Author, Fighter, Builder: How Alan Santana Uses His Life Story to Empower the Next Generation Through UNPROTECTED

Alan Santana shares hard-earned lessons from boxing and business through UNPROTECTED, guiding young athletes and professionals toward smarter futures.

Alan Santana, author of UNPROTECTED and founder of Bay Cities Paving, has squeezed his entire life’s lessons into an inspiring memoir. His life spans boxing rings, construction sites, and boardrooms… distinct spaces that influenced his thinking and discipline.

Santana is known today as a respected businessman and industry leader. As an author who speaks directly to young athletes and professionals, he offers valuable advice for stepping into high-stakes careers. His book, UNPROTECTED, reflects decades of lived experience and speaks clearly to prevent mistakes he has seen too often.

Alan Santana: Lessons Earned the Hard Way

Santana spent more than fifty years in the fight world. He competed as an amateur and a professional fighter. He has also worked with sanctioning bodies from the American Boxing Organization, the World Boxing Federation, and is currently working with the World Boxing Foundation. He watched careers rise quickly and collapse just as fast. Money came in and went right back out. Knowledge did not. The result was predictable.

In UNPROTECTED, Santana explains why talent alone fails. One passage captures his purpose: “I have seen too many professional athletes make millions of dollars, only to wind up completely broke in many cases after their respective careers are over or, in some instances, even before they are over.”

This sentence encapsulates the purpose of the book: to prevent this from happening. The book does not glorify struggle but explains it. Santana addresses young athletes who think contracts equal security. He challenges that belief with facts.

The book covers themes that are not limited to boxing.

• Understanding contracts before signing.
• Knowing who profits from your labor.
• Planning for life after peak performance.
• Learning business skills early.
• Avoiding financial dependence on advisors.

Santana pushes fighters to prepare for the future, not fame. However, he does not preach but advises. His style is based on how he built his career step by step, with care.

Building Trust the Same Way He Built His Career

After years in boxing, Santana focused his discipline elsewhere. In 1989, he founded Bay Cities Paving Inc. The company began small and grew through consistency. Today, it serves Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside County. It handles commercial, industrial, church, and residential projects. It also specializes in ADA and HCP compliance work.

Bay Cities Paving recently earned national recognition as one of the Top 1,000 Contractors in America. The award is based on craftsmanship, quality, and customer service. The award recognizes years of steady quality work.

Santana leads the company as he has lived his career: with clear scope and responsibility.

Bay Cities Paving is known for:

• Over 36 years in business.
• Five-star reviews across Google and Yelp.
• A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
• Fully licensed, insured, and bonded operations.
• Detailed estimates and defined scopes of work.

Clients mention how issues get addressed without delay. Santana’s approach reflects the same philosophy behind UNPROTECTED, which goes: know the system, then respect the process to protect your future.

UNPROTECTED: A Guide for Careers That Pay Early and End Fast

UNPROTECTED was published in October 2017 and carries a 4.8-star rating. The audience includes boxers, managers, promoters, and readers outside sports. Santana’s second book UNPROTECTED THE FINAL ROUND was released on August 1,2025. Santana was recently crowned as Author of the Year 2025 in Hollywood for his literary works. He is a 2 X award-winning author.

Santana explains how industries reward silence and punish ignorance. He exposes how athletes lose control over finances, rights, and health, and how this pattern repeats in business.

Important ideas from the book include:

• Education matters before money arrives.
• Short careers need long planning.
• Integrity protects income.
• Skills must extend beyond performance.
• Awareness changes outcomes.

Santana wants readers to think early and be prepared. The book’s title also reflects vulnerability. Entering a profession without knowledge leaves people exposed. Santana offers perspective as a weapon.

Conclusion

Alan Santana’s story connects three demanding worlds. Fighting taught him discipline, business taught him structure, and writing gave him a voice. Through UNPROTECTED, he shares lessons meant to outlast trophies and contracts.

Alan Santana’s journey also demonstrates the power of giving back. By sharing his experiences, he transforms personal lessons into guidance for others. His efforts with UNPROTECTED and Bay Cities Paving show that achievement comes from creating value for those who follow. Young athletes, business professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs can look to his story as a map. He proves that success is most meaningful when it empowers others to rise alongside you.

His work is relevant to anyone entering a career that promises fast rewards. Santana shows why preparation must come first. His life proves that success holds longer when built with awareness, patience, and responsibility. His books are available at www.SimplyBestReads.com