Story & Lesson Highlights with Chris Dodd of Rochester

We recently had the chance to connect with Chris Dodd and have shared our conversation below.

Chris , we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Depending on the day, I start my mornings around 4 or 5 a.m. I wake up, drink water, start some coffee, and head into my office. I spend 10–20 minutes reading, then check emails and go through my social media profiles to share, post, and engage with content. After that, I go upstairs and shave. Depending on the day, I head to the gym for a workout or go outside for a run, then I’m either in the sauna or the cold plunge. Once I’m back home, I stretch, eat a healthy breakfast, and get the kids up to start their day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Chris Dodd, a 34-year-old entrepreneur from Rochester, New York. Nowadays, I spend my time as a full-time content creator, specializing in elite static visuals and cinematic reels for men’s e-commerce brands, specifically in the menswear and streetwear space.

After launching my own e-commerce brand in 2017, I picked up a camera out of necessity to create content for my business. That spark evolved into a true passion and quickly outgrew the original brand. Today, I’m grateful to be trusted as a full-scale production house.

What makes my brand unique is that I operate like a full creative agency. I handle everything in-house, from model casting to content production, while also acting as a strategic partner on the digital marketing side. I not only deliver the visuals, but help brands grow with scroll-stopping content that converts.

My time in front of the camera has also played a big role in shaping my eye. As an elite men’s fashion influencer who’s worked with nearly every major brand in the niche, I bring both influencer-level content and production-level execution. That duality, behind and in front of the camera, is a huge part of what makes my work stand out.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
More than a moment, a time period of my life that really shaped how I saw the world was growing up as a skateboarder. It wasn’t just about physically being able to roam freely on my own two feet, it was the mindset skateboarding gave me that stuck. It taught me to see the world how I wanted to see it, to find freedom in everyday surroundings, and to express myself creatively.

That mindset still influences what I do today, especially with content creation for men’s fashion brands. Skating through the city, I found myself paying close attention to things like how light hits certain corners, the textures of buildings, the roughness of the roads, the culture—it all formed this unique lens I still create through.

Skateboarding also sparked my entrepreneurial spirit. As a kid with no real-world responsibilities at that time, being out in the city gave me a real pulse on the world. I could see people moving through life, doing things they didn’t love just to get by, and I knew I never wanted to be trapped in that. That realization lit the fire for me to carve my own path and become an entrepreneur.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering and hard times truly taught me to be grateful for what I do have, to manage what I do have, and to work with what I do have. One of my personal mantras has always been to work with what I have to get what I don’t. In seasons where things haven’t worked out, staying faithful and grateful for what’s in front of me has created space for more to flow into my life.

That perspective has carried me through a lot, and it’s something I lean on regardless of the season I’m in, good or bad. Learning to manage what’s in my hands, even when it’s not much, is something success alone never taught me. And ultimately, understanding that neither suffering nor success lasts forever has helped me stay grounded through both.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
This is an interesting one for me, not that I’m some wildly famous individual or anything like that. But when it comes to the public version of me, I’d say yes, it’s the real me, it’s just not all of me.

What I share publicly, especially on platforms like Instagram, is a curated glimpse into the side of me that’s passionate about fashion, content creation, and streetwear. That’s a space I’ve been able to grow in and build a name for myself, and it’s work I genuinely love and make a living from.

But at the same time, there’s a whole other side of me that exists outside of that, parts that don’t always make it to social media. So yeah, the public version is real, it’s just one chapter of a much bigger story.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I think if I retired tomorrow, the thing people would miss the most is my passion. When it comes to what I do, passion is the one thing you just can’t fake, and you definitely can’t replicate it. It’s the secret ingredient that makes this whole thing work, not just for me, but for the people I deliver value to.

This line of work isn’t always easy, it’s long hours, it’s creative pressure, it’s sometimes risky or uncomfortable situations to get the shot or execute the vision. But what makes it all worth it is that I genuinely enjoy it. I love what I do, and I think that love shows in the work. That’s what clients and collaborators feel, and that’s what I think they’d miss most.

I’ve heard it directly too. A lot of people I’ve worked with have told me that the thing that stood out most was the passion behind my work. It’s what pulls people in, even if they can’t quite name it. And I believe that passion covers a lot of ground, especially in the areas I’m still growing in. It’s not just what I do, it’s how I do it, and that’s what makes it valuable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Cd-visuals.com
• Instagram: @ChrisDoddBR
• Linkedin: Chris Dodd
• Twitter: @ChrisDoddBR
• Facebook: @ChrisDoddBR
• Youtube: @ChrisDoddBR

Image Credits
@ericadavidphotography