"Get involved immediately because WBCS is a network that is ready to support you. I eased into getting involved and wished I had jumped in sooner."
Carrie Martinez is President and CEO of CM Productions, Inc., an award-winning visual content agency of experienced video and graphical storytellers. Carrie's journalism background combined with her innate curiosity about how things work in the world set CM Productions apart. Carrie has been a certified WBE since 2010, currently serves on the Board of Directors, is a representative on the WBENC Forum, and in 2017 won a Lillie Knox Award.
How are you involved with WBCS and WBENC?
I serve on the board currently and also represent WBCS as a Forum Representative to WBENC. I served on the Business Works committee for several years and I’ve volunteered at two of the signature events, Harvesting Partnerships and Power to Potential. In 2017, I was so honored to moderate the Harvesting Partnerships keynote panel with the top law enforcement leaders of Dallas, all women.
What is your favorite WBCS event and why?
I enjoy Harvesting Partnerships because the focus of the event is about growing together. Each year, the keynote speaker and the workshops provide me with inspiration about something I can do to grow my business. Plus, the Lillie Knox Awards are given at that event and it is exciting to hear what everyone is going to do with the cold hard cash from the Council.
What is the best reason for another WBE to get certified?
The best reason to go through all the paperwork, due diligence, and effort to get certified is that it opens up a whole other network to your business. The rigorous standards of certification are recognized not only by the corporations who support the council, but also the 1000+ woman-owned businesses in WBCS who have also gone through the process. I have found suppliers for my business through this network and have done business for corporations and other WBE companies. The ability to build relationships through the commonality of certification, at all these great events, is an amazing benefit of my certification.
What is one thing you wish you knew about WBCS before joining?
Get involved immediately because it is a network that is ready to support you. I eased into getting involved and wished I had jumped in sooner.
In 2017, you won a Lillie Knox Award. How has this helped your business and how did you utilize the money?
We were thrilled to be selected for the Lillie Knox. We used the award to buy a new media server to support our media asset management system. As we’ve started shooting more and more video in 4K, the file sizes have doubled so we needed a lot more storage to support our higher quality work.
How has getting involved on the national WBENC level helped you professionally and/or personally?
I serve on the Forum Leadership Team as the First Vice Chair for Marketing. That role also includes serving on the Marketing Committee for the WBENC Board of Directors. That volunteer work has connected me to many amazing WBEs and corporations from across the United States and has allowed me to learn so much about WBENC’s mission. Advocacy for inclusion has become a part of doing business for me because of my exposure to the great work both WBCS and WBENC do. At the WBENC 2018 National Conference, I am mentoring one of the Student Entrepreneurs who has a non-profit company helping women who are homeless find not only jobs but careers. The opportunity to teach her, but also learn from her is invaluable to me personally.
