Meet Carlee Tatum | Mud slinger & Photographer

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

Hi Carlee, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wish I could say there was an extensive thought process but unfortunately, my brain just doesn’t work that way. I tend to roll with the punches and if the feeling is strong enough. Im talking deep in your gut strong then I do it without question. 
My business originally started as a wedding photography career that I ran for about 5-6 years. And then as we all know, good ol covid hit, and weddings were postponed, leaving me endless time to create. 
I got into pottery and jewelry while everything slowed down and knew that I wanted to get into selling it somehow. At the beginning of 2022, my friend was opening her own hair salon and I rented out a small section of her place to hold my pottery along with other makers goods that I had found and loved. I had a small taste of retail, creating, and selling and I wanted more. At the end of the year, a small retail spot was available for lease down the street, and without thinking twice I took it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I honestly didn’t expect to be on this path. I thought I would be doing wedding photography until my back gave out. But since I was a teenager I remember making and selling things at my moms’ salon. I didn’t care about the money I just loved that someone else wanted something I made. And I still feel that way. When someone comes into the store and buys something made by me it fills me up for days. It wasn’t an easy journey to get here though. There were a lot of tough decisions to be made and at the end of the day, the decisions landed on my shoulders alone. Sometimes that can be super fun but most of the time it’s stressful and scary. When the opportunity arose for me to have my own store I felt very torn on the if it was the right choice. My husband asked if I thought I would regret it if I didn’t do it. That question helped me push forward. I would have hated wondering what if. The risk felt worth the knowing.

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?
We would have to start the day in San Luis Obispo at Sally Loos for some of the best breakfast. Followed up by shopping at some of my favorite woman-owned boutiques like Len Collective, Idlewild Floral, Black Water and Blue Harvest. We would then go check out the Madonna Inn because everyone and their mom needs to see all that pink at least once in their life. If the weather was just right we would make our way to Avila Beach and get a little vitamin D. Then make our way to Atascadero for round two of shopping at Ametza, Black Sheep, and Earnest Grey. Then we would go dig through countless albums at Traffic Records and snag a quick drink at the Raconteur Room.
We would finish the day by heading to Paso Robles for wine tasting at Bethel Rd Distillery eating dinner at In Bloom and ending at the day at River Oaks hot springs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My sweet husband Chad is the key ingredient to anything and everything I do. Everyone relies on that one person who gives you a voice of reason. He has always encouraged all of my creative efforts. Even the big scary ones that changed our family dynamics. He was willing to bob and weave his schedule to make it work for me to run the store. Picking up our kid from school even though he works full time, helping me remodel the store late into the night. Letting me cry and stress all my doubts without making me feel guilty. And giving me that extra nudge to not quit. He is simply the best of the best.

Website: www.rumorgoods.com

Instagram: rumorgoods

Image Credits
Milk and Thistle Photography