Meet Dakota Martin | Model & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dakota Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dakota, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Hello, my name is Dakota Martin or I’ll go by Dakota Charneé. I am from the Metro Atlanta area, Powder Springs, Georgia. Growing up, my parents would always have my brother and I in some type of sport. It started with gymnastics, which lead into tae kwon do until the age 11 then, my biggest love-hate relationship, track. I began doing track when I was 11 and continued doing for seven years. As a kid, I always had so much energy which is why my parents always push for me to join a sport, a summer camp, a club just something to always keep me engaged with my surroundings. It definitely worked in my favor. Now, although I don’t remember much about gymnastics because I started off doing it so young, tae kwon do was a sport where you were taught discipline and self-defense but it was more of a discipline aspect to it, and I believe that’s a character trait that I still carry to this day. Around that age my brother and I were moving from school to school a lot so, trying to make long lasting friendships wasn’t necessarily the hardest thing to do but the same time it wasn’t the easiest, kids are brutal man. So now imagine two kids who were just taken out of Christian school and put into their first public school, a public school near the city at that. I’d like to say I adapted well eventually, but first arriving to my first public school in the middle of second grade, it was things I picked up from Christian school that most kids and even the teachers found a little strange. For example, I was only taught how to write in cursive and my teacher at the time deemed it wasn’t legible because she couldn’t read cursive herself and with me being the only child alongside my brother, knowing how to write in cursive, the kids I went to school with, made sure that I knew that was a party trick. From then on kids would always ask me to write their name in cursive just see what their names would look like, and would be so astounded of how well it would come out. Eventually, the other kids found out that I could also draw so then it became a daily task where kids were either asked me to write their name in cursive or help them draw something. Even though the kids were using me at the time, I was excited about it. I had never gotten attention like this from kids, my age, so from then on out, it was easy to make my friends, which I’m still friends with till this day. Sadly, the school we had just transferred to in the middle of our school years closed at the end of my fourth grade year, which brings me to my next school. So now my brother and I are at our third school, which we honestly did not care for. Our previous school set the tone of being a family, everyone knew everyone, kids were always hanging out together, but we all moved as a unit. As for this new school, it felt as if it blocks any opportunity children had of reaching any potential that was possible. Although this new school made me feel discouraged of who I was, it never stopped my creative ability. Now, I’ve always been a creative person through art but I’ve always been a little hustler. I remember in the fifth grade a trending toy for kids was Rainbow Loom. Rainbow Loom came as a set with a hook, rubber bands, and the equipment to make rubber band bracelets. I honestly couldn’t tell you how I started selling bracelets but I can tell you I was probably taking home at least seven custom orders a day and that’s what started the moneymaking side of me. I would be bringing money home and my parents would be so confused on how was I able to bring home $30 a day when they didn’t give me any money. This hustle wasn’t as creative as I have been before but it still gave me the ability to create something. I was working with a new media which I haven’t even discovered yet and just became obsessed. I just knew that if I’m able to put my mind towards an idea I can execute it ten times better. Going to my middle school years or at least my seventh and eighth grade years, I couldn’t find a creative outlet like I had been before. I felt as if I had to stay in line with the kids surrounding me and that meant I couldn’t express myself correctly I had to put up a persona. But once high school came along, I easily found that outlet once again, I was a part of the art community at my high school for all four years. Speaking of high school, I was very inclusive with the clubs. I continued running track for all four years, I was a part of our school choir for all four years, and AP art for two. I was a part of a club called the National Art honor Society, a society for art students to engage with our community, collaborating with our local elementary school, as well as hosting art shows to showcase and honor us students, for almost about three years so I was still being a the same active person I was when I was a child. But outside of Georgia, I would constantly be with my family whether I was in Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, St. Louis, Michigan, New York, or even here in our city, my family made sure I was well rounded knowing how to move in our city and making sure I always have my family with me. With that being said, I can’t imagine the person I could’ve been if I didn’t have constant love being poured to me by my family eventually, my friends later down the line, and the support that they are always giving me without a second thought. All the love I have always been shown and showered in by my parents just made me the caring person that they’ve always known me to be and I’ve continued that mindset in my personal life and in my work life. That same drive and motivation also pushed me into my modeling career as well as my own business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My whole life, I’ve always been told that, “There are actions and consequences. Every reaction has a consequence whether it’s good or bad, you make that decision.” my mom instilled that quote into my brain since the age of six. As a child, and a preteen, I didn’t quite understand why she would often repeat that one saying, until my freshman year of college at Jacksonville State University. I will admit, I did not take my first year of college seriously and that’s when that quote starting settling in. That was the action of my consequence for not fully indulging in the opportunity I was given, and at the state we were in as a global epidemic. Now as a young adult that is starting to fully realize what my mom was always trying to tell me, I applied that within my career paths, whether it be modeling, my job, or even my business. When I first started my business,The Cool Sibling, I enjoyed the amount of effort it took to paint these elaborate bags, and be so proud of it. But when I first publicizing my craftsmanship and the audience response was, “You won’t make any sales with your prices being as high as they are.” Hearing that alone didn’t discourage me, it was the amount of potential customers that would come in acknowledge my work, and praise how long it would take me just to make one bag, then give me a backhanded compliment of, “Your work is beautiful, but no one will pay that price for just a tote bag.” So about eight months after just trying to sell my first couple bags, I started to believe that maybe what they were saying was true, that my bags may be a bit pricey just to be a bag. Then I tried to compromise with my target audience by lowering prices, and lowering my value just for it to not be sold either way. Once I realize that my action of trying to negotiate my work, had a consequence of me being discouraged, and not wanting to work on them at all. I felt discouraged for so long that I did not want to pick it back up until my good friend, Amariah Andrews, would encourage me to keep pursuing my dream, and regardless of whether people would give me the time and attention for my work, my target audience will follow through if I dedicate myself to these bags, and not only doing it in the sake of quick money.

Now with modeling, I have been modeling since probably around the end of 2021. It was start off collaborative with photographers. I previously went to school with whom had also just start their careers. My very first shoot was with the brand Unordinary Collection by Quadri Solarin. I had no intent to keep pursuing in a career where I’ve always heard where models don’t get respected for the work they put out but I was drawn to it. In the summer of July 2023, it was the week of my birthday when I first went to Atlanta Streetwear Market and met the creator directive behind it all. While at the market, helping my friend, Amariah Andrews with her brand Hands of Joy, I was branching out and networking with other brands to understand their perspective of the business side when unknowingly, I would be invited to audition for Atlanta Streetwear Market first fashion show in September 2023. In the month of August, I just finished completing an eight hour shoot with Unordinary Collection and soon after another brand shoot for Fuego Based Agents by Felix Fuego. Not too long after, I went to my first casting call for Atlanta Streetwear Market first show and I was very nervous, very discouraged just from looking at the “competition“ that I was going up against. In the end I made it to the final cut I walked my very first show September 16, 2023 at Atlanta Streetwear Market first fashion show at the underground of Atlanta. It was the biggest, adrenaline rush I had felt in so long, and which I was looking for so many more friendship connections, and things would only go uphill from then. I was amazed and shell shocked that these were now the actions of my consequences, in the most uplifting way possible. Maybe immediately after within the same month I began doing campaign shoots once a month for an all women’s entrepreneurship called Gurl Mobb thanks to my friend, Janie The Doll. I continue doing campaign shoots with Gurl Mobb until the end of the year December 2023. But within those last couple months of the year I was getting asked to do brand shoots like no other, never expecting to actually see the day where I am wanted by all these brands so they can use my likeness to help expand their businesses. As of now, I can’t say much for what I have planned but please note that, actions have consequences. Every reaction has a consequence whether it’s good or bad, you make that decision.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When it comes time to go out and explore, I do just that. Any activities I can find around the city is enjoyable for yourself, or a group of friends, or maybe even date who knows. If you’re ever in the city, and you decide, “I want to try to find something vintage, something that screams me,”I’d suggest to check out, Beezys Department, Ecstatic x Threads ATL, 2nd Street or even Park Avenue. But personally, I love jewelry so I’ll go to Anne’s Diamond’s to get my grills cleaned or looking for something new or try to find any vintage pop up shops. If you were like me and you need privacy with food, an amazing Mediterranean restaurant by the name Del-Bar is beautiful and great flavor. But, if that’s not your taste, Papi’s Cuban Grill is another restaurant where you can’t go wrong. And finally, if you’re ever looking for an upbeat, diverse crowd, Rum Punch Brunch is an Afro beats, Caribbean dancehall where culture is everything. Honestly just walking around the city is an experience of its own, the culture, the people, the beauty of everyone around is underrated. I love my city and all its mess.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to acknowledge a couple brands and individuals for their faith in me and our relationships with each other. Felix Fuego for Fuego Based Agents, Quadri Solarin for Unordinary Collection, Tyler Okito for Clarity Studios, Atlanta Streetwear Market, Janie The Doll, and Amariah Andrews for Hands of Joy. Oh and my family of course!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakotacharnee?igsh=MXRpdHh5OGE5ZnZidA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Genesis Trofort