Conversations with Sari Sanchez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sari Sanchez.

Hi Sari, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My dad came to this country as an immigrant with nothing and built an American dream from scratch. His dream was cut short as he died of cancer when I was 16. But before he left, he gave me a gift that shaped everything: he told me I could do anything I wanted. He really believed that. I didn’t understand how radical that was until I got older.

I grew up as an only child, endlessly curious about how people lived. That insatiable curiosity led me both to acting and to becoming one of the most sought-after home organizers in Los Angeles. I simultaneously paid for my education with scholarships, performed on stage, and at the same time organized everything in sight. Looking back, I’m sure some of that came from wanting control after losing a parent so young — but it also sparked this deep fascination with helping people feel better in their spaces.

After college, I moved back to Chicago. As a woman commuting and juggling four different jobs, I became hyper-aware of personal safety. I became obsessed with being self-sufficient because I never wanted to rely on anyone for anything. That survival instinct eventually transformed me into a “prepper” — though a very feminine, accessible, non-doom-and-gloom kind.

Fast-forward: I’ve now had a long career as a luxury home organizer in Los Angeles, working with clients who trust me with the most intimate corners of their lives. My curiosity puts me in other people’s shoes, and I’m able to design systems that help them maintain order and clarity at home.

A couple of years ago, I downloaded TikTok “just to see how it worked,” posted a video about my go-bag, and it blew up. People connected with the humor, the accessibility, the soft and feminine approach to emergency preparedness — and suddenly my two worlds (safety + storytelling) merged. Now I create content that helps people feel empowered instead of scared.

From there, the projects bloomed naturally. I’m writing a children’s emergency-preparedness coloring book to help kids feel confident and safe. I’m creating a “Handy Daddy” merch line to honor my dad — the man who taught me to use power tools and be self-sufficient. I’m acting again, writing my first film, and developing a show about organizing. Producing lets me build worlds, just like acting does and just like organizing does.

What ties everything together is this: I’m still that little girl who didn’t know she couldn’t. I follow my heart because that’s the legacy my dad left me. And the life I’ve built — with all its twists and pivots and passions — is my way of living boldly for both of us.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve faced the same obstacles so many creative people face: confusion, self-doubt, the pressure to choose one lane, and the noise of other people’s opinions. People always have “shoulds” for you. For a long time, I listened. I waited. I tried to fit myself into more traditional versions of success, and part of me wishes I had started creating earlier. I wish I had started a YouTube channel sooner. I wish I had made short films with friends in my early twenties. But regret is only useful if it fuels action.

The acting industry itself can feel like a waiting game. You can be talented and hardworking, and still not get the opportunity because so much depends on timing, gatekeepers, and someone else seeing your worth. I spent years on hold for a “yes” that rarely came.

Now I realize I don’t have to wait for permission anymore.

That shift — moving from waiting to building — changed my entire relationship to challenge. Acting became one piece of a much bigger creative life. Organizing became something I owned, not something I stumbled into. Producing and developing a TV show in today’s constantly shifting entertainment landscape is another challenge entirely. Technology changes, audience behavior changes, distribution changes — you have to pivot constantly. But if you know the heart of your story, you can adapt it to anything.

I’m still navigating the emotional challenge of honoring my dad’s memory — letting it guide me. Turning hard things into meaningful things.

These challenges continue to shape my voice, my humor, my perspective, and my work ethic. They make me more human, more curious (if that’s even possible), and ultimately, more unstoppable.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I recently starred in Just Like Us at The Latino Theater Co. Chicago credits include Fade, In The Time of The Butterflies, and Tamer of Horses with Teatro Vista. I’ve also collaborated with the Goodman, Red Orchid, Windy City Playhouse, American Theater Company, and the Theater Workshop of Nantucket. Film and TV credits include Godshot (Hemlock Circle Productions), Signature Move (SXSW premiere), NCIS: Origins (CBS), Power Book IV: Force (Starz), Lucifer (Fox), Empire (Fox), Exorcist (Fox), Sirens (USA), and Chicago Fire (NBC). I received my BFA from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’m not someone who banks on luck. When I want to play with luck, I’ll buy a lottery ticket. But when it comes to my career? I rely on hard work, curiosity, relationships, loyalty, and intuition.

Yes, there’s luck in acting — the right person seeing you at the right moment. Yes, there’s luck in virality — the right video hitting the algorithm. Yes, there’s luck in getting opportunities. But I don’t sit around waiting for it because I’ve done that, and it wasted time I’ll never get back.

I’m much more interested in showing up. Trying things. Playing. Creating when the world is quiet. Staying loyal to the people who have my back. Trusting my gut even when it doesn’t make sense to anyone else.

The luckiest thing that ever happened to me was having parents who believed in me. It gave me the courage to take chances and to remain a little bit fearless.

I was lucky enough to be loved by someone who taught me I was capable of anything. The rest is just me proving him right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm3523269?rf=cons_nm_meter&ref_=cons_nm_meter
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarijsanchez/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@prettyinprep?lang=en