Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Domaleski
Hi Joe, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Back in 2002 I was a well-paid e-commerce consultant working with IBM technologies on behalf of national clients. I was well paid, but I was never home. My job required me to travel all week long and by the time I got to the weekend, I had little to give to my family. Being married with three young children, I realized there was more to life than money. In 2003 I got the idea to start my own business so that I could be home more and focus on the local community. Over the last twenty one years we’ve grown the company into a full digital marketing agency. Based in Peachtree City, we have 12 local, full-time employees in addition to some part-time interns. Our company has won several awards, including Small Business of the Year by our local Chamber of Commerce. It’s very rewarding to do work that makes our community a better place.
I have a more in-depth story here -> https://thecitizen.com/2022/10/04/why-i-started-a-small-local-business/
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?
It has not been a smooth road. I tell people all of the time, starting and running a business is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There’s the usual challenges of setting priorities when everything is urgent, handling difficult people, and cash flow management. Then there’s the external challenges of recession, inflation, COVID, US Mail delays, and other factors. Two of the most challenging periods for our business were the Great Recession of 2009-2010 and COVID in 2020-2022. Staying focused on the WHY helps me get through the HOW.
More details in this article -> https://thecitizen.com/2023/08/28/defying-the-odds-we-made-it-to-the-20-year-mark/
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Country Fried Creative?
Country Fried Creative is south Atlanta’s premier, award-winning digital marketing studios. We specialize in website design, development, social media management, SEO, analytics, and online marketing. All of our creative projects are done the old-fashioned way – by hand, using real, local professionals. Although there’s nothing wrong with AI, we don’t believe in using it for our creative work. I often tell people that we make websites that are finger clicking good! Our analytics / machine learning practice group is called Country Fried Labs, where we apply data science and artificial intelligence to help produce better marketing results for companies, nonprofits, and consumers. Our mission is to provide quality, results-driven digital marketing services for our clients through creativity that captivates while remaining dedicated to our core values. We believe that’s what sets us apart – a focus on custom, hand-crafted marketing solutions tailored to the specific needs of each client instead of “cookie cutter” work.
What makes you happy?
This may sound cliche, but I’m happy when other people are happy – my staff, my clients, and my family. It’s been said that I’m a people-pleaser and that’s probably true. When the right people are doing the right things for the right reasons – that makes me happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://countryfriedcreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/countryfriedcreative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CountryFriedCreative
Image Credits
All of the images are mine. I just want to point out the older picture is a my family in 2003 when we first started the business – my wife and three children.
