Meet Margeaux Jordan of Bicoastal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Margeaux Jordan.

Hi Margeaux. We’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hey there! My name’s Margeaux Jordan, and I am on a mission to make clean, feel-good entertainment cool again.

So what’s my story?
I’m a multi-hyphenate creative – actress, singer-songwriter, dancer, screenwriter, director, video & audio producer, and editor. I know it seems a bit excessive, but I’m the type that has always been in love with all elements of creating captivating content, from coming up with the idea and pre-production to performing and producing the final product! I’ll take you through the highlight reel.

I was the creative director, producer, writer, and on-camera talent for one of the largest kid’s YouTube channels. Videos under my creative direction and performance brought in 500 million views (and counting). And I launched the channel’s music-driven content and sketch comedy series, which are now on Amazon Prime. I recently wrapped a 44-episode interactive kid’s series for National Geographic and Disney, where I was the co-host, actor, and contributing writer. I’ve had multiple record deals, including one with Mercury/Island Def Jam Records, under LA Reid and David Massey. I even went on to be in another girl group for a reality series aired in Europe and Asia called “No Grey Skies.” You can spot me in dramatic and comedic films, shows, web series, and pilots. I worked with director Adam Shankman on the movie musical “Rock of Ages.”

I’ve background danced for music artists, including (my favorite) Pitbull, Wisin y Yandel, and more. I also danced on the Dazzlers dance team during my tenure at the University of Florida. Currently, I’m singing and recording all the female vocals for the “Blippi” albums and the Moonbug Entertainment series “Linkimals.” I run my video and audio production company, where I do everything from performing on camera and editing the video and audio content. I’m addicted to the Adobe Creative Suite! I’ve filmed over 100 commercials, my favorite maybe when I played a “period” – yes, like the time of the month, for Ruby Love, or when I was “Mother Nature” for a Truvani spot, both with the incredible Harmon Brothers team! And finally, what I am most excited about, is that I’m about to start pitching my music-driven screenplay, one of multiple scripts I have in the vault, that I’ve been penning for some time but are finally ready to be revealed!

So how did I get bit by this entertainment bug?
The pesky critter got me when I was three years old. Similar to one of my inspirations, Jennifer Lopez, I started as a dancer and was competitively trained in all styles. At first I thought I’d be a professional ballerina… until I discovered hip hop in 5th grade. Then it was game over! I grew up competing at an elite level, eventually discovering that I didn’t care for competition but just wanted to perform. I then joined two hip hop troupes, first Pop Starz and then The Untouchables, in Miami, Fla., where we got the chance to dance and, eventually, sing across the country! Being a part of The Untouchables led me to get discovered as a performing music artist, and before I knew it, I was in a girl group, signed to a major label. I was determined to be the next Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez but with a signature Margeaux twist!

By 14, I landed my first recording contract in a singing and dancing girl group with South Beat/Atlantic Records. At 16, I snagged another deal with Mercury/Island Def Jam Records in a Pussycat Dolls-esque group. I tasted “success”— living in Los Angeles, and jet setting to New York City and Atlanta, to record with the biggest names in the business like Tricky and The Dream, Brian Kennedy, The Movement, Rodney Jerkins and more (i.e., Mariah Carey, Justin Beiber, Rihanna, and Chris Brown’s music producers). Fun fact: Justin Beiber’s song “One Time” was originally a song we recorded for us! I was getting chauffeured in Escalades and eating at Mr. Chow regularly, something I had never experienced with my family’s very humble lifestyle, all for it to be ripped out from under me during an economic crisis. I put “success” in quotation marks as, although the perks of being a signed pop artist were exhilarating, and I learned invaluable lessons and made some of my favorite core memories with that group and the people surrounding us, I realized how much I desired creative freedom that no dinner at Mr. Chow could compensate for. I promised myself that when I did it again, I’d want my creative voice to be heard and utilized… and not be told to stash my ideas in the “Margeaux Box.”

After that girl group’s end, I went on a self-reflection and musical discovery journey and got my degree! I knew that I wanted to release music and create a more wholesome, uplifting, and equally entertaining content. I also versed myself in “the business,” learning marketing, entertainment law, emerging entertainment technology, and more. Education has always been extremely important to me, and I’d be stronger going back into this business with more knowledge on the back-end of things. During my college years, I also background danced for Pitbull, Wisin y Yandel, and a slew of other Latin American artists at the Latin Grammy’s (Premios Lo Nuestro) and other international award shows, and was a University of Florida Dazzler (basically like the LA Laker’s Girls or Heat Dancers for the NBA). So I got my fix performing in the arenas, even though I wasn’t singing! It was the time of my life!

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Florida, I threw my hat back in the ring as a solo music artist with my own clean, feel-good music and captivating music videos produced by yours truly! I wanted to create content that I was proud of and would positively impact coming generations. I needed to keep my integrity in everything that I did. I can’t get enough Disney, Nickelodeon, “Grease,” and “I Love Lucy” reruns. All that warm and fuzzy content transports me out of my restless mind and makes me HAPPY.

After hundreds of phone calls, emails, and hours upon hours of creating content and attending networking events, I finally landed in-office meetings with two major record labels. After all, my music was “too pop” for the independent labels and radio stations. After performing my heart out just feet away from the executive’s desks, I was denied a deal at both, not for lack of talent, but because my music was “too clean” for my age, my look was “too normal,” and my social media numbers weren’t high enough for their standard. They told me to dye my hair blue.

One executive said, “You’re just like a young Britney!” I love Britney Spears as an artist, and it’s been a long-standing dream of mine to play her in a biopic, but that’s another dream for another day! Brit, I’m ready when you are! He then said, “You should do Britney Spears impersonations at Legends in Las Vegas!” All the executives agreed that I wrote catchy songs and had the “IT” factor, but as you know, it’s all about the social media numbers these days, even if the talent is lackluster.

If you’ve made it this far in this piece, I’ll tell you that every “No” I get fuels my fire. I intend to succeed at everything I do and always pour my soul into each opportunity I’m blessed with. Hopefully, I’m not coming off too full of myself here, but I truly love to create impactful content and know I was born for this. Maybe this article will help you in some way!

As I begin the process of pitching my music-driven screenplay, I’ll admit that it’s just as much a love letter to all of those through my entertainment career who believed in me, but also an in-your-face homage to the handful of heartbreakers who told me I can’t, it’s impossible, I’m not enough, or that I need to choose ONE thing (for example: give up music, give up acting, give up writing and producing, etc.). Jennifer Lopez didn’t have to choose just one path, and she got her “big break” a bit later, ta-boot!

My niche is that I don’t have a niche. I don’t put myself in a box, and I make sure that I’m more than legitimate at everything I do. I practice. I watch informational YouTube videos and teach myself something new daily. I don’t confine my brain to only think about “what’s trending” and “what’s in.” Many of my best ideas have come just by letting my mind be what it wants to be and do its thing!

I don’t feel passionate about creating silly viral videos that come and go (although fun); I’m more into “timeless content.” I create content that has purpose and longevity and is well done and produced. I am constantly devising colorful, inspiring, and out-of-the-box ideas, and I LOVE doing it even if my thoughts wake me at 4 a.m., and I pop open my laptop and start ticking away or singing voice memos. I’ve spent the last four years running my successful video and audio production company, Geaux Getter Productions, while staying active and fresh in the world of acting and music. I am always writing and producing, and I have documents upon documents of series ideas, lyrics, video concepts, you name it. I’m excited and hopeful about the next chapter in my career’s journey and can’t wait to CREATE what’s in store!

Thanks for reading along! Let me know your thoughts or connect with me on Instagram @margeauxjordan! And keep at it! What have you got to lose?

XO – Margeaux

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I was 14, they warned me that doing this “entertainment thing” would be my life’s most challenging and potentially most rewarding decision. They weren’t wrong. I have faced countless struggles. Sure, they say “rejection” is hard, but honestly, I’m the type that knows my “yes” is around the corner and that there’s room for others to thrive, and I love to support fellow creatives. The “no’s” push me harder and make the “yes’s” so much more rewarding!

The real struggles are as follows: First, protecting my creative work and ideas. Let’s start there. I once spent two years creating a kid’s series. I pitched it to the “wrong” person, who ended up stealing the idea, changing a few character names and plot lines, and it is now the bread and butter of his YouTube channel. He told me to my face months later, “You can’t sue me for copying an idea, and your idea inspired ME.” And it still eats away at me to this day and makes me restless at night when I let my mind think about it. Make sure you are protecting your work as best as possible by registering it with the WGA and U.S. Copyright Office, have your email trails, and use “Confidential Mode” when sending correspondence. Things like this have happened to me with my music…  that’s a story for another time. Bottom line, I’ve become paranoid about protecting my work, but I also know that if I keep it all to myself, it’ll never come to life. It’s a fine line I walk daily and I proceed with caution and pray that I’m making the right decisions.

The subsequent struggle is getting a good agent. You can’t get a great agent without booking a co-star role; you can’t get a co-star role without a great agent. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. The best agents don’t allow unsolicited emails and calls. And, if you have no connections to someone who can refer you, you’re S.O.L. This brings up another struggle for me personally. I know “connections” are everything, but I also can’t be associated with “faking it” to get ahead. I’ve seen many people shamelessly plant themselves with people of “influence” and flat out use them, and they HAVE gotten ahead many times. I don’t have that part in me, and maybe that’s slowed down this process. But for me, it’s really important to surround myself with people inside and outside this industry that I care for, respect, admire, and am inspired by, and I hope that my talents will speak for themselves.

Another major struggle I faced and am slightly better at now is balancing my personal life. There was a long period of years where I was pounding the pavement, not feeding my soul in any way, and I think that hurt really hurt me. Now, I am in a much better place where I’m learning to balance my personal life, and I realize my career is going just as strong, and I am even better creatively. Knowing when to shut it off is hard, especially when your brain constantly comes up with ideas. Jot them down, then close up shop. After working at the kid’s channel, I began to build my video and audio production business because I knew I needed a job that gave me flexibility and one where I was still performing and involved in the creative industry every day. However, starting it was not easy. I’d take on clients who didn’t pay nearly what I was worth, spending every last nickel on new gear or lighting to improve my quality. My old computer freezing, lenses breaking, and the upstairs neighbor wearing cement shoes… It was tough at first and at second, haha. Making the switch to doing “entertainment” full time was scary, but I knew I had to leap. I’ve never told anyone this before, but there was a period when I ate cereal and peanut butter and jelly just about every day. It was brutally hard, but it made me stronger.

During that time I even beat out 10,000 applicants and got to be a contestant on the Deal or No Deal reboot with Howie Mandel… and you know what happened? I played the WORST GAME in the HISTORY of Deal or No Deal. I knocked out every big money number in order and won a PENNY. Although they spotlighted me on a CNBC episode hyping up the show, they never aired my episode because they were afraid no one would watch the full hour since I was trying to win such low numbers and nothing big was left on the board. What a memory… at least my family was there with me for that debacle! Haha!

My faith made me stronger as well. I’ll never forget the moment I hit rock bottom; my bank account had nearly vanished, and I was on my bedroom floor sobbing because I felt I didn’t deserve all the hardship that wrongfully fell upon me, and I asked God why? As I was on the floor crying, I asked God for help and within 30 seconds, I received an email from a commercial I had shot TWO YEARS AGO, and they wanted to buy my performance out for $6,000. The waterworks continued! I could honestly go on and on with the many struggles I’ve faced along the way. But when things turned around, it just made everything SO much more sweeter and made me so much more grateful. I’m blessed to have been through that time looking back on it now.

Still, I will say that nothing makes me happier than being on a set, being in the booth, sitting on my cozy chair, writing my screenplays, performing on a stage in front of a live audience, and SEEING the reactions of people for doing something that you love. And then, all those struggles fade, and you know it’s all worth it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Well, I already gave you an earful at the start of this interview, so I’ll switch gears! I’ll say that I’m proud of myself for never losing sight of my integrity through every endeavor. I’ve turned down jobs that didn’t align with my moral compass, very lucrative ones, too. I refuse to be a part of anything I’m not proud to share. I think that’s what makes me most content. I’ve never really “lost” myself or forgotten who I was. It’s been a journey, but I’m happy to say I’m still Margeaux. I’m most proud of the work where I get to wear many hats and the work I had a hand in its creation, production, and on-camera performance. Like my sketches, crazy music video singing battles, and “Pop Music High.” I look back and still smile and laugh and think, wow, I was so expressive and unhinged. I went all out and had fun doing it!

I’m also proud of myself for learning new things. I used to pay producers and engineers to record me in their studios, but I had the opportunity to teach myself the ins and out’s of music production. So I learned Logic Pro X, and I just kept tinkering with different plugins and things, and my gosh, my computer hated me, but I was determined. And now I can confidently say I CAN. Same with the entire Adobe Creative Suite.

Also, collaboration makes the BEST content, if you ask me! If you want to be a creative director in any capacity, it’s best to be well versed and experienced in all facets of everyone’s shoes. So one day, when I DO produce my screenplay, I’ll be able to oversee it confidently and have a team that respects my voice but also one where I understand their voices, too.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some changes you expect to see over the next five to ten years?
I hope the industry realizes that pouring all their resources into viral creators that lack talent is a dead end with no longevity. YES, there are viral content creators who are deserving and amazing, but I hate to see numbers have precedence over talent. I’m not sure if that’ll get worse or better, but we will see! I think technology will continue to evolve, and we’ll need to keep up with it or create it.

My music-driven screenplay that I’m about to start pitching includes a rising technological development that makes it a bit ahead of its time. Either way, I wake up every morning with gratitude that I get to play a role in creating content for this world that affects others, and I’ll never stop! I feel lucky to know my life’s purpose, to have so many wild, beautiful, unexpected memories, and to know that what I’m doing matters and adds a little joy to someone’s day, somewhere.

Thank you so much to the angel who nominated me, to Nashville Voyager and to you, the reader, for taking the time to get to know me! Believe in the power of your dreams and never lose sight of who you are and your integrity!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/margeauxjordan
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aboutmargeauxjordan
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/margeauxjordan
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/itsmargeauxjordan
• SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/margeauxjordan
• Other: https://www.backstage.com/u/margeaux-jordan

Image Credits
@margeauxjordan