Today we’d like to introduce you to Gehan (Gigi) Castellanos.
Gehan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started 15 years ago in Michigan. I was first working in promotion and as a product specialist for car dealerships and auto shows. I moved to Miami Beach 10 years ago after getting married. I contacted agencies for work, but was returned a phone call. A couple of years went by, I tried to get him signed with agencies again. Still never hearing back. Then I pursued influencing on social media more agressively where I was then discovered by brands such as Loreal, Revlon, and many more.
In the duration, I had 2 children. I tried to get my two adorable boys signed with agencies as they expressed interest. Then this time they did respond and were rude and unprofessional in accepting inspiring young talent. They told me that my children did not have the “look” and that they were not going to make it in media. With a motherly passion, I started searching casting for my boys on my own behalf. We immediately got booked for the GoGo Squeez Yogurt Brand and my kids we ecstatic in acting/modeling. Since my social media was growing, I had many other people reaching out asking if I could manage them or be their talent agent because I have a knack of the business.
After contemplating it deeply, I felt the Idea and business venture was the right thing to do. April 2019, I started the process of being a Licensed Talent Agency and named it Beyond Beauty Talent. As I see people “beyond beauty” for their talents. I wanted to be that agency where we only sign talents that have never had the opportunity or constantly rejected to be on TV, prints, etc. I understood their rejection.
Just a little over a year I was granted as a SAG- AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild) franchised agency. By December 2020, I was officially a SAG franchised and by September 2021, I opened my second location in Atlanta, GA. Today we stand with over 500 Beyond Beauty talents on our roster and work with some of the biggest casting directors and projects.
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?
Not at all, I was denied constantly by casting directors in becoming an agent. They would tell me that I would have my day where I will get listings for castings, but today was not that day, while wishing the best of luck. Only a handful of directors were kind enough to support my agency.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Beyond Beauty Talent, is a full-service talent agency. We represent talents of all ages, ethnicities, and diversities. We are one of the agencies that will represent talents with special needs, disabilities, LBGTQ and all of the above. We are the fastest growing talent agency in 2021.
We are known to give real people the opportunity. If you’re a talent signed with 3-5 other agencies, we won’t sign you unless for certain projects will sit you fit for their needs. We want people who have never been on TV or print and want to guide them to build themselves. This is a very hard and competitive profession. There are a lot of unlicensed talent agencies conducting business without the proper guidance.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
They can always reach out to me. I usually do meet & greet events to meet new potential talents. I am available via phone, email or text for a consultation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beyondbeautytalent.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/beyondbeautytalent/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondbeautytalent19
Image Credits
@ultabeauty
