Austin News

Austin actress Abigail Rose Baez says her new startup company Blended Sense that came about as a result of wanting to help performers has expanded to include small businesses of all kinds.

The company offers digital solutions for businesses including photos, video, audiograms, Facebook and Twitter postings, animated logos, and graphic design, all with the goal of increasing product, brand or name recognition with the public.

Problem-solving using digital technology for small business owners is what the company is all about.

“Blended Sense is a media tech company that de-risks the relationship between small business owners in need of content to elevate their brand and local creative freelancers that desire reliable work,” Abigail Baez told the Austin News. “We match them through Creative Intelligence trademarked technology on a proprietary platform.”

Baez, in partnership with her husband Albert and Georgina Griffin, started the company two years ago. She said dealing with the brutal environment actors endure with constant rejections gave her a thick skin she wants to share with people in the business world.

“As an actor, you put yourself out there daily, showing up in all your vulnerability to auditions, to then be brutally judged by casting directors," she said. "You hear ‘no’ often. At the end of the day, you must shake it off, remind yourself of your why, and move forward with grace. It requires fearlessness, gumption, creativity, and absolute conviction.”

She added that networking in show business is not much different than a business person promoting a brand.

“Success relies heavily on who you know, networking, understanding your brand, and then packing it up in a way that will get you into the casting room,” Baez said. “Because of this, landing a ‘yes’ is incredibly rewarding. This is exactly the entrepreneur's journey. Being an actor gives you thick skin and flexibility to roll with the punches, just as you must do when building a business – especially when you're pitching for investment.”

Griffin was a professional photographer before becoming a co-founder of Blended Sense.  

“I clearly saw and experienced the need for a managed marketplace, I was also really excited about supporting local business and working in product and design,” she said. “When we started the incubator and formulated our mission and values, that's really when Blended Sense became something more than the three of us.”

Baez said Blended Sense defied the odds, unlike many startups that fail. According to Cision Newswire, the company serviced 69 small businesses last year, paying out over $250,000 to creative professionals.

For information go to the company website.