Meet Carlen Dickerson | Visual Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carlen Dickerson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carlen, what do you attribute your success to?
The #1 most important factor behind my success & the success of my brand, Carlenography, is networking. I know, I know, it’s one of those cringey words that when I was in college I absolutely hated hearing. However, every single job I’ve had since graduating has been through connecting with real-life humans. The first job I had out of school was through meeting the CEO in the lobby of Buzzfeed. In working that job, I met several inspiring women who have mentored me and have made my freelancing possible. I could not do what I do without the wonderful people I have met along the way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
All of my photos & videos are inspired by what I enjoy most in this world – food & travel. I look for joyous moments and the best ways to capture them. I’m most proud of the fact that I can truly say I do what I love. I remember being in college with a major in broadcast journalism and feeling very unsure about working nights & weekends at a local news station, but it felt like that was the only option. I’m so proud of myself for finding my own path & making it work. It hasn’t been easy – there has been a learning curve for sure. But mostly, I overcome challenges by following what feels right. Life doesn’t have to be so hard, and in fact when we’re going with the flow, it isn’t. I say yes to almost every project that comes my way, because I am open to new experiences and love to learn. I want the world to know that I show up with pure joy in my heart, looking to connect to humans through the love of life. My brand is me. It’s my perspective behind the camera, and I am so joyful when I’m able to share it with people who appreciate it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I went to the University of Miami so I could give a year’s worth of itinerary for Miami… but I’m currently in Sarasota, so I’ll do one for this city. First, we would stop at Project Coffee downtown for the most delicious latte & my favorite tropical chia bowl ever.
Next, we would drive out to Longboat Key and hit my favorite public beaches with tiny parking lots so there’s never too many people there.
For lunch, we would hit Whitney’s – the cutest little gas station-converted to a restaurant for cocktails & a snack.
After that, we would head downtown to wander in and out of the fun boutiques there.
For dinner, we would absolutely have to go to Owen’s Fish Camp, which is the cutest, old Florida vibe restaurant in the historic district of Sarasota that has the best clam chowder ever.
For the rest of the week, we would be hitting all my other favorite beaches – Turtle Beach, Siesta Beach, South Lido Beach. We may make our way down to Myakka for some nature sight-seeing & alligator adventures.
Other restaurants that are a MUST are Postal 98 for breakfast burritos, Walt’s Fish Market for everything seafood & Simon’s Cafe for the most delicious healthy creations of all time.
The most fun & interesting places to check out for me are local spots. I love supporting small businesses and learning about the story behind the business. It makes it much more personable! I also just love exploring anything new to me!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The incredible, the iconic, the legendary… STACEY KANE. From the moment this magical being entered my life, she has been like a fairy godmother to me. Stacey has been working in restaurant marketing since before I was born, and now she runs her own fractional marketing consultancy – definitely hit her up if you’re looking for marketing help. She has been an enlightening mentor, a trustworthy counselor and also an amazing friend. I am so grateful to work with and learn from someone as vibrantly successful as Stacey Kane.

Website: carlenography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlenography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlen-dickerson/