#hgep

Tina put me in touch with Marta, who started her side project, Hot Girls Eating Pizza earlier this year, as she says, to cope with some of the heartaches she had recently experienced and as a way to feel proud of herself. Both of us having in common the drive to pursue some sort of passion outside of our day jobs, I was eager to talk to Marta about what made her go this route. It was pretty incredible to find in Marta someone so open, honest and warm who shared what consumes her mind, her time and her heart at 24. 

What do you do?

My day job right now is fabric development in the fashion industry. At the time of this interview, I just finished two years at a sleepwear company and I recently started a new job at Express Design Studio as an assistant to the Fabric Research & Development team. It’s great so far and I think it will be my favorite job so far in adulthood and the fashion industry (I’ve had four jobs before this one!). So far, I’m able to balance my side projects and work and I hope it stays like that. Honestly, before working here, I was really considering leaving fabric/fashion and trying to get a job in marketing or social media. Now, after being here, I really think I want to stay in this specialized field in this industry and grow in this company. I never thought I would say that about anywhere “corporate!” We will see though. As I know so well, anything can happen.

I'm excited about this change but also overwhelmed because I also have two side projects: Hot Girls Eating Pizza which is an Instagram / interactive photo project I am still trying to define, and a nail decal line called TRIXXIE. These side projects are like having two extra jobs. They keep me really busy.

What was the genesis for starting Hot Girls Eating Pizza (HGEP)?

I started Hot Girls Eating Pizza in June. I didn’t really have a set vision at the time, I just wanted to take polaroids of my friends eating pizza and turn it into an Instagram account. I’ve always considered myself to be “good" at Instagram, which is why I chose that medium. Silly, I know. By Fall I was having monthly parties, being invited to restaurants, and getting the opportunity to get pizza with girls I seriously look up to.

Has the project changed since you started it?

HGEP has definitely changed from the beginning. I used to have to shoot my friends or myself in different outfits and disguises like glasses or different hairstyles when I was low on material but now I don’t even have time for all of the pizza dates and for all the girls who want to be featured. For a month or two I was scheduling them every single day, which meant sometimes getting pizza 5-6 times a week. I’m really trying to limit myself to 3 or less per week but even now, I have 4 HGEP-related dinners/events this week. It’s a lot and I’m worried I’m going to get burnt out soon, but then the inner-struggle kicks in and I tell myself I’m supposed to be exhausting and over-extending myself at this age, and that “hustling” is the only way to make it something. I’m impulsive by nature so that quality mixed with this year’s resolution of “yes” to everything is both a curse and a blessing.

In the middle of November, my friend and I were taking silly photos at the mall when I got the idea to do a calendar for HGEP. Did I mention I procrastinate, too? Two Boots reached out to me to host a calendar party. We set the date for two weeks and I was still shopping around for a calendar printer and finalizing my logo and design. I printed the calendars three days before the party and thankfully they got here in time! The calendar was such a great move and something different for me and the project. It was stocked by some boutiques in NYC and people from the most random states ordered it. That was a cool feeling.  

What makes HGEP feel successful?

When I get press mentions (Vogue.com literally made me cry tears), interviews, and especially kind words from people I really admire and look up to, all the hard work does feel worth it. And really, it’s not so bad to get the opportunity to eat amazing pizza all the time with cool girls and my friends. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, except I need to figure out a diet plan right now. I work out every single day and I am managing to gain a little weight instead of maintain or lose, so I definitely need to be cutting back on the pizza. Is this what aging is like?

What aspect of the project do you find most fulfilling?  

My favorite part is definitely the people I meet and the relationships I build. It’s really inspiring to meet such cool girls who are killing it right now. I try to feature a broad spectrum, from musicians to entrepreneurs. Most recently, I featured Meika from Sustain, and she is the Co-Founder, and her dad is the other Co-Founder, of a sustainable, vegan, fair-trade condom brand. HGEP really has brought out my “best self." I have never been this happy living in NYC, and I’ve lived here since I was 18. Having a side project (or two!) is seriously so fulfilling. For me, it was totally a coping mechanism turned love affair. HGEP/TRIXXIE have both brought so much happiness into my life, and I know my mom is with me through all of it. I wear her ashes in a poison ring on my finger, so she goes to all of my events and meet-ups.

What do you hope your audience takes away from the project?

I hope HGEP is inspiring to others, and one day I hope to be like the girls that I look up to. I hope the girls I feature find it fun and empowering. I think it’s working so far! That makes me feel like it’s a really positive project.

What's most important to you at this stage in your life?

I am having a really hard time defining this, because I always feel like should be "doing more" or focusing on something different. Sometimes I feel like I should be traveling more, other times saving money. Sometimes I feel like I should be focusing on relationships more but then the other part of me feels like I should continue to focus on myself. I lost my mom about 18 months ago to a long battle with stage IV breast cancer so when it comes down to it, family is the most important thing to me right now. Along with that, it's been a journey of learning to live life without her and find other things to make me happy. HGEP and TRIXXIE do just that, and TRIXXIE is actually named after her. I donate $1 from every pack of nail decals to breast cancer research. It's really important for these projects to do well, not just for my own success but because I really want her to be proud of me. I don't want to look back on my 20s and say "sadness got the best of me" but instead look back and say "wow, how the hell did you accomplish all of that?"

Do you have any goals for yourself for this year?

Most people use the New Year to evaluate and set goals, but I've actually always used my birthday, or at least in my adult life. 23 sucked a lot. I lost my mom, and my long-time on-and-off again boyfriend and I broke up while I was grieving. That affected me a lot. I wasn't really in a good place this time last year. On June 1 of last year, when I turned 24, I vowed to not let this year suck too. I decided I wouldn't let anyone else decide my happiness and I would step out of my comfort zone and say "yes" to much more. Of course I always set smaller goals like "break your bad habits" and to have more patience with myself and in general. I'm so impatient. The main theme of this year, though, was "YES" and it's been working in my favor.

How would you describe your year since turning 24?