Friends, I am tickled pink to be able to introduce our newest team member to you today – Catherine Marks!
If you recognize that smiling face, then major bonus points to you (and it probably means you’ve been reading for a long time!). We first met Catherine when we featured her sparkling winter wedding to Will in 2015. (And it is a stunner – go take a peek!) She wowed us then with her thoughtful interview and meaningful wedding day details, and has only continued to delight us since she joined our team in May.
That’s right, May! :) Catherine joined our team at the same time as Kaylee (whom some of you may have met if you’ve emailed us with a customer service question!), but since she went on to have a sweet baby in July, we decided to formally introduce her to y’all once she was back from leave.
Well, she’s here, and we couldn’t be more excited for you to meet her! Though we joked throughout this process that we weren’t just hiring a new team member, we were hiring a new friend, it’s true! One of the greatest joys of the work we do is doing it alongside each other. A company culture that fosters this kind of team unity has become one of the biggest blessings of my life, and it makes our hiring decisions really, really important!
Just as our team dynamic is so incredibly important to us, it’s equally important that we have someone caring for our readers who understands and lives our mission. Catherine has quickly become one of the most enthusiastic members of our team, pitching in any and everywhere across both Southern Weddings and Cultivate What Matters. You can expect to find her doing the same from here on out, both behind the scenes and here on the blog!
What a gem this lady is to our team! Now, without further ado, meet the lovely Catherine Marks!
Tell us how you joined the team in a few sentences: I’m a long-time Southern Weddings fan (I know I’m not the only one still loyally reading years after my wedding day!), PowerSheets user, and Making Things Happen Conference alum. I have always had so much love and respect for this team from afar; I even told my husband at one point that if I could just work with the SW and CWM gals I would have my dream job. As luck would have it, I was in a transitional period in my life, knowing I was to be a new mama soon, when they posted that they were searching for a new team member. I never dreamed I would actually get the job, but God had other plans, and here I am!
What have you been doing since May? I have been loving my job! Can you believe that my very first “assignment” was to get my hair and makeup done for our team photo shoot at Fearrington Village? Granted, not every day is that glamorous, but most days are that fun! Starting out with the Cultivate Team Summit was like getting three months of information and team bonding done in three days! Since then, I’ve been editing and drafting blog posts, managing the beautiful Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory, helping out with V10 and our weekly newsletter, and gearing up for the 2018 PowerSheets release on October 25th! On a personal note, I also gave birth to my baby girl, Victoria.
What else will you be doing in the coming months? I am so excited to be able to write and share more from a personal perspective now that you know who I am! I have such a passion for both sides of our business — for encouraging women to cultivate what matters, right where they are, whether they’re brides, business owners, or new moms. I’m also coming back from leave at a great time, as both Kristin and Marissa are due to give birth soon and I’ll be taking on some of their responsibilities for the next few months!
Hometown and where you live now: I’m from Southeast Missouri (Charleston and Cape Girardeau, MO) and live in Arlington, VA now.
Birthday: September 28
Something others might not know about me: I am a proud (fourth generation) farmer’s daughter!
Favorite part about being on team: Since “everything” is a boring answer, I’ll narrow it down to two very broad things: the work I do and the people I do it with. It is such a joy to do work that I believe so strongly in and love so much. It’s cliche, but it truly never feels like a job! And then, of course, to work with these eight incredible women who are so much more than coworkers is a daily blessing I hope I never take for granted!
Friends, please help us give Catherine a big SW welcome in the comments below! She’s been such a delight to our team, and we know you are going to love her just as much as we do! You can also say hi and get to know her on Instagram.
Photos by Ally and Bobby and Olivia Suriano of Nancy Ray Photography.
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Welcome Catherine! As a fellow Southeast Missouri girl (I grew up in Perryville!) who went to college in St. Louis, I’ve been such a fan of your beautiful wedding for a long time. :)