Meet Amelia Castellanos: Founder + President | The GM Agency

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amelia Castellanos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amelia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To be completely honest, as a young professional I never saw myself having my own business. Growing up I always knew I wanted a career, not a job, but when I looked into the future, even during my college days, I always pictured myself sitting in a corner office, dictating to an assistant and enjoying the comforts of corporate life.

It wasn’t until I was handed the opportunity of a lifetime (at the ripe age of 25 mind you) to be a part of a start-up that I got that first taste of entrepreneurship and baby one bite was all it took and I was hooked.

For the last 10 years, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my resilience. After over a decade of adapting, evolving, and pivoting to stay relevant and keep clients, I could never go back to corporate America. Yes, it takes constant hustle and an unwavering determination to persevere to keep the doors open as a boutique marketing agency, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business partner, Katie Hurley, and I came together initially as we both shared the desire to lower the barrier to entry for brands who wanted to launch in the digital marketplace. I, a bright-eyed and hungry young professional and her, a retail and marketing veteran with 30 plus years of industry experience and a background in Architecture. Our first company was focused on making eCommerce technology more accessible for small to medium-sized brands, eliminating the hurdles of launching online and enabling them to still have the budget left over for marketing post-launch.

For years we rode the Shopify & Magento wave – building experimental digital environments, developing meaningful marketing strategies, and executing aggressive advertising activations for our clients across fashion, food & beverage and even cannabis.

But over the course of our decade in business, our initial dream started to come to fruition in a big way and with a number of advancements in eCommerce technology, we knew we were headed down the path of becoming a commodity.

So, at the start of 2020, we made the decision to rebrand and relaunch our company with a maniacal focus on cultivating brands through digital strategy, marketing, and public relations – thus The GM Agency was born.

We have been fortunate to not only survive the pandemic but thrive despite the new normal that COVID-19 has forced upon us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Though I am a Tennessee girl at heart I feel my 13+ years in California classify me as a local by now right? Either way, since I made my westward migration in 2008 I’ve lived ALL OVER Los Angeles. I started downtown while attending FIDM and since then have lived in Koreatown, Long Beach, Culver City, Atwater Village, Glendale, and most recently, Eagle Rock.

I love East LA! This side of town has a special place in my heart so I would of course give my friend the “Best of The Eastside” tour. Food-wise, a Breakfast burrito from Delia’s or Breakfast Tacos from Home State in Highland Park are a must. We would walk off our breakfast with a low-key hike at Debs Park or a cruise around the Silverlake Reservoir.

For lunch, most definitely an NPR-inspired sandwich from our friends at Wax Paper in Frogtown or Taiwanese delights from Joy followed by a bike ride through downtown Eagle Rock. From there most likely an Ince cold afternoon beer at the Golden Road Brewery would surely make the list followed by cocktails and good tunes at Gold Line Bar. Dinner spots would have to include dining al fresco at Hippo or a relaxing evening under the stars at Little beast (their hummus appetizer will change your life).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been very fortunate in my 35 years on this planet and over the years have crossed paths with some really incredible people. I’ve been supported and empowered through a network of loving and caring people since the beginning. I’ve been inspired and challenged by a select few and those individuals I hold dear in my heart. Colleagues, bosses, mentors, and now business partners. I’m grateful to have been able to shadow and learn from some really talented and driven men and women.

Life has opened a lot of doors for me but the ability to recognize the opportunity and the strength and courage to walk through the door all leads back to my late father. Even as a little girl I recognized his love of business and how fulfilled his life was because he loved his work. I carried his work ethic with me through everything I did and continue to do from school and sports to my career and my marriage.

He taught me the value of a dollar and that you shouldn’t just work for it, working for it should bring you joy. In the last few years, I’ve discovered what fulfills me professionally and I promised myself I’d always strive for that because that’s what he taught me is the true key to success, that and a “shit ton of hard work” he used to say.

Website: www.thegmagency.com

Instagram: abuffallanos

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliabuffaloe/