Rising Stars: Meet Gabby Sibaja of Studio City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabby Sibaja

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m originally from Alajuela, Costa Rica, and ultimately ended up in Verona, Wisconsin. Growing up in Wisconsin, it was cold, beautiful, and comfortable, but not for me. So I decided I wanted to move to Los Angeles at 21. I was in my early 20s and didn’t know what to do with my life. I wasn’t too worried, though—I knew that this was the age to try and figure it all out, and if I was going to try and figure it out, I wanted it to be in warmer weather.

As an immigrant, I had the beautiful privilege of experiencing firsthand what chasing a dream looked like and what it meant to make your own luck. My parents have worked so hard in this country, creating a life for themselves as two successful entrepreneurs. From an early age, that instilled in me the mindset that if I worked hard at something and nurtured it, I could do whatever I wanted to.

I had always subconsciously envied people who just somehow knew what they were meant to do in this life. That definitely was not me, but I was okay with that. Truthfully, I only felt real passion when I was making something—building an idea and bringing it to life. I loved THAT, but I didn’t think that was a career option for whatever reason.

In the beginning of my time in Los Angeles, I had a plethora of odd jobs, just trying my hand at anything and everything. I think as a young adult, you’re in this weird purgatory of adulthood where, on paper, you’re mature enough to move away from home, but you’re also just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks to figure out what type of “adult” you want to be.

One day, I got a rogue email from a manager at a prestigious skincare company. She wanted me to come in for an interview and bring an interesting social media rebrand to the table. I was hooked, and most importantly, I was excited. I had worked smaller social media jobs before, but this one felt different, I remember working on my resume for about four hours and watching YouTube videos all about social media tips and tricks. TikTok was also semi-new and had come up in conversations with brands that wanted to start implementing it, so I took an online class on the platform before I officially landed the job. At the company, I technically had one role but wore at least three hats. I learned to trust my creativity, make quick decisions, and separate personal taste from what works for a brand. I thrived on building something from nothing and watching the public react to it in real time. During my time there, I grew our online community from 9k to 135k followers, helped launch new products, and even earned a few nominations for some social media-related awards. Most importantly, I discovered my passion for being on set—crafting a world around a product brought me and continues to bring me genuine joy.

After nearly three years with the company, I took the leap into freelance creative direction. It’s been challenging but also incredibly rewarding. Since then, I’ve directed two music videos, led a full launch rollout for a new alcohol brand, and worked on multiple beauty rebrands. I don’t have it all figured out, but I love learning through both my failures and successes, constantly refining what excites me.

To make a long story even longer, my latest endeavor has been starting my own lifestyle and home decor brand called Big Big Smile—a brand that I hope can create a world where the product is a catalyst for further inspiring more self-expression in your home. It’s been an ongoing battle in my head, between the fear of showcasing my creativity with my own work, rather than it being attached to other people or brands, but I’m excited to show Big Big Smile to the world in the spring of 2025.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think my biggest struggle throughout my career has been the fear of being seen/being seen trying.

I often struggle with not being “immediately good” at something, especially earlier in my career. I would try and skip steps in the learning process because I would get so excited about the project, that I eventually just ended up wanting to kick myself in the head for not following the appropriate rhythm. That’s something I’m currently trying to unlearn.

Also just in general, I’m a Hispanic woman, and there have been times in the past when I’ve applied for a job and have used a different, more white-washed surname to see if I could land more interviews, and unfortunately it has proven to work. I wish that wasn’t the world we lived in, and that we could always be judged based on our work rather than our name that may be harder to pronounce, but I trust that times are hopefully changing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a freelance Creative Director and about to launch a lifestyle brand of my own!

I feel deeply proud of every project I’ve made, I think it’s a true and honest expression of my vision co-existing with whatever the brand is looking for. I think what sets me apart from others is my brain! I like to think incredibly outside the box and then reel it back in. I’m also still very new to this, so I think my knack for not “following the rules” is my superpower in this field.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
100%, I took a huge risk by going freelance after discovering that corporate life wasn’t for me. I really really wanted to enjoy the 9-5 life, the health insurance, and the rhythm, but I always felt out of place when I would get a corporate job even if I was enjoying the work and my co-workers. Going freelance pushes you more in a way, you’re kind of betting on yourself and how much income you generate month over month is completely dependent on you and the work you put in that month. And now with launching my own business, it’s a huge risk to believe in yourself and dive head in, but it’s incredibly exciting.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbysibaja

Image Credits
Ryan Scott Graham
Nolan Knight
Beth Saravo
Chris Freeman