My first business failed. I was nearly suspended from 2nd Grade for operating a business on school property. While my Dad stepped in to avert the suspension, I had to shut it down. I lost my entire investment. While ten dollars may not sound like a lot of money, it’s a lot to an 8-year old!
I took a graphic design and web development class in High School. I launched my first website for a paying client as a sophomore. Somehow I didn’t realize I could actually build websites as a job, so I got a B.S. in Psychology from Colorado State University. Along the way, I’ve worked as a Mobile DJ, Hot Dog Man, Radio Personality, SWAT Trainer, and Restaurant Manager.
I quit my job as a car salesman after a week because I wanted to be able to sleep at night and keep my soul. And that’s exactly what I told the Sales Manager when I turned in my keys. In 2007 I struck out on my own selling websites. That venture failed too; but my demo sites got me a job at a local web shop. It was there I built my first website on WordPress (v2.3.1) in 2008.
I founded Copper Leaf Creative in 2011 with the vision to create a small, elite, agile-minded team that builds websites that make profound impacts on our clients’ businesses. Six years and just over a million dollars later, so far so good!