Story & Lesson Highlights with Dezi Cartier of Orlando

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dezi Cartier . Check out our conversation below.

Hi Dezi , thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I do and it is something very simple but it makes me really happy – proud too but more so happy. There are laughs in there too usually. I don’t live super close to my dad but I’m lucky enough to be within an hour and some quarters of seeing him. However I really take a lot of joy in taking him out to eat. It’s something a parent always does by nature and usually probably circumstance too ahaha as kid but that really makes me happy. He’s always been there for me in one way or the other and I’m super grateful for him and all that he has done in my life as well as sacrificed. So I really enjoy anytime I get to see him and take him out to eat and let him know that someone is there to take care of him too.

I think food is a really interesting topic in regards to show someone you care about them. A long time ago I learned that. I was at Four Seasons and I had become friends with Aadam and Sami Hamed while they were on holiday here. We met and had just got on really well with each other. It was funny though I had just come across macaroons at Whole Foods and was telling them about it. In this day of age, I did not know of many places if any besides there that had macaroons in Orlando. Anyhow somehow that got brought up and I told them and they told me they had never tried them before! I was going up to hang out with them a couple days later and I didn’t think anything of it but brought macaroons to them to try and us to eat. Later their dad Naseem came down and he joined us. We were all just talking hanging out and he thought it was so kind to have brought food as a gesture to try. I did not think anything of it other than oh my gosh I gotta put you on macaroons they are so good you gotta try these. But it was really interesting Naseem, their dad told me that in his culture to nourish someone really meaningful and special. I thought that was really cool and simple gesture to me had never thought about it in that way before. But yeah we had a great night talking and all eating macaroons. I really respect them and those are really good people. Got a whole lot of love for them.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a human and I am Dezi. I think those are the most important things. It’s can feel weird sometimes declaring what you are in life but I believe you have to tell the world so that it listens. Truth is I am and have been a lot of things in life. My life started in the arts and is still heavily rooted in those ties. Over the years I’ve done a lot of different things from modeling and acting to the working in entertainment and music industry. However I’ve also been a lot of other titles before and in between the fun stuff. While I was acting and modeling I was also a server, car salesman, retail employee, what else have I done oh yeah valet too – the list goes on. I’ve done a lot in life and enjoy many different things from making music to doing business and even making clothes. Of course there are times when I flutter between certain passions and that’s life. I’m also now an exec working with many name syou would probably recognize and ones you on that same token you may not haha. So I’m all over the place.

I think high level I’ve kept what I’ve always loved music, art, cinema and many other things at the forefront of my life and whether I am making music or working with a client I let those things lead me from my heart. I am myself for better or worse. Plus those experiences, all the different things I’ve done in my life all help each other out. I think as a kid I’ve said this before but it’s important – life may try to box you into one thing and the truth nothing in life is just one thing and I’ve fought that my whole life. So as I like to say I’m here and there and where ever is nexxt.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Love the question. I grew up in a little bit of a pressure cooker. I wouldn’t say I had the most typical childhood and I think when I dropped out of college I really felt like I was in the drivers seat. I’m human and definitely not perfect so when I fell short I definitely heard about it. I actually just saw a video about pressure and think it was so interesting it basically said there is a reason pressure makes diamonds. I think having so much darkness in that part of my life lead to me being able to go through a lot and not get rocked by it.

I’ve always and loved and found peace in music, film, and art in general. Even when I was not the best at something I was Dezi and I would find ways to connect another way. I was not the smartest kid in school and not the best in a lot of times but trying can do a lot.

I’ve always been the same person at the core but I like to think the more I broke away from my home life and upbringing the more openly I could be myself. Then really start to grow as a person fully into what I believed where I had nothing to tear me down or try to hold me back. I think as a coping mechanism too, I had to let go and try to forget about what I had been through to make the life I wanted and be the best version possible of myself. We go through something in life and we got to move forward from it. Life is all of us trying to do our best.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
It’s definitely to be always keep being yourself. I think it is one of those phrases you hear all the time and it’s like “work hard” and for me oh my gosh I heard so much as a kid that I’m not even sure what that meant at that age. It sounds cliche and it shouldn’t. Life has so many twists and turns that it’s a compass for me. When you think how would I react to this or think of this or what to do next – you know best.

I’m big on learning from others but also who else is going to know what is best for me other than myself. There is a learning curve to that, growing up you are finding yourself still and discovering that. Plus learning by doing and failing but also succeeding. What you like what you don’t like and that’s a beautiful journey that never ends.

I think my favorite or most important moments in my life have been propelled by trusting in my vision. Being real we are challenged all the time and the world, our friends, family, or whoever may want us to be one way or something but we gotta be who we want to be. Be a good person and know your worth – know that it will be recognized by the right people and trust in timing. It takes a lot of putting yourself out there in life and not holding back your personality. It sounds crazy but that can be difficult. Be really proud of who you are and I of course have remind myself that too every once in a while.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
A fad is like a Labubu to me. No hate, they can be a little scary looking but kinda cute and super popping right now. But a foundational shift to me is a trend with cycle. Punk influence on fashion is a great example to me. I think the key difference is the cycling. Fads don’t have a cycle but they do turn to nostalgia. That’s the way I take it. It’s interesting to think about how when those come back how they slightly change based on the new landscape of their roots.

It’s in my head kind of impossible to predict fads. There’s always a catalyst involved. I’m thinking a lot in terms of fashion when I see that. Music and fashion have always been such good friends to each other and we see it there too. To me there is fad in train of thought too on a deeper level.

What’s crazy though now is you can also connect to a fad way more at scale and so quickly with social media. With TikTok too artists and content creators need to take part in those fads. Need is relative I suppose on who you are talking to and and I know there is a big frown against but it is a part of how things go today. I try to appreciate it but I also understand contradicting opinions. I’m a gas tank half full on it. Some of my favorite foundational shifters have been in music though. Like with punk we see the influence on people like Carti. Of course if you to ask a fan of The Descendants they would say that its’ not punk and they’re right in terms of genre but the influence is there especially in his live shows. That’s a real cool one to me.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
I’ve actually never heard that one before but I like that. Definitely. Some of my favorite moments have come from within the music and merchandising industry. The Gang Starr and DJ Premier projects then also artists like Stephen Sanchez that was a really cool client to work with for a while. Caskey too has always been a legend to me. From Sleep Token, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Pierce The Veil, and even to the local Orlando scene – they are all special to me. There are many more that deserve mentioning too that hold a special place in my heart. A huge part of what makes those special is the love for the music. I can tend to be hard on myself and tell myself what I’m not doing more than what I have done or am doing but you got catch yourself and appreciate yourself.

There’s so many moments that I’m grateful for even way before then when I was trying out college and left my school I was a car salesman at Orlando Hyundai. I was not there very long because I started UCF, to try out my next school. But I remember when the day I told my bosses and everyone there I was leaving – the support made me want to tear up. I had so much love for them and I’ll always call Kyle Lee boss. So I care about what I’m doing I’ve always been that way.

Another one of my favorite moments was working with Bryce Vine. I grew up on Lazy Fair. His music I feel like was the backing track to my teenage years and getting to work with him on some really special music and merch projects plus a tour was crazy.

I’ve had a really good life so far and I know I talk a lot about even the hard the stuff in this one but I’m grateful. Even outside of work, creatively I love the friends I’ve made. Many of my closest friends I’ve made have been through modeling or music one way or the other. I’m grateful for today and every yesterday. Today I’m especially for where I’m at now with career, the people around me, and the projects I’m a part of. I love the human connection and whether it’s art, business, or friendship I always cherish that part.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/dezicartier
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dezicartier
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dezibennett/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Twitter: https://x.com/dezicartier
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBVYddwe-EC88P9Sa2Q6F7w

Image Credits
Raphael Loquellano