Meet Christa Santos

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christa Santos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christa, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose from being exposed to many challenges throughout my life. I came to college at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and it opened up so many opportunities for me. The biggest was being part of my sorority which gave me lifelong friends and confidence to do anything. I had a genuine support system and was exposed to so many different types of people that it helped give me perspective and understanding. UCF was a great university and gave the experience to make wonderful friends and connections and learn my passion which was Journalism, specializing in Public Relations.

Throughout my journey, I had many highs and lows but kept perservering knowing that God had a plan and purpose for my life. In each of these challenges I rose above and learned something that I could take away from each experience and apply to my life. God was shaping and molding me for a greater purpose. One that I may now know or understand but would be a reflection for others. In the early journey, I volunteered with many organizations trying to find that “break” that would give me the opportunity to pursue a career I had pursued. Each opportunity equipped me with new skills, insight and connections. Friendships were made along the path that would forever be part of my tapestry.

I knew I wanted to find a career that was fulfilling and where I could make a positive impact. I pursued marketing and after a series of volunteering I finally obtained a clerical position at Disney, It provided me with various inight on event planning as I was in the department that was the precursor to the Fairy Tale Weddings Department. It was a great job and I stayed there for about three years but wanted more experience. So my search continued once again, until I landed a job as the Executive Director of the Arthritis Foundation. That propelled me to organize a board of directors, committees, a camp for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and a clinic for the medically indigent. I traveled to California and received training to implement national events. I even got a car donated from Saturn of Orlando (as well as the insurance) from Progressive Insurance – that taught me to dream big and never give up! By having this vehicle we drove a nine county service area helping people of all ages suffering with arthritis. I felt good about making a positive impact in the lives of others. During that time I also got married and really started establishing my life in Orlando, FL. I learned how to be the leader I wanted and respected and managed a team of four employees as well as the advisory board for the organization.

After that position I stayed in the nonprofit arena and worked with the MS Society and eventually the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation where I raised over $300K for a walk event and more than $80K for a walk event in a new market. I learned the strategy to be successful and a fundraising model that would serve me in other career endeavors.

After JDRF I worked with a nonprofit organization the Central Florida Innovation Corporation (CFIC) that would help entrepreneurs find access to capital and spin out companies from research obtained from UCF. This was a great experience that provided the opportunity to engage and learn more about entrepreneurship and venture capital. I served in this role for about seven years and then obtained my masters degree in Public Administration during this time. I also had my daughter and was fortunate to be able to work from home in the early part of her life which was the greatest gift. My family was my greatest gift and it was a balancing act to be a working mother.

Sadly my job with CFIC ended as the nonprofit was not able to sustain itself but I was then offered an opportunity to work with the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research & Commercialization. I worked for UCF ORC for about eight years managing different events and projects regarding entrepreneurship, business incubation and economic development activities that UCF was advancing. I learned to deal with politics and different personalities in the work place and would lead a department for three years focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation. I was in the heart of the action in town and exposed to so many unique opportunities.

Throughout all of these experiences I met people and gained insight that would put me in certain situations to share insight or experiences and apply them to my journey.

Fast forward now and I have had my own business for nearly 20 years. I started small building it by word of mouth referral and have grown into an established company. My purpose was clear to me now – working for good – improving the lives of others in the ways – organizations that I work to make a positive impact. Whether it be for women in STEM for technical careers, mentoring people as I have had about 200 interns spanning my career, or. the value that I bring to the organizations in which I serve as a volunteer – advisory boards, business and professional membership organizations and my church.

Through it all I underscore the point that it’s not what others can do for me, but what I can do for others through my experience and insight that will work for good! One light added to other lights can shine brightly.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In my role I am the president/founder of CKS Marketing Communications LLC. We are a full-service marketing consultancy that works with small to medium sized companies primarily in the technology sector and professional services.

I started my company after I found out that the organization I was working with was closing due to lack of funding. What began as project work turned into contract work and I was fortunate to have a base client which was UCF. I worked with UCF for 12 years and then about six years ago fully went out on my own.

I built my company based on referral but also made sure to collaborate and partner with colleagues that I could trust along the way. The biggest key to succes for being a small business owner is being current in the industry and also pivoting as needed. I have been niche focused but also apply industry best practices.

I have produced conferences and executive meetings, developed marketing campaigns and advertising, as well as branding to raise the profile of the companies I work with whether it’s awards or other activities. In order to represent my clients, I need to feel passionate about the work they do and align with their corporate values. I become an extension of their team and work toward the strategic goals of success that they are pursuing. In a way I categorize it as “the extreme home makeover for companies!”

What I love most about my job is that it’s never the same thing – I get to be creative and work with others and collaborate. I am in control of the work I do and the clients I take on. I enjoy the opportunity to partner with others and help them become successful. My goal is always to give back and have value. The main thing I stress is quality and protecting the reputation of my clients as well as my own company.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The skills that were the most successful for my journey were customer service – working at Disney. The training I received as part of their Central Reservations Office (CRO) and also the Convention Services Department gave me great insight and perspective to strive to exceed expectations and provide creative, quality work.

I also had the opportunity to volunteer at the local television station and by having that on my resume, it opened doors. What skills I was missing I filled in by volunteering. This included speech writing, fundraising and desktop publishing. At the time, having integrated skills was a requirement – being able to create flyers, write press releases, and then dabbling into websites.

Now it’s evolved to website and social media management and tools that enhance performance through SEO, advertising and other mediums.

My advice for those starting out is to volunteer – don’t be afraid to give in order to receive. Stay on the forefront of technology and never stop learning. As AI and other tools advance, embrace it and learn how to tap into it vs competing with it.

When possible attend conferences or networking events. It really is who you know and those connections always serve you well. When you don’t know anyone, start small. Serve on committees, that exposes you to others. You bond. Leadership development programs also add value – I served in our Leadership Orlando program and made great connections and gained tremendous insight about our community.

I also was fortunate to work in positions that had stature and that exposed me to key decision makers and industry influencers. I vowed to work and mentor others, so I established my intern programs and worked with more than 200 students over my 20 years.

The qualities that best served me were being eager to learn – always ask what else you can help with and don’t sit back. Be proactive but not overly aggressive. Being respectful and not arrogant. Also survey the landscape and assess the personalities of those you work with – you may not get along with everyone but see how they interact and determine the best approach to get things done.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was to help me with my college. They paid for my college education which allowed me to not accrue debt. It was a tremendous gift and they went on to help me obtain my masters degree as well. Having an education is critical and imperative to making your goals a reality. It exposes you to learning more in your field and the additonal training that you need by offering internships or work study programs.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Embracing Risk

Embracing risk is one of the most powerful things anyone can do to level up

Leadership Development
Perspectives on Where and How to Foster Generosity

Core to our mission is building a more compassionate and generous world and so we

Productivity
Stories of Overcoming Creative Blocks and Finding New Paths to Creativity

“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old