Today we’d like to introduce you to Demetrius Carter.
Hi Demetrius, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Virginia native from small city named Danville near the Virginia and North Carolina border. I served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps with one tour of duty in Iraq as well as traveling to various other countries as a member of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. After my military service I relocated to Houston, TX where I attended The Art Institute of Houston and pursued my degree in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics. While in college, I met my wife TaMeika. She grew up in Pflugerville, which is partly the reason we moved to the Austin area after she received a new job offer. Here in Austin is where I started my entrepreneurial journey after we had our first child in February 2018. Becoming a father gave me the motivation to start my own clothing brand for dads called Dope And Dedicated. I currently operate Dope And Dedicated as well as being a stay-at-home dad.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a veteran, I’ve dealt with many of the same issues that most veterans deal with when coming back from a war zone. Bouts with PTSD were very common during the time I was in college. Thankfully I was able to seek encouragement and motivation through the help of my wife and therapy. It’s still an ongoing battle that I have to face as a young entrepreneur mainly because things at times can feel overwhelming when you don’t have all the answers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dope And Dedicated is an extremely dope brand for extremely dope dads. Our brand was created in 2018 to fill the void in the fashion world for stylish clothing for fathers and father figures. Not only did we set out to create a brand, but we also wanted to create a community of the dopest dads in the world. We seek to be a place where dads can come to get fresh, be inspired and get motivated to be the best fathers they can be on an everyday basis. The clothing and apparel we create represents a lifestyle and sends a message, Dope Dads only.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I honestly think the one thing that’s been the most important to my success so far is the fact that I’ve found something that I really enjoy doing. Day to day operation of my clothing brand keeps me excited and looking forward to what’s next for my business as well as for myself personally. I truly love the process of creating the next hat or shirt and seeing how the people will respond to it. There are some parts of the process that aren’t my favorite, but I feel that those parts force me to sharpen my skills in fields that I may have never explored otherwise. Top that off with being able to work for myself which allows me to be present for some of the most important moments of son’s life and I really couldn’t ask for more. I feel blessed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dopeanddedicated.com
- Instagram: @DopeAndDedicated
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DopeAndDedicated
