We are just like you. We just followed our dreams."
               -- Cas Haley, at Brewster's All-School Assembly

January 11, 2008 – 1998 graduate Griffin Guess, who now manages the entertainment industry’s top music video and commercial creative talents, returned to campus this week to host an impressive career panel. The live panel included clients: Cas Haley runner up in “America’s Got Talent” and supermodel Marisa Miller. Dallas Mavericks General Manager Don Nelson also joined the panel via a live audio feed.

In the 10 years since leaving Brewster, Guess has built an impressive career in the entertainment industry. Before he was barely out of New Hampshire and back in his home state of California, his career took off. After a year as a video and film major in college, Guess said the time was right for him to realize his goal of helping musicians become more creative. He said the timing and resources presented themselves and he had to jump at the opportunities then because they weren’t going to wait for him. “I had a vision to help them [musicians] with their identity. The time was right.”

Guess set up a small post production house, which quickly led to creative offers at Hollywood Digital, where he was first executive producer for music video sales and then promoted to creative director, short form post production. By age 23 he was director of commercials and music videos for Encore Hollywood. Along the way, his small post production house morphed into what has become Cartel Inc. His Los Angeles-based company is dedicated to managing the media assets and creative solutions for top recording artists and industry icons in music, modeling, media, and sports, and two of those icons are Miller and Haley.

Miller, who has appeared in every issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit since 2002 and appears again in next month’s highly anticipated edition, was interviewed by Lynne Palmer, Brewster’s director of admission and external affairs. After the interview, Miller graciously took questions from the audience.

Haley was discovered on the second season of  “America’s Got Talent” and with Guess is working with iTunes to release his upcoming album on February 14. The singer/guitarist from Arlington, Texas, performs reggae and rock and plays both acoustic and electric guitars. At the assembly he performed The Police song “Walking on the Moon,” a bluesy medley of “Texas Country,” and a spirited reggae medley. Haley offered this advice to the students: “Follow your dreams. You’ve got to do that. It’s the only way to happiness.”