Creatives — The Importance of Networking

Some of you are thinking, “Ughhhh, the dreaded networking” while others are thinking, “Psh, networking? I’ve got this covered”. Regardless of how you feel, it is undoubtedly one of the most important skills to have if you are embarking on a creative career path.

PSA: NETWORKING IS MORE THAN JUST ASKING FOR A JOB

Networking can be inviting someone for lunch or coffee, it can be creating a friendship, it can be listening to their stories, it can be learning from others in your field. Networking, of course, is about gain (because let’s be honest), but it’s more than just gaining a career boost. It’s about gaining a network of acquaintances that you can hopefully call your friends… and hey, once they trust you maybe they’ll call you for the next job they’ve got!

To be completely honest, I don’t entirely like to call it networking. I just enjoy making friends and learning about people. For example, as a beginner photographer, I love meeting other photographers. Every single person is so different and every single person has taught me something new, whether they intended to or not. It’s a community of some of the most kind, caring, and creative individuals I’ve met thus far.

Before my journey into photography started I was “dabbling” in the television industry. I say dabble because I bounced around from a few sets as a PA until I just realized Production life wasn’t for me. POINT OF THE STORY, the number one key to making it in the television industry is networking because nobody gives a damn about what school you went to, what degree you got, or what internships you worked. They want to know that you are reliable, loyal, hardworking, and they want you to prove that you know what you’re doing… instead of using a resume to say that you know what you’re doing.

It’s hard, but for all of you struggling to find your next gig, it will happen and you just have to keep being proactive.

My biggest advice when it comes to networking: leave your pride at the door and stay open to stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Sometimes it can be completely nerve-racking, but honestly WHO CARES. The worst someone can say is no to your invite. If you are that worried about what someone will think about you then you’ve got bigger things to worry about.

This is me before meeting someone new: sweaty, nervous, slightly awkward, and then I ramble WAY too much because I’m a talkaholic (WordPress doesn’t recognize talkaholic as a word, but it should). Jeez, it sounds like I’m going on a date, BUT LET’S BE HONEST HERE making friends is awesome/nerve-wracking for everyone!

If you are too selfish to think you need to network, newsflash… You’re not that great. I’ve met a few creatives who think they don’t have anything else to learn, but you can always be learning no matter how good you are.

Here’s how I look at it, how kind is someone to take time out of their day to sit and talk with me? I only hope that I can be so lucky to return the favor one day. I’ve already told myself that if I ever get to the point where beginners are asking me for advice (fingers crossed because that means I’m successful AF) I will never turn them down. Everyone started somewhere, even you.

-till next time-

 

My Advice for Seniors | 2018

With graduation season quickly approaching I thought it’d be a good time to reflect back on the past six years (give or take) since High School graduation. Since then I have received my BA from Georgia State University, been out of school for a full year, and do I know what I’m doing with my life yet? Well… I think I’m finally getting there.

Not that I think that my advice/experiences are any way more important than anyone else’s, but I also think it’s important to share since I haven’t followed the traditional path envisioned for those entering college.

Here’s my first piece of advice: Be yourself, always.

I graduated high school during the time where going college was pretty much the only option. It was engrained in my brain that I had to get a college degree to be successful. Has it helped it? Not necessarily, but I did learn a hell of a lot from college outside of the classrooms. Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to college, but I am saying that you should trust your gut. No one knows you better than yourself.

And ironically, now here I am saying this…

Stop acting like you have your life together and you know exactly what you’re doing for the rest of it. Okay, okay, I get it… I somewhat contradicted my last statement, but really though… most of you are 18, it’s okay/encouraged to not know what you’re doing for the rest of your life.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by thinking you’re more adult than your parents think you are. *raises hand*

It happens… to E V E R Y O N E.

Now I’m going to say something that might agitate some of you because it’s sometimes an unpopular opinion.

Those who say, “High school is the best years of your life” PEAKED IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Seriously though, if you’re an outsider or considered weird or shy or whatever it may be that people think of you… better years are coming. Trust me, I was so shy in high school. I had a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong, but it amazes me when people think the BEST time of their life was trapped in a high school (you’re probably thinking, well that was probably because you were a loser in high school, okay hush… everyone is a loser in high school). You experience a lot, but you also get to experience SO MUCH MORE once you leave because nobody is dictating your day.

My biggest piece of advice is to step outside of your comfort zone. If that means trying new food, then go for it! If that means moving out of your parents’ home, go for it! Try new things, experience new places, and meet new people.

Yes, it’s the end of high school and sometimes the end of certain friendships and relationships, but it is the beginning of the rest of your life. Enjoy it and embrace it knowing that there are a million other Seniors out there going through the exact same thing you are.

I’m currently still booking Senior sessions. The best part of it is, I LOVE to talk and listen. I want to hear what you’re most excited about, what your worries are, whatever is on your mind. Plus, take some pretty awesome pictures for you to have forever!

I’m Georgia based and you can contact me directly at: caitlynlouisephoto@gmail.com

Congrats Seniors!

 

-till next time-

 

 

Atlanta, GA | Historic Oakland Cemetery

Atlanta, GA | Historic Oakland Cemetery | Katie

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So first off, I don’t know why it took me so long to write this blog or post these images. Actually, I do know why… I was in a creative stump (If creative stump is even a phrase… creative flop, creative uhhh…), oh well, you know what I mean!

Back to business… Here’s some of my favorite images from a rainy day in Atlanta. I wish I had a hip, creative, catchy title for this session, but that’s just another thing I’ll have to add to my to do list.

Just a few highlights of my favorite things from this shoot:

• We drove 35-45 minutes to Atlanta and it rained as soon as we got there. RAIN AINT STOPPIN’ US! But really, I’m always down for anything, especially if it’s for the shot.
• I had no clue what kind poses or feelings I wanted from this session. That was the beauty of it. I chose a location, ran it by Katie, and we went to exploring! Needless to say, she rocked it.
• This was my last session using my Nikon camera, I have since upgraded to my newer (older, but newer to me) Canon 5D Mark ii, nonetheless I’m happy with how my latter camera did during this shoot.

Learning Experience 101: I missed the focus on the shot above. Instead of her eyes, the focus is more on the branches towards the top of the image. I actually re-edited this image about two months after the original shoot, added some grain, and boom, it’s looking better already. Sometimes a perfect photo isn’t about checking all of the boxes.

 

 

When It’s Time To Quit Your Sh**** Job

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. W O W. How relieved do I feel to say, without any regret, that I quit my f****** job… but really, I have been waiting to write this blog for way too long. It’s going to be full of some good notes + some real anger + some damn good realizations.

— This focuses on my personal experiences and is not in any way a list of reasons to leave your job. Everyone’s different and everyone has their own breaking points. Also, this might be a little long, so hang tight.

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Where do I start? Well, let me give a precursor to this blog, I have been working since I was 16. I love to work, I love to make money, and I’m a hard worker at that (or at least I like to think I am). Everyone experiences bad bosses, it’s normal, myself included. If you love your boss, you are one of the lucky ones. I’ve complained about bosses for petty reasons such as scheduling or playing favorites or they would make me do nasty stuff like clean the toilets (Hey, somebody’s gotta do it!). That being said, LET ME TELL YOU.

Note: I will not call out the name of the company, name of the owner, or name of anyone else involved. As much as I would love to go absolutely ham in this blog… I gotta keep this somewhat professional, right?

Never have I ever worked in an environment where I felt so belittled, like I don’t even exist, my ideas do not matter, I have no skills to provide, I can’t reason with anyone, and I’m up against a wall.

My first job out of college was for a tech start up in Atlanta (I know, you’re thinking… A STARTUP THAT’S SO COOL orrrr WTF A STARTUP YOU’RE STUPID). Either way, I was ready for a career and something that would pay the bills. It took about two weeks for me to start wondering what the heck was happening around there, but I was trying to stay hopeful for what the future could bring. I don’t give up on jobs or people easily, so why start… even when they continuously wouldn’t give me any paperwork to sign.

Yeeeeeep, my taxes are about to be s c r e w e d.

Before you start to pull your hair out wondering why I stayed, I was naive.

Lesson #1: Do not always trust people and if you’re like me, you always want to see the best in everyone right off the bat. GET PAPERWORK. Even if you hear the excuses, “We’re working on getting a payroll company”, “We’ll have your paperwork for you when we get back from the weekend”, “It’s really in your best interest because you’re not paying taxes right now”.

Yes, I was getting paid through company checks. No, I was not paying taxes, immediately at least. I’ve been in touch with an employment lawyer and that’s a blog for another day. Long story short, they’re about to have the IRS on them because nobody puts baby in the corner. *hair flip*

Lesson #2: Do not let anyone be a cloud on your sunshine because YOU ARE THE SUN.

What I am saying is, your ideas matter. If someone, especially your boss, does not care to listen to what you have to say, you better run. It’s a little different for me considering I work(ed) in a creative field where ideas make up my daily routine. It was more than just not listening to my ideas, it was asking me to share ideas and then telling me they were bad, followed by asking me if I had any more ideas to share, followed by getting frustrated at me for not having any other ideas to give. It got to the point where I started to believe that my ideas were bad… before I would even share them. Let me throw this out there in case anyone thinks I’m just complaining… There was NEVER any constructive criticism given, only negative “That’s bad” “No, you don’t know how it works” “No I really don’t like that”.

Lesson #3: Sexism is not cool and it is not okay.

Making a claim such as calling a boss sexist isn’t easy… If you’re rolling your eyes right now, that’s because you’ve never experienced it. At one point there were three females working for the company, but then it came to a point when I was the only female left. This wasn’t the flirty, sexual harassment kind of sexism. This was the underlying belief that females are not as smart or capable as their male counterpart kind of sexism.

I have no problem working with males, I’m not in any way intimidated by showing someone up ESPECIALLY SINCE IM A FEMALE. What I don’t like? Is when the boss asks for everyone’s ideas, except mine. When the boss walks in and says hello to everyone, but me. When the boss introduces visitors to all of the employees, but completely ignores me. When the boss says things like, “That’s not how the business works, sweetheart” (that one wasn’t directed towards me, but sure did boil my blood as if it was directed to me). When the boss says things like, “The girls can’t leave for lunch together… we don’t need the girls leaving at the same time”. The way he treated my male counterparts was completely different than how he treated me or the other two females I worked with.

It’s hard to stand up for yourself when you don’t even realize what’s happening at first. I had never been exposed to someone like that. I mean, sh*t I worked as a waitress for five years and had disgusting comments made to me all of the time, but I had never had a boss treat me as if I was incapable. It was belittling.

Lesson #4: Your mental health is more important than faking that you’re happy.

I can’t even explain the anxiety that I felt going into that place. My stomach turned as soon as I got there to the point where I was feeling physically sick. I was stressing myself out so much over a job that doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. It’s okay to admit that you’re not okay. I couldn’t even last a year and I can fully admit that because I don’t even want to know what my mental state would have been if I would have stayed there.

Lesson #5: Trust your gut when it’s telling you that it’s time to quit.

Like I said before, I love to work. I haven’t been without a job since I was 16 except for a total of three months. I went back and forth in head making up excuses on why I shouldn’t leave. At the end of the day, I’m a lucky, lucky, lucky gal with an amazing support system who trusted me when I said I had to quit my job. Yes, jobs are not always fun and bosses aren’t always the best, but when you find yourself in an unhealthy work environment sometimes it’s okay to leave.

I will say this, I started to s l i g h t l y regret my decision of quitting… until I heard what my boss’ response was to me leaving. It completely relit that original fire that gave me the confidence to quit. It showed exactly why I deserve better.

So, here’s to all my #bossbabes and #bossmen!

You ARE worthy. Your ideas DO matter.

Men, if you see sexism happening in the workplace, be the man to step up and say something.

Women, if you see sexism happening in the workplace (because it doesn’t only affect females) step up and say something!

And here’s to new jobs 💪

P.S. If you have any questions about my experience or a situation that you’re currently in, please shoot me a comment/message directly and I will answer any questions and give the best advice that I can!

-till next time-

Prude Shaming — The New Slut Shaming?

We’ve all agreed that slut shaming is disrespectful. It’s a big no no in this world that we live in today where we are trying to create change and make our actions match our words. Whatever you want to do with your body is your decision and no one else should have a say right?

But, what about prude shaming? It’s on the opposite spectrum, but just as disrespectful.

Now prude is a word that I absolutely hate, mostly because I’ve been called that multiple times throughout my short life… oddly enough, more so by other women than men.

Prude: [noun]

A person who is excessively proper or modest in speech, conduct, dress, etc.

Here’s the way I see it: if you support women’s rights to do whatever they wish with their bodies, that should mean every range of the spectrum. You cannot be against slut shaming, yet still prude shame. We, as women, should be supporting each other, not tearing each other down for our differences.

I am not a prude for not wanting to take my clothes off. I am not a prude for not telling people my personal business. I am not a prude for being shy. I am not a prude for saying no.

You are not a slut for taking your clothes off. You are not a slut for telling people your personal business. You are not a slut for being bold. You are not a slut for saying yes.

Do not slut shame. Do not prude shame. We are all individuals, we all have differences, and none of us deserve to be judged for our choices.

-Till next time-

Let’s Talk Money Management

Anyone that is close to me knows that I am a bit of a saver… penny-pincher… tightwad, whatever you wish to call it.

Anyways… people have asked me to share a blog explaining my money management skills or as some may see it, how the f*** do you do that?

*Disclaimer: I stay away from money numbers for obvious reasons and this blog is more so an overview of my money management style.

Here’s a little bit of background about me before I start. I started working with I was 16 years old, moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Midtown, Atlanta when I was 19, moved to a 3-bedroom apartment in Kennesaw when I was 22, paid off my student loans when I was 23, and now here I am (hopefully) saving for my next endeavor.

My rent when I was living in Atlanta was $1097 + electric, water, gas, not to mention the expenses of tuition, books, groceries, etc. Here’s how I afforded my lifestyle: I saved every paycheck I got while I was working in high school. My thought process was, “I’ll get myself one nice thing every paycheck and the rest will go into saving” because I don’t NEED anything right now. It quickly turned into just using my money for gas and putting the rest away for saving. I mean hell I was living at home, I never partied in high school, and I was working every weekend so I never had time to spend money. This meant when I moved out that I had been sitting on my high school savings.

Here’s my financial mindset plain and simple: If I don’t need it, I don’t buy it. Except for the rare occasions that I decide to spoil myself.

Things don’t make you happy and people spend so much money on minuscule things that keep them satisfied/happy for a short period of time and then they’re on to the next thing. I enjoy experiences, which is why I can afford to travel more than most people.

Here’s my advice for anyone that has trouble saving:

Pick a number in your head, a financial number that makes you feel comfortable and keep your checking at that number. Anything that goes over, move it to a separate account. Put it in your savings, your retirement, under your mattress. Put it away so you don’t feel the desire to spend it. If your checking goes significantly lower than that number (you decide how much lower you feel comfortable with) then you should probably stop spending so much.

Also, credit cards can kill you. Do not ever spend money you don’t have. My credit card is used to help build my credit and that is it. I never put more money on my credit card than I have right in that moment. Look at your checking and look at your credit card, if your credit card is way higher than your checking you are literally spending money you don’t have. Yes you can get your next paycheck and pay it off, but then you’re back to nothing. You will constantly be working to pay off your credit and just adding another bill to your finances. Now, having debt in credit cards for pointless things is different from having debt on a car or a house, it’s mindless spending.

For all of you that are feeling a little stressed after reading this, there’s a fine line between smart saving and solely focusing on the future. You don’t want to lose yourself in preparing for a day you may not get to experience, but you also want to live your best life making sure that you are always taken care of. Have fun, but be smart, check your credit, run credit checks, talk to bankers, invest your money, do whatever works best for you. I don’t have all the answers and I’m always learning what works best for me, but I hope this has helped motivate you to save that extra dollar!

 

-Till next time-

Family Matters

Maybe I’m biased, but my Great-Grandmother is the sweetest woman I have ever met. 87 years old and she’s still the kindest soul you will ever come across.

Nothing makes me more thankful for my family than the 12-hour drive it takes to get to them. Kidding… the drive is horrible, but every mile is worth the distance, especially when I get to see views like this.

Caitlyn Martin Photography | Smokey Mountains

My family, with the exception of my mother and a couple of relatives, live in Maryland and Virginia. The distance has made communication difficult, but we are still a family that laughs and talks for hours when we do see each other. Literally… my mother and uncle can talk for hours (maybe it runs in the family, but I’ll never admit it).

Thanksgiving is the one holiday where we all try as hard as we can to make it to Maryland. It is not an easy trip to make happen, between work, money, and life in general it is hard to find an opportunity to actually get away. Thanksgiving, luckily, is one of the few holidays where we manage to escape back north. Last year I spent my Thanksgiving under the roof of Ted’s Montana Grill, serving all day long. Oddly enough, Ted’s is one the few restaurants that stay open on Thanksgiving. That meant that this year was over due and extra special.

Pictured above is my Great-Grandmother, who in my entire life I have never seen smile for a picture (she always says that she is smiling). If I could define kindness in a person, it would be her. My favorite thing when visiting is digging through old photographs, even all the way back to 1945, she is pictured here below.

We lost my Great-Grandfather about 13 years ago and she has persevered every single day. When I think of my great-grandparents, I remember their farm house. I remember sitting in the living room watching A Land Before Time while coloring these little, paper clouds that I would then hide all around the house. Don’t ask me why, but I thought it was hilarious to hide things before I left to go back to Georgia. I remember exactly how her iced tea tasted, how it felt to sit at the table for dinner, and how long the driveway up to their tiny little house on top of the hill was. After my Great-Grandfather passed away, that was all gone. Life happens and we never expected him to be gone so soon. Grandma now lives in a quaint, little apartment in Bel Air with the sweetest live-in nurse, Angel. She helps Grandma get out of bed, get to the dining room, and everything in between.

This Thanksgiving was extra special because as relatives get older you never know when it’s going to be last time you see them. Now, Grandma is still kicking and I’m hoping that she lives until she’s 100. I can’t imagine the world without her sweet laugh and loving hugs. Pictured below is her with my Great-Grandfather and… my grandpa in their arms.

Family matters.

-Till next time-

Senior Portraits – One Last Congratulations

“Be bold, be courageous, be your best.” – Gabrielle Giffords

As graduation season comes in full swing, many are quickly looking for the perfect way to capture their special moment. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to photograph graduating Senior and soon-to-be Pediatrics Nurse, Jana.

Photography is something that I have always been interested in, but also intimidated by. You would not believe the amount of settings and adjustments that go into shooting manual. When Jana contacted me asking if I could photograph her senior shoot I was as much flattered as I was anxious. I wanted to capture the perfect pictures for her to have forever.

When the day came, I packed away my Nikon Camera and lenses and ran out the door. How lucky was I to photograph such a kind person for my first official photo shoot EVER. She was so patient as I adjusted the aperture and shutter speed to get the perfect shot. It took me a little bit of time to feel comfortable asking for poses, but once I did I was completely in my element. Here are some of my favorite photos from Jana’s session:

Such a beautiful person on the outside AND inside. She is going to do so many great things. Congrats, Jana, Class of 2017! Thank you for believing in me and trusting me.

If you are interested in booking a senior, couple, or family portrait session, you can contact me by email at: martinlcaitlyn@gmail.com

-Till next time-

College Debt Free in 8 Months

Featured Image: Chris House Photography

*Currently listening to In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins radio on Pandora*

I have gotten a lot of questions asking how I managed to pay off my students loans so quickly. It was not easy and it was not fun… Okay, that’s a lie. It felt great once they were paid off.

As many of you already know, I graduated from Georgia State University in December of 2016. I had the cloud of student loans hanging over my head… pretty much like anyone else that goes to college. If you’re anything like me, finances stress you the f*** out.

Here’s the difference that has separated me from many of my fellow classmates. I didn’t take out any loans until I absolutely had to. Yes, I would be sh** broke eating ramen every night before I took out a loan. I was paying for a one-bedroom apartment in Midtown, Atlanta and working every moment that I wasn’t in class. I got my first loan my second semester of Junior year, up until then I had been paying out-of-pocket for my classes. So in total I had three semesters of loans built up when I graduated.

After you graduate, you have six months to begin paying off your Stafford loans without ANY interest accumulating. Here’s the kicker… many people take this time to focus on finding a job, saving money, and just relaxing. I mean, I get it, you’ve been in college for four years and you want to relax finally. This is my advice: start paying off your debt before the interest starts kicking in.

I made my first payment on my Stafford loans in January, a month after I graduated. I put $1000 down purely taken out of my savings account and then started an automatic payment plan. The suggested payment plan it started me on was $20 a month (this also told me I would pay off my student loans in twenty years, hell no). I changed the automatic amount to $150 a month. At this point in time, I was living in Kennesaw paying a substantial amount less in rent and still working full-time as a waitress. A couple of months passed and it was April, my birthday month! Wondering what I did with my birthday money? I put it all down on my student loans, plus I saved up enough to invest another $1000. Note: my grace period was ending on June 6th… I had two months left before interest would start accumulating.

For reasons that don’t really matter to this blog, I was jobless for about two months between June-August. I still had my automatic payment plan going knowing that something was better than nothing. I started my current job in August and my very first paycheck was devoted solely to my student loans. BOOM, I was done. Less than a year since I graduated and I haven’t worried since about the debt hanging over my head.

My story is different from many others, I didn’t take out any money until I desperately felt I had to. I started working when I was sixteen and saved every last bit of the money I had made from working through high school. I am so very thankful for my family because I learned the value of a dollar at a young age. If anything comes from this blog, I feel the most valuable piece of advice I can give is to start paying off your loans as soon as you can. If you can start paying them off before graduation, go for it and more power to you!

-Till next time-

“Too Young & Too Green” – The Harsh Reality of Applying for Jobs in your 20’s

This blog hits home a little too much, especially lately. Finding a job S U C K S, it is even harder when hiring managers require that you have 5+ years of experience, but no one is willing to give you a chance to get that experience.

I am no stranger to applying to jobs. I graduated from college back in December of 2016 and immediately thought I would get an offer… HA! I was immediately slapped in the face with the hard truth of today’s economy. Ten applications went by, then thirty applications, then fifty applications, at one point I had applied for any and every job I could possibly think of. I lost sight of what I truly wanted just because I was so eager (and desperate) to have a job.

Fast forward and I am currently working as a Social Media Manager, but I have started looking again. Not because I do not enjoy my job, but because I want to push my career even further. This brings me to the hurtful truth I learned through my most recent job interview.

I had the opportunity to do a phone interview for a position I wanted so incredibly badly. After the interview I was asked to complete a test assignment with a 24 hour turnaround. 24 hours? Psh, not only did I finish it before the deadline, but I was beyond confident in my completed assignment. About a week later, the hiring manager emailed me letting me know that the company was going in a different direction. At first, I was bummed, but more so I thought to myself that I needed to be better. As I stared at the email, I quickly realized that the hiring manager had accidentally attached the entire email thread between her and her superior talking about my qualifications, or lack thereof. I was no longer bummed, I was crushed.

“This girl applied for a job, but TBH I don’t think she has enough experience”

“I think Caitlyn is too young… and too green.”

“Yeah, I agree and she sounded immature on the phone.”

That was it. Absolutely no review of my test assignment, no review of my education, and no review of anything other than how young I look and how I sounded on the phone. Mind you, no where on the application does it say my age. They based their judgement simply on a picture. I was crushed. Yes, I do look young and yes, maybe I sounded immature on the phone (I have always sounded 15 on the phone). Here is the reality, I was denied the position before I could even convince them of my talents, which I can confidently say I have. My cover letter was never passed on and my assignment, which took me seven hours, was never reviewed. What have I learned from this? I have learned that I am going to have to work twice as hard to prove myself. I have learned that I am going to have to work to always be the best version of myself that I can be. I have learned that hiring managers will judge me for how young I am, but I will judge them for not giving me a chance.

For those of you that are still reading and wondering how I responded. I politely thanked her for the opportunity and I let her know that she should never attach an email thread ever again, as it was inappropriate and unprofessional. If they were talking about me so casually, as a candidate, who knows what has been said about other applicants. Now I know that she will never let that mistake happen ever again and no one else will have to read comments like that.

I made sure to attach her boss.

 

-Till next time-