Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Evangelista
Hi Sandy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We see the trend happening now of people referencing to their lives before and after covid, well mine is before and after cancer. At just the age of 16 I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. A young teenager who had just professionally entered the modeling industry, captain of a high school basketball team, and quickly picking up on her love of writing was facing a major reality check. What turned into my worst and best experience got me to where I am today.
Today I am a full time model, commercial actress, and a brand/marketing coordinator. To obtain these titles in the last 11 years has been extremely fulfilling to satisfy all the sides of my personality.
I never stopped modeling after my diagnosis and even took on a real hair wig to maintain my look for work. I would receive treatment and still go to set to shoot. With my mother on-site rushing me to my personal “sick bucket”. It was very important for me not to quit because I was physically weak. Maintaining the idea of beauty during that sickness was difficult but I did what I could to keep up my self esteem. Something I learned later on will always be something to work at. Later on as my confidence with my disease grew, I was comfortable removing my wig and rocking the short hair! Which got me to work and live in New York City. I have been professionally signed since 2013 in New York, Miami, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Gracing New York Fashion Week runways and Miami Swim Week for six show seasons, beauty campaigns such as Covergirl, and my feature in magazines such as Elle, Vogue, InStyle, GQ, Cosmopolitan, & Harpers Bazar. This part of my personality stems from my side of confidence, creating beauty, and embracing myself the way I am. We are constantly evolving and I believe in owning each one of those phases and capturing it.
Commercial acting has been new and exciting in the last few years with my hub in Miami, Florida. You can currently catch me on the latest High Noon commercial during Saturday college game day. I actually started in theatre acting before I was model. I loved musical theatre, before my voice change, and did six broadway shows in Atlanta growing up. Once I got scouted for modeling I kinda left this part of me behind to give that my full attention. I’m glad my life has brought me back to lively sets where I’m working with other artists on fun projects. I spend my days doing self tapes, zoom auditions, and in-person ones. All part of the process of getting booked. You do get more no’s than yes’s and I often get asked how I deal with constant rejection but its simple, the yes’s are all that matter. What is not for you will not be for you. Something I learned from my parents.
When covid happened and modeling/acting was my only source of income I quickly tapped back into my love of writing. Specifically creative writing. I was able to work my way into the PR world in Miami. Working to build hospitality businesses, maintaining and evolving brand image, and even working with local influencers to build their presence across platforms. My ability to write engaging press releases got me published in many media outlets in South Florida. And attached with my eye for appealing content, I was able to build a name for myself and become a reliable source for my clients across the nation. Growing up I was always writing short stories, writing for my school’s newspaper, and was even hired to write eulogies for people I had never even met, basically anything you need written I could whip up and even jerk a few tears if need be.
I feel most inspired working on new projects and change excites me. My friends and family mean the world to me and are the ones who keep me grounded in such a busy lifestyle. I’m usually not in any place for too long as I’m always traveling whether for work or pleasure but Miami Beach will always be home and the place I never want to leave. This city has brought me so many opportunities and a safe space for my creativity to thrive. I’m looking forward to the next 10 years in Miami!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! Building yourself and your brand from scratch is always going to have struggles arise. Having to be your own boss requires lots of discipline and commitment. Understanding that there are so many factors working against us that are out of our control is something I have to keep reminding myself. Letting go of that control is a true testament of trusting yourself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Right now what I’m working on most is the brand identity and marketing for an event production company that throws music festivals at theme parks across the country. Specifically Thrill City at Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA. This has been such an amazing project and seeing the feedback from event goers, fans, and media outlets has been rewarding. Growing up, theme parks and concerts were my favorite pastime, practically a hobby with how much I went to them!
I’m responsible for marketing materials that are set in place from the first announcement all the way through post production. Writing and pitching press releases to appropriate outlets for publication and promotion. Monitoring social media platforms with strategic posting schedules and engagement participation. Influencer marketing and managing who align with the brand to promote us and attend the festival in during/post content creation purposes. All these points are essential to selling out an event. Something I’ve learned through trial and error and now have a successful formula to ensure this for my clients.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My favorite book of all time is The Outsiders. A book that changed my perspective in life was Many Lives, Many Masters. And a book I keep handy for constant inspiration is Milk and Honey.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyevangelista_/
