Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Powell.
Hi donna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
12/14/25
Growing up in Queens, the bougie borough of NY, well, there is a book right there. The little town of Howard Beach is certainly no one’s idea of city, much less part of the Apple. But it is an enclave on the way to the ocean via Crossbay Boulevard. It is an odd community with very diverse population of close knit Italian and Jewish communities, and the water people who live directly on the water and everyone in between.
We lived in all types of housing: from ramshackle wooden shacks on the Bay where strangers dare not go uninvited to concentrated apartment buildings crowding out the night stars on a very few acres. Overhead, the constant roar of super jets breaking eardrums on their way to Kennedy Airport. So close to the ground as they landed five miles away, we claimed to see hair on the pilots’ chins.
I spent formative years there in a hate-hate relationship with that place, longing to see more, but not knowing how to get out.
So, life took me by the scruff and in quick succession, got me pregnant, married and settled into a suburban life where I struggled dutifully to belong. This was the 1970’s when everything was possible, and women claimed liberation and inspiration. I joined the ladies to find new ways to navigate new roles and new world.
With kids in tow, I marched for civil rights, women’s rights and peace for all. Heady days for sure for idealists, but not so much for young mom’s who had 3 babies to support.
Thus came a succession of different career opportunities, read: lousy jobs. Eventually, I found medium success in sales and marketing. One of the first females selling business machines in an all-male environment opened my eyes to the potential and pitfalls of the business world. Later, I worked in an aluminum plant as one of a few females with 2000 unliberated males. Basically, I fell down a lot, got back up a lot and managed to feed, clothe and shelter our little family unit over the years. Even earning a college degree in the process
I left manufacturing, tried sales again, got older. Eventually in late middle age, I returned to school to learn coding, not because I was prescient. I was an older woman who need a job and it seemed like an okay field at the time. After two years of on-line school, learning HTML coding, Java and the other new scripts becoming popular daily, I apprenticed with a young tekkie guy for over a year.
This was in 2008, we introduced ourselves as Granny and the Geek (he would say with a smile: “You can call me Granny.”) and boom! we were cutting edge innovators!
I felt scared and yet compelled to go solo in 2009, and started to build my business and my reputation. Being an entrepreneur is a complicated business, as you know. So I wore many hats: designing websites, marketing my business, frequent speaker at business forums representing the new technologies. Once more a female anomaly in a male-dominated field. In time, my reputation as a competent and caring web designer took root.
Then in 2010, the then little-known and less understood technology called “e-commerce” started to emerge, I jumped on board with both feet and bunions. After testing different e-commerce platforms, I eagerly started building stores for my clients on Shopify, a most reliable and versatile platform.
In 2013, Shopify invited me to become a Shopify Guru (yep, that’s what they called us back then) and they started referring Shopify store owners to Charleston WebBuilder for expert help in getting their stores designed and up and running.
Forward to today, I have designed many dozens of stores for clients all over the world, from Dubai to Oklahoma City, some with 1000’s of items and others with just one great product that they nurtured from an idea.
My clients have taught me so much about the grit and determination of being aspiring entrepreneurs. With them, I watched what once was an impossible dream – ecommerce– grow to the international behemoth it is today. And Charleston WebBuilder has adapted as well, learning how to deal in this marketplace effectively and what makes for success in this environment.
So, to today: I own an agency with a staff of myself, two dogs and a cranky cat and together we have achieved a reputation of being innovators and successful e-store designers. And I am now an octogenarian living my best life.
Who woulda thunk it?
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
1. Being a single mom with three kids trying to provide for us all in an environment that did not favor undereducated young females. Whew.
2. Poverty. The unending grind of terror and disappointment, trying to make ends meet in an unfriendly world.
3. Remaining optimistic in dire economic situations.
4. Overcoming social stigmas. From being a welfare mother to a single female with kids.
5. Facing racism, gender bias, and then ageism, all along the way
6. Learning new skills, fighting for education. Graduating college.
7. Selling myself in new employment opportunities. I can do it if you give me a chance.
8. Dealing with gender discrimination with grace, dignity and unrelenting determination.
9. Raising my children to be responsible and caring adults.
10. Raising awareness and helping others overcome obstacles.
11. Balancing life’s issues, fighting depression, forcing myself toward the light at the tunnel’s end.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Charleston WebBuilder?
My company, Charleston WebBuilder is an e-commerce design firm building ecommerce stores on the Shopify platform. Our specialty is providing the technology, artistry and the coaching needed by new entrepreneurs.
Owning and running a web design agency encompasses far more than just designing websites — it’s a blend of creative, technical, business, and client‑management responsibilities. As the owner, I am not only building digital experiences but also managing operations, marketing, finances, and long‑term growth of my enterprise and that of my clients.
But ultimately, it is so much more. I am entrusted with the entrepreneurial aspirations of dreamers from all over the country, from all walks of life from (literally) ages 16 to 93. They share their hopeful concepts with me and allow me to help them shape these into viable business opportunities.
It brings out the best of my nurturing, business and technical acumen as I strive to help make their dreams come true. From young adults to seasoned retirees, each is seeking a new adventure and opportunity. I get to share it with them. My own personal business experience, the ups, downs, highs and lows serve to give me an unusual perspective and clarity to these worthy travelers.
This is not my job. It is my passion.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Going to Pascaq Lake with my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins, on a bright summer day and being carefree and joyful.
Pricing:
- Basic Package: $799.00 Ideal for startups or small businesses wanting a quick, professional launch. Deliverables: • Theme installation & basic customization (colors, fonts, logo) • Homepage setup with featured products/collections • Product upload (up to X items) with descriptions & images • Navigation menu setup (main + footer) • Essential policy pages (Privacy, Refund, Terms, Shipping) • Payment gateway setup (Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.) • Basic shipping & tax configuration
- Standard Package: $899.00 Best for growing businesses needing a polished, marketing ready store. Deliverables: • Everything in Basic, plus: • Advanced theme customization (layouts, banners, branding elements) • Collection setup & product variants (sizes, colors, bundles) • SEO optimization (meta titles, descriptions, alt tags) • Google Analytics & Facebook Pixel integration • Discount codes & promotions setup • Essential apps (reviews, upsell/cross sell, email marketing) • Mobile responsiveness check & test orders
- Premium Package: $1500 Designed for established brands seeking full customization, automation, and scalability. Deliverables: • Everything in Standard, plus: • Custom design elements (graphics, promotional banners, branded templates) • Advanced apps & integrations (subscriptions, bundling, Printify/Printful, POS) • Marketing strategy setup (email flows, abandoned cart recovery, loyalty programs) • Social media sales channel integration (Instagram Shop, Facebook Shop, TikTok) • Performance optimization (speed, conversion flow) • Training sessions for staff on Shopify Admin & order management • Post launch support (2–4 weeks) with documentation
- Hourly Rate: $75/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.charlestonwebbuilder.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlestonwebbuilder
