Meet Dana Alexa | Newscaster & TV Host

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

Hi Dana, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is a big reason that led to my career in becoming a news anchor, For the entirety of my life, up through college, I grew up in the state of Maryland. Born and raised. It’s pretty routine for most people to stay in-state, get a job nearby, and continue on. I just knew there was something better for me, something more fast-paced, and overall something different. I accepted the challenge of moving all the way across the country, having no family in the area, no friends, in a brand new city — San Diego! All I knew, is that I had a vision in place and that I wanted to make this city mine. After nearly three years here, I can proudly say just that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started at my current news network as an intern. I knew there was room for growth and cultivating my brand. I’ve had the privilege to meet others in the industry that have sat down and worked with me in polishing certain aspects of my work — whether it was on-air presence, voice, deadlines, booking interviews, or subject matter — I wanted to soak up as much information and apply it to any of my future work. Throughout the course of growing and learning, I have inevitably had to come face to face with rejection, in order to get to where I am today. My professor at the time wasn’t too fond of me, and in all fairness, I wasn’t the best student. When I found out I never got the anchor position I wanted, it struck me, a pain so deep. I’ve had this vision since the 7th grade, I stuck with it, all these years, and though it didn’t go my way, I didn’t give up. As corny as it may be, the saying remains true — never give up on your dreams. Follow through and persevere. Failure, practice, and persistence are the ingredients to an everlasting successful story. Looking back, it was pretty damn cool to be interviewing senators and members of congress on Capitol Hill.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, there is no itinerary, which is what makes San Diego such an amazing city. You could go really anywhere, or eat just about anything and be happy with the results. There’s so much to do and see that friends visiting from out of town, you would need longer than a week in order to get the full SD experience. However, say it’s just a weekend, this would be my plan.

Must start the day off right. Better Buzz isn’t even a question. I need my coffee in order to function and BB does not disappoint! ‘Best Drink Ever,’ of course.

For brunch, I like to keep it a casual outing, but still make it tasty. ‘K Sandwhiches’ in my neighborhood of Linda Vista is exactly that spot.

I’m a very active individual. I need to break a sweat in order to feel like I’ve done something productive for the day. Moving out here, you almost have no choice but to like hiking. A quick hike up Cowles mountain is one of my go-tos. I still haven’t made my goal of hiking up there in under 30 minutes, but I’m close. (at 33 min now). Hitting up my other favorite place/my second home is Renegade Fitcamp – a solid hour workout to set the mood right for the remainder of the day.

Afterwards – if I were to hit a slump period – going to WindandSea beach at La Jolla where we can laze about and fall asleep to the waves crashing.

Dinner would be at Cafe Sevilla at the Gaslamp District. Because who doesn’t love Spanish-style food and live music? Next door to the restaurant is another place you could find me, as Sevilla has their very own nightclub.

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?
I give all my thanks to my family, friends, and teachers throughout the years that believed in me through this journey. Change can be a daunting experience, and at the time, the thought of moving my life to California was a challenge. I’ve struggled through life transitioning to new environments. It took me some time to acclimate to my surroundings before letting comfort sink in, Knowing that I had all the support in the world from them really gave me the fuel I needed to run with a dream and never look back.

Instagram: @DanaAlexaNews

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-alexandra-cohen-950b63ab/

Twitter: @DanaAlexaNews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaAlexaNews/

Image Credits
for the headshot with brick in the background – @DruSablan makeup shot – @lilyluque_