We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Burgandi Trejo Phoenix. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Burgandi below.

Burgandi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always had a vast, wild, and vivid imagination and I was about five years old when the acting bug bit. I’ve wanted to be an actor and a meaningful storyteller ever since. Because I grew up in a strict Christian household, we were not allowed to watch anything that didn’t have a G rating, so I was always watching classic black-and-white films and television shows like I Love Lucy, as well as classic films. I dreamt of growing up and singing, dancing, and acting with starlets like Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. I imagined sharing the stage with Barbara Streisand and playing alongside GOATS like Carol Burnette and Bette Midler….but my dreams were quickly shattered when I learned that Audrey Hepburn and Judy Garland had passed away long before I was born. My determination became to “make it” anyway. I started dancing ballet, tap, and jazz at the age of three and I started singing at the age of five, and I’ve been grateful for every chance since to utilize the training and gifts I was given.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been blessed to work in film, television, voice-over, commercials, and theater as an actress, singer/dancer, voice artist, and entrepreneur. I broke into what is known to be one of the most difficult businesses in which to get started, by sheer will and determination.

Born in Tucson, Arizona, I grew up in a huge family- my mom is one of fourteen kids and my dad is one of seven. I am the only girl and I have 3 brothers and a half-sister. My parents told me if I wanted to act, I had to live in Los Angeles and although we lived in many places, none of them were L.A. So, once I became an independent woman in February 2010, I decided on a whim, to take a major risk. I sold most of my belongings and moved to LA to be a working actor.

I immediately started intensive and extensive training in everything from improv, voice-over, commercials, scene study, movement, voice, and many, many more. As a result, I have an impressive ever-evolving resume filled with work spanning many areas of the entertainment industry. It was the best and most terrifying decision I have ever made.

When I am on a film set or a theater stage, the director is my client. My job is to solve his/her/their problems without being prompted to do so. I have made it my job to earn a reputation for showing up prepared but open to endless possibilities, and always with a positive, passionate attitude. Directors have praised my imaginative, creative, curious, collaborative storyteller’s frame of mind and my ability to always see the bigger picture.
In the performing arts, it is important to establish oneself as an intuitive, passionate, driven, and ambitious artist, with a vast emotional range. I think what sets me apart is my versatility, my work ethic, and (what appears to them to be) a fearless willingness to try anything even if there’s a risk of looking bad if it fails. That’s not to say I don’t experience fear – believe me, I do- I believe my job is to step up anyway.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

In my early years, I often felt like an outsider who never quite fit in. I was always just a little bit, or a lot different. I am a third-generation Mexican woman with Native/Indigenous, (Yaqui), roots, hazel eyes, and olive skin who doesn’t look like the majority of her family or the stereotypical idea of a Mexican/Indigenous woman. Though these differences exposed me to judgment from others and considerable emotional pain, I feel I was led to a lifelong journey of reconnecting with my familial roots and I acknowledge & honor my ancestors and the ancestors of all of those who came before me. I am driven by the hope that through my storytelling, others who have felt the way I felt will feel seen and also be encouraged to pursue their dreams passionately and with reckless abandon, regardless of what they look like, and not be afraid to deeply explore what makes them who they are. If, as an artist, I can shine a bright light on the beauty of the BIPOC human experience from my personal and unique perspective, I am confident I can make a difference in the world.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Stuart K. Robinson is the one person who has been in my corner for years. I admire and respect him immensely, and I am extremely grateful for him. He has helped me more than I can explain, to understand the business side of the entertainment industry and he believed in me at times when I wasn’t so sure I could believe in myself. I met Stuart K. Robinson when I was a host of ‘The Curve’, an industry show created by Casting Frontier, and his book, ‘It All Begins with “I”: The “New Rules of Thinking” and the Simple Secrets to Living a Rich, Joyous and Fulfilled Life’ is a must-read for any artist and reading it was the first step in building a lasting relationship with myself and him.

I say this to point out how important it is to find a mentor/teacher you trust and respect. The journey of an entrepreneur, regardless of the chosen discipline, can be lonely and fraught with self-sabotage and second-guessing. Having a sounding board off of whom you can bounce ideas, hopes, dreams, concerns and fears is an invaluable gift. The difficult part often comes in selecting that mentor. Most everyone will have opinions, advice, and warnings. But, somewhere out there is a creative partner whose objective is to add rather than detract, and to be a steadying influence while being willing to step aside and let you shine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4553974/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burgandiphoenix/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurgandiTrejoPhoenix/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burganditrejophoenix/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BurgandiPhoenix
• Other: http://www.talentboom.com/burgandiphoenix1

Image Credits
Adam Kent, The Headshot Truck, Ericka Kreutz, Nickelodeon/The Loud House, Netflix/Spirit Rangers, DEVSISTERS/Cookie Run Kingdom, Marco DeMolina, Snapchat/Relationship Goals, Tales From the Powder Room/Hollywood Fringe Festival.