August 17, 2021 4 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Kyle Courtright, founder of Courtright Design, didn’t always have it easy. This brand designer started with a mere $50 to pull from.

Courtright had to maintain a strict budget to make his business dreams come true, stopping at McDonald’s for inexpensive date nights with his wife as he grew his graphic design business. At one point, he would work in his car in front of his apartment building’s office just to grab an internet connection.

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During this time, he worked low-paying 9-5 jobs while burning the midnight oil to gain skills in SEO and website design. He did this all in an effort to market his graphic design company, which he admits felt like more of a “hobby” at the beginning.

Just three short years later, he left his 9-5 job to work as a full-time freelancer. Courtright has been able to work with Fortune 500 companies including Toyota, Chipotle, Lowe’s, Walmart and NVIDIA. Other clients he’s worked with include USA Olympics, the Detroit Lions, the Sacramento Kings, NBA, NFL, DR Horton, American Cancer Society and National Parkinson Society. 

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Courtright carefully creates beautiful design remedies to purposely fit each specific client’s brand, and the results speak for themselves. His minimalist, clean and innovative design style impresses his clients, who keep coming back for more.

“Visual communications must showcase excellence, be timeless and scream unforgettable,” Courtright says. “If you deliver an excellent end product and treat people with love and respect, you have a client for life.”

His capability stack is expansive, making him a valuable go-to for his clients in all things design. From logo design, to web design/landing pages, email template design, digital and print ads, sales sheets, case studies, PPT decks, infographics, illustrations, product design and large-scale print, he has unapologetically positioned himself as the jack-of-all-trades designer.

“It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly. What a privilege to help bring brands to life in a visual way. To help stir emotion and win the hearts and minds of my clients’ audience? That’s the type of purposeful work I love being a part of,” Courtright says.

Not only has Courtright had incredible opportunities in the world of brand identity design, but he’s also authored The Ultimate Guide to Logo Design and is the founder of Logo Wave Awards International. 

When I asked him about his thoughts on how to market yourself as an entrepreneur, he says, “Marketing isn’t (just) about closing a sale. Instead, it’s about building a solid, unbreakable bond and relationship with your clients. Show them that you genuinely care about them and how you can help them reach their goals.”

Courtright offered some practical advice to help entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level:

1. Hopping on a phone call (or meeting in person) works wonders for building strong relationships. Picking up the phone instead of settling for email grew his business by 309% overnight.

2. Never underestimate the value of empathy. Find ways to understand and resonate with your clients on a deeper, more meaningful level. It’s all about connection, and we have to make sure to create a long-lasting one.

3. Being distinct is to be yourself. No one can do, say and think the way that you do. A differentiated brand is one that glances at the competition instead of dwelling. Create a brand that’s true to your beliefs and your customers — and bottom line — will thank you for it.

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