Cait Miers - The rising swell of self acceptance
EPISODE 8
This episode is steeped in vulnerability. And it’s this, not her external achievements as a world class surf photographer, that has become the superpower of my guest today, Cait Miers. She is a force to be reckoned with. When talking to her I’m immediately struck by the paradox of her laid back, agreeable demeanour and yet her profound wisdom for someone her age.
I’ve connected with Cait at a pivotal cross road in her life, which makes for the perfect backdrop for a deep conversation in podcast format. This act of personal reflection is a recurrent theme at moments throughout her life, and is what has allowed her to stay authentic to herself, questioning her motivation at every major junction. She shows up with compassion and curiosity, enabling her to plan her next move with intention and purpose, and it’s from this place that she’s been able to achieve great heights in her career, frequently redefining what success looks like along the way.
Following the breadcrumbs of her intuition, her recent work explores the concept of radical self acceptance. This body of work speaks to her personal experiences growing up, and also sprouts from the industry that she lives and breathes; Fashion shoots on the beach, models, instagram filters, selfies. However her work within this somewhat restrictive space caught the eye of the WSL (World Surf League), and she was invited to shoot major international sporting events around the globe. Photographing professional athletes on the world stage is a high pressure environment, and a challenge that she has definitely risen to, showing just how versatile she is as a human and a photographer. Her goal is to humanise the people she shoots and capture the essence of their unique story no matter who they are.
To date she has shot the cover of the surfing mag Tracks Magazine with Stephanie Gilmore and won the prestigious Monster Children Magazine photography competition.
The ocean plays several fundamental roles in her life, being where she works, plays creatively and finds solace for personal reflection. She is a savvy business woman to have figured out so early on that it was possible to bring all these facets of life together with the foundation of the Ocean being the glue.
Cait is an absolute breath of fresh air and it’s her spirited approach to life that has inspired me to keep evolving as a person and not meander off track.
PLUS! Want to practise your surf photography? Enjoy a 5% discount off Aquatech Gear, which is the water housing Cait uses. Use code CAIT5 at checkout.
Show Notes:
Transcript
*Please note that this transcript is not 100% accurate and was automated
Brigid Moloney
Well, thanks, Cait, for joining us today.
Cait Miers
Thank you for having me.
Brigid Moloney
Stoked that you've been out to carve out some time with us, and we get to hear your story and dive deep on some of those topics that are important to you. I am recording from Bundjalung Land up in the Northern Rivers in New South Wales. Can you tell us where you're diving? Dialing in from.
Cait Miers
Yeah. Yeah. I'm on Bunurong country, mornington peninsula in Victoria.
Brigid Moloney
So a bit chillier down there.
Cait Miers
Yeah, it's cold here.
Brigid Moloney
I did manage a dip this.
Cait Miers
It was one degree.
Brigid Moloney
I, I had a swim this morning, and I thought of you, like, obviously. And you were recording, and I was like, I wonder if I would be doing this down there. Do you still swim? Well, like like with no wetsuit, like I did.
Brigid Moloney
No. Okay.
Cait Miers
Not. And I have barely been surfing down here, actually, like. Which is I'm trying. I'm, I'm going to try go this weekend, but yeah, it's a bit hit and miss in winter.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. No doubt. So I wanted to start episode this season by asking the guests a question, which is what is the greatest lesson that nature has taught you?
Cait Miers
I think I was thinking about this, I think it's like to go with the flow. Like, I think can sometimes be a bit of a control freak. Oh, really? So I feel like I look to nature to kind of just go, okay, like, like his native nature is in control, you know, like, way out. So I think it helps us to kind of just flow and, yeah. Like I always just use the ocean as such a good example for me to just like go and flow with whatever's happening in my life. And, yeah. Because that's all you can do when you're out in the ocean, for sure. Like when I'm shooting and stuff, I just, I go out there with no expectations and, which is kind of cool because you, you just like, I'm at the mercy of nature and, it just allows you to surrender and and flow in that way.
So, yeah, I think that's the biggest thing nature can take. Trees.
Brigid Moloney
And do you find it easy to bring those lessons back into your everyday life? Do you need that constant reminder like, yeah, I'm in the ocean for a while. Do you slip back into old patterns of thinking?
Cait Miers
And yes. Yeah, yeah I'm like such a water baby. Like, I mean to be. I'll see you about this this morning actually like I because I pretty much go at the moment. My morning routine is like getting up, getting coffee and then going down to the beach. And it's like journaling. And I'm like, I don't know if I could do this.
Not looking at the ocean like it's really calming for me. And, just centers me, grounds me. And it always has. And I think it always will. So it's a nice, like, constant in my life, I guess. The ocean.
Yeah, I'm always reverting back into there if I'm ever feeling a bit wild, which is quite a lot.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, I feel like it has a, it's almost like a magnetic pool. Like if you grew up near the ocean and, you know, it's close by, like you just almost feel like you're physically pulled towards it and it just. Yeah, it just like recalibrates you because and that's a, that's a beautiful morning I've got going on there. I love that.
Cait Miers
I know I'm quite proud of myself. At least I know what time of day we like. Is it does it's going oh no, I mean, it doesn't even get locked in here at the moment till like . So it's such a slower pace. Like I lived up, you know, in Byron Bay for or years. I only just moved back over Christmas.
So, you know, up north you kind of getting up early. Things are happening earlier, but down here it is slower, especially in winter. You know, everyone's slowly. It's a sleepy. Everyone's slowly, slowly getting up. And, so it's a little bit lighter, but yeah, I'm kind of just I feel like I'm in a bit of a transition stage, so I'm just like, yeah, made that ocean time in the morning to keep me grounded.
Brigid Moloney
What do you think? Is there something to be said for living with the seasons? Because I grew up in Sydney and definitely not as cold as where you're from. And my husband and I are talking about relocating back down to the south coast of New South Wales, where he's from. So it's a little bit colder again than Sydney.
And it's we keep having this debate about the lifestyle up here and I'm just like, I love that I can be in the water all year round. I'm surfing more, I'm swimming more. But in the same breath, I wonder if maybe I need that time in winter to just kind of like curl up into a ball, not give so much of myself to the world.
Like maybe that would be a good thing. And like you're working more with the seasons in your body. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Cait Miers
Yeah, it's actually really funny you saying that because I'm, I'm literally this is like what's at the forefront of my mind at the moment. Like, I guess with me, I moved to Byron when I was . And that season for me was like, okay, let's go and have some fun and enjoy and be up here. And yeah, and like surf every single day.
And and then it kind of made more sense for me to kind of come back home like I grew up down here and so. Yeah. And then I guess in winter.
I'm battling with now, like back here.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. So. Yeah. Why did you move back home?
Cait Miers
Yeah. I, I was getting too much rent and never there because I was traveling too much for work. Number one. Fair point. I guess I had a lot of, like, friends that, you know, during Covid, like, we all banded together. I had, like, such a good bunch of girlfriends that, funnily enough, were all Victorians that had moved up that I hadn't met them beforehand.
And then everyone kind of had everyone was like coming back, back home, a bit of a reset. So I found myself kind of coming back from my trips and going, okay, like, where's my community? Where what what am I doing here? You know, like I'm here for the lifestyle, but how important is the lifestyle when all your people are down?
Yeah, including my family and stuff. So that's the battle that I've always had in my life. And it will continue on.
I'm. I'm now going, okay, like, okay, like you weighing up the people, which is really important to me, but also like lifestyle, like I want to surf every day. It's really hard to do that down here in Victoria. And I, you know, I as it stands, I am like half an hour away from the beach, like the, the surf beach right now because I'm in like, Mornington, but yeah, it's like this is constant battle of like camps.
Try to like deal with that right now and yeah the like. So when you say seasons, it's, it's interesting because yeah, I feel like I'm taking a lifestyle huge right now to kind of just recalibrate and get a bit more financially on my feet. And then, yeah, spread my wings. I'm literally trying to figure out where I want to land next.
I think it'll be down in some way. But not sure where at this point.
Brigid Moloney
That that is uncanny because I feel like you are a fly on our wall. That is. Yeah, literally the exact conversation we're having. Yeah, it's like family and friends lifestyle. Yeah. Where do we want to bring up our girls?
And I'm a bit of like. Yeah, like a tropical fish. Like, I think I need the warm water. That's. You got to give that. I, I just yeah. Freeze down there. Yeah.
Cait Miers
And I've got a few like a few of my girlfriends that I grew up with down here, like, you know, I'm sure my closest friends, they've, they've also branched out, like, moved away and then I guess I'm, I'm now. Like at this point I am single. So I'm just trying to figure out, like what where I want to be for me, but also like, I do want to be with someone and like, you know, start a family for not. It's fairly soon the next five years. So it's kind of like I'm just it's just weird time. I'm like, okay, I've got so much choice, but too.
Brigid Moloney
Much choice.
Cait Miers
Really? Yeah, too much choice. Trying to like, consciously directed instead of, you know, I think you need to be like, oh yeah, let's try that, that that sounds fun. And that's what I've done. And now I'm like, okay, let's see. Where are we going here?
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. That's tough. Well, hopefully those morning journal sessions in front of the waves kind of help you. I guess that all all of that percolate and and fun. Find the.
Cait Miers
Path. Yes. I think that's why I'm sticking to my. Yes, our morning sessions. It's helping.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, well, at least, you know it'll be somewhere near the ocean giving you a line of work. Like you go to pick a coast.
Cait Miers
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
So you said.
Cait Miers
I have to go, so that's. Yeah. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
And so you've always been a water baby. Did you say, like, could you tell us a little bit about your, your childhood, like. Yeah. Has that that ocean just been forever present?
Cait Miers
Yeah, definitely. I yeah. I grew up down in Manmatha, on the Monterey Peninsula, so. Yeah, my parents, we we would. And my brother got the younger brother, and we would just go on holidays to the coast, and we lived on the coast and, God was a surfer, so, yeah, we it was, like, always in my blood, I guess.
And, Yeah, like, really good, happy memories. And I, I did always think that there was more out there though, like that. And in my teens, I started to I was like, okay, is this it or is plenty I need to I need to go, I need to go. I need to go and explore. I need to travel.
I need to get uncomfortable. I need to sleep on couches. I need to meet people that grow up differently. To me, yes, I need to go and live this thing. You know? And that's that's intentionally what I did in my s. So it's cool because I've. Yeah, that curiosity definitely led me and my career down that path of what I've been doing.
Yeah. Got all kind of it all links up. It does
Brigid Moloney
And how did, where did the pull of photography come from. Like how did you start I guess.
That experimenting with that. And how did that. Yeah. That's you onto the path you're on.
Cait Miers
So I was like a really sporty kids. And so like, even when I was a teenager was like, oh, yeah, I'll go down the sport realm, like, I'm going to be a physio or I'm going to be a PE teacher or something. Like, that's kind of what I had in my head. And then in my like last year or two, at school I do the studio lot subject and I was like, oh, this is fun, like fun way to express myself.
And, you know, I was obsessed with surfing and obsessed with the surf industry. And then I would pick up my, my mom's camera, like when we went up to, we would go up to the Gold Coast, like, stay at snapper and just go there for a week in winter just to, you know, surf and as a family holiday.
So I'd go and shoot like so I just sit there and sit on the rocks and shoot surfing. And I was like, this is fun. Like it was fun.
Brigid Moloney
So you weren't in the water and I. Yeah.
Cait Miers
No, no, it's like on the rocks. And I was like, wow. Like, I think I was like, how do I get into this industry that I've like, dreamt of? Like what? How do I do that? And I think photography was just like, looking at me in the face, being like, this is, it's like a little carrot thing dangling, like.
So I actually did a year of sport science straight after high school. And I got six months into that. I was like, right, like, this is not for me. So that was a big decision at that time. And I was like, okay. So I, I kept being drawn to this photography course. Are my team in Melbourne.
And yeah, I went, and just did that and that's. Yeah, it like, I feel like as soon as I went onto that path, everything kind of clicked and it felt really right. And I've never I feel grateful in the sense that over the past ten years, that part of my life has never been like a question. I've never had to go, am I doing the right?
Am I doing the right job because I've never had to? So I can.
Brigid Moloney
Guess what a gift
Cait Miers
So it's been the s like, because people around me, you know, that's when you look at, you know, you life pillars of everything that's going on. Like career is huge and I didn't like it was it was yeah. I look back now and I'm like, oh my God, I'm so grateful that that was never a question for me because it felt right.
Cait Miers
So it felt right. So I was like, I can't when I'm on the right track. Yeah. So yeah, I used photography as a way, I guess, to, to, to express myself. I've always said that like it's not necessarily a photo taking itself. It's more like what I'm the stories that I'm sharing and the messages that I'm sharing with.
Brigid Moloney
Funny story. I feel like we've kind of lived parallel lives. So it's, it's.
Cait Miers
It's so fun to, to have I feel like we have cats. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Get this. So when I was in high school, which was like a good years ago, we had. So I think I was about . We had to do, like, a work placement, like work experience, like part of the curriculum. You go into a, you get to choose a professional workplace and you spend maybe a week or two there, like an employee.
Long days, like it's all tied up officially. And I did mine at Trax because I wanted to be a surf photographer, which is hilarious.
Cait Miers
Sick, and
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, I was just thinking, like how I was thinking about, like for female, like for everyone but females in particular, how the time that you're born into the world can change your life. Because like I was thinking back to that experience, I was like, why? Why didn't I follow that path a bit like, are you like a super sporty group of the ocean?
Loved it. So surfed. And I thought, okay, I'm not going to be a professional surfer. That's not quite in my I probably won't get there. What's the next best thing where I can be like a part of it? And then I was thinking back to that time there and nothing like particularly bad happened, but also nothing great or good came of it, like there was no one.
Like in the office, like it was very chauvinistic. No females. And I couldn't see the path like I couldn't, I couldn't, you know, that cliché like, if you if you can see it, you can be it. And I think in that period where you're like an amateur and you're learning, you kind of need someone to support you a little bit.
And there was like no support around it. And I mean, not that this is a sob story, like I'm sure if I was completely obsessed with it, I could have carried on and done it, but it would have been difficult and a bit like female pro surfers ten years prior. Like they some of them did it, but it was really hard.
Like I was listening to, Pauline on the Water People podcast this week, like how she struggled to be a pro surfer, like, you know, with no sponsors, always broke, couldn't look after her health because of that. So it was like would have been a sacrifice of other things. And so at that time, I think I thought, I've got a lot of, a lot of other interests.
I ended up doing a design degree, so I kind of stayed in that creative realm. But I deeply thought, like when you chose that as your work experience, it's like that's what you were going to do. And then then for me to pull out of that, I was like, why? And then it kind of gave me a lot of joy that like, for you, who's probably maybe, I think maybe ten years behind me age wise, that you could go, oh, there's an idea.
I yeah, I'll, I'll do that. And, and you just did it and you could fly with it and now it's like, not a question. There's so many female photographers. You got the bloody cover of tracks like That's Such and it changed men. You know, there was even women in the magazine when I was trying to, like, flesh out if that's how I could, like, carve out this space and, and Instagram like, I think I'm usually a little bit critical of social media.
But I guess for a creative freelancer, like, what a great, resource to have to kind of get your career, going like that didn't exist. And so and I grew up in Maroubra, so it was like super rough, very intimidating. And so I was like, I gave me a lot of joy thinking that, you know, every female in the next generation just gets that, like, little bit more like there was a time when females couldn't vote and now we can vote, or there was a time when we weren't paid the same in sport.
And now in some sports we are. So it's like every little and I thought of you and I was like, that's that's a big shift. Like ten years later and you have made this thriving career out of something that you absolutely love. And to hear you say that that's not lost on you and that it all made sense is, is just really cool.
And it makes me like glad that some inroads were made there and you can live this life. It's very inspiring.
Cait Miers
Yeah, that as well. Thank you for sharing that story.
Brigid Moloney
Like that was quite a long winded way.
Cait Miers
I was actually just I know that was cool. I was actually just watching girls concert last night. The oh.
Brigid Moloney
Yes, I watched that was.
Cait Miers
On TV and I was it was interesting because I was watching it with my mum and her partner, and I was like, can you guys watch this with me? Because you're going to like, this is I don't need to say anything. This is this is why, you know, and, Yeah, it it's the same thing. It's like the generations come through and they then there's a little bit by a little bit, you're paving the way.
And, you know, when I started, there were a couple of women doing what I wanted to do, but not too many. But I also saw that as like a.
Brigid Moloney
An opportunity for it as.
Cait Miers
A way to get it. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
I didn't.
Cait Miers
See it. I don't think I saw it as a.
Brigid Moloney
Risk because I remember thinking, this is risky. Like I could do it, but will the risks, will it pay off? But did you feel that way? You just like I could totally make this happen and you didn't question it.
Cait Miers
Yeah, I in a weird sense, I that's exactly what I.
Brigid Moloney
Awesome.
Cait Miers
But it was never like I I'm trying to it's funny as I kind of think that too. And I get asked this question.
Brigid Moloney
Teenage.
Cait Miers
Cait I think I think you know, it's it's like what I had a really big drive, like. And so I was like, okay, I'm going to make this happen. Like there's just no question that it wouldn't because right, it's weird. But I got I think I totally manifested whatever's happened because everything that I was dreaming up of when I was , did happen.
So it's quite strange. It's weird to think about that, but yeah.
Brigid Moloney
It's if you could attribute that to something, what would it be? Timing, sense of self. Because you, you would have had to have some confidence in yourself even at a young age.
Cait Miers
Yeah, that was definitely a part of me that wanted to do something different I didn't want. I remember being like, screw the to like, that looks depressing.
Brigid Moloney
Totally.
Cait Miers
I was always like, I want to do something different. And I to be honest, I can thank a very supportive family that I was like, they were like, go, go do your thing. Go like we want to instead of like, no, you can't do that. You can't do that. They were like, go do your thing so that I can.
That was not a question. It was like, cool. And yeah, I don't know. I just like, wasn't an Instagram as well. Like I, that I sort of my account went pretty much on Instagram first started back in like or or whatever it was. And that was when I just finished my uni degree. So I went straight from uni into full time photography like I, but also like I was only supporting myself so and I was still living at home.
So it's I could do that, you know. But The Instagram rod like that was when spell had like followers and I had , you know, like, and it was just like all these friends, like, it was really exciting. So. Oh, sorry. Yeah, it was my father.
Brigid Moloney
Yes. You have frozen, actually. No. Sorry.
Cait Miers
We're back. Yeah. It was just this, like, oh my God, what's happening? We're going like, we're going, something's happening here. What is it? Let's just keep writing it. That's. I remember that feeling like it was really weird and.
Brigid Moloney
Riding the waves. Excuse the pun.
Cait Miers
Yeah. Quite literally. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
And then how did you, did you start shooting? What took off first, the photography for brands or the surf sport photography? Because now you work for the WSL so which for people that don't know is the World Surf League, which is very impressive. How how did that come about like. Yeah. What came first is that a is that relatively new that gig or.
Cait Miers
Yeah. So I was just I started shooting for brands. That was the main thing that I was doing when I first started. But I told myself, like water photography. So I was, I had that skill. So that was also a good asset for brands like surf Brands to be like actually shoots in the water and is a female.
And we don't have many females that shoot in the water. Let's get, you know, sorry, my voice, but yeah. And then the move to Byron helped me. I always grown up like, we grew up going on family holidays to Byron Bay back in the day. So I it was my little happy place in my head. So I was like, okay, I'm going to do that.
And that really helped. Just I kind of liken it sometimes to like, you know, how actresses moved to Hollywood to try and be in the spot. Like it was always like me moving to Byron was me putting myself in the best possible location, for everything to happen, you know, in my career. So. And I did and, then.
Yeah. So I just, I got an email one day and they were like, do you want to come and shoot the women's like, it's like sell stuff at the Gold Coast Pro couple, you know, would have been , , . And yeah, then I went and did that. And that was cool because it was like really different to what I had done.
Not so creative, creative in its own way, but basically you then you become a sports, like a documentary photographer. Sports doco photographer. So, yeah. And then I had to really like, brush up my skills in the water, like, upskill myself, like, push my limits because everything's got to be sharp. Everything's got to be top standard, you know, like, if you're getting employed by the top body of that, of what surfing can be like, you need to get those photos.
So there was a lot of pressure. It wasn't so much like that. Don't say that.
Brigid Moloney
That's the. Well, yeah, it's implied bikini pressure.
Cait Miers
That comes with that job. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Like if you're shooting. Yeah. So final or it's like there's only one final. So you got to get the shots. Yeah.
Cait Miers
That's it. Like. And so I was like all right well I got to impress these people. So yeah, this part of me. How did you I'm under pressure but okay.
Brigid Moloney
How did you upskill to do I guess you would've had to be in real physical peak like to.
Cait Miers
Yeah. Well, that's it's funny because I. The other thing I didn't mention was I used to swim competitively when I was a kid, so swimming was like my sport. Like I would train multiple times a week. The eight, ten years. So I had that. I've always been confident with that in the ocean. So it wasn't like, oh God, I got a start learning to swim and like I that's just was with me, which now I'm like, oh, that helped me.
You know, I mean, that was all setting me up. But yeah.
Brigid Moloney
It would almost be, not impossible, but maybe impossible to do that job without having a solid swimming background behind you.
Cait Miers
Yeah. I mean, the unspoken thing that I think.
Brigid Moloney
Because you've got you're in big waves. A lot of water moving, rips, currents holding you for your, your camera gear so you don't really have your arms. That's physically.
Cait Miers
Hard. Yeah. It's and it is, it's because it is physically hard. And like ocean awareness is huge and.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. And the awareness of the I.
Cait Miers
Had that can be something.
Yeah. Yeah yeah I learned.
Brigid Moloney
Getting lost.
Cait Miers
Still yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Did you get in any into any pickles out there like did you, was someone taking off and you were.
Cait Miers
Not really. I mean you'd probably get fired if you got into like because like or go viral on Insta, like you don't want to do that. You don't want that to have a. That's for sure. Yeah. You definitely that would be the last time you shoot for the show that that happened. But no, I'm, I'm a cautious girl, so I, I don't know, I tend to play it safe in those situations.
And, Yeah, I haven't had I haven't had anything too crazy. I've had I've fell off, fallen off skis before and, Yeah, when you go to Westerns, you shoot from the back of a ski. So that's always been interesting, but, yeah, it's. I love it like it is. It's fun to be part of, like, a big, big, big picture.
Because I guess as a as a freelance photographer, like, for the most part, I am just sitting alone in my office or whatever. So to then come to a company and like, get on meetings before things are happening is the brief is the job, get in there, get the job done. And that's contributing to, like, such a bigger picture.
I really like that. But then I also like to be like, okay, cool, I'll see you guys at the next event, like jump out of the politician there, you know? Yes. So I yeah, I've always loved that with like working with bigger brands. Same with the big surf brands kind of jumping in and you feel like you're part of the family, but then you can also just tap out as well.
Brigid Moloney
Well play. That sounds like the perfect balance.
Cait Miers
It's good. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
And what's it like shifting from shooting to fashion brands, slim, beautiful models on the beach to shooting a sports event and you're. Yeah, a photojournalist. You're shooting these women in, in their element. So capable. Is there any kind of, like, internal struggle with that or like a shifting of mindset and.
Cait Miers
Yeah, I think like I've always been really drawn to like natural moments. And I like to be almost a fly on the wall and so I guess the fashion side of things that that I've done in my career, like, has, as always, been like as natural as possible and like, I'm not into high fashion or like anything like that, like, so so that has been good.
It's interesting because I'm kind of in a phase at the moment where I'm really starting to talk about body positivity, positivity and, loving yourself. And yeah, so there's a reflection on looking back and going cheap is I think I might I've contributed to a bit of this as well. As, as the whole surf industry has, by putting a certain type of person on the billboards or whatever.
So I'm more at this point now where I'm like, okay, I want to shoot like lots of diverse people. I just want to shoot people now. But then after me models, it's like, I want to hear stories and I want to shoot real, real things. So I am being like, I'm shifting away from that stuff. I think I'll always still do brand work.
But it's not what it used to be for me. So then, yeah, to shoot for, like, I guess the sports journalism side, it's been, it's cool because you are that fly on the wall and you're documenting emotions. And I really enjoy that side of things. Like you're telling a story and you're basically just like people think that athletes are like super humans and they they are physically what they're capable of, but they're just the exact same as us.
So they're going through the same shit, probably, if not more, because it's crazy pressure and pressure. So I think it's I'm just trying to humanize that. Like I think we put people on pedestals and I like to see everyone is like a cool human. So yeah, it's just like raw. I love shooting those raw emotions that are happening because everyone just thinks that it's the the High life on tour.
But like, you speak to every athlete and it's just it's just rocking up and going to work like everyone else is basically. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. I can see in your work that you're really starting to focus on those topics that are important to you, the, the body image. The beauty standards, the mindset, the selfworth or lack thereof. So can you maybe two questions like why are those topics so important to you. Like what's happened in your life to get you to this point where you want to start shifting away?
And secondly, how are you going to do that? How are you going to tangibly take that dialog because you've started it? You can say you've started it. How are you going to have bring it into the world?
Cait Miers
Yeah, that's a good question because I have no idea. No, I mean, I can answer it's been it's been a bit of a shift. I feel like I, I'm evolving as a person. I'm a Scorpio. I'm a deep gal. I've got my mum's a spiritual energy healer. Like, I, I there's.
Brigid Moloney
A lot of need some spiritual healing.
Cait Miers
Yeah. Can you give me a. Oh, yeah. I'll get you back in touch. Yeah. So like, that has always worked on myself. I've done a lot of these things, like so it's more just like, I think I'm just evolving as a person. And maybe the bright, shiny surf industry that I once was like, oh my God, this is the dream.
I'm not as like, okay. Like I've done a lot of things that I wanted to do.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, you get there and you're like.
Cait Miers
Oh, and I will continue. I thought, yes, and I was.
Brigid Moloney
Giving me what I thought.
Cait Miers
Yes. And like you got you will you will evolve like, you know, you grow up, you get older, you priorities shift. Like, and I it's I can look back on my s and be like, that was epic like I did. I've done everything that I really wanted to like, do there. And so now I'm looking at the start of my s going, okay, like, what's what does this mean?
I want to do more meaningful work. I want to continue to inspire. And I think that hasn't changed, because everything that I've done, I've hopefully inspired, and that's been the main message. And it's still like when I look at this body positivity and, you know, selflove stuff, it's still kind of the same thing that I've been trying to that I've been promoting all along.
This kind of natural be a self element. I think it's just more, you know, like there is only so many. There's only so much work you can get in that industry as well. Like there's so many people in the industry now. And I think I'm like, I don't want to stick around too long, too long and be like, oh, I'm I'm still here.
Even though, like, oh, I just want to keep evolving with my work. And that's not to say that I love this industry, and I'll always I'll always be a part of that. And I'll always do work in that. It's more just like, what's my next passion? What's the next like thing that's driving me forward? So it seems to be this conversation about, selfacceptance.
And I don't know, there's been a few things in my life that I've. I had a face full of acne when I was a teenager, and I would look at, like, books and be like, oh, I don't look like that. I'm not beautiful. And, you know, I've always had like a that's getting better as I get older, but I see it as well with the people that are around me and friends and people that I work with.
And, you know, everyone's like, you take a selfie and you're like, yeah. And I'm like, why are we doing like, this is why. Like I don't want like if I have kids one day, I want them to look, I don't want them to be doing having that negative selftalk with themselves. So I think like also the generation of women have, we got a lot of work to do on ourselves so that we can help the next gen come through.
And yeah, there's I've started to look at all different things. You know, I went into, Sephora as everyone does and gets, you know, and I love makeup. This is the thing I'm not like against any of that. But I look at the language use like fix this and conceal this and like, look younger here and get rid of this line.
And I love to question things and I'm like, so why are we why are we getting rid of our lines again? Like, why? Just because you say they're ugly. Who made that up? Yeah, like, you know what I mean. Who made that.
Brigid Moloney
Up? Yeah. So where did that come from?
Cait Miers
I'm more where did that come from and why are we subscribing to it? It's.
I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense to me. I'm like, why don't we just embrace? Because this is how we are. This is what we look like. This is what we're going to look like for the rest of our lives. Why are we going to, you know, just embrace it. Stop being at war. You're actually going to be feel so much more inner peace if we just surrender and be like, okay, accept selfacceptance.
Cait Miers
And I think instead of just constantly being at war, I'm going to changes are going to changes or really changes. Why why do you have to change things? Who's telling you to do that? So oh yeah, there's a lot.
Brigid Moloney
Of like I just like don't even know the story that.
Cait Miers
Made a do I I'm calling it a start of a conversation because, you know and I'm going, oh no, what if I start.
Brigid Moloney
It's like, when do you pull a.
Cait Miers
Bit of yeah, when I.
Brigid Moloney
Like a thread and then it just keeps going.
Cait Miers
Stop. Things like I get really passionate and I get really like, okay, I'm like, I'm literally going, oh no, I'm gonna have to like.
Brigid Moloney
Follow through.
Cait Miers
And I will. Yeah. And this is what's happened. You know, a lot in my in my s, I did this, I kind of went in with a really shallow, narrow focus. And there has been other elements of my life that have been not balanced because I've been super cray, cray cray. So I'm just trying to, like, have that balance now.
Cait Miers
It's like, okay, we've got this little passion thing. But I also want to, you know, settle somewhat like so I'm just trying to like, figure out, okay. Yeah. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah I, I think it's a good question when you ask. Well, because what I've noticed when you talk about these topics, what I love is that you, you, you put the ownership back on us because I think a lot of people, when they talk about these issues, they're like, it's society's fault, it's the men's fault, toxic masculinity, or it's the brand's fault, but you don't ever point the finger or you say to your community, which I would assume is mainly women who follow you.
Correct me if I'm wrong. I guess it's hard to know who you or your followers of it. You've got so many. You have like a hundred.
Cait Miers
Thousand or something. You,
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, I like that. You just, switching the questions in our own heads and that we don't need to point the finger and create enemies or even can compete with each other, because I think that is one of the things I've noticed, particularly in the surf industry, because I was in it, too, until recently. And also left because it wasn't aligning with my values.
And I worked in all different departments. But, I had noticed the women in the organizations which were technically corporate by now, you know, they're owned by huge conglomerates. They're not like some bloke who just started a brand in a shed. They've just the ballooned into these things that just they're not the essence of what they were.
But what I've noticed, the women in the positions of power, very few. But the ones that had worked their way up, they were all quite competitive with each other. They had adopted all of those energies that weren't helping them thrive. They were, I think they were a real product of their environment. But I was always like, why are we competing with each other?
Like we're in the same team, even though we've got different departments, because I was in a role where I had to kind of bring the departments together, and it was like a real challenge. And I was like, this is madness. What?
Cait Miers
And yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Especially around the photo shoots. And I remember this one time we got an email, we had a landing page, I worked at Billabong and it was split down the middle, the men's. So it's the website. The men's side was someone doing an ER and the women I remember maybe I don't know who emailed in and kicked it off on social media.
And the women's side was a model on the beach and someone was like, hang on, you have this many female pro athletes that you sponsor that are part of your Billabong family. Why haven't you put one of them on your landing page? And so it kicked off this big debate in house, and I was like, when was this?
Maybe three years ago. And I thought, yeah, by now we should probably have been on top of that. Like who? But who is responsible? And the, you know, marketing of like, but this is what this is what the young girls want to sell. We need to sell the product in. This shows the product more. And it was just like, oh my God, where where do we start?
Yeah.
Cait Miers
Where do we start? Yeah I know and like I think the choice element I've always I've always really I've been taught that from my like parents that like parents.
Brigid Moloney
Say very often.
Cait Miers
It's.
Brigid Moloney
On on switched on.
Cait Miers
Yeah. My mum was very switched on but and then all together now, but Yeah. Like, it's just like a choice of what it's. I think people think that life happens to us and we're like suffering or something. It's like you're in the driving seat. It's like if you don't want to feel shit about yourself, it's up to you to look in the mirror and go, okay, despite how I'm feeling, I'm going to choose to love because we can be we can just sit here and completely be a victim of like, fixes and do all that.
But like, we have the choice to change that. And you have the power. Like, our minds are so powerful, I think. And, that's why I love to work on mine and do so much like self work because I don't know, the stronger you are there, I think the more you can do. And yeah, like the just that element of choice.
Cait Miers
And I like to bring it back to that and like people are like, you know, it's all circumstantial. Like, you know, maybe people aren't in the, in the job that they like. And I understand, of course, we have to make money. And, you know, there's, there's ways. But, it's like there are ways out that you can move.
You just got to shift and you got to it's up to us because no one else is going to do it for us.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. And what what does that self work look like for you? So you've mentioned journaling. Maybe getting in the ocean.
Cait Miers
I read a lot of you.
Brigid Moloney
Said, yeah.
Cait Miers
Okay. I love the selfhelp section of the book store. Proudly so do I. And I'm not really, like, I don't know, I guess I yeah, I'm not afraid to kind of talk about all that stuff. And just like. I think it's the strongest thing you can do for yourself is work on yourself and grow. And, yeah.
Because life is going to present its challenges and if you're not, if you don't have the right mindset, it is going to suffer from whatever's happening. So and again, like suffering is a choice. Like, you know, there's this whole like events happen and we choose how we react as bad as those events might be. But it's your choice if you're suffering or not.
Like it's just wild stuff that I've learned over the years and I'm like, wow. Like it really is. Everything is mindset. Like every single thing that we're doing on this earth is just full of mindset. So it's.
Brigid Moloney
Not when you just.
Cait Miers
Yeah, I, I play I place a lot of yeah importance on it I guess in my life and that's what I want to share. And sometimes I'm, you know, I'm, I get to, to lie on my passionate train. But yeah, I don't know, maybe like, people could take it or leave it. Yeah. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Well how has it been received so far on the on the passionate train.
Cait Miers
On the passionate train. Really good. It's I think it started the very first thing that I did on social media around this whole thing was I was I got a bunch of bikinis from Roxy, actually, and I was like, they were just for a trip that I was doing, and I was trying them on, and I was like, oh, maybe I'll do one of those, like, try on things that I've been saying, you know, everyone do.
And I caught myself like, literally like with the bikinis and just like trying to take pictures where I looked like, skinnier or like, do you want, I mean, like, I was posing my body in a way, and I was like, whoa, I'm on. And I call myself. And I was like, no, this is not you. Come on. So I was like, okay, well, I'm gonna have to be vulnerable here.
So I like fully slash. And I was like, okay, I'm just going to try on these. There's like just how I am, just how I am, you know, and show up just as I am. I'm not trying to be skinny. I'm not trying to be anyone else but who I am. So I did that and that was everyone's like, oh my God, this is amazing.
This is amazing. And then that also scared me because I'm like, okay, why is this amazing? That's a concern in itself. If we're showing up as we are. And that's amazing not to just be normal. Oh yeah. When you put it like, oh, like, I don't. We have a problem here. And I am here to fix it.
I know, and it's so complex as well, like most of this stuff and our views of ourselves, it all comes from childhood and how we were raised and everything. And, you know, I'm not a qualified counselor, but I there's a lot of that stuff that, you know, has to be done by that person to move through those things.
But I guess there are things that I can kind of try and encourage from a more blanket perspective of just like how we. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, once the person is in. Yeah, adulthood. Like, yeah, you obviously can't dig through the histories, but that's why I called out like, your parents because I agree, it's like those building blocks. They're they're really fundamental because. Yeah, my mum was a little bit the opposite. Like she didn't have much selfworth. And so that's been an issue for me because I just she was my role model.
And she would she loved me and she loved my sister. But and she would tell us that. But then I would see her looking in herself like in the mirror at herself. And you're like, okay, but you don't love you. So. And that's the lesson that I kind of actually inadvertently learned instead. And yeah, then you have got to start doing the work and just showing up and doing the work and know.
Cait Miers
And then you go, okay, cool. Yeah. This is what I have to do. Yeah, it's not fun. And in turn, you know, like like I would there's another idea that I was thinking, you know, like, I'd love to shoot like, moms and daughters together. But, like, as they are. So let the daughter kind of experience, like mum getting a photo shoot just like make up free and how she is and how that, you know, like, together, I think like that would be a really positive experience.
And, you know, definitely there would be like vulnerability there. But like, I'll, I don't know, I might still do that. It's just. Yeah. Yeah. I just think I mean, look, I'm, I'm not having kids any time soon, but I'm thinking of that. I'm like, okay, like, if I had kids, how would I want them to? How would I yeah, see me like, I don't want them to be like, oh, my mum was insecure.
Cait Miers
Like I don't want that story for them. So it's like, you got to start now.
Brigid Moloney
That's so epic. It's so cool to hear you say that because the, the, the most, I think important thing that you could do is like imprint a whole human being. And if you're already conscious of that now, that's only going to put you in good stead once once they arrive.
Cait Miers
Yeah, totally. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
That's that's like really inspiring. I can't wait to see where that body of work goes. So you just fleshing it out. Still a.
Cait Miers
Lot of the because I'm totally saying, you know, like.
Brigid Moloney
When was that video put up where you put the photos up of just you as you.
Cait Miers
I think it was like this November or December last year.
Brigid Moloney
So it's really I actually got this idea.
Cait Miers
Yeah, it is, it is. Although it's funny because, like, to me, I move, I try and move really quickly with my ideas I have. So this feels like I've been sitting on this for years. Like it feels I'm like, oh God, I got to do something. But it's like, I don't know, my patience. My patience isn't that well.
So I'm like, okay, let's do stuff. So but yeah, I've been doing a couple of videos. I was speaking to some girls at, I was involved at the, at the Surf Festival. Up in King's Cliff a few weeks ago. And I was like, okay, who wants to? I invited any of the girls that wanted to, after my talk to this, come and say a couple of things into the camera and I asked them some questions and I was like, whoa, this is really, really cool.
And it's almost like I can sit here and hop on about like my views of the whole thing. But it's not really my story. It's almost like I've got a platform and I've got I can share story. So I'm almost seeing it as in, like, I'm just the messenger. Like, I, you know, I can interview people and and get the more that people see, it's a real thing.
Cait Miers
And I don't know, I guess that in that way they can be inspired to kind of change it for themselves as well.
Cait Miers
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. Just one step at a time just to paint a picture for people listening. So there was a there was a women's surf event up in King's Cliff near where I live. And you were invited to do get up and do some public speaking and talk about your career and, yeah, things that you're passionate about. And then you just got random girls you didn't know.
Brigid Moloney
Is that right, to come and stand in front of the kids? Yeah, I did them.
Cait Miers
Yeah, yeah. I just was like, who wants to come and share? And I asked them two questions. I asked, do you feel a societal pressure to look different to how you are? And then I also asked, like, what's one thing that you love about yourself? Like, it could be looks. It could be how you are as a person, like, whatever.
Cait Miers
So it was just really interesting. Like the girls were amazing and they really opened up and, shared lots of different things. It was kind of interesting. A lot of it was like, I guess a lot
Cait Miers
of the girls are probably around, like my age, and they were like I used to when I was younger, but now I'm growing this way and like it is, I think something that naturally happens.
Cait Miers
You evolve as you get older and you kind of, you know, hopefully you kind of wear out of it, I guess. But yeah. Yeah, it was really cool. I really loved hearing everyone's answers. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
You sound like the perfect facilitator for that because I think pushing your like your own agenda is never like the best idea. I like that you're like this is the question. This is the floor. What what's the issue for you like for the other people. And then you take all of that and then you distill all that down and you're like, this is what came over.
Cait Miers
I think that's the best way that I can share the message, because, you know, if I just keep sharing my views on things that might not be the best, what, you know, like, of course I can share that, but like, it's only going to get me so far. So yeah, I'd love yeah, I, you know, there's a part of me that's like, maybe I can travel around and interview people and photograph people and yeah, it's like a, a passion project that I have no idea where I will later.
Cait Miers
This is this, this might be it, but I don't know. It feels good to talk about that kind of stuff. And I feel really in flow when I'm doing it. So I guess that's a good thing.
Brigid Moloney
It's a sign you wouldn't want to be meeting with resistance.
Cait Miers
No. Exactly.
Brigid Moloney
And so like that, that vulnerability piece that you've kind of touched on here and there again, is really obvious when looking at your the way you talk on your socials and your platform is, is that scary for you to just be completely raw and vulnerable like that, or is that just how you are? And it's always been because it's very refreshing you for it.
Brigid Moloney
It's like your posts, oh, I think they're just real. You're like, yeah, these are some of the good.
Brigid Moloney
This is the shit. But it's not like a sob story. It's like it's a great mix. It's a good.
Cait Miers
Balance. Yeah, I guess like I've always been pretty honest. I'm really honest with myself and with other people and like, I, I, I see vulnerability is your biggest superpower. Like I think.
Cait Miers
That's how you can relate to people. So yeah, I would say that it's like a little bit tough, but I'm not sitting there going, oh my God. Like, what is your friend going to think? Like, I think I'm really again with the like self evolution thing. Like I'm just at a point where like, okay, like this is how I, this is me, this is how I am.
Cait Miers
And if people don't like it, then don't have to be here. They can just leave. That's cool. I'm not going to get offended. And the ones that want to be here and listen and get inspired, then that's cool. Like, come in, I'll welcome you in. You know, but it's cool, you know, it doesn't that doesn't happen. Like, of course I was not like that when I was .
Cait Miers
I was like, okay, how can I post kyudo like pretty AR and. Yeah. And like, that's all well and good. I think it's just I like to if you're already feeling really self in balance, I think that's great. If you're doing maybe those things to get attention from someone specific. Usually men, or, you know, that kind of thing that I think there's, there's issues there that maybe need to be addressed.
Cait Miers
That's also it's like kind of like asking the question of like, where's the motivation coming from saying with makeup? Like if you're using makeup to like, empower you and like you feel good with it all and like, I think that's amazing and I love that. I think as women like, we're that's how we express ourselves as well. I think if we're using makeup to hide how we look and color how we look, I think there's something that we that there's a conversation that the signage needs to be looked down there.
Cait Miers
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Definitely. I think we need more people like you in the world because I was just thinking, in fact this is just this conversation has been like on the, on the body image and beauty standards. I feel like we haven't made a huge like why they're like if you look back in history, if you know, I, I think every generation before us, it's like this beauty ideal that we're supposed to live up to.
And the only thing that seems to help an individual in their own life is just as they get older and they mature a little bit, but technically, I would have been dealing with the same things that my mum did and the same things that her mom did, and then my daughter. Now looking at social media, it's kind of even worse.
Brigid Moloney
It's it's hard not to get disheartened by it, but. So that's why we need people like you to be like, no, no, hang on. Like, don't just let this big steam train roll in a certain direction like we can.
Cait Miers
Yes, and that's what it is, you know, like, we will all blindly and I, I, I, I did it until I didn't blindly look into, you know, those the, the mechanism, the flaws and all that kind of stuff like when I've kind of I was like when I had this little epiphany and then I walked in there and I was like, oh my God, this is psycho.
Like what? I this was really like, there's no one else. I kind of want to be crazy for you guys. Yeah. But, you know, it's like, what? And like, the thing.
Brigid Moloney
Is, I don't go to.
Cait Miers
Like, I use serums and I use, like, I use things to, like, get rid of wrinkles. Like, you know, I'm not sitting here going like, don't use any of that stuff like I do, but I question myself and like, so why are we using this again? Like what? What are we doing here? We're trying to look younger.
Why are we trying to look younger? Because society will feel like. Yeah, okay. Like yeah, yeah. Why don't we. It's because I won't make any money if we don't buy the things, that's all. But, like. And that's the, there's a whole can of worms there as well. But yeah. Yeah, I don't know, I imagine a generation of women that like, it was cool to have wrinkles or like, you know, lines on your face.
Imagine that. That'd be so cool. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Oh, that would be really epic. You just reminded me of.
Brigid Moloney
A bit of a side note, but do you follow that podcast, The Female Athlete Project?
Cait Miers
Yeah I do, yeah, yeah.
Brigid Moloney
And so, can you just hang on one second? Why? I let my dog in? Can you hear him crying?
Cait Miers
Totally. Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Can you hear me? Because I'm not coming through. Okay, well, actually that's fine. I'm just. He's crying. I'm like.
Cait Miers
I had second.
Brigid Moloney
Okay, he can just cry. I had she had someone on I think her name was Renea Brown and she was a futurist. Did you did you hear that episode and it was just really cool because it just is like, I think you would like it because this is about, mindset. And they were obviously speaking about it in the context of female athletes.
Brigid Moloney
But this woman's job is to like go into organizations and think about the future. And it's really crazy because she's like, the future hasn't happened yet, so you can't guarantee it's going to be a certain way. So she, she, she has these exercises and she gets people to just flip things at. And so she said like imagine. So when someone is holding a truth so they're like athletes.
I think she the example athletes should never use doping drugs. And then she flips it and she's like, what if athletes used doping drugs today in this day and age? And then what you do is like you go to Google and you type that in, and there is someone in the country that started a sport or, an aspect of a sport where they do that and you do it like so when you said, then imagine a world where women was celebrated for their wrinkles.
It's like, okay, well, there's the thought.
Who's in the room that's making the decisions around that topic? And then you start to influence the future that way. So that's why the people in the room are really important and their views. And if you're like, yeah, she she went through a few examples of like things that just seemed so absurd. And she's like, but that's what you do.
Like if you told a woman years ago that she could vote, she'd be like, that's absurd. Like, that's that's so absurd. That's not going to happen. And then it it it can it's like.
Cait Miers
It can.
Brigid Moloney
Challenging your preconceived ideas of things.
Cait Miers
That's cool.
Brigid Moloney
Can. Yeah. Can we go back and just talk about. I didn't dive too deep on it. The. Could you tell us why storytelling is such an important part of your work and how that came to be? Because it seems like you do really want to dive deep and reveal that emotion or story behind the moment. So. Yeah. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
Unknown
I definitely like.
Brigid Moloney
Well, you got to make money. Yeah. Got to go where the jobs are. And.
Unknown
I want.
Unknown
Like.
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Yeah.
Speaker
Unknown
The main life.
Speaker
Speaker
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
And you also with your. With your photos and your photography, you write these beautiful words. It's, like, quite poetic. It's like, are you a writer as well? Because I think that helps paint, paint the picture of the photo. Oh, well. So another string to your bow. You write so beautifully.
Brigid Moloney
Speaker
Brigid Moloney
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
And is, And is that different to being a control freak? And how Ellie was saying that you're a control freak.
Brigid Moloney
You, like order?
Cait Miers
Speaker
Brigid Moloney
Why do you think that is?
Brigid Moloney
I can really relate to that. I've been through that in, in moments in my life where I've stepped away like I thought I had this epic job and. And then you walk away because it's just completely encompasses you, and then you walk away. You're like, who am I without? Without the job and without the work? Like who? Who am I?
Brigid Moloney
And that's why now I just in the selfhelp realm, I tend to read more like philosophy now. It's just like, how do I build character? And then like, there's a few people that I turn to to just help me with that because I think today with social media, that's an aspect that gets a bit lost. Like it's hard to work out something someone's character on social media.
Brigid Moloney
But then we put so much effort and energy into social media, it's like, no, what's my character? Like if you ask people that are closest to me what they think of me, that's that's got to be the important thing. And I think as a society, we've kind of like lost our way there a little bit. So I don't think don't be hard on yourself because I feel like maybe and maybe that was the switch.
Brigid Moloney
I don't know, like when we went through high school and we got told we could do everything and we were a generation of women now that are mostly educated, we have more options. It's like, okay, go and do this and chase this, and then maybe we just then like that grasping notion. We were just like, okay, if I do that, then that means I am that.
Brigid Moloney
And that's what I was told that I should be doing. And I shouldn't just be at home anymore. So then you place too. It's like the pendulum swung too far the other way.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah I think I think you hit the nail on the nail on the, on the head there with the word sacrifice. It's like yes you could do all these things at the sacrifice of what. Yes you can have this, but what would you give up to get it. And you can ask any professional athlete or someone who's like a lawyer working hour weeks.
Brigid Moloney
It's like, cool. You can say you're a lawyer, but what did you sacrifice to get that? And you have to be so comfortable with what that sacrifice was. It's like, I feel like I think a lot about that now that I have kids, it's like my kids are one and three and I'm like, okay, I need to, I want to start my career again.
Brigid Moloney
I want to start doing this. This is a this. But it's like none of that just it can't take off yet because I still want to spend time with them. Yeah, I could do that. But I won't say them and I'll miss out on this. It's like, what's what do I want more? And then I look at people that do it.
Brigid Moloney
I'm like, oh, like I could do that. Like, I'll, I'll start doing this. And this is like, but it's always like, hang on, what will you be willing to give up to get that? It's like nothing comes. And this is the stuff that we don't talk about growing up. I feel like we it would have been great to have conversations about these when we were younger, because he would have known it was a trade off.
Brigid Moloney
Like your expectation would be like, okay, if I do that, cool. Yeah, I can do that. But and I got to know, like the expectation that this is the consequence of that. Like the yeah.
Brigid Moloney
The the sacrifice. Like the trade off.
Cait Miers
Yeah, I guess just that strong desire to. Yeah, be multifaceted and be multidimensional and, and have different things. And I think we're talking about like click and yeah this to that like I had built that I yeah I couldn't keep up with it was like I was the idea. It's like the product ID was amazing and I didn't really think about how much content and how much time I would have to put into it.
Cait Miers
So from that perspective of like. You know, like that was in Covid. And then when everything started opening up again, I was traveling more, I was doing more shooting jobs. And then on my days off, I was like, frantically try to write blog posts about how to use an f stop and all this kind of stuff. And I was like, I found myself like, with that gut in my stomach being like, I don't like.
Cait Miers
That was the last thing on my list that I wanted to do. And so I was like, that's not good, is it? You know, you kind of want to do something where you like, want to jump in. And, and I think part of it was it's never actually been about like, I sure, I do enjoy, like teaching, I guess the physical aspects of photography, but it's not necessarily like the bigger picture is.
It's not about that for me. It's about inspiring people to chase after the dreams and do what they want. And so I think that was not maybe not enough of that. It was more like the ins and outs of actual photography. And I was like, I don't like doing this that much. So, yeah, I had to let that one go and swallow my pride.
And I don't know, that was a whole experience in itself, but it felt really good to just like another lesson in letting things go and you just got to let them go, that no longer serve you, I guess. And.
Cait Miers
Yeah, it's naivete, naivete is a really interesting thing. If I'm you and I've gone through multiple, like, things of burnout, if I knew what all this would take, like, I would go, oh, God. Like, if I knew what you know now, doing all the steps, I don't know. I don't know if I would jump in headfirst. Like I tend to do that with things.
Cait Miers
I did that with my business. I jumped in headfirst.
Cait Miers
So now I'm I'm a little more calculated, almost to the point where, like, I don't know where to start, like with this, you know, selfacceptance stuff. Like, I don't want to jump into deep for something that I can't sustain. So I'm just going in really cautiously. Carefully. So that feels good. But it's different to how I've usually operated.
Brigid Moloney
And I yeah, I guess that's just a learning that comes with age and experience. And yes, again, like hats off to you for, you know, trying to create a sustainable business bottle model, you know, do no harm and you're in it for the long. Yeah. And now you've got a few different parts of your business that could seem like they could take you along and help with that, which is.
Cait Miers
Yeah, hopefully. Yeah. I mean it's I've never had that like security in work, like I've, you know, I never like so that part is kind of funny because I've never I've never really had that. Like I don't have. Yeah. I don't know what a full time job feels like. I could go into that. But people go, oh my God, I couldn't handle the financial like not in security.
And I'm like, I don't know, I like I'm a bit like you just I kind of live my life like tomorrow's your day to a point. So. Yeah, you kind of got to do what you love now. And don't worry too much into the future and things will fall into place. But yeah, if you said than done.
Brigid Moloney
Have you, have you yourself had a you offer mentoring sessions for other women? Have you had a good mentor in the business space? Like where did you get your business acumen from?
Cait Miers
Not so much business. I think I just was like, I'll just figure it out on my own. Like I'm really like into, like, looking at different the different systems. Like, I love, like, looking into Squarespace, like I am a little bit of a nerd in that sense. Like selfproclaimed nerd. Like just looking at all that different stuff and being savvy.
Like being smart, working like. Yeah, smarter. Not hard. Like the whole passive income movement. I was like, oh, that looks great. You know? Yeah. So I've always.
Brigid Moloney
Look, you've done that with the presets because once you do, yeah. Presets, you could just keep selling them and they're done.
Cait Miers
Rolling out exactly like, and you know, that space is super saturated now. Like, every second person sells presets and sells courses and all that kind of stuff. And so it is harder it's harder to sell that stuff now. But, Yeah. It's just what it's like. I have an interest for it. Like, I if people like, oh, I need help with my website, I'm like, oh, I'll help you.
Like, I don't know. I love, like, apps and technology and like, I do like all that stuff. So yeah, I don't know where that comes from then. Yeah. Cool.
Brigid Moloney
And I guess just on. Like office, like a to . Like, what's it like having the ocean as as your office? Like when you're in real, a real shooting period. What's it like just showing up? Like hitting the beach and just being at one, like, do you just feel.
Cait Miers
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Are you just so immersed in your natural habitat? You're just. Do you feel like you're a part of this big ecosystem, like, compared to someone who's going into an office block in. Yeah, to , like, do you feel.
Cait Miers
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
I at one with Mother Nature.
Cait Miers
Yeah. Like I think I definitely I still do I have those pinch me moments. You know if I'm out there shooting for the cell or I'm out there shooting for a brand and I'm like, getting paid to be swimming like a little dolphin with my camera, I'm like, well, that's pretty good. Like, I'm like, this is amazing, you know?
And I have I'm so grateful for that because there's I, you know, it is really hard in services to make money purely of surfing photography. So in that aspect aspect, yeah. Really grateful. I'm like, well, and yeah, I do it all the time, like little teasers of like my office today and, you know, on the beach and.
Okay. Yeah, it's like, it's fun because I don't know the other side. I don't know, I never it's not like I did the whole like, corporate thing that went the other way, which seems to happen a lot. I didn't even step foot. I already knew that I didn't want to go there. So I went, yeah, I went straight into the other part, you know?
So I don't know what it's like. I like going into offices. I'm like, oh, is this fun? Like, what's what's this? What's this little area like? I'm like a little kid. Yeah. And a part of me is like, oh, like, I do like that teamwork aspect. You know, if I do have a meeting in one of the surf brands and stepping into there and seeing everyone in there, I'm like, oh, this would be cool to come into every day, you know?
But yeah, it does get lonely when you freelancing on your own. You just every single day. So you better have some good shit to work on because it does get pretty monotonous. But yeah, yeah, it's good as well.
Brigid Moloney
I guess, just that. Yeah. That nature paced being outdoors all the time. Like, do you think that impacts you?
Yeah, just just on the nature pace. Oh.
Brigid Moloney
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Do you, What? What? Yeah. Just just last question to outfit wrap up. So when you're outdoors all the time, how does that affect you? Like, emotionally, do you think it being outdoors has a positive impact on you as opposed to being inside or.
Cait Miers
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah. Do you feel like you're at one with nature and like, would you have it any other way?
Cait Miers
Yeah, yeah, yeah I do. And I think the older I get, the more I'm appreciating nature just as it is. And I am not really affected by the environments that I am in. So, like, I need to, I need to go to the beach and I need to go like, that calms me down. And when I'm, I mean, look, most of the time when I'm actually working at the beach, I'm a stressed maniac.
So it's quite interesting because, you know, I've traveled a lot.
Brigid Moloney
Yeah, because we've got like a task to do.
Cait Miers
Yeah. So I'm like, not even appreciating anything around me. So that's been a that's an interesting battle too. You've really focused and you like stressed. So you're not actually like getting all the good things that nature will give you because you just like, get me out of you. But, yeah, but like.
Brigid Moloney
That'll be tricky.
Cait Miers
It's funny, but yeah, I don't know. I, it's yeah, that's a good question because I haven't really like I don't think I know any difference. So, I am most of the time barefoot when I'm doing shoots on the beach and all that kind of stuff. And that's just the way it is. And I haven't really kind of ever thought of it ever being different.
I don't mind being like on the computer and like, I like that stuff as well. I'm not like, I must be outside all the time. So yeah, it's a good balance actually. When I do go out, do shoots and then come back in and edit and have that computer time. So I like the balance of both.
Speaker
Yeah.
Brigid Moloney
Awesome. And I think you can just tell by our chat and like anyone who who follows you online, there's like a real authenticity in what you do and the work that you put out there. And just wondering if you have any advice for anyone else who might struggle with that, like trying to portray a certain image that they think people want them to see.
Brigid Moloney
Or or have you been given any good advice around how to just stay true to yourself and and be authentic in that way?
Cait Miers
And the number one thing my mum tells me every day to speak is be yourself, be true to yourself. Michelle.
Brigid Moloney
Good.
Cait Miers
Love, Michelle. Yeah, we love Michelle.
Brigid Moloney
We need to get Michelle on here.
Cait Miers
I know we do. She would actually love this. Yeah. Like, why would you want to be anyone else? Like, you got a. This is you kind of. I don't know. This is you. And you have to live this life in your body and all that kind of stuff, and, like, you're, just be yourself, because that's. Be yourself.
Cait Miers
Be honest, be truthful. No one get got anywhere with being anyone else. You know, there's no I'm sure like, you know, there's like figure two. You make it kind of stuff. But in terms of just like expressing yourself and being true to you because you that's the best way you going to get what you want out of what is actually being the truth version of you will allow you to like, flourish in the best way possible and get everything that you want out of life.
Cait Miers
If you start to pretend to be someone else, you just going down the wrong path and it'll it'll feel wrong because it'll feel hard. So yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, yeah, being true to you, whatever that may be. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker
Yes.
Brigid Moloney
Well, I think that's a beautiful note to end on. Yeah. Don't go away when we say goodbye, by the way, because I might just jump back on, so I might just take off. Yeah, if that's okay. Yes. Of course, but, yeah, that's that is a beautiful note to end on. So thank you so much for your time today Kat.
Brigid Moloney
We really appreciate you coming on and imparting all your wisdom.
Cait Miers
To thank you for having me. That was quite good. In depth chat I love a daily episode. I love a good day. It feels good to do it again. Yes. All right
Brigid Moloney
Well bye for now.