Exploring Life and Business with Kreda McCullough of Mac GraphiX | Brand With Kreda

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kreda McCullough.

Hi Kreda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been creative! Before becoming a Brand Strategist and Designer, I had worked several corporate jobs since I was a senior in high school. I would get promoted on the jobs, but none of them made me feel like I was making an impact on anything outside of “company business.” I was fired from companies because my personality didn’t match their corporate standards. I would also get bored because I wasn’t able to be creative.

As a hobby, I would create programs and flyers for family, friends, and my church in PowerPoint — definitely not graphic design software. Then, one of my coworkers asked me if I were a graphic designer. I didn’t even know what that was. I just knew that I was creating things on the computer. Once I found out what a graphic designer was, I did some research. I found out what programs I should use to create designs, and the rest is history.

It was in 2015 that I had the opportunity to pursue this career full-time. I took online courses, received my AAS in graphic design, and started my business. In creating that business, all I knew was to register the company with the name Mac GraphiX Media & Design at the time, and the business would blow up. But it didn’t happen exactly like that.

When I started Mac GraphiX, all I knew was that I had the skill to start a graphic design business. I knew my business needed a name. I knew I needed a logo so people could see I had started a business. They would also know I was serious about that business because I had a logo, some business cards, and a Facebook and Twitter page.

I knew what Mac GraphiX stood for, but Media & Design??? What was that?? I had no idea…it had a professional sound, and it had the word “design” in it…. that’s it. People would see my name (Kreda McCullough) and my design work, and business would pop off. I had no idea about a brand anything. I had a “brand,” but it wasn’t the brand I had created. The “brand” was people’s perception of me based on what they already knew about me and my online presence. People would ask for a logo, I would design it, and we would go through several revisions because they didn’t know what they wanted. Like me, they had just started a business and thought the first thing they needed was a logo.

Long story short, I enhanced my skill set, learned who I was and how I wanted to show up, went through a brand makeover, which included strategy and design, and decided on a niche. I had to dig deep to figure this out and get inside every aspect of my brand, including the psychology aspect. This process helped me wean out people who would come to me only wanting a logo because those folks don’t usually like to go through the same process. They just want a logo.

Now that I’ve branded Mac GraphiX and created Brand with Kreda, my online presence and messaging are consistent, and I’m able to attract my perfect clients by being my authentic self. I’m helping 6, and 7-figure female coaches, speakers, and authors become confident about their online presence and get more recognition and revenue opportunities because their branding is on point and worthy of top-tier reputation.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road could have been smoother. Outside of the ebbs and flows of business, inconsistent revenue months, and hard-to-work-with clients, some of the struggles I’ve experienced along the way include working with individuals who didn’t know what they really wanted or needed. When I brought out the brand strategist in me to give them guidance, I was told that I was “just a graphic designer” — another reason I decided to switch things up in my business. I’ve also encountered business coaches and mentors who I learned a lot from, but I later found out their goals for me needed to align with the goals I had for myself.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mac GraphiX | Brand With Kreda?
I am Brand With Kreda. I’m a Brand Strategist/Brand Designer who partners with 6-7 Figure Female Coaches, Speakers, and Authors so they will get more recognition and opportunities by creating a professional and recognizable brand that matches their promise.

My branding style is creative, clean, bold, and has personality. When my clients brand with me, they are set apart from their competition, meaning they stand out. No cookie-cutter branding over here!

I offer one-on-one Brand Strategy and Brand Design Services, Graphic Design Retainers, and VIP Brand Days. I also provide a self-paced Brand Strategy Course called the Unstoppable Brand Strategy Course, soon to be called the “InKredable” Brand Strategy Course.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Of course, and I have several! Some of my favorite childhood memories include family get-togethers at my grandmother’s house in Louisiana, singing in the choir at church with my Mama, and singing with my friends and cousins. I love to sing! I’m not a professional, but I can harmonize very well — I help keep the background on point. I sing a few solos at church from time to time, though.

In high school, 3 of my friends and I created a group called “Shades of Ebony.” We auditioned for an annual Talent Show (not a competition) at our school called May Night by singing “Weak” by SWV. We had to change our song because another group auditioned with it before we did. We had created an arrangement that was so dope, too! We sang “Knockin’ The Boots” by H-Town instead, which was still great. The funny part is the other group didn’t sing well and were booed off the stage. Oops!

Thinking back to my grandmother’s house: My cousin had a RadioShack Tandy computer that used cassette tapes. LOL!! She would tell me not to touch it when she wasn’t there. Guess who “touched” it? Me. That’s where my love for computers and technology began. She didn’t teach me how to load the games; I had to sneak and learn. LOL!. The cool thing is, I didn’t break anything, so I was destined to create by using technology!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brandwithkreda.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/brandwithkreda
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/brandwithkreda
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/brandwithkreda 

Image Credits
McBoat Photography