Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Rutledge.
Ben, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started college in 2006 wanting to study archaeology but quickly realized that I didn’t have the patience to spend hours in a lab cleaning pottery shards with a toothbrush. I had always been interested in graphic design, but I had little desire to only be a graphic designer. Appalachian State University (my alma mater) had a creative track within their advertising program, which included basic graphic design training, along with training in a combination of other creative, marketing, and business skills. After graduating, I set up shop with a couple of graphic designers and began my journey into the world of digital marketing and entrepreneurship. I have worked in-house as well as owned my own agencies over the last decade or so. About five years ago, I moved to Texas to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling. This strikes some people as odd, and when they ask me why I am passionate about both marketing and counseling, I tell them it is because I have always been curious about what motivates people to do what they do. I hope to use the knowledge and experience I have gained in psychology in the marketplace, as well as to help people grow, find freedom and healing in individual therapy.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve experienced all of the normal struggles of entrepreneurship like cash flow, learning how to project manage, who to hire and when, sales, taxes, getting stuck working in my business and not on it. The constant learning curve of digital marketing and web development took a lot of time to get used to, but now is simply a part of life for me. I would say that on a more personal level, it has always been a challenge to value my own work. Like many creatives, early in my career, I would always wind up feeling used and under-compensated in projects. This boiled down to a confidence issue at the end of the day. It feels good to be at a point in my career, where I feel competent and confident in the skills and quality of work that I am able to bring to the table…just got to keep growing, I guess.
Mighty Fine Agency – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My current business is Mighty Fine Agency. We specialize in branding and web strategy, design, and execution. We build fully custom websites that deliver results. We NEVER use themes, only custom designs and code, designed and written by yours truly and my compatriots. We also package these services with various local optimization, SEO, business listings, paid search, and reputation management services. What sets us apart is our passion for the small business owner, and our ability to simplify and package the marketing services they need to succeed. We offer affordable payment plans on web and branding, and we never lock you into long-term contracts with our marketing services.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s difficult to pick just one. Even though I’ve had the privilege of helping creating content and campaigns for some of the biggest names in retail and travel, what I still find the most satisfying is helping small business owners. When I see a small business owner smile and their shoulders relax, when we’ve been able to deliver real results, or when we give them their first look at their new website or business cards, it makes the struggle worth it. I still find the most satisfaction in helping a small business owner feel proud to show their businesses to the world…when I get tired of that, then it’s time to change careers.
Pricing:
- Custom Web Design & Development starting at $300 / mo.
- Custom Branding Design starting at $250 /mo.
- Local Optimization including: Listings & Reputation Management starting at $300 /mo.
- SEO or Search Engine Optimization starting at $350 / mo.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.mightyfineyall.com
- Phone: (972) 503-6715
- Email: dowork@mightyfineyall.com
Image Credit:
Headshot by: https://www.brandonlajoie.com
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
