The Moment | Caitlin Wharton

We believe that life is a collection of Moments. Some ever so big, some fleeting, some small. It is in these Moments and the choices we make within them, that shape the people we become and what our lives will stand for.

We are reaching out to the most interesting, inspiring & successful leaders around the world to ask them about their Moments. In the spirit of our number one value, collaboration, our goal with this series is for you to experience development and enrichment from today's most inspirational leaders. 

YYZ to YVR to YYZ, Caitlin is one of the few people who approach life from a place of honesty & vulnerability. She is the type of person that upon meeting for the first time, you get the sense that she truly see's you and knows you deeply. This innate ability makes for one heck of a graphic designer. She works with leading brands across North America bringing their brand voice, design and purpose to life through her unique eye for beauty and lifestyle branding. Be sure to pop over to @troutandtaylor to see more of her work.

Caitlin, tell us about the moment.......

You realized you were in the presence of a great leader/teacher....
The moment that a great leader looked beyond my job description and allowed me for the first time ever to work in my strengths. After I finished my first graphic design course, I had a huge fear of failure. So I did what every graphic designer does; stayed in Human Resources. I was on week 3 of working at lululemon in recruiting when my manager, Steph Corker, called my BS. She saw me playing in the baby sandbox and asked me to incorporate design into my job at any opportunity. She is the main reason I am a designer today. Gosh knows I would still be doing reference checks today. She continues to be the best leader I have ever worked for. 

You knew you were on the right path in your career.....
The moment I sat, interested, in my accountants office discussing taxes. As someone who is openly allergic to Microsoft Excel, I had an out-of-body experience when I saw myself excitedly taking notes with my newfound knowledge. I knew at that moment that if I was engaged in the shit that I used to hate about running a business, then this must be the real deal.

You failed....
Pick a day! Most recently, last Friday. I lost count of the days (years) since the last vacation I took from work. Like many entrepreneurs, I had a great fear that everything in my company would collapse without me there. It was the classic case of pushing my family to the wayside and pushing myself too hard. After work one day, I just started sobbing (...I believe this is what they call a breakdown!). You guys, the tears didn't stop for 4 hours. My husband, my team, and my dear sister staged a made-for-tv intervention and forced me to go on a holiday effective immediately. After a blissful week off, I returned recharged and just the littlest bit tanned. Guess what, nobody died in my absence. Self care is a real f'en thing and this shit matters.  

You chose something different than what was expected of you....
The moment I walked, nay, ran from a marketing class to switch into the Bachelor of Arts program at University. Let me tell you: I was raised in a culture of oil and gas and I was so afraid to tell my family that a business degree was not in my future that I waited a full month before doing so. Sure, my family didn't talk to me for a few weeks upon finding out the news, but of course they, too, knew it was the best thing I could have done. I am so so so grateful for that 19-year-old bravery that pushed me to listen to my gut.

You wake. And the ritual you have to start your day....
I am woken up at 6am sharp by my partially blind (and fully charged) retriever, Oscar who is begging for a toodle. I'll get back, make coffee at home and then go check on my babies: my vegetable garden, of course. I'll pluck, prune, water and love those little guys and get them ready for the hot Toronto summer day. I'll throw on my Chuck Taylors, start a podcast and get on my purple single speed bike for the 20 minute meditation (I mean bike ride) to my office. 

You made your best hire....
Certainly the hire that changed the trajectory of my career was hiring Aislinn. I posted a job for a part-time junior graphic designer and within 2 months, she became my business partner, tackling the operations and strategy side of Trout + Taylor. It took a mere matter of weeks before it was blatantly clear that our strengths complimented each others'. Instead of making the square peg fit in the hexagonal hole, I swapped out graphics for graphs and we've been partners-in-crime ever since.

You felt the most successful in life....
The moment that our company sponsored a student project at a University in Calgary. We got to walk on stage and hand the winners a giant cheque (and the best part: it was named the Trout + Taylor award). It was that moment when I realized that the hard work and foundation that I helped create could also help others. That was a pretty cool feeling.

You received feedback that was hard to hear but worth listening to...
I got this epic piece of feedback that rocked my world from a client when I was running my business solo. When the project wrapped up, she called me and told me that the design work was out of this world... and my communication (read: EMAIL) skills were lame. I am of the school of 'I can do it all', so her comment grounded me squarely on planet earth. For precisely three weeks following, I tried to be the queen of email. It didn't work. Thus, very early on in my career, I learned this lesson: hire. an. expert. I could absolutely suffer through my inbox every day OR I could hire someone who loves email. The same goes for invoices, changing your oil or painting your bathroom.

You chose to walk away from someone or something...
My mom passed away 3 years ago. It was in this moment that I realized that life was short. It was in this moment that I also realized that life is super long to be spending even a millisecond doing something that doesn't light you up. I left my awesome job at the lululemon head office (and a paycheck, hello), a great career trajectory, a discount on sweet stretchy pants and some really rad humans (like Tess + Alisha ;) to pursue starting my business, going back to school to start a new degree and move across the country. Hello, new beginning.

Bit of more than you could chew...
Everything from the previous question occurred within 2 months.

Saw yourself & your true potential...
The moment I got my name on my new business card with these two cute words beneath: Creative Director. And emblazoned in gold foil, to boot. In my wildest career dreams, I would never have believed I'd be so fortunate to be leading such an amazing group of badass females, but here I am. And I can't wait to see where I will be in the days to come.

You understood advice your parents gave you (what was it?)...
My mom used to say; 'This too shall pass'. Sometimes it will take a glass of wine, an emergency holiday, a hard conversation, or a 10km run, but all things that seem so big in the moment, will pass. They always do. Thanks Ma.