Meet Melody Dotson-Carter | Entrepreneur: Photography & Clothing Brand

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melody Dotson-Carter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melody, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think the most important factor to success is truly investing in myself. When you think about it we invest heavily in the things that matter to us because we have the hopes of it acquiring profit (homes that we flip, stock options, etc) Why not invest in careers?

I always set goals for myself and strive to hit my mark to become the business/brand that I want to be in the future.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m an owner of two businesses: Melody Carson Photography & WovenThoughts.Ink.

What sets me apart from others, I think is my mentality when it comes to business. True success in my book is the ability to make my customers happy by going above and beyond no matter how big or small the project. I focus on what I can do to make the product or photoshoot a success. I take great pride in my art whether it’s photography or creating a t-shirt.

When it came to starting a business, to be honest, I had hesitations: “Am I charging the right prices, “What if I don’t get photography bookings?”, “What if no one buys a t-shirt? etc; which were all valid concerns.

I had to constantly remind myself that with most things, you may have failures because life isn’t perfect. When learning to read, we mispronounced a few words then we got it right. When learning math, we got a few questions wrong until we figured out the problem. It’s the same with any business, you may have setbacks, but you ask yourself, “What does this teach me?”, “How can I fix this?”.

I told myself that I would rather try to start a business and have success rather than just assume I was going to fail and never give it a real shot.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is just believe in yourself. If you have confidence in what you are doing, no one can take that from you. You should be your biggest fan. There is nothing wrong with promoting yourself. There is a difference between talking about yourself and talking with a purpose.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Post pandemic

Monday
La Petite marche-Breakfast
World of Coca-Cola-Fun
Atlanta Zoo-Fun
Max Lager-Dinner

Tuesday
Thumbs Up-Breakfast
Atlanta Skydiving-Fun
Baseball game at Truist Park-Fun
The Highlander-Dinner

Wednesday
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen-Brunch
North Georgia Wine Tour-Fun
Hattie B’s Hot-Dinner

Thursday
First Watch-Breakfast
Botanical Gardens-Fun
Six Feet Under-Dinner

Friday
Snooze A.M Eatery-Breakfast
Atlanta Beltline-Fun
Atlanta Skyview Ferris Wheel-Fun
Two Urban Licks-Dinner

Saturday
Ria’s Bluebird-Breakfast
Tyler Perry Studios Tour-Fun
Ruth & Chris Steakhouse-Dinner
Sweet-stack creamery-Dessert

Sunday
Atlanta Breakfast Club-Breakfast
Segway Tours in Atlanta-Fun
Ponce City Market-Fun/Food
The Bee & The Bottle-Wine Tasting
In home dining experience by Chef Justin Robinson

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I read this questions, the first person that came to mind was my Mom! I can remember from youth, she has always encouraged me to pursue what I love even if other people didn’t understand or recognize it’s worth. I’ve strived to live my life with that same mentality.

My husband Shane has also played a huge role in my success. Whether it was holding a light reflector during a photoshoot, checking in guests during a modeling project or running out to buy material for a customer’s tshirt order..he’s been supportive every step of the way.

I have amazing friends who cheer me on as well! 🙂

Website: www.melodycarsonphotography.com also www.woventhoughtsink.com

Instagram: @melodycarsonphotography also @woventhoughts.ink