Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristopher Ray Bolleter.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was very fortunate to grow up in a family and community that fostered my creative passion from an early age. But my trajectory as a creative designer and developer was shaped by a creative arts magnet high school program in San Antonio, TX by the name of North East School of the Arts. I was accepted into the Film and Animation program in 2002 and introduced to a variety of creative outlets, but was immediately drawn to Graphic Design before I even knew it was a career path.
Myspace was front and center as the age of the internet blossomed and I found myself infatuated with web design and development. Little did I know making tweaks to a small bit of code to personalize my Myspace page would have sparked a passion (or addiction) for crafting user experiences and set me on a path towards accomplishing what I had only dreamed of.
Flash-forward through a quick ~4 years in college between Savannah College of Art and Design, and the Art Institute of Austin before starting my full-time career. My first position was as a graphic designer at a political marketing shop in Austin where I was able to shake hands and brush shoulders with a number of influential people who believed in my work, helping my network blossom on the nightly as I picked up freelance work on the side.
After becoming the Senior Graphic designer at the political shop, a Creative Director opportunity opened up at Spindle 360 in Georgetown, TX. Spindle 360 was a young product incubator and marketing agency where I was extremely fortunate to be handed an almost blank canvas to learn, help build and grow a lean agency of product designers, graphic designers, copywriters, in-house photography, video production, and print house, all at my disposal to help craft products and brands from the ground up. It was a very unique experience that helped me identify my strengths as a Brand Strategist and User Experience designer. I inevitably reached a bit of a ceiling, as I helped grow the team and scale the workload, I became less hands-on with the creative process that drove me into this career to begin with, so I made the decision to “jump ship” in Sept 2016 as a full-time freelance Brand Strategist, Designer and Developer.
Alright, 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 like to think it’s been a pretty smooth road, but there’s no denying I’ve had struggles of my own. My biggest awakening came mid-way through the pregnancy of my first son when I was diagnosed with RRMS – Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. I was a pretty darn healthy guy, expecting my firstborn, had just left my full-time job on a fantastic trajectory and I’m sure it sounds cliche, but I truly had a rush of my life run through my mind in an instant. Everything I had done, every choice I had made, for better or for worse, left me with absolutely no control over the news I had just received. There was nothing to regret, but I was scared of what I could miss. I don’t recall exactly what went through my head, I was sad, scared, but deep within me, I knew there were only two choices – live in the dwelling of “what could be” or live in the moment I had just exited, passionate, full of hope and living every day to its fullest. So that’s exactly what I did.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a multifaceted creative with over a decade’s experience crafting brands, conversion-focused online experiences, systems and teams. I’ve had the pleasure of working on the digital efforts of political campaigns local to presidential, national non-profits, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.
I’ve set out to break the traditional agency model. By providing intimate, high-level comprehensive insight, actionable strategies, and facilitating the execution of proven methodology, I put systems and tools in place to help clients reach their goals.
My custom-tailored approach for developing objective, data-driven strategies allows every client to materialize their brand’s true potential. In short, I don’t just “paint pretty pictures”, and I don’t have a cliché slogan, just award-winning work and clients that speak for themselves.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m extremely excited about what the future holds for my business and my family. I’ve always been passionate about elevating other peoples’ brands and visions, but recently I’ve taken some time to start some of my own passion projects, including a web app and a magnet toy that my son with autism inspired me to pursue.
Pricing:
- Ongoing Brand Advisory starting at $2500/mo.
- Brand Identity Systems Starting at $5,000
- Custom Website Design and Development Starting at $5,000
- Brand Strategy and User Experience Assessments start at $10,000
- Misc. Design and Development Services – Price based on SOW
Contact Info:
- Website: KristopherRay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristopherray/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristopherraycreative/
- Other: https://dribbble.com/kristopherray
Image Credits
Gabe Rene
