We recently connected with Chris Dodd and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chris, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Over the years in both my professional & personal life, I’ve learned time & time again how important it is to continue to challenge yourself if you want to grow. If I am the most successful person in the room, I most likely need to look for a bigger room. This has personally always been challenging for me. I’ve had many internal conflicts of deciding whether I was surrounding myself in particular situations to make myself feel better, or if I was surrounding myself in comfortable situations out of being complacent & lazy or feeling like I was doing good by helping others around me. Although I think it’s so important to help others along the way in your journey as much as you can, I’ve also learned that you can never truly help anyone until you help yourself. That means sometimes you have to be selfish & remove yourself from certain situations to continue to improve yourself along your journey. A simple piece of advice from a good friend of mine helped nail the coffin of this theory when he told me “If you have to lower yourself to help anyone else, you’re not helping anyone, you’re only hurting yourself.”
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My first entrepreneurial venture was when I was 13 years old in the 8th grade. Being a passionate & committed skateboarder, I started a skate team called “Camicaze Skate Team” I enlisted the help of my art teaching Mother & access to the equipment she had at her school & printed stickers & T-shirts. Back then I was just having fun & being creative. Fast forward to today & my absolute obsession with branding a business building makes total sense to me. I’m actually so fascinated with branding & companies that lie within my niche, I have a shoebox in my closet filled to the brims with tags from clothing pieces & products that I’ve bought & been gifted with throughout the years! I’ve always been fascinated with branding in general. I also remember around the same time when I was in middle school & we had to get supplies for school I remember noticing my pencil pag served the same purpose as my buddies next to me. However, his was just plain and mine had a small little “MTV” logo attached to it. I remember being so intrigued as to why I thought mine was so much cooler than his just because of this little logo. I now understand that THAT is branding. I remember it gave me the chills & I just knew right then & there that I was going to be a part of something like that someday. That is why right now after 7 years in the clothing retail space I am so excited to really start putting together my own brand. Through all of my experience in the industry & learn from failures & successes I know I’m equipped to make the impact with the brand that I’ve always been meant to make.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the most important thing I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is the importance of having what I like to call “Non Negotiable Tasks or Habits” The importance of small non-negotiable tasks & habits that I complete each & every day eventually add up to big wins. These can be different for everybody & for me, it’s simple things like staying on top of my personal hygiene, keeping my house & work area clean, reading, working out, and spending time with family. Taking time to myself! If you aren’t spending time on yourself & making sure you are healthy and committed to yourself, you’ll never be able to properly commit to your business & or venture! In addition to this, I’ve learned you truly cannot force things. Sometimes as a creator, it’s easy to get burnt out & stuck in the motions of life. However, life is exactly where you will draw your inspiration! You cant be too afraid to experience life authentically & organically. Don’t take life so serious !
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Having a significant partner in life is a true hack to success. Especially as a man. I’ve been blessed with an awesome fiancee whos been so supportive & been with me every step of the way of most of my entrepreneurial journeys, I was all over the place before I met her. I had no structure. I had passion & work ethic but lacked the ability to apply pen to paper. Not only has she supported me & inspired me, but I’ve supported her as well. We’re a true team together with not only our 4 kids but our businesses as well. We keep each other focused, and humble & always know what’s truly important which is our family & our health. She’s always been the sole source of motivation for me to keep striving to unlock my full & highest potential both personally & professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheStreetwearOutlet.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/chrisdoddbr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-dodd-5916331b1/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/chrisdoddbr
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/chrisdoddbr
Image Credits
@ericadavidphotography @visuals_CD
