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

Alan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

Today’s educational system needs to be completely revamped and overhauled. Our educational system here in the United States is a for-profit system, particularly at the higher academic levels. As young students, we are taught generic reading, math, history, and basic science. This continues throughout our journey from middle school and on into high school. Suppose you decide to continue your education into higher learning. In that case, you have to repeat many of the same courses that you have already taken in high school, and it comes as a financial burden for many families. I see a complete failure of our educational system, leaving many students behind due to finances, and that is not fair. What we should be teaching our students is classes that prepare them for daily life, from banking, saving money, and investing for the future. We also need to have courses that teach young people skilled labor jobs, like electricians, plumbers, HVAC mechanics, and even asphalt paving. These are highly skilled jobs and pay extraordinarily well in the six-figure range; in some cases, skilled labor positions earn more than someone with a college degree. There are shortages for skilled labor positions today, and the situation is worsening daily.

Alan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. As a young boy, I continually had medical issues with asthma, and a doctor told my parents to move us closer to the ocean, where the air was much cleaner. I attended Fries Avenue Elementary School when I was constantly picked on and bullied due to my small size. That’s when I decided to go home and ask my mother if my father would teach me how to defend myself. I learned how to box, and from that point on, I never looked back. Boxing became a sport where I could excel, no matter how small I was. That turned into a 50-plus-year career. Today, I am still involved with the sport as a supervisor for title bouts and also an international boxing judge. I founded Bay Cities Paving in December of 1989 at the age of 28. I married my wife Annamarie in June of 1986, who was my biggest fan, when I was boxing professionally. My career was short-lived due to a serious accident while driving a company truck.
Fortunately for me, I had started my company, Bay Cities Paving Inc., a few years before my accident, and I had that to fall back on. Many professional athletes never stop to think about the WHAT-IFs. Being a professional athlete in any sport, be it boxing or baseball, you need to have a plan B in place just in case something does happen. When we are young, we are invincible, and many athletes wind up broke due to bad decision-making, bad investments, or just bad people hanging around them. This is a part of the sport that no one likes to talk about, so I sat down and wrote my first book titled UNPROTECTED, BOXING BUSINESS AND LIFE. The idea behind this was to educate boxers, athletes from all walks of life, and businesspeople. Along the way, I founded NO TEEN RIDERS, a nonprofit to help educate teen drivers about the laws of driving. My nonprofit won several awards for its work with high school teenagers across the country. I also became a national reading ambassador for the READ60 program and have my book titled READ60 WITH ALAN SANTANA. I mentor elementary school-aged children by discussing Bullying, Drugs, Gangs, and Drugs. This program is near and dear to my heart because of the bullying that I had to endure during my youth. I have recently won awards for my writing and am currently awaiting the release of my second book, UNPROTECTED THE FINAL ROUND, any day now. We have four adult children, Victoria, Austin, Andrew, and Aaron. Austin is married to his lovely wife Kourtney, and they just recently had their first child, Jude, who just turned one. Andrew will be engaged to his fiancée, Tia, when they embark on a one-year journey around the country. Our youngest son, Aaron, is still at home with us and working at Hoag Hospital. Our daughter Victoria recently moved to Savannah, Georgia, and is settling into her new environment. I will continue running my paving company, Bay Cities Paving Inc., which is celebrating its 36th year in business and continues to grow. I will start working on my 3rd book and hope to have it done sometime in mid-2026, I will still be working with children across the country to mentor them and help give them a head start on life.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2008 – 2009, the economy took a steep nose dive, and my paving company came to a complete halt. The work dried up, and calls stopped coming in. I had to make some serious business decisions in order to survive. This was a very tough and rough time for me personally. My company during the prior year, 2006 – 2007, was recognized in Fortune 500 magazine as one of the fastest-growing small businesses in America. That was a very proud moment for me, and we had an article written up about my company during that time. We had three paving crews running on a daily basis, servicing Los Angeles County and Orange County, and when the business had dried up, I had to let employees go who were with me for 20 years. They were like family to me, and I was responsible for their financial livelihood. We downsized to a four-man crew and would work maybe one or two days a week if we were lucky. I was forced into a very dark situation, and I did not have control over it. At one point, I even contemplated taking my own life, because things had become that bad for me and my company. Fortunately for me, with many years of training for boxing matches, I developed a never-quit attitude and did whatever I had to do to survive financially. My wife Annamarie was a huge support system for me during those terrible times, along with my wonderful brother-in-law, David, with whom I could confide because we were both in the same situation. Needless to say, I survived those very dark and trying times, and today I am doing what I truly love to do and looking forward to whatever the future has in store for me.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When you are thinking of starting a business, there are many things that you need to take into consideration, such as whether to incorporate your business and where to get funding for your business. I had to open a bank account for my business with a few thousand dollars initially. I did a few small paving projects and would put aside the profit from each project. It was a rough start, but I knew that if I stuck to my plan and vision, I could make it and survive. The statistics for start-up companies and the ability to survive for the first five years are very slim, and many businesses actually fail due to poor planning. Today, there are several agencies that can get you business funding and banks that can lend you money as well, as long as you have a business plan in place. The SBA can even assist you in getting a loan with a very low interest rate. Planning is key when starting a business, and be prepared to put in long hours to succeed. I always say that you need to be passionate about whatever it is that you want to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://AlanSantana.com
• Instagram: AlanSantana2838
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.santana1
• Yelp: BAY CITIES PAVING LOMITA

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