Inspiring Conversations with Jena And Dustin Klare of Klare Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jena And Dustin Klare.

Hi Jena and Dustin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After graduating from college, I moved to New York City, where I excelled in account management and as a strategist at several top marketing and advertising agencies. I worked on 14+ global brands, including Olay and Neutrogena. One of my favorite memories was managing a shoot in South Africa for a Heinz Ketchup Super Bowl TV spot.

My husband, Dustin, began his career as an exhibiting artist and college professor of studio art and graphic design in the city before transitioning into marketing. His fine art background has helped him produce award-winning marketing creative across channels for clients like Sony and Stanley Black & Decker.

We moved to Denver in 2018 (after 5 years in Chicago) and, like most residents, we don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. Raising two small kids in a healthier, more balanced lifestyle changed our mindset. While we were both extremely appreciative of our invaluable, fast-paced agency experience and the relationships we made along the way, we found ourselves wanting something different. With our unique backgrounds and complementary expertise, we realized we could operate our own small agency and enjoy the flexibility and freedom that could come with being our own boss.

After laying the groundwork for several months, we finally took the leap in 2022 and launched Klare Creative, a full-service marketing agency. The foundational principle of our agency is a commitment to building strong, personal, long-lasting relationships with clients. As a family-owned and operated business, we take great pride in these connections and consistently deliver stellar work that exceeds our clients’ expectations.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
People often ask how my husband and I can actually work together without driving each other crazy! But he’s one of the smartest, most talented creatives I have ever worked with. I’m still in awe of how quickly he can turn around a breakthrough concept that is 100% on-strategy. We work extremely well together and have such great respect for each other’s incredible talents that complement our own.

The biggest challenge has been navigating the operational responsibilities of being a small business owner. In addition to our income-producing work, we also have to perform administrative tasks, like bookkeeping and insurance, which are new to us.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Klare Creative?
Klare Creative is a full-service branding and marketing agency that provides a comprehensive suite of creative solutions, including strategy, websites, social, email, paid media, print and more. From startups to established businesses, we’re committed to being trusted agency partners with our clients, built on strong relationships, exceptional work and a genuine passion to see them succeed today and well into the future.

Our audience-centered, insights-driven approach delivers meaningful interaction and value at every touchpoint, which grows relationships, loyalty, engagement and sales. Plus, our lean and nimble team structure enables us to move quickly and operate incredibly efficiently, delivering cost savings for our clients.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
When we first decided to start Klare Creative, many of our acquaintances responded with, “Wow! That’s so risky. Aren’t you scared?!” For us, it seemed riskier to be at the mercy of a large agency trying to meet their numbers than to launch our own business. We know what we are capable of and believe we have more control over our future as entrepreneurs.

That said, being independent is risky and a little intimidating when certain months are slower than others. We are in the mindset that we’ll do whatever it takes to make our agency work. It’s more exciting to try new things than to play it safe or always wonder, “What if…?” Until we started our own businesses, I never realized how many people are not “risk-takers.” Dustin has been part of multiple start-ups, so I feel grateful to have a partner who shares a similar mindset.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://klarecreative.com