Life & Work with Shar Martinez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shar Martinez.

Hi Shar, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always loved taking pictures. I remember whenever I was a kid, I would ask my little brother to take pictures of me with a disposable camera as I wore different outfits. I come from a family that’s very big on always taking pictures to capture the moment. No matter what the occasion was, there was always someone, usually my dad or one of my uncles, who had a huge camcorder on their shoulders, or a camera around their neck.

During art classes, I would always volunteer to be the model that everyone sketched from different perspectives. I’d volunteer so much that the art teacher had to tell other people to volunteer or that she would randomly choose them. I have never been the type to shy away from the spotlight so to speak.

Fast forward to several years later, somewhere along the way I lost that confidence and have spent the past few years of my life building it back to get to a point of where it’s stronger than ever through modeling, building my brand as well as my podcast, Self Love with Shar, and simply doing what I need and want to do for me.

I’m a regional pageant titleholder, self-love advocate, digital creator, and executive producer! I started my podcast to uplift and help women who may be struggling with their mental health or learning how to fully love themselves. To also build space and a community where it’s OK to put yourself as a priority no matter what you may or may not have going on in life.

Most recently, I have received the regional title of Mrs. Southeast Petite to compete in the national pageant for the title of Mrs. Petite USA! The Petite USA is a beauty pageant for women who are specifically 5″6′ and under. What I truly love about this pageant organization is that you don’t have to be 5″7′ and above to have a chance at winning, you can also be married and have children. This pageant is honestly for the average American woman, the short woman, the woman who has a husband, the woman who has a family.

In given history, most women who have won any national pageant titles such as Miss USA or Miss America, etc., have been 5″7′ and above. I am grateful that I was chosen to represent the Southeast, USA in the Petite USA pageant and I will carry it well, because not only is it my dream come true with competing in a pageant (I am such a girly girl!), I will be able to be an advocate for mental health, specifically self-love, with my platform.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Modeling in general has been a very smooth road. I have had the opportunity to work with several different companies and brands. I love the fact that I am in sole control of the content that I create and put out.

Podcasting has been smooth as well. I am grateful that I can use my voice to help other women become more confident in themselves, in all areas. I started my self-love journey a few years ago after being in a dark place. It was really bad, and I felt like I had no choice but to seek and go to therapy. Going to therapy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. During that time, I didn’t feel comfortable opening to anyone about that because the ordeals that I was dealt with were still very fresh. Not just that, but the negative stigma that surrounds mental health didn’t make things any easier. After completing therapy, my life completely changed.

I want women and really anyone, in general, to know that it is OK if everything is not OK. It’s OK to get help or to seek therapy. A big part of self-love is dealing with and confronting all of the things that we feel inside. I believe it’s important that women feel confident within themselves and love themselves fully. Not just regarding looks, but everything that we have going on around us and within us.

What has not been so easy is becoming a model signed to an agency. It is difficult for short women to get traditional modeling roles within the industry. Most agencies have height requirements that state you must be 5”7’ and above. I don’t believe that someone’s height or lack thereof should make or break their chances of becoming signed. I don’t believe that short women are any less than those who are taller. We can control almost everything about our bodies, but height is assigned at birth and that’s just something that cannot be changed. I am 5″1′ and wouldn’t ever change it. I love my height! That is why I am so grateful and excited to be Mrs. Southeast Petite!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do many things and wear several different hats. I am a digital content creator/influencer. I am a self-love advocate and podcast executive producer. I am a fitness guru. I am a volunteer extraordinaire. I am a student and soon-to-be wellness coach. I am also an environmentalist, which is why I started my environmental conservation organization, Harnett Litterati. I started this organization to bring awareness to the litter pollution that happens every day within my county and the state of North Carolina.

I am the regional title-holder of Mrs. Southeast Petite. However, out of everything that I do, the most important hat that I wear is the role of wife and mom. I have so many things that I am doing and that want to do, and the amount of support that I get from my family and my husband, Robert Martinez, amazes me. I specialize in content creation, and I am known for being the superwoman who does it all: fitness and wellness, school, family, podcasting, modeling, working, and volunteering.

Work-wise, I am most proud of my perseverance. I don’t let the fact that I am petite (short) stop me from pursuing the things that I want to do regarding modeling. It just fuels me more! Every day, I work on building and expanding my brand. I am also very proud of the fact that I am passionately using my voice/podcast to uplift and encourage women to love themselves.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The industry is always changing. For digital creators, changes seem to happen every month. I believe as digital creators we simply have to get even more creative when it comes to putting out new content as we build and expand our brands.

As far as podcasts go, podcasts currently receive more of an audience than blogs, so I can’t even imagine how podcasts as a whole will expand and boom over the next few years. My advice to anyone with a podcast is to keep creating relevant content and staying up-to-date with the type of content that your audience is attracted to and wants to hear. And for those who are thinking about starting a podcast: be authentic, do your research, know your audience and deliver.

Pricing:

• Local Photoshoot Half Day (2 hours) $250
• Local Photoshoot Full Day (2-6 hours) $500
• Photo/Video Combo Half Day (2 hours) $500
• Photo/Video Combo Full Day (2-6 hours) $1000
• Travel rates apply to those outside of North Carolina

Contact Info:

• Email: sharmartinez@icloud.com
• Website: https://sharmartinez.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/shar.in.wonderland
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/shar.mtz.1
• Other: https://anchor.fm/selflovewithshar

Image Credits
Robert Martinez