Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Deon Coutou. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Deon, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
TDOT GlobeTrotter – TDOT is a shorten version for ‘Toronto’ which is my hometown. Globetrotter is someone who travels the world globally. I fused the two together to come up with the name ‘TDOT GlobeTrotter’.
ManWithFilm – One day I was brainstorming ideas of names and I stumbled upon another creators name that started with ‘Man..’ I took the idea and created ‘ManWithFilm’
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For me, it dates back to college where I honestly had no clue what career I wanted to pursue or what I wanted to be when I’m older. So I decided to take Business Marketing and after 1 semester I dropped out. I didn’t enjoy it. I took the next semester off to really consider my options and I stumbled upon Travel & Tourism. This program I was hesitant at first because I really did not know much about it but I decided to give it a try. When I say best decision I have ever made, I truly mean it. The reason I have such a passion for travelling and creating content globally now is mainly because of my time spent in the Travel & Tourism program. Connections I built in college helped me start a position working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line as a shops staff on-board. Travelling to places such as Australia – New Zealand – South Pacific Islands – Europe – Caribbean. We are currently at 26 countries visited around the world and my goal is to see EVERY country on this planet! How I incorporated TDOT GlobeTrotter is simply vlog my experience in each country I visit and I upload it to platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram.
ManWithFilm origin believe it or not starts off in a thrift store. Back story when I was younger, I use to LOVE going to thrift stores, recording my pick-ups on a camera and uploading it on YouTube. A lot of the clothing I use to also sell. One of my greatest accomplishments was selling enough clothing to purchase a ticket to Los Angeles, California for myself to travel at the age of 16 (I had an older cousin living there at the time). Full circle moment of course as I currently upload on YouTube and Travel at the age of 28. So one day I went to a thrift store, I saw a vintage camera from the 70’s, a ‘Minolta XG-9’. I had no clue if it even was functioning but I thought it was cool so I instantly purchased it. Till this day I still have the film camera (the camera I am holding in the photo). I do now have a few other “newer” film cameras but none can compare to the quality of photo that the Minolta XG-9 captures. I provide my film photography services to anyone who is looking for a different experience, different from the digital photography world.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
As someone who is on the outside looking in, it would be really tough to understand the mind of someone who is running a successful business. As cliche as it may sound, consistency is the key to success. I witnessed it first hand learning the hard way. I am still growing everyday and learning. You have to be addicted to your business and think about it everyday. If days go by and you haven’t thought about it or work towards it, your not hungry enough.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is, no matter how wide of an audience my photography and vlogging gains, if my support system appreciates what I created, that is all the satisfaction I need!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/WBYogDnExMVN9?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYWYhybu2mfGI9j-jQnl6iAv1Av2NiQncO4YDza1C6gViz8cANq3-FD08Q_aem_z7ofNX8MzkoLZfgk7Pco-w
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@tdotglobetrotter | https://www.instagram.com/manwithfilm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054328128415
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tdotglobetrotter?si=R8NwTKG3SS6eNjk3
Image Credits
@manwithfilm
@mikedicarlo.jpg
https://mikedicarlophoto.com/