Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilly Bankston.
Hi Lilly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like many, I started off as an actress. Did theatre for about two decades, then slowly transitioned my way to the on-camera side. After doing that for several years, what pulled me away was an offer to do a national tour with a children’s theatre, which then eventually lead me to working for that company full time.
By then, I had been represented as an actor by a great talent agency here in Texas for three years. I still wanted to be involved with them but wasn’t able to commit to driving myself hours away for auditions anymore. Mind you, this was not during the self tape era. Fortunately, the owner of the agency was looking to add agents, and I jumped on that opportunity immediately. That’s how my journey as an agent began.
After about 6 years working as an agent, I branched out on my own and with about 6 months of prep work, Bankston Talent Agency was born! We opened up in Austin in the Fall of 2018, expanded to Albuquerque in March 2020, then opened up shop in Los Angeles in January 2022.
And now here I am, constantly brainstorming on the best way to maintain the flow of the operation of the agency and how we can keep growing and getting better everyday without losing our quality of representation.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
About as smooth as shark skin. Or a cat’s tongue. It’s been a road made of burlap and sandpaper.
Starting a business is such a huge challenge! I burnt out twice within my first three years. There were struggles and emotions that I had never experienced before. I was working 16-hour days seven days a week for three years straight.
I did it all because opening up a business can be super exciting, though, I knew that the first couple of years were going to be the most important. Those are the years where you have to put your best foot forward and build your foundation. People don’t know you, so you have to prove to them that you are competent, professional, and more importantly, trustworthy and consistent.
Thankfully, as time went on, I began to grow my team, delegate, create boundaries, and achieve a more sustainable work schedule.
So it’s smoothed out over time. I just had to learn how not to get caught under the steamroller while I drove it down that road.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Bankston Talent Agency?
Bankston Talent Agency, at the present moment, focuses on representing actors for film, television, commercials, commercial print, and industrials.
We have made it a mission to represent a select group of artists whose talent speaks for itself. Being a smaller boutique agency, we are able to give attention and resources to our individual actors while maintaining the artistic integrity of the company.
What I’m most proud of seeing is the agency evolve as the years go by. We are still a very young agency that will go through new experiences, both rewarding and challenging, and we’re ready to learn, grow, and adapt. We have a lot of actors on our roster experiencing their own path very much parallel to ours, and it’s always a joy when both sides of the relationship realize their similarities and discuss how we can help each other as we move forward. It’s really become a beautiful community. I can’t wait to see what everyone learns they’re capable of as our community continues to grow.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Don’t forget to pace yourself. Piling up your workload doesn’t always mean that you’ll get to where you want to be sooner. It’s really important to take the time to do quality work, foster strong and genuine relationships, and to enjoy life outside of your work. Savor the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bankstontalent.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bankstontalent
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BankstonTalent
