I am so excited to formally introduce you to Sarah Reed of Dodeline Design. She’s a graphic designer based in Charleston, and she specializes in creating stationery – personalized monogram note cards, completely customizable wedding suites, and uniquely modern holiday cards – in addition to designing and branding websites. You may recognize her name because she designed my site. I’m a fan. :)
Sarah’s story is one of my favorites because it’s something so brave yet so common among our generation: she started her company only a few years after graduating from college. The height of the recession caused interior design positions to be scarce, so she turned to graphic design instead. She built her company from the ground up, and she’s partially self-taught. Sarah is one driven lady, and she’s also one of my favorite people to work on projects and be friends with. I hope you feel the same way after getting to know Sarah through today’s Inspired By… feature!
Let’s get to know you! Explain a little bit about your background. How did you get to where you are now?
I am a Southern girl through and through, born and raised in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina and educated in Athens, Georgia. A very circuitous route lead me to owning a small graphic design studio in my hometown; having graduated from college during the recession in 2009, there were very few career opportunities available. I took a part-time job at a frame shop, worked at my old interior design firm job part-time, freelanced, and generally just scraped by doing whatever I could do. Somewhere out of that chaos, a business emerged, and I ended up running with it.
What are your favorite ways to stay inspired? Who inspires you?
Travel is endlessly inspiring, but when I don’t have that option, I love to read blogs, beautiful books, and people watch.
If you’re having a bad moment, how do you turn your day around?
Walking and running. Every once in awhile a random downward-facing-dog in the middle of the office helps too. I find the physical activity to be the best thing to calm the jitters I feel in a moment of stress or anxiety.
How did you know you had made the right decision to follow your current path? Have you had a favorite moment?
I know I made the right decision because it’s a very rare day that I wake up and am not happy about what I do. Sure, I’m stressed about to-do lists and the like, but I don’t dislike doing the items on the to-do list, and that’s pretty lucky from what I hear. I have also met the most amazing network of people (including Carly!) through my work and I never cease to be amazed and inspired by them.
“What’s next” is always a question I have for myself. I am constantly worried about tomorrow and have trouble sometimes remembering that today is important too. It’s hard not to pressure myself too much about how I’m going to keep up or do something even better tomorrow. So I guess that’s my long way of saying, I’m trying to be in the moment right now, and enjoy what I have – family, friends, a wonderful home, and a little business that I treasure. What’s next – we’ll just have to see I guess!
All photos courtesy of Sarah Reed
Five Favorites:
1. Song: I’m in a real country phase right now. “Wagon Wheel” has me feelin’ my Southern roots.
2. Outfit: I love easy comfortable dresses. I need more of them.
3. Quote: This really resonated with me: Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone,t aking risks like that — that is what life is. You might be really good. You might find something out about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself. — Amy Poehler
4. Day of the year: My upcoming birthday! Yay for Aries!
5. Ideal way to spend your day: With my husband, in the lovely home we just purchased, doing whatever we feel like at that moment, even if it’s yard work or touch up paint. It’s my happy place.
I hope you feel inspired after getting to know more about Sarah’s experiences as she’s grown her graphic design firm. Be sure to keep up with her on her site, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Stay tied to Carly is Inspired…
Love the quote! And Sarah, thank you for your past and continued support of Carly!!!
great post, Carly!
Thank you so much, Erin!
Thank you so much Carly, what a great post & I am honored to be featured in it!
You are so welcome, Sarah! I always love supporting you and your work!