Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brandon Crabtree. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brandon, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Even when I was a kid, I was taking things apart and putting them back together – sometimes, and most of the time, incorrectly. The patterns and framework layouts would stick with me. I was so curious about their design, how they worked, etc. My father hated it. Remotes, VCRs, DVD players, stereo equipment — nothing was safe. Mainly electronics. It was like the more I took apart, the more I wanted to learn.

At the time, I had a strong influence on technology and engineering. One older cousin was an engineer and programmer, another was a software developer. My childhood neighbor was an engineer who helped direct my attention toward software and computer hardware. My generation has watched endless technological advancements unfold in front of them. How could you not be excited about tech :-)

In grade school, teachers thankfully appeased this curiosity and let me do my own science experiments with another classmate. Looking back, I’m assuming I was the kid in class who asked too many questions. My interest became highly focused when the computer labs received an upgrade, and I went to town on the security system based on what I’d learned from my cousin.

Moving forward, that curiosity stuck. But being a teen, I had a desire to make money, and the projects graduated to cloning Nokia cell phones, running a rogue CD/DVD burning operation in school, and my favorite – designing MySpace templates, which carried over into college for side money.

I leveled up in college and was asked to join a digital marketing startup in Lexington, Kentucky. It felt like a mini Google at the time – my own office, flat-screen TV mounted with an Xbox, espresso machine, and a fridge stocked with drinks. It was more than I could’ve hoped for. Starting out, I handled technical support but eventually moved into server administration. I left school and pursued it full-time. I was learning server administration and multiple programming languages substantially faster than in school. Real-world experience was like the Flash reading an encyclopedia. I met all sorts of people across varying industries, from creative to technical. I even had the opportunity to be featured in a news segment using a Wi-Fi exploit to hijack Facebook, Outlook, and Google account sessions.

I spent years in system administration and troubleshooting various systems across Unix and Windows environments – debugging code, optimizing internal and client systems – but I eventually moved into project management, which I hated and admittedly wasn’t good at. I wanted to be hands-on. I ultimately left, took a hiatus after a quick stop in the Network Operations Center of a healthcare conglomerate, and finally started developing on my own at the request of a former client. I started my own company, CRFTD (formerly Crabtree Systems), about 13 years ago, and it’s been a ride ever since.

Looking back, I don’t feel there were many missteps. There were things somewhat out of my control that kept me from moving faster. I was highly motivated up to a point, but like most kids, I wanted to just hang out with friends. Had I put forth more effort, I believe my father would have been more inclined to see me off to the university I was originally set to attend, and I probably would’ve followed my intended engineering path.

Instead, I stayed home, attended community college, and moved more slowly than I probably could have. I’d say my teenage laziness and angst got in the way, but ultimately, it led to spending a lot of time on the computer – exploring software, functions, capabilities, exploits, and more.

Motivation, curiosity, and love are literally the main ingredients in my care. If I didn’t have those three things, I wouldn’t be where I am or have encountered any of the opportunities I’ve had. My mind has always had a natural draw to puzzles and completion.

I flat-out love building websites. That’s why CRFTD Web Development & Consulting has held my passion and attention. Deconstructing and debugging code, finding out why something operates the way it does, or discovering better methods of implementation. There’s always some cool design I stumble across that’s unique or incorporates a trend I want to learn. Marry that to the ever-changing security and infrastructure of servers and content management systems, and my momentum for learning is never-ending.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My company is CRFTD Web Development & Consulting. Our main service is website design, and it’s industry-agnostic. I offer services like optimization, break-fix, and migrations – though web development through creative solutions is our bread and butter and what I’m known for.

My professional background is in systems administration. To boil it down, it’s the management of hardware and software for servers and/or workstations – and it’s inherently not meant to be creative.

However, I have a strong love for design. I’m using “design” broadly because I’m fascinated by architecture, fonts, furniture, texture, and color usage – you name it. I see things when I’m out that can spark ideas for upcoming creative web projects.

What truly makes my company different is that we combine my love for design with a deep technical foundation – we don’t sacrifice one for the other. With every project I take on, regardless of the industry or client size, I bring a focus on security and reliability to the table. It’s not just a design project to me.

I also white-label these services for graphic designers, marketing agencies, IT firms, and even other web design companies. Each has its own strengths, but their clientele often request services they don’t provide well.

The problem? Most website design companies offer competing services, which prevents referrals – leaving others to struggle delivering something solid for their client. IT teams wrestle with the design side. Graphic designers hit the technical wall. Marketing agencies just want the site to perform and convert leads.

This is where I come in. I have zero desire to do ad buying or spend my day in Photoshop – and I’ve already been through IT hell. These agencies trust me fully, not only to build something they can proudly attach their name to but also to communicate directly with their client. That’s a huge level of trust, especially in today’s competitive market.

Our consulting work has become a highly requested service. Some creative firms and marketing agencies already have in-house developers or designers, but when it comes to blending creativity with practical implementation, it’s often lacking. So I’m brought in to review systems ranging from content management setups to ERP integrations. Just because our CMS of choice is WordPress doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. I’m not here to push one platform or edge my way in as a developer.

Instead of trying to cover the entire digital landscape by offering graphic design, ad buying, or workstation management, I’ve narrowed my focus where others have broadened theirs. I’m dedicated to website design, repairing broken websites, and optimizing sluggish components.

Web designers are everywhere. But the combination of my technical background, creative perspective, and specialized niche allows CRFTD to be the dependable partner other firms can rely on.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I live in a small town where there are a handful of web designers, so the local market is pretty saturated. The same thing happened when I was living in Lexington.

I’ve worked with a wide range of industries — from building a site for Alabama’s Aerospace & Defense Council, to one for Scott Harvey, an author, public speaker, and former FBI hostage negotiator. But my most rewarding partnerships are still with creative agencies, marketing firms, and IT companies — the industries I, CRFTD, white-label for most often.

I’m part of a networking group called The Referrals Group — it’s for business professionals to share leads and build trusted relationships. It’s not just a “buy-in” type of group; you’re actually voted in by existing members. That means there’s already a level of trust and credibility from the start — they have to feel confident referring business your way.

My group is relaxed, thankfully. It’s allowed me to grow professionally without the pressure to act or deliver in some stereotypical “sales” way.

A lot of the members either own or work for advertising agencies, IT firms, or freelance as graphic designers. Each group allows only one member per industry (I’ve been part of a chapter in Lexington before, and now I’m in one here in Owensboro).

This type of networking works really well for me. I’m naturally quiet and not the outgoing type, so it gets me out of the office and lets me connect face-to-face. I don’t run ads — digital, traditional, or social. Everything has been word of mouth for 13 years. It’s wild to say that, and I’m incredibly fortunate.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I’m a naturally quiet individual. And if you don’t market your business – well, we know how that goes. Getting your name out there can be difficult.

When I worked in Lexington as a systems administrator for a marketing firm, I was one of the main tech guys, often loaned out to other businesses to solve problems. That could mean internal server issues, on-site web servers, or even business email problems.

I was given a good amount of room to play and experiment with new technology – both to improve our internal systems and to help clients. One project I dove into involved running scripts in a web browser that captured session packets when a user was logged in. It sounds more complicated than it is. Basically, an unsecured or weak network I was connected to allowed me to search and collect packets from people logged into accounts that weren’t forcing HTTPS.

It was wild – I hijacked Facebook accounts, Google accounts, Hotmail/Outlook sessions… and most importantly, WordPress sites that didn’t have SSL certificates enforcing HTTPS.
This discovery helped the company promote its website security services, and it led to me being featured in a TV interview to demo the process.

Sadly, only one person in the coffee shop was logged in while the camera crew, interviewer, and I were there – a grandmother. And what was she doing? Chatting with her grandson.

Well, I successfully captured her account, did the interview, and provided some valuable information to the public. Shortly after, Facebook, Google, and others began forcing HTTPS across their platforms. I wasn’t the driving force, but my story was one of several that helped raise awareness at the time – a lot of people were experimenting with the same technology.

After I left the company and started my own, CRFTD (formerly Crabtree Systems), I was asked to design a networking site. The pitch sounded simple, but it turned into something much more elaborate – and pretty funny.

I ended up developing an online dating site called BBN (Big Blue Nation), named after the University of Kentucky’s fanbase. It was built for people who had a deep passion for their team to find someone who shared it. I used “fandom” as a weight in the matching algorithm.

What made it hilarious was that a major UK sports radio show picked up on it and accidentally launched the site before it was ready. We went viral – Fox Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN – every major sports outlet gave me my ten minutes of fame. The site was even banned at several datacenters because of the massive traffic spike; everyone thought it was a DDoS attack.

I wasn’t prepared – and I learned a valuable lesson that day.

The site was short-lived, but there were actually a few relationship success stories that came out of it.

These random events very publicly reinforced the reputation I’d built while working at that marketing startup. Once I was on my own at CRFTD Web Development & Consulting, those stories gave me not just experience, but a public face and name to go with the creative, technical background I’m known for today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://crftd.dev
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crftd.dev/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crftd-development
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/brandoncrabtree https://github.com/bcrabs