Meet Jamie Dortch: Self Taught Nail Technician

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

Hi Jamie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I view risk taking as an opportunity to learn. For a while I was afraid to even start because I did not want to fail. Once I realized that failing is an important part of learning, I did away with the fear of failing and now I am always willing to take risks when it comes to my business because it is the only way I will know how it feels to learn from a failure and succeed. When it comes to my personal life, I was in the same mental space with taking risks, fearful. I am not a fan of the unknown so at one point in time, I preferred to play it safe. But I have learned recently, that I won’t know unless I try. Every decision I make will effect my life at some point and if I can deal with the outcome- good or bad- I make the decision that I feel will be best for me. Everyone won’t always agree with everything I do, but I have to live my life for me. I make sure to keep God first, and consult with Him before I make any major life decisons because if it is not in His plan for my life, no matter how hard I try it just won’t work. I will say though, I am more likely to make a risky decision for my business before I make one in my personal life, because a mistake in my business will likely be easier to bounce back from. For me, my faith and trust in God plays a huge part in risk taking because I know that God has my best interest at heart and that He won’t allow me to destroy my life or anything I have worked hard for, without Him first giving me a warning.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have always been extremely creative and a deep thinker. I decided to get into nail artistry and make-up because I like to express myself through my apperance. The thing I am most proud of is that I am what is called a “self taught” nail tech because I did not start off doing nails in cosmetology school. My aunt, a cosmetologist, took everything she learned and knew poured it into me once I expressed interest. I also sit and watch to see what new techniques I can learn that maybe useful to me. I believe I can never learn too much when it comes to being successful. I also pride myself on being a mobile nail technician, which isn’t very common. I offer my services for your convience at the comfort of your own home. Getting to where I am right now was far from easy. I am a full time college student and my education is extremly importat to me There have been many days that I wanted to give up but I have a goal that I WILL reach so that I can set a new one, so until I reach that goal I cannot stop. When I get in the moments that I want to give up, I think of all the other places I could be that are not so appealing and I push past those feelings. My brand “DOLLED BY DJ” is genuine because this isn’t something I decided to do just for the money, this is someting I have tried to dance around and not take serious only for it to come back and I be passionate about it. I love nail artistry so much that I have began to make my own products becasue I want to pour into myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In Savannah, the number one place to go would be Downtown. This is where you would find a lot of restaurants and shops. I would say this could take a day or two depending on what you are interested in. I would also take them to the Tanger Outlet in Pooler, because who doesn’t love a good shooping trip? I would also go to an escape room, I have been wanting to go for a couple years now, so I would defintely use this opportunity to do that. There are a couple museums here, my favorite being the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. To end the week, I would bring them to my church Christian New Life Deliverance Minisrty, because this is really where I spend alot of my free time, serving and worshipping.

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?
First I want to thank God, because without Him I would be lost. Secondly, my family for supporting me, encouraging me, and pouring into me. The many times I wanted to give up they would not allow it. They invest in allmy dreams and without them I would have given up on myself long ago. Lastly, my baby girl, Skye, you have no idea how much you have changed my life and made me want better and more in life. Your unconditional love really makes me go hard even when I don’t want to. If I don’t make anyone else in this life proud I want you to be able to proudly say “That’s my mommy!” I am so greatful and blessed that God saw fit to make me your mommy!!!

Instagram: dolledby.dj & @__deneshajamie (2 underscores)

Other: TikTok: @deneshajamie