KAtie martin
makeup educator | @katiemartinstudio
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
“trust your gut.”
life can work in unexpected ways. like how Katie Martin transformed her outlook on life by helping others transform their outlook on life. physically, yes — those who follow her addictive Instagram account can attest to her magician-like makeup skills — but also mentally, too. spiritually, even. “as humans we just want to feel like what we spend our days doing MATTERS. i know at this point in my life that i don’t have to be a doctor, or a scientist, or a senator for my existence to mean something. if i can show up, honor my authentic self, love people so big and go to bed knowing i stayed on track with that, it was a good day.” preach. (and also, please tell us all your makeup tricks.)
where do you live?
“Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. newly transplanted after twelve years in Maryland — COVID made me do it! i’m a single mom of three kids — twelve, ten and seven — and two French bulldog puppies who are about ten months old.”
what do you do — professionally, personally, passionately?
“i was a professional photographer for about twelve years when, on a shoot one day, i was introduced to the most amazing makeup brand. i joined their organization (direct sales) literally on a whim in 2017. what happened next blew me away. i never think of myself as selling anything — even though i know our makeup is the BEST i’ve ever tried. i love to teach busy women how to easily / affordably invest in themselves by helping them with their makeup routine. in the process, i’ve sold over $360,000 in product and grown a team of over 2,300 women, 150 of whom i’ve personally sponsored. i’ve had the opportunity to speak on stage at our last two company conferences. it’s so clear to me now that the mentoring piece of what i do — coaching the women on my team, who come from all across the US and Canada from all different walks of life, that they can have a life they design — that being a mentor and a coach is the MOST REWARDING part of what i do. watching a woman learn to believe in herself and what she has to offer, channeling her inner voice, silencing her inner critic, and just bloody going for it is PURE MAGIC. the fact i can play a role in someone’s life that was is HUGE. i know i’m right where i was meant to be.
book a photoshoot, makeover, or makeup class with Katie here.
some of my other passions? traveling. fitness: lifting, yoga, handstand and inversion practice, and Peloton (@katie_gaga — you can follow me there!). Hendrick’s Gin and kombucha is my preferred cocktail. Oreos and sushi are my food love language.”
what path led you here?
“like many creatives, it’s a long and winding road of various mediums. i took some benchwork metal-smithing in college (Penn State University, class of 2000), and, afterward, started my own line. i worked retail during the day, i was a lead singer of a band for half a dozen years, I incubated my small artisan collection. the pieces i made were very “Sundance Catalog” -esque. i bought a DSLR camera to photograph my pieces for sale online, and for jurying, and taught myself how to shoot in manual. then i had my first little dude, and the camera just magnetically went to him. this was all pre-Facebook, so to help my family keep up with my life with baby, i began writing a blog. a local photographer started reading it, and asked if i would want to be her partner. i had ZERO confidence that my work was worth getting paid for, but i just dove into the deep end, and, twelve years later, had a studio, staff and a book of clients who i LOVED. it was a yellow brick road, so to speak.”
what inspires and drives you?
“my kids do. when i got divorced it was scary financially. lonely. but they were counting on me. the words “we can’t afford it” were like poison in my mouth. i was determined to be as self-reliant as i knew that girl inside me was capable of being. i want to be a great example to my kids, show that just because you get married and have babies doesn’t mean you have to forfeit your ambitions and dreams of a career of your own. what i’m most interested in now is more than just freedom from financial stress. i know know that the impact i’m making on women’s lives — either on the customer side of my life or within my team — is what LEGACY is.”
something you’ve learned “on the job”?
“blowing your own damn mind is POSSIBLE. keep moving those goal posts. and don’t be afraid to dream and say out loud the craziest shit. in a few months, it might not be so crazy.”
we are living in crazy — but important, for so many reasons — times. what is life like right now for you?
“i made some big decisions during COVID. i left Maryland, the only home my kids have ever known, where we spent twelve years, decided YOLO and moved to the Emerald Coast of Florida. i knew the moment i set foot in that fluffy, powder-white sand and looked at that turquoise water — so magical, like a swimming pool — that i was indeed HOME. moving in 2020 felt like a million-mile walk, but i made it just in time for my kids to start school last August. and, thanks to Florida, they didn’t miss a single day in person. it was the best decision. when you know, you know. trust your gut.”
your summer plans, summed up in three words?
“PRESENCE.
INTENTION.
SUNSHINE.”
something you're doing this summer that you couldn’t last summer?
“i walk on the beach every morning between 6am and 7am, and it fills my soul with gratitude. my days flow so much better just from carving out that time of intentional awareness and love.”
takeaway from the past year that you will keep with you?
“gosh. living life with a mask on — either literally or metaphorically — is HELL. amirite? be yourself. even if you are afraid it won’t be popular. the more authentic and genuine and kind and loving and aware of yourself and others you can be, the more goodness will flow to you!!!!”
we’re halfway through 2021 (!!). what’s the single best thing you did so far this year?
“2021 has been awesome. when i moved in August, my new home wasn’t entirely finished. so in March, i closed on it, moved in — and had to pare down and simplify and curate nearly everything in my life. it’s a painfully beautiful process of letting go. the reward is i wake up each day in a house that I built with my own grit, hard work and resiliency in a place i thought i’d only have an opportunity to call home in my retirement years. anything — and, i mean, ANYTHING is possible.”
piece of époque on current rotation?
“obsessed with the one pencil skirt! so comfy and dresses up anything. i can toss it on top of my bikini and hit the beach, i can travel so comfortably in it, or i can really dress it up with the right shoes and accessories. it’s got a million uses!”
three random items you can’t live without?
“iPhone. kids. dogs.”
all-around life hack you swear by?
“short hair. it’s so easy, and i get way more compliments than i ever did with long hair!”
not-so guilty pleasure?
“if I get tired in the afternoon, i set an alarm for a 27-minute nap. i think there’s some science to it: three minutes to fall asleep, twenty-four to power up. i feel fantastic the rest of the day and don’t feel guilty one bit. also: love that my job/life can support this!”
mantra?
“my favorite quote is by Joseph Campbell: ‘The cave you fear to enter, holds the treasure you seek.’ my mission in life is to be a cave dweller. :)”
anything to add?
“i think as humans we just want to feel like what we spend our days and nights creating and doing MATTERS. i know at this point in my life that i don’t have to be a doctor who heals people, or a scientist, or a senator, for my existence to mean something. if i can show up, honor my authentic self, love people so big and go to bed knowing i stayed on track with that, it was a good day. and, beyond that, i just want to inspire others to just GO FOR IT. the only thing standing in your way between the you of today and the life you dream of is YOU.”