exclusive. And I think what it has said to people is, listen, we're evolving as a society. Right. So maybe whereas, you know, social media was potentially taboo in the entertainment community a while ago, now we're saying, listen, like, there's so much much much simplistically and very concise and much more articulate than I said it. But yes, you're able to control your own message and control your own image. And I think there's a lot of power in that. I mean, the rock has almost used social media to leverage his career, like, which is so nuts. It's like you could take it the Angelina Jolie route and not have anything and be this like mysterious creature. you could take it his route and completely put yourself out there and be vulnerable and use that to get more roles. What advice would you give someone that is maybe in Minnesota or Texas or wherever Nashville and wants to make the transition and move to L.A. and dip their toe in the entertainment or influencer world? Well, I think first and foremost you have to make sure you really, really want to do

something because it's work. You know what I mean? It's a job for a reason. I think there is maybe this ideology that being an influencer or an actress or running your own business and having a podcast that it's easy and that there's not a lot of work. But we know that the amount of time and energy that goes into it is a full-time job. So I would first say, you have to make sure that you really, really want to do this because every day is going to be a grind. And then secondly, really hone your craft. Like for me as an actress, it was acting classes and studying Meisner and Stanislavski and Udhaagen and making sure that I perfected my craft. And I think it's the same thing with the influencer world. Like, what is it about you that's messaging is unique and different

than what everybody else is doing because it's an oversaturated market? How are you going to stand out and really perfecting that and find your individuality and then, you know, run with it? I feel like there's a lot of you guys that like to count their steps, just like me. I make it a game to see how many steps I can get in every day. Like I'll do, I try to get to 15K, but if I'm being honest, I usually get to 10K. Some days it's a lot lower the other day. Sunday, I laid in bed all day and it was like 500 steps, which was bleak. Anyways, what I've been using to count my steps is misfit wearables. I've talked about this plenty of times on the podcast.

I even did a giveaway on Instagram. You can actually check me out wearing the watch. It's the Instagram with the purple boots. And when you're picking your strap out, make sure you get the black one. It looks so chic with the rose gold. Like I said, you can see it in the Instagram I posted. So why I like this is it counts your steps, which is amazing. It also has a phone-free music player and smart.

notifications and alarms. You can also swim with this in shallow water. Amazing. It has an all-day battery life and it's compatible with iPhone and Android. I think that if you're not a rose gold person, they also have this black mat one that's super, super chic. The point is it's not some like ugly, disgusting watch. It's very chic. You know what I mean? Like you can wear it with any outfit. I wear it to the gym. I can wear it when I'm working out at home on Skype. I can wear it when I'm doing my conference calls. And then I can take it to dinner or happy hour. and not feel bad about it. It's a watch that you want to wear. You know what I mean? There's totally a difference. How I picked my watch out is I actually shopped their Instagram, which I think is really fun.

Whenever I'm shopping, I like to look at the Instagram because I like to see what's popping out to me. So you can go on their Instagram and actually shop it. And you can see what looks cute to you. There's like some girls that are wearing bracelets with their watch or they're wearing their watch to Disneyland or they're at a party. They're doing all these different types of things and you can see how it looks. I think that's important to see how it looks on the feed, you know? I feel like misfit wearables is big on personalization. I love personalization. You know that if you read The Skinny Confidential. Anyways, if you want to personalize your own watch, you're in luck. Right now for all TSC listeners, Misfit is offering an exclusive offer of five free replacement straps with purchase. Make sure you get them at black.

Just head over to misfit.com slash the skinny confidential and inner promo code Skinny to redeem. How fun. What's a misconception? I feel like you and I can have a conversation for hours on this about influencers. I mean, I think the biggest misconception is that it's not hard work. I mean, first and foremost, I hear a lot of people saying that, you know, oh, I wish I could do that because it just seems so easy, but it's not. It's a grind, and I have so much respect for these women and women like you. We're entrepreneurs.

We're building our own business and our businesses ourselves. And so you don't have the objectivity of building a brand that's outside of you or working for a corporation where there's multiple people building this business. It's like we're doing it ourselves. So I think that that's one misconception, maybe that it's frivolous and superficial, which it's not. I mean, every woman I know who's building their own business

is incredibly intelligent, is hardworking, is driven, is ambitious. At the end of the day, it's a job. You know, I think, and I got to be delicate the way I say this, I think the reason people maybe disrespect this space is because they're angry that something looks so easy, could be so successful and they and they maybe there's a blatant disrespect for people that maybe come from traditional like maybe reality TV or traditional celebrity space and all of a sudden they see

some of these women that don't come from that space and don't have that same support for media getting the same attention if not more than they end and they're like wait a minute that's not supposed to happen that's not the way it's been done and that's why I think that there's a it's like it's like disregarding how hard people actually work because to build an audience from zero to whatever it is is is definitely not easy to do especially if you don't have the support of mass media pushing you. And to do that on your own with a social tool, not even when you're doing, the reason they disrespect it is because it says more about themselves and their hustle than it does about the actual influencer. Totally. And I think it's fear-based, right? Anytime you're

converting behavior and any time that there is change, there comes along with it fear. So I remember a very, you know, prestigious publication wrote an article about fashion week and about how, it was Vogue magazine, I'll say it was Vogue.com. Yeah, remember when they did that. Yep. And I wrote a piece on my blog about how disappointed I was that a magazine and an editor that I really respected was demeaning young women who were basically changing a platform and allowed, you know, the power that, you know, Vogue.com has now Ami Song has, or Olivia Colpo has, or Chrisel Lim has, all these girls who've worked so hard and they're selling directly to their fan base in a way that these magazines couldn't.

and I wrote this article and it actually broke my blogs. I had so much traffic that I crashed. But I basically said, you know, if we're a community of women that are supposed to be empowering other women, then we should be, you know, supporting any advent or any evolution of this industry that gives more power to the artist who are selling their clothes or to the media who is writing about them. It's like if we're all in this together, there's power and numbers. So let's not be afraid of the change.

let's, you know, honor it. Let's absorb it. You nailed it on the head that they're scared, right? We'll just talk about Vogue. They produce this magazine for X amount of years, and all of a sudden somebody comes along that has one channel self-produced without a whole team done by themselves,

and it gets more traffic than their entire magazine, right? So it rocks them because they want to say, no, this doesn't work, I can't believe it, but it does, and it is. And it's the same thing with maybe people that work their whole life to get on TV or movies. And the next thing you know, a YouTuber comes out in their video gets 10x the views that their whole movie that they base their whole career on.

And it's frightening to people that have been in that space. So their default is let's disrespect it and discourage it. Whereas I'm like, let's embrace it. It just shows that there's more opportunity. A win for you is a win for me. It's a win for the community. So let's look at what's happening here and embrace that change. Terrell Owen said on Tim Ferriss, remember he said he used to get so mad when he would drive up La Sienega.

And there was a billboard of all these big actors. And he would think, oh, this is so frustrated. I was supposed to be cast for that. I could have done that. And then he started to shift his perspective and realize that what was actually happening was these men booking these huge roles, making millions of dollars, was actually opening the doors for him to get more money, get more fame, get more movies. You want people in your industry to be breaking down those barriers for you to grow as a person

within that industry. Well, it's also not about romanticizing old ways and embracing new ways, right? Like a lot of so many people get stuck saying like, well, this is the way it's supposed to be done. it's like, well, that's not how consumers are behaving anymore, so you have to adjust and change. Well, I mean, even just to shift slightly to politics, because I'm someone who's like a very invested in the political system, you know, we thought Hillary Clinton was obviously going to win the nomination and the presidency, and she didn't. And it was a huge loss, I think, for a lot of people for really advocating for the first female president. And you can look at it that way,

or you can look at the fact that yesterday the more women were sworn into Congress than have ever been sworn in. So she like cracked that ceiling for us and now you've got a hundred women who are now been sworn into Congress and the 116th Congress and that is such a huge stride. So for me I look at any opportunity that a woman has as an opportunity for all women. And it's not, it doesn't have to be, you know, for women in general, but it can be for artists, you know, as an actor. It's like, okay, if Jimmy Tatro, who's like a huge Vine star can now have his own series on Facebook and now be cast in a huge film for Universal, that means there's more opportunity for the sort of non-traditional talent that's out there.

So I try and look at it as that way. I'm not a competitive person. I'm more of like I embrace everyone. What social's done, right, with the visibility or anything, there's so many barriers being broken down right now, which I think we're in a really interesting time where so many things that were taboo or not accepted for. And now, you have that one person that maybe is like a martyr or has to go and take

the fall the first time. But like you said, it breaks down so many barriers. And that's happening across the board and across multiple demonstrations. demographics right now. Speaking of politics, I know you've taken a stance on social media. I've seen you. I've watched you. I've followed you. I'm really inspired by that. What inspired you to speak up and also the vogue thing, all these different avenues and categories and really, really share your voice. I think for me it just comes naturally. You know, I've always been someone who's sort of marched to the beat of my own drum. I'm always someone who's had a voice. I've always been someone who's

used that voice for better or worse. So I think it just comes natural. for me to talk about the things that I'm passionate about. I know a lot of people shy away from topics that are potentially controversial, and I totally respect that and I understand that. For me, it's just that's what I'm passionate about. So if I'm going to start sharing my life with people, I might as well share my life in an authentic way. And so for me, caring about what's going on at the border in my hometown of El Paso, Texas,

and going down there and really investigating it, that's authentic. That's real. so why wouldn't I show that? And it's also, I think what people don't understand is being yourself is what separates you from everybody else, right? And so there's so many incredible women doing incredible things, but why it's so incredible and why people are so engaged because it's authentic and unique to them. So I just have to be authentic and unique to me. And that's what is authentic and unique. So that's why I share it. Okay, that's definitely the soundbite that we're pulling for IG stories. I love that so much. It's so true. You do, you really just have to be yourself. I mean, it is that simple on social media. Obviously, there's other things that go into baking the cake. But that is a really important ingredient. Totally. And I have, I have a, you know, a spectrum of friends who are, you know, on social media and who are actresses and models and influencers. And, you know, it's easy to like look at what they're doing and being like, wow, that's working so well for them. like, am I missing that part? And without fail, any time I try and do something that is not organically mine, it will not work. People smell it. They could say it they can call bullshit real quickly. Our audiences are so discerning. So it's like you have to stay real to you. So it's like,

I have friends that if they started talking about what was going on in the border of El Paso, Texas, their audience would probably be like, what? Like, where is that coming from? But for me, I get stopped more on anything than my advocation of, border policy, my sobriety and being an advocate for people who are, you know, struggling with addiction issues and want to become sober. And so I, like, have a lot of pride in the fact that that's resonating with people, whether I'm in Texas or New York or Miami. That's what people are stopping and talking to me about. So it's obviously resonating with my audience. So I want to continue to speak to them in a way that they're, you know, coming for me, coming to me and listening

about what I have to say. Why did you decide to get sober? Well, I was a alcohol. And drug addict. How old? I got sober when I was 18. Okay. My sister, I did a whole post and like brought her on. She got sober at the same age and it was life changing. Do you think that that's been like the foundation of building your business and being able to do what you wanted to do?

You know, I think for me, sobriety is is just a way of life, you know? And so I really am proud of that. And I think that the tools of being a sober woman has allowed me to sort of. of walk through this business with a level of integrity and grace that I think would have been challenging had I not found that path and frankly I needed to. So I'm glad that I did. I'm glad that I did it when I did it. And I think that there is a stigma attached to people who have the illness of addiction and I'm happy to advocate for the destigmatization of that illness. So I'm proud to talk about it. Do you have any advice for anyone out there who's listening, who's maybe struggling with

their sobriety? You know, I know enough about this disease to know that until you want to get sober, you most likely won't. And so I would say that if you're thinking about it or if you're struggling with it, find a meeting, find someone who is, you know, sober and have a conversation and get into the rooms and sort of embrace the path. The thing that I really love about sobriety in the program that we all work through as we become sober is that it gives people the tools that, you know, we would all hope that everyone has, but that oftentimes we forget accountability, responsibility, integrity. And so I think anyone could benefit from a 12-step program, but I really love it because it allows me to sort of walk through a precarious business,

a precarious world, and have these sets of tools that I can pull from and stand strong. I love that. And I did Al-Anon for a little bit. And that was really helpful with tools that I can apply to my own life, which is crazy because it's for family members to go. But it definitely does help the 12 steps. So what advice would you give to an influencer who's looking to take their business to a different level? Like as an influencer, you now have glam squad, which we can talk about. And that's an entrepreneurial business. Do you have any advice for someone who right now is posting on Instagram or maybe blogging? but wants to maybe launch a product or a business? Well, I think you have a built-in audience. So I think the best, I mean, it's the best case study because you're talking to people who are interested in who you are and what you're talking about. So hearing what they want is the first case study that you have access to.

And then I think the second thing is when it comes to launching a business, I think the most successful businesses are ones where you can identify a problem and then find a solution. That's what people want to know. So whether it's a face mask or a lipstick or hair care or consumer goods, it's identifying where there's a hole in the space and how can you make that better. So for any influencer who's looking to start a business, I would say, what are you passionate about? What is your audience interested in? And then what is the solution to a problem that's already existing that you can help solve and then take that and run with it?

So we talked earlier about how I believe that you really helped pioneer the category of glam. how did you find that niche and discover it? And then how did you create sort of the category online with an app? So I was, I got booked on a television show where I was playing a 16th century Native American Indian. And we were shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was a show called Salem on WGN. And I booked the job on a Monday. I flew out on a Tuesday and we started filming on a Wednesday.

I had long, ombride hair. I had fake eyelash extensions, acrylic nails that I think. think were like, you know, blue or something. And they were like, you're playing a 16th century Native American India. Like you need to get rid of all of that immediately. And I was in this new city and I didn't know where to go and I didn't know, I didn't have a car. And I was like, how am I going to get ready for set, you know, tomorrow? And I started thinking about the marketplace model and what Uber had done. And I thought, surely there was a way to create an equally advantageous platform for both consumer and provider of beauty. How can I go about doing that? And I thought, gosh, you know,

I'm just an actress. I don't really know that much about business. I didn't go to college. I shouldn't do this. And then I thought to myself, why not? I've identified a hole in the marketplace. Why can I not move to find a solution? So I came back to Los Angeles and I was like, I'm going to do it. And I, you know, I went to business school sort of like as I went. That was like the business school of sort of starting your own business. And I just little by little started creating this platform. And I really believed that, that, you know, we could help cultivate young artists who are looking to build their brand, who are entrepreneurs themselves, and help women, every woman, look and feel their best. And that's what I did.

And so, you know, five years later, we've seen multiple businesses in the same space sprout up and people being able to make careers of being, you know, independently run, you know, makeup artists and hairstylists and nail techs. And I'm really proud of what we were able to do as a business as a whole. You know I like stories like this because we get a lot of questions you can imagine with the show, people asking how to start businesses. And I think the biggest problem is, one, people overthinking and they think it needs to be this grand idea that solves this massive problem.

And then two, they think they need to have some level of expertise or experience in order to get started. And stories like this prove out that it doesn't need to be the largest idea. It doesn't need to be that ground. We could just solve a simple problem. And you could just start working on little by little and taking that step is what builds the momentum to build a business. And now five years later, here we are with me using Glam Squad every second. I know.

I'm so excited that you love the business so much. I love it so much because I pay for my time. I'm not, Michael, like the handbags, the shoes, all that is great. But for me, I pay for time. And what Glam Squad does is it gives me an hour to sit uninterrupted on my computer and finish my emails and return DMs and connect with my community. And it opens that space in my day. and then the best part is is when I'm done, I feel awake.

I feel alive. Like I just got off a plane last night. And they were able to come over here and throw on an Ardell lash. And I feel, I mean, I mean, things are bleak right now, but I feel a little bit better. You know, you look amazing. I would never know that you're tired. But that makes me so happy because my whole purpose in creating this on-demand beauty app was allowing women to look and feel their best.

Because I really believe when you look good, you feel good. and when you feel good, you're empowered. And that's what I wanted to give women everywhere. Speaking of beauty, what are your three top beauty tips? And we need specifics. Like if you like a lip gloss, we need to know the brand, which color, like, give us everything. So beauty tips. Well, my first biggest tip is like never, ever, ever go to sleep with your makeup on.

That is just the worst thing that you can do. Yeah, Michael. I keep making that mistake over a minute. But so I love a face wipe. I'm obsessed with Nutrigena right now. So every night, no matter how late it is, no matter, you know, what time I have to be up in the morning, I just wipe all my makeup off and I go to sleep with a clean, fresh face. Two, I'm obsessed with my cuticles.

So I always, always have cuticle oil with me because I just feel like with the weather, it's dry, you're moving your hands around all the time, you're touching stuff. We could both use a cuticle oil, Michael, if I'm being honest. I can use probably a bucket of cuticle oil. I'm really obsessed with Essie right now, so I have like an Essie cuticle oil in my purse that I use, and then Rosebud lip salve or Chanel lip balm because I hate a chap lip. I hate a chap lip. Okay, so let's get into morning routines.

I am obsessed with morning routines. I ask everyone that comes on the show about them, and I have my own very anal, annoying routine that is not involve you, Michael. It's like a piranha in the morning. Are you going to share this morning routine? It's light movement, hydration, meditation, and then fiber coffee and a workout. Like, I have to get these things in before he speaks to me. That's part one. That's part one. Then it goes on.

No, I need, like, I'd love, like, a tangerine oil diffusing in my house. If I'm being honest, perhaps a candle. Maybe, like, right now I'm really, really loving. What's that candle that? A capri-blue. I love their volcano. And then I like, like, a vibe in the house, like maybe some Bossa Nova. I'm specific about my mornings.

So I want to know your routine. Oh, my gosh. I don't talk to her until like... He doesn't talk to me until like three o'clock. I love it. Yeah, I need to come over in the morning. You're having a way to... You can come over.

Do you know who'll be there? Glam Squad will be there. She'll be there. The dogs to be barking. I'll be right at work. So I get up really, really early. Probably about between 5.30 and 6 a.m. Our Glam Squad offices are based in New York,

so it's already 9 o'clock in the morning there. So the first thing I do, this is so sad when I wake up in the morning is I check my emails. Oh. I do. I do. I do. I need to know if I missed anything over the evening. I need to make sure that I'm on top of whatever is happening in the morning.

So I do that. Then I check my CNN app. Make sure I haven't missed any worldly news while I've been my eight hours slumber. I have to have coffee. I let out the dogs. And then I head to the gym. And I don't feel like a human until I've had my coffee and worked out. And then what's your workout at the gym?

So I train at Rise Movement, Jason Walsh, who I love. He's a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. He got his degree in physiology, so he really knows the body. So we do, you know, it's like circuit training. There's like cardio and weights and all different types of fun things that are, you know, well beyond me to be able to articulate. But it's working and I feel for 33 I'm looking pretty good. You're looking great.

Your skin's glowing. Like, you're looking great. Thanks. Anything you do nightly? Well, I drink a bottle of water before I go to bed and I take off my makeup. Those are two non-negotiables, right? I think so. So do I.

Okay, so is there something a trick? I know you work with your husband a lot. Is there a trick of working with your husband? Because sometimes it can be rather difficult. What? You guys work together far more closely than Jesse and I work together. Just on the show. Just on the show.

Yeah. Okay. So, you know, we've been together for 12 years. Yeah, my fiance and I have been together for 12 years. You have to tell us how you might, like, give us the whole background on that. So he was working on a television show called Desperate Housewives. back in the day. My roommate at the time was a hot gardener. Yeah. Okay. So my roommate at the time was also working on the show and he set us up. We were like, neither one of us were really like into each

other. It was like, whatever. Actually, who's my first one night stand? My only one night stand. Nikki's having a heart attack. But like my only one night stand. Neither one of us were really into each other. I don't think I was sober at this point. No, I definitely was not sober at this point. and you know we went we went on our on our way and about three years later we sort of like reconnected and we've been together ever since you guys are inseparable like me and michael though you guys hang out a lot well you know what i will say when we are together we like to spend time together because when we are apart we are apart so we're both like super independent he films a show in the summer for four months and when he's gone he's gone i mean we have days where we don't even

talk to each other because we're just on two different time zones and we're both so busy so like we really have a great balance of like when we're together we really appreciate our time together we spend all of our time together and then when we're apart we're literally apart that's healthy though there's nothing worse honestly like i love lauren but i'm not trying to chip we don't want to chit chat on the phone all day you know and when she's gone and i'm gone it's like you're doing your thing i'm doing my i feel it's kind of strained when you're just constantly like needing attention from i feel like the new thing now is to be in a relationship but have your complete independence at the same time and having a partner and picking and choosing a partner that will allow that space

What makes it better when you get back, right? Totally, because you have something to talk about, one. Two, you get to share experiences that you had separately, which I think is really valuable. And you get to connect in a way that feels like refreshing as opposed to just being on top of each other. Someone asked me the other day, like, what's your favorite thing about Jesse? I don't know if this sounds selfish or not, but it is the truth. My favorite thing about him is he lets me be me. He lets me do me.

So it's like, if I'm like, hey, I'm going to Vegas tonight for four days with my girlfriends, I'll see you when I get back. he would never, he'd be like, okay, have fun. God knows where he would go, Palm Springs with his friends for golfing. We have totally separate lives, and then when we come together, we really value that time. That's the one thing that I think about with social media that I maybe, I don't say I dislike it because I love social media, but if I did dislike one thing, it's that, is that I think about like our parents' generation, they would, you know, maybe they're in Los Angeles together one day and the next minute somebody goes off and they're gone for three months on a vacation and you come back and there's so much to talk about

because you don't know what that person was doing. You don't know where they've been. You don't know their experiences with stories and social now. It's like you go on vacation, you share the whole thing. You get back and it's like, hey, your vacation looked nice. There's nothing to talk about anymore, right? Literally when you walked in, I said, oh, I saw your vacation on Daily Mail. And she goes, how was your vacation?

But we just got back, right? I think we're losing a little bit of that. Mystery. Not just mystery, but the human connection of being able to talk about experiences like that. I wonder what your take is on that. Well, you know, Jesse's 40. Sorry, Jess, but he just turned 40. And he's active on social media, but he is not, like, a millennial in the sense that he is, like, totally engaged.

So he doesn't even watch my stories, which I find hilarious. And he also doesn't post stories. And he posts, like, maybe once a week. So with him, I actually don't ever know, like, what he's doing. Like, I was with my girlfriend last night. And I said that he had left the house at 8 a.m. and it was like a 9 o'clock and I still hadn't talked to him all day. And my friend was like, well, what is he doing all day?

And I was like, I have no idea. But I'm sure it's like driving around on his motorcycle, going to a used car shop, like having coffee, like, thrift store shopping. Like, who knows? But he's actually not as much on social media. So I feel like when I got home less. Yeah, I got home last night. I was like, what did you do all day?

And he was like, I drove around. I went to a thrift store. I did some antiquing. I was like, that's what I thought. You know, so it's great. Yeah, I like that though. I'm not so good on social either. I try to be better, but I'm not.

And I feel it's better because then there's more to talk about, at least in our relationship. But also, even with my friends, I'm like, you know, if I see them constantly, they're sharing every single thing. Then when I see them, there's not as much to share. And I think that's one thing that I dislike about what the social world's done with those or social media world's done. Share some behind the scenes influencer secrets. It could be anything from how you've built your brand to just like a juicy secret.

A juicy? not gossip, just like something that's like maybe people don't see on the outside. The deepest, darkest secrets. Oh my gosh, this is a hard question. Okay, wait, let me think. Well, I think what I can say about myself is I really treat it like it's a business. And so I have a no qualms about saying that I utilize people who are better at what they do than I am. And so when I was running my previous company in the tech field, you know, you learn to, you delegate different tasks to people who are better at doing something than you are.

And so whether it's photography or videography or editing or management, I really rely on a team. So it is not just me and I really value that and I don't think that there's any like shame in talking about it, but I think that people do try and make it appear as though, you know, it's just them. and I'm the kind of person who's like, I like to think that I'm smart enough to know that I can't do everything. And so therefore, I'm going to enlist the people who are better at doing certain things than I am to help me build this brand. So it's not just one person. There are so many people who go, you know, who are behind the scenes that build and help, you know, cultivate these people's careers. That's how you build a company.

Great advice. I agree. Right. You hire people that are better than you in areas that you're weak. All right. I told you I was going to ask you this. Tips for editing the perfect Instagram. Your Instagram feed is amazing.

Really? I think it looks so bad right now. Why? The flow is good. You do? I think the flow is very good. I'm pretty picky, too. Really? Yeah, it looks great.

It's very light and whimsical, but also feels kind of moody. Ooh, okay, perfect. You nailed me to a tee. Okay, good. I like to think I'm light and whimsical, but also like a little edgy and moody. So, you know, for me, I like to play with colors. I like to play with moods. I mean, I think that's also how I am with my fashion.

It's like I wake up one morning and I, you know, I'm like boho chic. And then the next day I'm like biker babe. It's like, you know, you go with what you feel. And I'm sort of the same way on my Instagram. I like to curate content that makes sense. So in the editing world, what I try and do is, okay, if I'm in New York, I know that that background's going to be a little bit more grittier. I know that it's a little bit more edgy.

The backdrops are a little bit more like gritty. So I will sort of edit most likely in A6, which is a visco-filter. because that really brings that out of it. I was just in Miami where the colors are blue and the, you know, palm cheese are green and you're in a bathing suit and everything's so bright. So I moved to S2, which is a filter on. I love these specific. Yeah, well, you said specifically.

I love it. But so I really like to create a feed. I mean, that's part of being a creative person, right, is that you really get into the nitty-gritty and the nuts and bolt. So, like, I like to really, like, curate, you know, my experience to my audience. So I play around with what I think works with that mood. I love it. What is a book, a resource, or a podcast that you can recommend to our audience that's

changed your life and inspiring? Skitty confidential. Duh. You know, I just read Becoming by Michelle Obama. I thought that it was a really well-done book, and I got a lot from it. I'm super, super liberal, but I love Bill O'Reilly's killing series. so I'm a little late. All of them?

Yeah, I've just finished killing Kennedy. I'm like a little behind. But I also, people probably don't know this about me. I drive around in my car only exclusively listening to CNN all day long. So that's sort of where I get my news from. And it's on like a daily feed to the point where my fiance will be like, I cannot listen to this one more second. Like, we get it. We get it.

But that's my resource. to feel connected to what's going on in the world. And I think that, you know, for better or for worse, like Los Angeles, I feel like we're, like, pretty insulated, but there's just so much going on in the world. And I, I personally don't feel good about myself when I'm not connected to society and what's happening as a whole in our country. You feel like CNN does the best of being unbiased or which publication do you think is the best? So, I mean, I think, honestly, there's not, there's always a bias. You know, there's always an agenda, obviously. I actually will flip on Fox News when I'm at home because I like to hear what the other team, what, you know,

what people in the more conservative movement are thinking about things because I feel like in order to have a, you know, a perspective and be able to sort of build your own argument and have your own views, it's really important to hear like what is going on on both agendas. MSNBC, I think it is good, but it's, you know, incredibly liberal. And I have issues with CNN sometimes. I'm like, why are you reporting on so-and-so's breakup? up. Like, you know, like, we've, you know, we've got major issues, you know, Detroit still doesn't have clean water. So, like, why, you know what I mean? Like, why do I care about who just broke up

with who? But I think creating the most balanced digestion of news is the best way to form your own opinion. So I do drive around listening to CNN because I can stomach them the most. But I listen to, you know, MSN and I listen to Fox News. But I think if you, you would just, like, have C-SPAN on, you probably would get bored. But it's the least bias of it. No, it's smart, though, to do it that, to digest information that way, because people, you know, they pick one news outlet one or the other, and then what happens is they can't see the other side. And like, we were talking about the election earlier, and I don't leave one or the other. But what happened was a lot of these news outlets were only reporting on one side, and they didn't realize that there was a whole other side that wasn't being represented. And so it threw people off. And they're like, how the hell did that just happen? It's because they weren't acknowledging both sides of the coin. You have to do that. And I think in any field, not just in politics, but anything. Yeah, I mean, it's about being well-balanced, you know, in any way. And listen, I'm a Texas girl. My parents and family that are incredibly conservative and swing one way.

They don't know how they got me as a daughter, but we like make it work. So I feel like it's important to be able to have conversations on an intellectual level that are not just like, you're wrong, but understanding sort of where someone is coming from and how they got to that opinion. And a lot of it is dictated by what they're viewing and how they're digesting their news. So I try and keep it pretty balanced. You are a lovely guest. Pimp yourself out. Tell us where they can be.

That was an hour. Oh, my God. That went by so fast. We had the best time. I had the best time. So many gems in this interview, honestly. Thank you. Well, thank you for having me.

Yeah. I mean, Glam Squad all the way for me. Woo! At Glam Squad. At Glam Squad. My personal Instagram is Kara A. Santana. Someone already had Kara Santana, so there's an extra A. Santa.

And yeah, follow me. What's your blog? Oh, Kara Disclothed. Okay. Any other things you can pimp out when we're here? Oh, yeah. If you want to catch me on my series with Jimmy Tatro, it's on Facebook Watch, Real Bros of Seamy Valley. And then my show on Star, thank God I have my manager sitting right next me for those of you who are listening in and wondering why I'm taking giant pauses. My show Vita on Stars comes back in April, season two. We'll be watching. Yay, thanks guys. Thanks so much for having me. Thanks for coming on.

Wait, guys, don't go yet. Before you go, I'm going to do a beauty giveaway inspired by Kara. I am going to give away five very beauty TSC items to one of you. I will drop into your DMs and send it to you all packed up in skinny confidential wrapping with a skinny confidential pop socket. All you have to do is let us know your favorite part of this episode on my latest Instagram. Make sure that if you are entering these giveaways that you're subscribed and you've rated and reviewed the podcast on iTunes, it takes like five seconds. And be sure to tune in on Friday because we have another episode coming at you. This episode was brought to you by Misfit wearables and their brand new smart watch, Misfit Vapor 2.

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Anyways, they have all these powders that are superfood blends, okay? And they're kind of like an elixir, too. My favorite is the mushroom hot cacao. I do it at night. It really, really helps with my sweet tooth. So nice to wind down. Anyways, they have a special offer for just TSC, him and her listeners. Go to 4Sigmatic.com forward slash skinny and in our promo code Skinny at checkout for 15% off your entire order.