A Letter from Liz: Catalyst is All of Ours
/“if you can’t read the book you want, you gotta write it.”
Happy Wednesday, Disrupters!
Today we are reflecting on the roots of Catalyst. Catalyst is truly an example of putting an intention out into the world and watching it blossom due to the care and love of a community. Carly and I started with a simple idea. We wanted to build and engage an existing community of nontraditional wedding lovers. After we met so many awesome fempreneurs at {un}convention, we wondered: what's next? On a whim, Carly said to me, "Why don't you quit your job and start a magazine with me?" I said, "Okay." And I did. On Monday, I gave my two weeks' notice, and Carly and I got to work. I'm not usually so impulsive, but there was something about this project that tugged on me, and I needed to see it through. What better way to reach a national (even global) community of diverse, progressive creatives, who love weddings but can't get behind all the traditional trappings of the industry? We knew very little about print media, but we knew lots of talented people. Have you ever looked around you and thought, "Man, I bet my friends could build something awesome"? This was one of those times.
Catalyst is for everyone who feels under-represented, without a voice, or absent altogether from an industry that glamorizes spending, tradition, and the same old race/gender/sexual politics.
And so Catalyst has truly been a grassroots effort. The written content, the photography, the design work, the media kit, the publicity... it's been lovingly orchestrated into something that we believe the world needs and wants. So many people have squealed upon seeing the magazine preview and said how badly Catalyst is needed, how homogenous most wedding content is, how they've been looking for other like-minded folks in the wedding world but to no avail.
So this is where you come in. Catalyst is not a top-down effort. Catalyst isn't a vanity project; it's our project. Catalyst is for everyone who feels under-represented, without a voice, or absent altogether from an industry that glamorizes spending, tradition, and the same old race/gender/sexual politics.
If this project tugs on you the way it tugs on me, then help us spread the word. You are a part of our community, and you are integral to Catalyst's success. So jump on board! Here are a few action items:
- Please share the preview and media kit with others across your social media networks and let them know that we are looking for vendors who are pushing boundaries that want to be a part of the Catalyst community.
- Don't wait to purchase your copy of volume one. Every pre-order helps us with our printing costs and gets this magazine into the hands of readers.
- Reach out to us if you know of independent bookstores, rad bridal boutiques, or design-based homegoods stores in your area that might want to sell Catalyst Wedding Magazine. Or even better, help us make the connection by introducing us!
- If you're a vendor, consider advertising with us. Your advertisement will reach a niche audience, and you will be the face of the Catalyst movement along with other vendors who are pushing boundaries in the wedding industry. It's more than an ad; it's a statement.
- Write about Catalyst. The more publicity we can get, the broader our community becomes. Do you have a personal blog or a connection to a local media source? Help us spread the word!
- Please send your feedback. We are open to your advice and comments, and we want Volume One to reach as many as possible. So let us know what you're thinking! liz(at)catalystwedco(dot)com
Thanks for everything. Every day, we are stoked to find more folks in the Catalyst community who are making little changes all across the country in the wedding industry. It adds up.
Keep disrupting!
love,
liz
