Meet Liz Martinez

We were lucky to catch up with Liz Martinez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Liz, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Growing up, I was incredibly shy – to the point it was painful. I was always the quiet one. Always the wallflower. Always made myself as small as possible. Anything to avoid talking to others or having a spotlight on myself.

I have always been blessed with a supportive family. Even when I was little, they all made me feel special and loved and like I was a superstar. Even when I hid or didn’t talk, they treated me like I was the most outgoing person ever.

So as a grew into adulthood, I slowly started coming out of my shell. Growing up in a small state with lots of small minded people, I somehow had big dreams. With low self esteem and confidence in myself, it was incredibly difficult for me to advocate for my dreams surrounded by people who didn’t get it AND with no one else to look up to/pave the path/give me a template to run off of.

With the odds stacked against me, my confidence and self-esteem came from two places: my support system and myself.

Having a great support system is so incredibly important for a business owner. Having just one person to lean on, or having a person believe in your dreams… it can do wonders. But over the years of being a business owner, I’ve also seen how I can’t get validation from outside sources. Just because someone else thinks I’m wildly capable of doing something, doesn’t mean I do. No one else is going to believe in my goals like I do. No one else is going to make my dreams come true like I can. At the end of the day, we only have ourselves, right? No one is going to look in the mirror for me, push myself harder, or step into my shoes and live my life for me.

I built my confidence brick by brick over the years, and will continue to do so as I evolve. The strength I’ve acquired over the years not only holds my business up, but me as a person as well.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a travel portrait photographer specializing in individuals, couples, and influencers! I’m Delaware based but travel all across the globe to work with people who want personality-packed content. My work is bright, neutral, and timeless. So my clients leave with art that stands the test of time, not just with something “trendy” at the moment. Whether you want me to capture your life moments or create your social media content, you have come to the right place if you’re ready to invest in media that you’re head over heels in love with.

They don’t call me the photographer turned bestie for nothing. I love helping people who either have never been in front of a professional camera or that have, turn into the most confident, radiant version of themselves right in front of my lens. I’m a photographer that feels like a best friend you’ve known forever. I’m known to make people feel comfortable since I take the time to build an authentic relationship. There’s a reason people pick me up and take me wherever they go over the years, we form a bond with you that lasts way longer than a fleeting Instagram post. This is what makes Liz Martinez Creations stand out: a real, genuine connection with our clients. You are WAY more than someone for me to photograph and film.

Long story short, I was created to create.

Besides taking portraits for individuals and couples, creating content for influencers/businesses, I’m always re-launching our Instagram coaching! Over the years I have served countless people who rely on social media for growing their presences and their income. So we’re coming back with services better than ever by the end of 2024!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

3 qualities/skills/knowledge that were most impactful in journey:

1. Put your ego aside. Ego can be the biggest enemy of a business. It’s incredibly difficult to put your ego to the side and not let your pride take over. It’s not easy to not take everything personally. If it was, everyone would be a business owner. There will be moments in your journey where something will hurt your feelings or rub you the wrong way or make you want to quit altogether. If you allow yourself to put your ego in the backseat, your opportunities are ENDLESS. Carrying around a wound does nothing for you or your dreams.

2. ALWAYS be a student. There will never EVER be a point in my career where I feel as though I “made it.” I will never think I have mastered anything. I will never think there isn’t more to learn. This also goes hand in hand with putting your ego aside. It’s not fun to think that you don’t know everything or that you’re no the best of the best. It hurts your pride. It makes you stubborn. Whenever I do think I’ve reached the peak in an area of my business, that just means I’m playing too small and it’s time to expand to something BIGGER. It means it’s time to learn again. It’s time to research. Time to challenge myself again. I don’t ever want to feel comfortable for too long.

3. Individuality. There’s countless of businesses out there. There’s countless of people who work in your area of expertise. What makes YOU different? For example, why would someone choose me over a photo studio in a mall? What do I have to offer that’s irresistable to my ideal client? If I just copy/paste from someone else’s business model, I won’t ever get the same result they did. People are smart, they can point out authenticity so fast. They can tell when you’re faking it. Copying others only burns yourself out.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

My ideal client is lively and sentimental. They want more than cheesy, posed, cookie cutter photos and films. They have an appreciation for capturing an exact feeling at an exact moment in time. I work best with light-hearted people who are ready to laugh the whole time we’re together. I’m an optimist always searching for other optimists! If you want something more than posting content just to post, I’m the gal you’ve been searching for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lizmartinezcreations.com
• Instagram: @lizmartinezcreations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizmartinezcreations
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/lizmartinezcreations

Image Credits

All photos are taken and owned by me!