Influential Woman · MediaProductionBroadcast
Alana L Cooper Russ
Talk Show Host, theAlanaLCoopershow
Colonia, NJ
Her Story
About Alana
A daughter of God | Wife | Mother
I’ve been in the media production and the broadcast industry since 2015, beginning with pursuing my BFA in Acting. After graduating in 2018, I created the theAlanaLCoopershow, a talk show that has evolved tremendously over the years. In the beginning, the conversations were centered around societal and political issues, but as my relationship with God deepened, so did my desire for the kinds of stories and conversations I wanted to tell.
I began to focus on the personal and spiritual challenges people face — the conversations people are often afraid to have, especially within the church. I wanted to create a space where people could feel seen, challenged, healed, and transformed through honest dialogue.
The show started online through Facebook, later transitioned to YouTube, and in 2024, I introduced live studio and in-person experiences. In a short amount of time, our live audience grew from 10 people to 63 attendees. Over the span of 8 years, I have independently produced 11 seasons altogether.
While I have experience behind the camera through creative direction and creative production, my passion has always been in front of the camera — hosting, storytelling, exhorting, and connecting with people in real time. Outside of the show, I’ve also worked in theater and film and have created my own short films.
During the 2020 lockdown, I began creating content on TikTok, where several of my videos went viral. That season pushed me to think deeply about the kind of impact I truly wanted to make through media. I realized I didn’t just want to create content for entertainment — I wanted to tell stories that leave a lasting internal impact, stories that challenge, heal, awaken, and transform people’s lives.
Today, I am leading a campaign to raise $10,000 toward building an independent Christian live talk show studio. Through my journey, I’ve realized that people are longing for genuine, in-person connection again. My vision is to create a space where Christian creatives, storytellers, and visionaries can cultivate their gifts, share meaningful stories, and bring their voices to life in an environment built for transformation, creativity, and authentic human connection.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alana
01What do you attribute your success to?
I know it may sound cliche, but God. Without Him, I wouldn't have or be where I am today. My relationship with Jesus is very important to me, and the reason is because I must reflect His character and also, do everything for his name sake. Success is simply the strategy behind your outcome, and he is my strategy.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"Create your own content."
My professor in college used to always tell us that, and I used to be like, "Man, I'm gonna be on TV by the time I leave here". And then I found myself on TikTok in 2020, and I was like, "Wow, they were right". So, yeah, create your own content. This was back in 2015, 2016, 2017, and now we're in the content creation era, so they were on to something!
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them, if they don't have one or even if they do, to focus on the vision God has given them and to never lose sight of that. It's so important to hold onto that vision and keep it in front of you, no matter what challenges come your way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think creatives have ideas, they have even some solutions, they just don't know how to bring it out of them, how to actually execute an idea. To actually execute an idea is much harder than people anticipate or expect and maybe it's lack of resources, lack of time management, lack of professional experience or lack of collaborations. In media, that's what I see all around me. I'm always seeing people who have an idea or they have this vision that they want to do, but they don't know how to execute it. So I would say that is the biggest problem.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My relationship with Jesus is very important to me, and the reason is because I must reflect His character. I think a lot of times we get success, we get these different titles and recognitions, but don't have the character to sustain it. And so, I value my reputation. I value my character. These are the foundations that allow me to sustain whatever success comes my way.
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