Today we’d like to introduce you to Summer Ayala.
Summer began working in front of the camera as a toddler competing in pageants in Arizona and Texas. She started acting at 5 years old when she attended her first audition and landed a national Nabisco commercial on-the-spot that aired during the 1989 Rose Bowl Parade. From there, she immediately began training at Kim Dawson and signed with Clipse Management under Ty Kilinc in Dallas. She worked with clients such as JcPenney, Hills Dept. Store, Venture, Target, JumpKing Trampoline, Taco Tico, Miss Teen Dallas, and shot with photographers like John Bae and Jean Luc.
At 18, Summer began attending college to become a meteorologist. She wanted to put her love for television and weather into action. During her 3rd year in college, Summer left school to become a full-time mom and wife. While being a stay-at-home mom, after working in front of the camera for more than 10 years, Summer found herself back in entertainment and assisted with casting and training talent for The NeVaeh Agency. She found that her calling was in helping actors and models pursue their careers. She eventually went separate ways from the agency to attended college and gain more basic knowledge about owning a business. While beginning to build her dream business, in 2009, she crossed paths with her previous agent, Ty Kilinc. They focused on creating something that encompassed all talent. Their work included sporting and family events, sports training, and VIP events with celebrities like The All American Rejects, Flo-rida, and Kim Smith. During this time, Summer began managing a select few talents while learning business, marketing, and management hands-on from her childhood agent.
In 2010, Summer took a short break from entertainment while going through a divorce. Then, in 2011, she obtained an Associate’s Degree majoring in Business and Management from Richland College in Dallas and started working in the legal field. She earned her degree as a Paralegal in 2012, and worked at The Kendall Law Group in Dallas where she became an expert in customer service. While working as a paralegal, she still pursued modeling, acting, and mentoring talent, which brought her to meeting entertainment attorney, Evan Fogelman. He pushed her to pursue her dream of being in front of the camera and eventually owning an agency since that is where her true passions, goals, and heart lie. In August 2014, Summer left working as a full-time Paralegal and began creating her dream company.
Given Summer’s broad experience in entertainment, legal and business, she is determined to climb the ranks and go beyond owning just some random talent company. She is constantly learning and is focused on creating a company that is like no other in the industry.
She is focused on building a company that is based on nurturing talent that will soar in life, business, art, and wherever their hearts may take them. Summer does not compete. She creates her own path and goes against the norm. Along with being accomplished in the modeling and acting arena, Summer also enjoys training and developing new talent, as well as assisting behind-the-scenes with fashion shows, casting calls, production, social media, and more.
Summer proudly works alongside ArtLoveMagic, an organization that is dedicated to bringing art into the community, and is a Phi Theta Kappa Alumni. She was named after Miss USA 1975, Summer Bartholomew, and Kristin Shepard from the original hit TV show Dallas. In her spare time, she enjoys outings with her 13-year-old daughter, cooking and dates with her boyfriend of 3.5 years, as well as visiting with friends and family all over the U.S. When time permits, she loves to travel, try new desserts, and read.
Has it been a smooth road?
Meraki began in my home office of Forney, Texas. As with any new homegrown business, there a million goals I felt would never be accomplished, and the challenges are daily. A talent agency’s main focus is to gain paying clients, but also committed talent that can fulfill client needs. However, another level of challenges arise when trying to establish a company in several different markets. Building a solid team and connecting with Casting Directors, Producers and Managers worldwide isn’t something that happens overnight. Thankfully, we have the most supportive talent, clients and network.
We’re always seeking new clients and talent to become part of the Meraki Fam!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Meraki is the Greek word meaning: The soul, creativity, or love put into something; the essence of yourself that is put into your work.
At Meraki, we proudly represent a uniquely diversified selection of super talents. Our roster is not only full of passionate and talented models/actors, but they are business-minded, creative, and real people.
Our main mission is to showcase our talent worldwide by making them accessible to global commercial, fashion, and entertainment communities. We work with agencies and management internationally to give clients the best of the best. We pride ourselves on our abilities to connect our talent with work that will expand their network and create well-rounded, responsible, traveling individuals.
Our goals are to develop, create and nurture top-notch talent. We give them the opportunities to work with well-known photographers, casting directors, and productions.
All of our talents are each aligned with a charitable organization of their choice and regularly participate in charitable events and activities. We also assist in helping talent find their place with a charitable organization if they are not initially affiliated with one. All talent provide their peers and communities with support, positivity, as well as donated services and guidance.
We provide the foundation and support for professional and aspiring talent to achieve each one of their goals. Whether it is to run a business or travel the world with a sponsored client. They are encouraged to execute each step of their careers with love, education, dedication, teamwork and professionalism. We are accessible to our talent 24/7 with ZERO membership fees. Our staff does not condone or tolerate diva-like attitudes and disrespectful or erratic behavior. All talents are prompt, courteous and cater to client needs.
We treat our talent as business and entertainment professionals, but also with strong management guidance to ensure they enjoy a flawless course through a prosperous career.
Meraki Talents are currently located in the following locations: Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, Fort-Worth, Austin, Houston, Atlanta, New York and Germany. Our home-based office is in Dallas, and we are currently upgrading to a new office in Atlanta. We are expanding into offices in L.A., Austin, N.Y. and overseas within the next 3-7 years.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is an excellent city to begin working in entertainment if you are local and want to have a career in acting. It is still growing though. Time will tell if it will continue to be a hotspot for solid productions. I absolutely love visiting Atlanta, so I hope the industry keeps up the great work!
For talent, I recommend training with a local acting coach, getting professional headshots taken, and then begin working on sets as an extra at least. You can register through Central Casting, Casting Networks, Actors Access or Staff Me Up. Work at least 3-4 times on a set as production or an extra to get experience. Atlanta is full of amazing productions right now and an actor can really excel here. Working on set even as a runner will allow you to gain insight on how this industry works from the inside. Working as a full-time actor is not a simple task and this type of work teaches you what it is like to be a full-time actor.
In regards to location, I feel that right now, Atlanta is much like Austin, Texas. I currently recommend my Dallas talent to begin in Dallas, then move to Austin if they want to pursue a career in acting. After that, they need to decide whether they are going to L.A. or N.Y., and that is of course after you have built a reel, resume and become a SAG-AFTRA member.
Modeling is a completely different story. Any models that fit industry standards need to be in L.A. and N.Y. It’s not free and it’s not cheap. If models do not fit the 5’9 standards, they need to also pursue commercial work and acting. Once a model is a bit older and has kept a commercial look, then smaller markets seem to still be good option. Dallas and Austin are usually steady with the commercial work.
At the end of the day, this industry is ever-changing, as always. Talent need to do their homework and be prepared for anything. I think Atlanta is still finding its place. Having patience with the industry growth and change is difficult, but if Atlanta talent can learn from it and use it, then they will find success. A lot of talent are moving to Atlanta seeking on-screen work that isn’t offered in other markets. I love what’s happening here and I hope it continues!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.merakitalentagency.com
- Phone: 214.856.2929
- Email: contact@merakitalentagency.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merakitalent/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merakitalentagency/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/merakidallas
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/meraki-models-and-talent-atlanta
- Other: https://www.snapchat.com/add/merakisnaps
Image Credit:
Jonah Gilmore (Studio Rocket Science)
Jeremy Barton
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