Nikoleta Morales says....: The Face Behind the Fresh Faces Project and Chicago Talent

When you think of the Fresh Faces Project and Chicago Talent, you think of Calynn M. Lawrence. She is not only the founder and face of these two amazing projects but she is also a very talented female publicist, fashionista and blogger.

Calynn is a 23-year-old seven time award winning publicist and magazine editor with a specialty in the fashion and entertainment industry. She is using this new platform, Chicago Talent, as an extension of her nonprofit campaign The Fresh Faces Project to continue in her overall career mission of bringing the exposure and promotion that underrated talents deserve. Having invested much of her own personal money into the show, she earnestly hopes that viewers will fall in love with the concept and support the talents she believes in so much.

I met Calynn last year in October when she came to my house to do an interview for Chicago Talent. Chicago Talent is a new Chicago online reality show that showcases the lives and endeavors of several Illinois artists and entrepreneurs. It is taking a new angle to the idea of creatives being successful in business. The series’ first season gained over 40,000 views and it is produced by the Fresh Faces Project.

What I loved about Calynn is not only her warm, down to earth personality but her positivity and ambitious spirit. I had finally met my career twin! She works to help others and she gets recognized for it but it wasn't always that easy for her.

Calynn at a film screening

She started as a fashion intern at Nordstrom. That's where she learned the ins and outs of the fashion and marketing fields. She also started a fashion blog that later got her a VIP entrance to big fashion events such as NY Fashion Week and Paris Fashion. She attended John College Prep High School where she further developed her desire for fashion, blogging and marketing. She started the Fresh Faces Project 5 years ago with the idea to help talented individual like herself to get the exposure and recognition they deserve This is how Chicago talent was born in 2018 as well.

Calynn with her friend at Paris Fashion Week

She runs everything herself and is self-funded, which is not always easy as freelancers know. "I have to self fund my projects. I want to get it to the point where I don't get to self fund as much because It gets difficult being a 100 percent freelance. I started working 9 to 5 part time office job and using that money to cover everyday expenses," said Calynn who is currently working as a PR professional.

In addition to her dreams of taking Chicago Talent and the Fresh Faces to the next level, such as Netflix and other high end platforms, she loves love. "I am very friendly and outgoing. I enjoy cooking, painting and drawing and singing. In my free time I hang out with loved ones. I am a hopeless romantic. I love love. I go through so much heartbreak because I am not shallow. I look at the person on the inside. I am very open. I should be more strict with the guys I date. I am currently single," she said. You can catch Calynn on the runway shows, helping other talents in the Windy City or getting awards.