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HEY, I'M
SANTEKA!
I’m Santeka, a New Jersey-based multi-hyphenate creativepreneur blending business consulting, content creation, and web design. I live my life out loud as I travel, grow my business, and navigate the world as a millennial Southern Baddie.
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Over the past three years, I’ve built a thriving brand, organically grown my social media following, and founded The Creator Parlor®—my signature program helping entrepreneurs and creators grow with clarity, strategy, and confidence.
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My mission is simple: to empower you to live boldly, build authentically, and embrace your story as fully and colorfully as I do.
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Background Story
I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, a suburb just west of Dallas. From a young age, I loved helping with family events, and my passion for bringing ideas to life became clear early on. My eighth birthday party was my first successful event, perfectly planned and on budget (with my mom’s guidance, of course). When I was assigned a project in an undergraduate communication course to research careers, I knew event planning was where I wanted to focus my energy. That led to an internship at one of Austin, Texas’s top event consulting companies.
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I earned a BS in Communication Studies (Corporate Communication) and a BA in Ethnic Studies (African and African American Studies) from the University of Texas at Austin. While there, I studied American Sign Language and immersed myself in the local community. In 2011, I studied abroad in Brussels, Belgium, exploring European culture and studying French, and the following year, I was selected to study abroad in Bluefields, Nicaragua. After graduation, I worked as a Professional Elite Matchmaker and Coordinator for It’s Just Lunch before following my calling to New York City and applying to graduate school.
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I was accepted to New York University, where I earned an MA in Africana Studies through the Graduate School of Arts and Science. Though I initially planned to live in Harlem, high rent pushed me to Newark, New Jersey instead. After graduation, I joined Rutgers University–Newark in the Office of the Chancellor, where I led the development of the P3 Collaboratory for nearly five years. In 2021, I decided to fully pursue entrepreneurship, and that same year, my boyfriend and I purchased our first home / investment property in New Jersey.
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This is the long story short…for all the details, read on!
The Launch
In 2018, I took a leap of faith after realizing my love and talent for planning trips. It all began with a birthday trip to Europe. After hours of scouring the internet, I successfully mapped out a four-country itinerary, but not without a few hiccups. Generic travel sites and blogs didn’t provide the level of detail I needed, so while sitting in the airport in Santorini, I began jotting down notes for family and friends who often asked me for travel tips. Those notes quickly turned into the blueprint for what I thought would be a travel-inspired business.
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Originally, I envisioned a company that combined my love of travel with event coordination - a travel and event planning firm. But as I tried to build it, I realized I wasn’t happy and struggled to move things forward. Around that time, I discovered the world of Instagram and realized I could share my travel experiences and even earn an income doing it. I had no idea “regular” people were working with brands, so I dove headfirst into learning social media, website development, photo editing, and more. I built my online presence from nothing. . .even though I had previously been, in a way, anti-social media. Irony? Not lost on me.
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On February 29, 2020, I officially launched my blog. Then, the world shut down due to COVID-19, forcing me to pivot since I could no longer travel. But the pause became an opportunity. I expanded my content beyond travel and dedicated myself to learning how to build a sustainable income as a content creator. That moment set the foundation for everything I do today.
My Exit
During this time, I was also facing challenges at my job, which only compounded the stress I had been experiencing. My anxiety was through the roof, and I was dealing with debilitating stomach issues. I initially thought it was burnout and decided to take a month off to reset. When I returned, it only took about two weeks before I made the decision to resign.
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The first few months of 2021 were a whirlwind. I submitted my notice at the end of January, closed on our house in February, and by March, I had officially left my job, moved into our new home, and landed my first paid brand deal.
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To be completely honest, I didn’t have a clear plan for what came next. What I did know was this: my health and happiness had to come first, I was determined to find a way to earn an income, and above all, I knew I was scrappy enough to land on my feet no matter what.
Present Day
I’m a multi-hyphenate creativepreneur, blending business consulting, web design, and content creation. I also founded The Creator Parlor®, my signature program designed to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and creators build and sustainably grow their businesses with clarity, strategy, and confidence. Over the years, I’ve planned conferences, spoken on stages, curated trips, and helped companies and brands grow. I’ve also had the honor of partnering with major brands like Sam’s Club, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Instant Brands, and Urban Skin Rx.
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It took time for me to feel confident betting on my vision, but I’m grateful for this moment. Today, I’m living my life out loud, pursuing my passions, and helping others turn their ideas into thriving, sustainable businesses.
My website is dedicated to my grandfather, Albert Williams
In 2008, my grandfather took my mother and me on our first international trip. At the time, I didn’t know him well, as he had spent over 30 years in Angola Penitentiary, but it was important to him that we get our passports and experience the world. That trip not only gave me the chance to build a relationship with him, but it also planted the seed that has since blossomed into my love for travel and exploration.
