This week I got a chance to Mingle with lovely couple Justin and Mary Marantz, lucky me!
What is your favorite thing to photograph? Cooper!
What is a must read or must see?
Hmmm…can we have 3?? The three books that I think EVERYONE should read are “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, “Talent is Never Enough” by John Maxwell, and ” Your Best Life Now” by Joel Osteen. All of these books have signaled BIG milestone turning points in our lives, when the stars aligned and we were reading these books just when we needed to most. They have changed the way that we see ourselves, the way that we see & treat others, and what we see as our calling for the future. All of these books share a common thread: that a life worth living is one where you invest in others not just yourself. They introduced the idea to us of what it truly means to be a “people builder” and that has made all the difference for us.
What are your work hours?
Ack! WAY too many! We work all the time. Which I think is to be expected when you’re first starting a business and you need to get that momentum rolling. But now that we have our business off and running, we are looking to slowing down very soon. Or at least to take a day off. Yea….that would be nice!
How long have you been a photographer?
Well, Justin was pretty much born with a camera in his hand! We have a picture of him when he was like three years old holding a toy camera. For me, as with most things in my life, I put in 8 good years of higher education “takin’ the long way around” to finally find what makes my heart happy. And I guess in my case that was both the photography AND the photographer! So I went full time with Justin two years ago and we’ve never looked back!
What was your very first job?
Oh let me tell you, it was ULTRA-glamorous. I was the “line girl” at the local steak house! I had to take orders, get drinks, and dry dishes. And I would always nearly slip and kill myself on the greasy floor when I walked back in the kitchen. At least I didn’t have to wear a hair net! As for J, his first job was with Mack Camera Service…see, I told you he was in to this stuff young!
Most listened to song on your iPod?
Ooh, that’s a tough one! I would say for me it’s probably “Born & Raised in the Boondocks” by Little Big Town just because it gets me all fired up to be proud of where I come from. Justin’s would have to be “Floating Away” by John Legend. We love us some Legend!
What is something you learned last year?
Oh gosh, probably that it just has to be ok for us to actually say “no” once in a while. I think we really spread ourselves thin last year trying to be everything to everyone and our poor bodies paid for it. By the end of the year we were exhausted and just totally wiped out. We still haven’t quite recovered, to be totally honest with you!
What is one thing we don’t know about you?
hmmm probably that we met on match.com. Most people don’t know that about us because we straight up LIED about it for so long…even to our families! Oops. But now that it’s become so much more common we finally started owning up to it!
Who inspires you?
Oh boy, the list is LONG here! Be careful, this may just turn into an answer worthy of an Oscar speech. First and foremost, our parents. In each of their different ways they’ve taught us what it means to love somebody for the long haul and also what it means to have a strong work ethic and to live with integrity. That getting to the good life doesn’t always come easy and it takes a lot of work…but it’s work well worth it in the end.
We also have to give a HUGE shout out to our girl Carla Ten Eyck (C10ike)!! There is nobody more passionate, determined and in possession of a giver’s heart than she is. She has had our back more times than I can count and she’s been in our corner believing in us before we even believed in ourselves. Not to mention that she is CRAZY talented and shares that talent with anyone who wants to learn in her monthly “Tuesdays with Ten Eyck” workshops. She’s AMAZING!
How do you get most of your bookings/What is your primary way of marketing?
Word o’ Mouth, baby!!! WORD!!! We have what we call our “triangle offense” of marketing through our past & current brides, vendors, and other photographers. And then we just invest everything we have (c’mon not money….HEART) in building those relationships and keepin’ em strong.
Any words of wisdom to share?
Just that whatever you do or aspire to be in this life….do it by being you. Don’t let anybody tell you that you have to pretend to be more or HAVE more than you really are. Trust me, we’ve been there and it’s not worth it. Everything that you already are and everything that you already have inside you is everything that you need.
Thanks you two for sharing!!! – Emily