Today we’d like to introduce you to Martine St. Hilaire.
Martine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi everyone – I’m Martine and I’m the founder of MOTS Media and Martine On The Scene. I was born in Brooklyn, NY and lived there through the 2nd grade. Then I moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL through high school. I’m a proud Haitian-American and I’m the first generation of my family born in the U.S. I’m also the middle of 9 children. I have 5 sisters and 3 brothers. My parents came to this country with very little, but they scraped their savings together, borrowed on their credit card and bought a small business and ran it together for almost 15 years. We weren’t wealthy, but my parents never wanted their lack of wealth to interfere with my ability to grow, learn, and pursue the dreams that I had. After high school I moved to Providence, RI to attend Johnson & Wales University to pursue a degree in Website/e-Commerce. I later found a really good job a couple states over at an investment advisory firm in West Hartford, CT. I worked there for 7 years before I realized what I truly wanted to do with my life. While there, I learned a lot about the finance industry and how to market a business through the years. I’ve always been a very accomplished individual but there’s was truly something missing in my life and I was destined to find out.
That something was creating my own media communications business. That’s when I decided to go to school at Full Sail University to get a Bachelor’s degree in Media Communications. During my matriculation, I interned for The Daily Buzz and Emotional MOJO. These 2 syndicated television shows were part of the very successful MOJO Brands. It was surreal working at a newsroom and television studio. I was a writer for both shows and was fortunate enough to have written over 100 articles. I even got to produce a health segment for Emotional MOJO’s YouTube channel. My most memorable experience was when I became a multi-media journalist, which is where I got my nickname Martine On The Scene. I got a chance to walk the streets of Winter Park and interview random people by asking them funny trivia questions to test their I.Q. in different topics. During my entire journey at FSU, I had the most fund, learned so much, became the salutatorian of my class, met many great peers and made life long friends.
After graduating from FSU, I moved to Atlanta to open MOTS Media. I finally pursued a career with my new degree. With MOTS Media, I’ve worked as a freelance writer, project manager, and digital marketing coordinator. I worked for amazing companies like SPANX, Creflo Dollar Ministries, Creation Speak, and more. I had the unique opportunity to work on various types of high-level marketing campaigns. Over the years, I was able to help leaders and influencers leave their impact through comprehensive and dynamic marketing solutions.
My parents are very proud of how far I’ve come and their decades of sacrifice had helped their daughter tremendously. Granted, I still have a ways to go but I’m well on my way to the success I’ve always dreamed of.
Currently I’m scouting talent agents through SAG-AFTRA as a voice over professional. My goal is to provide voice talent to clients for commercials, radio spots, audiobook, narration and corporate voice mail recordings (including IVR). I also specialize in the pre-production, production and post-production of all content I develop. I have worked for many years to develop my crisp strong toned voice and speak with clear diction and a versatility to adjust to each individual project. I look forward to sharing my voice with the rest of the world some day.
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?
Obstacles I’ve faced include hardship, discrimination, bullying, life-threatening car accidents, family health issues and death. Being a young black female aspiring to become successful in her field of choice is not easy. All of my life, I’ve had to fight for what I have and I’ve never backed down. Even though I’ve gone through a lot of trials and tribulations in my life, I’m a strong believer in having faith.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What sets me apart from others is that I typically walk to my own beat. That’s the best way I can put it. I’m not one to necessarily follow the trends. I like to make my own instead. I’m known for being on the music scene and interviewing local musicians. I have my own blog and I produce all of my content. I’m very proud of that. This is just an example.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Life is short—yet many of us spend time wondering what we should do with our lives, rather than actually going out there and trying. As a legend once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” It’s important to actually strike out and follow my heart—even if the odds do not seem to be in my favor. That’s the beauty of life. I’ll never know what can happen unless I take a chance. There are five reasons why taking risks is important and why I will do more of it!
1. Creating new possibilities for myself – I’m constantly thinking of new ways to challenge myself
2. Gaining insight from failure – this is super important because I have to put myself out there
3. Taking action to get somewhere – if I do nothing, then nothing will happen
4. Normalizing being vulnerable – taking risks teaches one to overcome their fears
5. Be the motivation – even if it’s uncomfortable, lead by example
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mots.media
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/motsmedia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/motsmedia
Image Credits
Image Source: @martineonthescene | Instagram
