Lina Cardona’s Journey from a Commercial Manager to an Internationally Successful Artist (It’s Never Too Late)
Traditional careers, such as medicine, engineering, and entrepreneurship have consistently been viewed as more ‘worthy’ or ‘important.’ It is due to the stereotypical mindset of the society, where each profession is scored based on its’ technicality,’ ‘difficulty,’ and ‘scope.’ As a result of this, individuals who aspire to pursue unique professions such as a career in the field of arts, especially acting or modeling, often compromise on their career choice. They are forced to make career choices that the world label as ‘genuine’ and ‘more important’ to keep up with society’s expectations.
Even in a world where technology prevails and innovations enter the horizon every day, the mindset has not evolved much over-time. As the world moves forward, it has given birth to forward-thinking individuals who do not let the world’s mindset weigh them down.
The individuals with a ‘modern’ mindset have now started to take a stand for their interests and pursue them without letting the world tell them what they should be doing. Following in their footsteps, many individuals, who realize they are in the wrong field, gain the courage to change their careers midlife.
Sometimes people do not realize their true passions and interests until they step into it. Exploring different fields is how these individuals come face-to-face with their passions. Changing career midlife after identifying where the real interest lies – there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. As the saying goes- “If you never try, you’ll never know.”
Among the people who have been courageous enough to take the bold step of changing their careers is Lina Cardona, today a popular fashion model and actress in Columbia and all South America. Lina was born in Medellín, Antioquia, not knowing that she was meant to be a star in the entertainment sector. Lina graduated with a degree in Business Administration and stepped into the professional world quite early, at the age of 21. She joined Seguros Sura and worked as a commercial manager till 2013.
Finding the True Purpose in Life
In 2013, Lina underwent a career change, starting her professional modeling trajectory when she participated in a national beauty competition, “Señorita Bogota” Right on her first beauty competition, she was titled the vice queen of the contest. The very next year, she appeared on the famous reality show ‘Colombia’s Next Top Model’ of Canal Caracol, an internationally recognized platform based on Tyra Banks’ ‘America’s Next Top Model.’. The appearance served Lina well and proved wondrous for her modeling career when she won the second award in the reality show. From there on, Lina began booking modeling jobs with some of Columbia’s largest brands, including Cerveza Aguila, for which she became ‘Chica Aguila,’ touring the country’s different celebrations and festivals for an entire year, spreading joy and warmth to the Colombians. Her career has taken a major turn and grown ever since. Spreading a message that it is never too late to find the true purpose and the right direction in life.
Acting as a Passion
Once Lina entered into the field of arts, there was no going back. She took her time to understand the profession and fell in deep admiration for this industry and her work.
“It was not a whim of becoming an actress, but after learning about this profession, I was passionate about it, and I took it as a way of life,” says Lina. It is true when the world says that opportunities knock on the door when they are least expected.
The beauty queen then took part in different workshops to prepare herself for her television debut. ‘Bloque de Busqueda’ on RCN Channel was how she entered the TV industry, marking her territory.
Lina’s performance in the TV series as ‘Maritza’ as a strong emotional girl was how she proved her capability to the audience. Her acting skills forced the scriptwriters and directors to make her character last until the very end of the TV series.
Not just this, but Lina appeared on other noteworthy TV series productions as well. La Nocturna in 2017, La Reina del flow in 2018, and El man es Germán in 2019 are some of the prominent performances that add weight to her acting portfolio.
Building a Global Fanbase
Due to her committed and keen work style, Lina has been bombarded with numerous opportunities during the last years. She was offered to appear in TVCs for South American brands as well as high-end international brands such as Claro 4G, Ego, 4-72, Telmex, and Renault. All this helped her acquire a worldwide recognition.
She was offered to feature several videos for famous Latin pop stars such as Francy and Jonathan Moly, adding more value to her portfolio. With her international acknowledgment, she was offered major campaigns for ads, brands in Colombia, and magazines such as Cerveza Aguila, Ego, Renault, and Claro. Appearing on featured articles and becoming the face of national magazines like MasQVer, El Espectador, Q’hubo, Boga, Gente Rosa, and Tv & Novelas led her to a point where she stands today not only as a renowned model and actress but also as a real celebrity in the industry.
As one of Colombia’s lead models, Lina Cardona did not only participate on the small screen through different productions such as “Las Vegas” and “Alias JJ” but was also made an appearance in ‘Macho,’ a Mexican movie. In 2017, she starred in ‘El show de Cejas Pobladas’ with Ricardo Quevedo, establishing a vast network of fans from all across the world.
At present, a person’s social media following is a depiction of their success. While creating a huge fan following, Lina has managed to receive a verified badge from Instagram. Verified badges are only awarded to individuals who are either well-known figures, celebrities, or influencers. It elevates the person’s significance and makes a big difference to brands, companies, and even magazines since the audience mostly likes to see well-known people on the cover page.
Working on her modeling and acting career side by side, Lina Cardona has attracted an audience from every part of the world. Her contribution to the art industry is praiseworthy and cannot be overlooked.
Only a few individuals can take the step to change their careers during their midlife since it requires courage and dedication to start over. It is not easy to start something one has never been a part of. Yet, Lina Cardona has been amongst individuals who did not let their circumstances or choices come in the way of their success. She has paved her way through the industry and managed to accomplish a lot independently in a short period, setting an example for all those reluctant to pursue their dreams and change careers midlife!
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Essince Global Urban Culture connoisseur. CEOwner of Royal Heir Ent.™ (international tour booking, media promotion, distribution), Author, Basketball Team Owner, and Radio Host in 日本!
