I’m Leaving One of The Best Jobs of My Life
If you’ve been a friend or client of mine in the last five years, you know that Mod Bettie Portraits has been a big part of my life. While only a contractor for the company, the CEO, Elise Kutt, has not only made me feel comfortable and welcome, but she has pulled me in with loving arms as a part of the team: something that doesn’t necessarily happen often for freelancers.
Back in January of 2014, entering my second year after diving head first into the world of self-employment, I was asked last minute to fill in for a model who had dropped for a photography studio’s first branding shoot. I didn’t know a thing about the company or the session, I just showed up without questions to a seemingly abandoned warehouse photo-ready and suddenly was clothed in pin-up attire (and later naked under a sheet) posing in front of a bubbly personality and her camera. This is when I met Elise and lucky for me, she wasn’t a sunken-eyed creep with disheveled hair and greasy fingernails who just bought his first camera on craigslist. Since that day, she continued to ask to have me back…but not just to fill in for models or to light test, but trusting me with the hair and makeup of each of her clients.
Since that day in 2014, I’ve watched the business launch, grow and fully blossom into a dynamite business of female self-expression, empowerment and positivity. It wouldn’t take long before Elise would open up a sister-business, Naughty Bettie, and go on to cultivate a supportive community for and by women.
There is no doubt that Elise has been instrumental to my career in the beauty industry. Working for her supplemented my income while rebuilding a clientele at the salon. Furthermore, and more substantially, her passion for her work, her ability to bust through doubts and fire through tribulations wore off on me. An anomaly with an infinite amount of enthusiasm for every person she encounters, she unknowingly ignited my own fire to dive into my passion. Unfortunately, this means it’s time for me to fly the coop.
Before I told Elise that it was time for me to hand over the torch to someone else, I felt guilt and internal resistance knowing that I was walking away from one of the most positive work environments that I had ever been lucky enough to have and the last thing I wanted to do was to make life difficult for anyone else on my own accord. However, I reminded myself that this season of my life was changing and it’s best to lean into that…because as much as I love to connect with other women and develop my artistry in hair and makeup, ultimately, I was shorting myself on passions even deeper. As much as I want to do everything and be everyone, I was stretching myself thin.
As Ron Swanson would say, “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”
Though I am stepping down from my role at Mod Bettie, I will continue to take personal requests as availability allows and continue to grace Elise with my sarcasm as long as she accepts it. I couldn’t be more grateful for my time with the company, the relationships we’ve built and connecting with every single client who has walked through those doors.
I am forever indebted to Mod B. ❤
