Meet Shod Santiago | Actor, host, influencer, published author, Artist.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shod Santiago and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shod, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up between Maryland and Queens NY. My background and upbringing impacts who I am today in so many ways. My entire personality is a reflection of past experiences. I’ll say this though, my background and upbringing has made me guarded, driven, standoffish and more. Long story short , I need therapy LOL

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I’m most proud of EVERYTHING! Everything I want to do , I do. I dream big and I go after all of my dreams. If I had to choose one thing, I’ll say publishing my first book. I was always on punishment in highschool and I wrote a book. I printed it out and saved it and published it 15 years later. I got to where I am by God and manifestation. However , if we want to get technical, I made a video on vine and it went viral and from there, Shod Santiago became a household name! Hiiii! It wasn’t easy, Thank God I have tough skin. I used to get so much hate and backlash just for being openly gay. The lessons I’ve learned are everyone isn’t your friend in this industry. Clapping back isn’t always necessary (although , I’’m going to clap back, again and again and again.

What I want the world to know is, I’m always going to win because I’m a good person. Whatever I put my mind to, I can do. I’m very selective about projects that I do because I care about my brand. Stay tuned though. Hiiii

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To be honest, I tell my friends all the time, I am not a tour guide. LOL! Contrary to popular belief, I’m a homebody. When my friends come to town, I like to stay in and cook. Let’s watch movies and vibe. Go to the spa, get massages, manis and pedis. Let’s take a break from the world and love on one another.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My supporters deserve all of the credit. I’ve been in this industry for about 8 years now and my supporters are literally what keep me going. I still to this day can’t believe that I have a supporter base because of me being ME. The fact that ppl love me and support me solely because of my personality is amazing. There are times when I get discouraged and I’ll check my dms and see “I love you Shod”. I love those who love me. My supporters are legit the reason I keep going. It’s such a great feeling to know that ppl idk personally want to see me win.

Website: Shodsantiago.com

Instagram: Shodsantiago

Twitter: Shodsantiago

Facebook: Shodsantiago

Youtube: Shodsantiagovlogs