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

John, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I’ve been blessed to be a coder, programmer, developer – pick your term – for twenty years here in East Tennessee. Over those years, I’ve been a freelancer on several occasions, worked for firms, worked in marketing departments … you name it. To me, it was my time. I sat down with my wife, we prayed, we laughed, we made notes, and we decided it was time.

We started out by telling a few friends, advertising in our Facebook groups and generally calling around to lean on some connections we had. It picked up overnight. We truly were blessed by the clients being sent our way.

Our idea was this – we wanted to help new businesses, small businesses, startups and the like. We wanted to help people who were just getting on their feet. We wanted to bless those who’ve blessed this community with their time and talents.

And that’s what we’ve done. We still have a lot to figure out on this journey, but so far, we’ve been lucky to be able to help some young businesses.

John, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My dad brought home our first PC when I was six years old. It was a newer machine, but the company he was with was getting rid of it. He sat it on the desk, and he gave me rules … and I broke them all.

Within weeks I was learning BASIC, reading DOS for Dummies and getting my feet wet on the internet, which at the time, was through Prodigy. So, basically, it was the early days of the internet, and I was hooked.

Fast forward a few years, and I’m navigating my parents’ divorce. My dad is moving, and I’m going with him. We’re going from Fountain City to Karns. I’m twelve. No friends. No connections. But I have Geocities.

And this is how I made friends. They wanted personal profile websites, and I could make them. I could code them custom. I could give them the experience.

The rest is history. I got my first paying gig at 16 working for Jim Carroll on The Internet Free Press. I did a few small business websites. And I went from there.

Made by Mack is all about the small business. What sets us apart is we’ve played the game at the highest and lowest levels, so we have a breadth of knowledge and experience to share. As a former social media expert who appeared on local television, I’m able to translate technical jargon into usable action steps.

Most would say I’m not your average web guy. I’m not quiet. Not reserved. I don’t hang in the dark. But I say you have to meet us all to know that coders are just mechanics with keyboards. We solve problems, and we fix what needs to be fixed.

I’m most proud of our work ethic and family values. We’re going to put in the time. We’re going to get things right. And we’re going to bring our family along with us for the ride. Our kids are involved in the business every step of the way, learning valuable skills along this journey.

Whatever your business’ problem is, we’re going to find a way to solve it quickly, on budget and the right way.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

My wife would agree with this – I’m not always right. There are a thousand back stories, but I remember, as a young developer, being tasked with creating a website for a small company in the insurance industry. My research and my gut told me that I could increase their traffic 10 times over by making small changes to the copy on the home and about pages, making the interactions slightly more meaningful for the user. I argued with the owner and their family, and I knew for sure I had this right.

After a month, traffic went down around 23%. I had never been more wrong. It was a lesson in listening to the storyteller.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I love in-person communication. I haven’t fully embraced Zoom culture, and I won’t. You can’t replace the meaningfulness of a one on one learning experience, or a visit to the client’s office, or the smell of their restaurant. These things can’t be replaced. We build loyalty by being loyal back, showing up and becoming a part of their team.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madebymacktn.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/madebymacktn
• Facebook: facebook.com/madebymacktn