Today we’d like to introduce you to Cait Pearson.
Cait, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Yeah, absolutely. I moved out here to Portland, Oregon, four years ago from Pennsylvania. I packed two bags, booked a flight and came out here. I didn’t know a single person when I got here. But Portland was the foodie city and I actually had a professor of mine in college recommend Portland to pursue food photography out there.
So, after a brief trip, when I graduated from college, I came out here to Portland, and I completely fell in love with the place. I mean, the community is so welcoming, just very supportive of creatives. And just any wild dream I feel like somebody could possibly have, there’s a community out here in Portland to support it. So I moved out here, I didn’t know a single person and I began pursuing what it would look like to be a food photographer. So I was going to networking events, and I was reaching out to different people and handing out so many resumes and showing people my portfolio. And honestly, when I came out here and didn’t know anyone, you’re obviously looking to meet people and make friends. But what I was finding at networking events, where I thought I would find passionate, like-minded people, I was being met with a lot of hollow, transactional conversations instead. And it became really frustrating for me because I didn’t know anyone to refer anyone else to and I had no money. I was so broke at the time. I couldn’t invest in anybody else’s business or anybody else’s program. But I still felt like I had worth and value to give. But I was just met time and time again with this feeling of not being good enough and not being worthy and that I didn’t belong here. And so I just silently pursued my own thing.
For the next two and a half years, working countless jobs and hearing so many no’s. And then, I finally landed a job at a local agency here in Portland. And I thought that was going to be the job. I mean, I was getting paid to do the thing I went to college for, I had benefits and paid time off. We had work from home Fridays and even happy hour during the week, in the office. And it was like the dream gig and everybody always told me I essentially I got paid to eat food for a living and to take photos. How great is that? Then about eight or nine months into this job, I began to get this feeling that I wasn’t really living into my purpose and that I was so unfulfilled. But every single time I tried to tell anyone about it, it was met with “Are you crazy, you have the perfect job you have everything that anyone at 27 or 28 years old, would kill to have. What is your problem?” And being very close with my family also, that’s exactly what they said to me as well as my friends and everybody around me, it was such an isolating experience.
I thought I was broken. I thought something was wrong with me. So I developed a gratitude practice. And I started meditating and going on these long meditative walks. And I just picked up all of these extra kinds of rituals and things to do acting like I was the problem, and I was broken. And it wasn’t until one weekend, I randomly left a comment on this woman’s post on Instagram, and she is a local coach here in Portland, just expressing these feelings of mine. Not really thinking anything of it, but I was met with a message that felt like she saw me in her response. She ended up inviting me to hop on a phone call with her and typically, I would have said no because I hate hollow sale’s pitches, but there was like this inkling inside of me that said I should do this.
We scheduled a call, and I remember the day we talked, it was like for the very first time really just unloading. It was like she asked me the perfect questions to get to the heart of exactly what it is that I needed to say, and tell the truth about and by the end of that phone call, I felt so much lighter. She told me about this event she was hosting and what would be the cost to go and I got off the phone and I instantly felt so defeated. There was just no way I was going to be able to afford going. And my best friend, at the time, was actually sitting next to me and she said, “I don’t care what you say, that look on your face and how you lit up talking about what you’re passionate about was inspiring. You are absolutely going to that event. You’ll find a way.”
I ended up going, and long story longer. I walked into the room and I was the youngest person in the room. And instantly, I felt like I didn’t belong again. It was like I was time warped back to those experiences that I had at those events years prior. I felt like nobody was going to take me seriously. I didn’t belong here. And I even told myself that I would give it four hours (they were eight hour days) and then if I still felt like I didn’t belong here, I would excuse myself to go to the bathroom and then I would just leave, it would be fine.
But it wasn’t even 40 minutes into it that I knew I was was there on purpose. And these people not only welcomed me with open arms, but when I finally got the courage to speak the truth about what I wanted to do when it came to seeing people and believing in people and all we have to offer I was met with tears. They really saw me that day. That was the first time I felt safe to tell my truth and now creating, She’s Hungry and the podcast, my dream is to just keep creating these spaces where people feel safe, to say their truth, to explore their truth, get curious about what’s possible for themselves in their life, when they feel safe to do so.
That’s how I kind of got to where I am today. I mean, the podcast has just been a collection and a combination of sharing stories of people that have done it, of people that have been brave and stepped out into their purpose and what that journey for them has looked like. I want other people to know they’re not alone and they can do it too. Everything that I’ve created is chasing this idea that we all belong. And we all already have everything we need. We sometimes just need some help and some guidance to uncover what that really is, and that’s where She’s Hungry comes in.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The struggles of connection, and belonging were strong. Making friends as an adult is already riddled with so many challenges, but then having an expectation to show up to events where people are talking about their business and their passions to be met with so much disconnect was really painful for me. I’ve never been one for small talk, so finding my place felt like a battle for awhile.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
She’s Hungry is centralized around community, collaboration, and real connection. Whether that’s through events we host, the She’s Hungry podcast, my coaching services. It all comes back to facilitating opportunities for people to feel seen and that their willingness to share their story is the only barrier to entry and being welcome. I would say I specialize in holding space for the integrity of real connection. I’m a highly sensitive person, so I’m deeply intuitive, and I think this gift has allowed me to feel the needs in spaces and create safe containers for anyone to be vulnerable. I always say we are one brave moment away from a totally different perspective on what’s possible for our lives and this world. The common thread is community and brave communication.
What I’m known for is definitely my infectious enthusiasm for what I do. I genuinely get beyond excited when I meet people and they want to tell me their dream. I am a self proclaimed “get it done” goal master. My friends joke that if you tell me what you dream of in life I will literally have a game plan for you and how to get it in five minutes, probably written on a napkin.
I’m most proud of the integrity I have held as a core value and standard of the things I have created. At the end of the day, time is the only resource of ours that we don’t get back and whether you’re attending an event, listening to my podcast, or meeting me for coffee I take the the honor that you’re spending time with me very seriously. That also goes for myself too, which took some extra time to learn than the sacred exchange for other people’s time. Energetically I want to be present with people, and I have to have very honest intuitive check-ins with myself if I find I have things on my schedule and I feel like I’m not. I think as a society we’ve taken a lot of pride in “getting it done” anyway, and I would say even as huge of a proponent of that kind of discipline I am, when it comes to my time or anyone else’s it doesn’t serve either of us to try to “get it done.” If I notice I’m rescheduling a lot of things, this gives me a great opportunity to rework my schedule around what’s working and what’s not. Not shame myself for my principles, and I’m proud to say that same integrity, intentionality, and thoughtfulness is a cornerstone in everything we do at She’s Hungry.
I think what I just described lends itself greatly to the individuality of what we do here. It seems like with the ever growing rate of social media platforms and the accessibility of what works for everyone else, or the comparison to be as far along or “professional” or “put-together” as everyone else, we have stopped really setting boundaries or creating systems that truly work for us. Does this mean I don’t feel the same pressures or doubts? I absolutely do, but using my intuition as my guiding light to remember to serve myself and the people that I get to work with and serve always comes first has made a tremendous impact on the loyalty and the respect I believe people have for what we do. It’s not always as polished as what you see on social, but I never want to be so far removed from the people that take my advice or work with me that they feel like they can’t start or do it their messy way too.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Honestly, I don’t really believe in luck. I think it comes down to the consistency in your pursuit leads you to where you’re meant to be led. And this idea that when you can take on the perspective that everything that happens in life is ultimately for you, like making you better, than good or bad “luck” takes on a new significance. This is a bit morbid I guess, but it’s an undeniable perspective shift for me when I get caught up in unfortunate circumstances. The people who had “bad luck” and just missed the train or the bus or their taxi and were late to work on 9/11 were pissed in the moment it happened. There are so many moving parts we know nothing about, and always look for the good. This has helped me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sheshungry.com
- Phone: 4126392003
- Email: cait@caitpearson.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sheshungryco
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sheshungry
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/caitpearson
Image Credit:
The last image of the panel is credited to Sierra Selene
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