Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Carter.
Hi Carrie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My nickname is “The Color Doctor” because I am a retired physician who fell in love with doing personal color analysis and style and image consulting! The many facets of my unusual background, as detailed below, combine to make me the right person to serve women by diagnosing and prescribing their best colors and helping to reveal their most authentic image to put forth into the world.
I was a professional fashion model in the late 70’s & 80’s, which is when my love for style and signature colors began. Later I trained at UCSD to be a primary care physician and served San Diego families for many years. I also was a TV news medical expert for many stations in San Diego while in practice and was a speaker on healthy lifestyle choices in cities in both U.S. and Canada.
But my career came to a screeching halt when one day I was struck by severe vertigo! The world was spinning and kept spinning every day for years, leaving me essentially housebound. I was diagnosed with severe Meniere’s disease and failed to improve despite many treatments and surgeries. Finally, a brain-shunt surgery gave me some relief after seven years. During this period, I was contracted to write books on women’s health and appeared in over 100 radio interviews and several national TV interviews to promote these books.
Five years ago, when in better health, I discovered the company Style by Color (www.stylebycolor.com) through the editor of one of my books. The founder, Shari Braendel, has refined the system of color analysis from “what season are you?” to a scientific and artistic method that best reveals one’s natural beauty. Shari also created style systems to enable women to show up as their most authentic, confident selves.
I have been studying with Style by Color ever since and attended their academies to become certified in Color Analysis, as an Image and Style Consultant, and as a Closet Coach. Out of hundreds of consultants, currently I am their only consultant in Southern California. This is my second year in business as Carrie Carter Color and Style or as “The Color Doctor.”
Why does any of this matter? I know from my health and other struggles how hard it is to feel confident in one’s own skin when life, hardship, and some extra pounds get in the way. But my background as a model, physician, speaker, author, and media guest, and my struggle with chronic illness, and my training as a color, style, image consultant has equipped me to help other women find their confidence and joy in the body they live in today, and most importantly help their inner beauty to radiate!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I still struggle at times with vertigo from Meniere’s disease, but living with it has taught me that everyone is dealing with something challenging and has made me more empathetic to the needs of my clients and everyone I meet.
Of course, it is challenging to start a new business and gain name recognition. So I’m especially grateful for new clients sent by previous clients and very grateful for SD Voyager magazine’s interest in my business and services!
As you know, we’re big fans of Carrie Carter Color & Style – “The Color Doctor”. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Diagnosing one’s best colors is the most important thing I do in my business, and all my services depend on first knowing one’s color code. I do both in-person color analysis in my University City studio and virtual (on Zoom) color analysis, but in-person is best. Who benefits most from a Color Experience? Anyone who hasn’t had one, hasn’t had one in years, or has changed her hair color will benefit.
I am a woman of faith and consider my personal Color & Style work a calling to help women “shine” from the inside out! A favorite verse of mine is “You’re here to be LIGHT, bringing out the God-colors in the world…” (Matthew 5:14 MSG)
My Services:
Deluxe Color Experience: (1½ hours, $225) This is not merely the placing of colorful drapes on a you, but so much more. The Style by Color approach considers your three dominant color characteristics and your contrast. I drape with both the wrong colors then the right colors so you see the transformation on your makeup-free face! Then I customize your best colors. We discuss patterns, neutrals, jewelry, and other tips. Includes both your best colors in digital color swatches for your phone and a hand-held card deck of your 36 best color swatches.
Deluxe Style Experience: (1-2 hours, $225) Nearly all women want to appear “put together,” so I teach style guidelines that simplify this task, & I diagnose the right styles to wear for your current body type. Then we uncover your personal Style Personality and we do a workshop together to discover their Signature Style Statement. You leave with a binder that contains all the information we discussed and personalized.
Premium Color & Style Experience: (3-4 hours, $399) Experience a marathon appointment that combines everything from both individual Deluxe Color and Deluxe Style appointments at a special price.
Group Color Pop-up Experience: (5+ people, $250+) A very affordable and fun way to have a color analysis with 5 or more friends, colleagues, customers or schoolmates in a group setting at your location. Includes digital color swatches for each person’s phone.
Deluxe Closet Edit: (min 2+ hours, $225+) If you open your closet and say to yourself, “I have nothing to wear,” or find yourself wearing the same few outfits, I help you curate your closet to get out what doesn’t work, mix and match what does, and create a capsule wardrobe for the season. A color analysis is mandatory. Takes place in your closet.
Cost of services: Most of the similarly trained San Diego color and style consultants charge significantly more than I charge for a Deluxe Color or Style appointment, but I seek to make my services more affordable and offer specials throughout the year.
*HERE IS AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR READERS OF THIS ARTICLE:
$50 off any Deluxe or Premium service for the first 25 readers who contact me and mention the code “Doctor.” Contact me at [email protected] or www.carriecarter.com.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
In my 30’s I realized a lifelong dream of being a featured dancer in musical theater! I’ve been a dancer since my teens, but I delved seriously into dance classes as an adult and was cast in the 1990’s as a dancer and actress in several of San Diego’s CCT (Christian Community Theater) productions including as “Mrs. Potiphar” in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and “Gertie” in OKLAHOMA! Many of the families from my medical practice came to see me perform!
Pricing:
- Deluxe Color Experience $225
- Deluxe Style Experience $225
- Premium Color & Style Experience $399
- Group Color Pop-up Experience $250+
- Deluxe Closet Edit $225+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carriecarter.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Carrie-Carter-Color-Style/61563322974295/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-carter-md-cic-01201a30/
