We recently connected with Juanell Walker and have shared our conversation below.
Juanell, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
My confidence and self-esteem came from having supportive parents while growing up that always told me that if I worked hard, was honest and cared about what my actions did to others, I could accomplish anything I wanted to accomplish. They always had my back, was always there to pick me up if I failed and showed me how to learn from that failure. Not to shy away from it, but learn from it and move past it. Of course they were always there to teach me humility when I succeeded as well. It’s hard enough in life when there is always drama so they wanted me to try to stay above all that as best as they could.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
TTA started in 1983 in Maryville, TN as a training center known as CJ’s Training Center. My partner and I were working models and actors who taught others at night about the business. We had all types of classes with different instructors that could help them develop their skills to become working talent in the industry. We would always get our clients that we worked for calling us to ask who we had trained they could hire. After several months we ask ourselves, why are we not representing these people for the jobs they are getting. That is when we opened Talent Trek Agency in Knoxville. After another year or so, we closed CJ’s and started working as agents from then on. During our careers as agents, we have been event coordinators for the local malls, board members of the TN State Film Commission Advisory Board, board member of the national organization Facefinders along with sponsors or members of any local Industry boards and organization or events, casting and talent directors for local production houses, shows such as Rescue 911, America’s Most Wanted, traveled in the south casting for Ringling Brothers, traveled across the state casting for Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN, worked on other positions such as locations, hair and makeup, props, set talent wrangling for Procter and Gamble and Huggies, just to name a few. Our focus was and always has been is to have knowledge of all facets of the industry. We then affiliated ourselves with the Screen Actors Guild and became a union agent traveling through out the South East meeting with Casting Directors and Clients to make our outreach for our talent the best it could be. We opened a fully staffed Nashville office along with satellite offices in Chattanooga and Asheville, NC, The most exciting part is that we have met some many wonderful people from all walks of life and we get to connect them when one of our clients hire one of our talent. So exciting for everyone, especially us.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities, skills or knowledge that most impacted my life was a good work ethic, learning quickly and knowing that whatever you do in life, be nice as you do it. Everyone wants to be around others that have a positive attitude and are wanting others to succeed right along beside them. Uplift others as you go. You might need them to uplift you one day.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My family has always been the most helpful for me to overcome anything in life. My parents, my sister and partner in TTA. We have together learned how to overcome any challenge or situation that we have faced and develop the skills or knowledge needed to be in this wonderful industry we are in by sharing and talking it out, planning our next moves, deciding what is best and how to handle situations as we were taught growing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.talenttrek.com
- Facebook: Talent Trek Agency
