Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Lee
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I graduated from Clemson University in 1996, marking the beginning of my professional journey. My first job as a front desk receptionist at Westlake, an ad agency in Greenville, South Carolina, introduced me to my first mentor, the head of PR. She recognized my potential and promoted me to PR Coordinator.
Our primary clients were leaders in the golf industry, with Mizuno and Srixon being two of the most prominent. I developed the PR strategy for Srixon’s entry into the U.S. market, a pivotal moment in my career. On my 23rd birthday, despite my efforts to avoid it, my mentor insisted I present this strategy to the Japanese contingency, an experience that taught me the importance of stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing new challenges.
A co-worker from Westlake transitioned to IMI, a marketing and sales company specializing in high-end private club communities. Shortly after, he recruited me to join the team. I became the third member in the marketing department, proudly setting up my office in the fax room. Together, we grew the marketing department into a full internal agency, and I worked on projects in stunning locations, including Lake Tahoe, Summit County, CO, Scottsdale and the Bahamas. Looking back, I truly appreciate the trust my colleagues placed in me at such a young age.
Before IMI established its in-house agency, we outsourced our design work to various agencies, one of which was Fuel. The travel, among other things, opened the door to conversations about leading their Account Services Department.
One day, The Beach Company called looking for a brochure for a project that predated my time at Fuel. Loooong story short (it’s a good one worth expanding on), but that ultimately lead me to becoming the Marketing Director at The Beach Company and relocating to Charleston, SC.
I absolutely loved my time at The Beach Company, where the trust they placed in me was remarkable. I was able to build a small, high-performing department within in large organization. During this time, I also married and welcomed our first son into the world. Given the company’s size with many working moms, flex time (especially back then) understandably wasn’t an option.
One day, the owner of Fuel called me after a conference we both attended where I had to leave early to pick up my baby. He mentioned he’d connected with a development company in Bluffton, SC. Initially, I was notinterested in relocating to Bluffton, however, another conversation with my future boss – spoiler alert! – changed my mind. I remember sitting in gridlock traffic on the Ravenel Bridge with my baby in the backseat when he said, “I don’t care where you work as long as you get your job done.” He invited my whole family, including my parents, to join the interview. We decided to make the move in January 2008, perfect timing in the real estate world (ha!)
I became the VP of Marketing for Reed Development, managing their Hampton Lake project. However, by late 2009, due to the economic downturn, they reduced my time to four days a week. On that same day they made this decision, I received a call from the CFO regarding a new Vacation Ownership component. He said he’d been told “Kristen has extra time now” – my first freelance gig. I called my (banker) husband to tell him, and true to form, he told me I needed to create an LLC. And so, BD Creative Group was formed.
Many think BD stands for “Branding and Design,” but it’s actually named after my sons, Brady and Dylan. This month marks the 15th anniversary of BD Creative Group. We’ve grown into a full-service marketing agency with a team of four and a network of long-standing colleagues, primarily working in the private club space. All our clients have come to us through word of mouth, with some partnerships lasting over a decade. By design, the culture is collaborative and family-oriented; our internal team and clients are more like friends and family.
We handle everything from business card design to high level digital lead generation.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve come to realize just how vulnerable my business is to factors beyond my control, and even beyond my clients’ control. The stability of my company is at stake, and so is my heart. Just recently, our beloved clients in Burnsville, North Carolina, suffered significant damage and loss from Hurricane Helene. I had to confront the reality of losing business without any notice, but even worse, the real fear set in when I didn’t hear from my clients for days (luckily, I’ve since heard from them all). I found myself then worrying about what this loss in business would mean for my small team of four. The emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship is relentless.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
It might sound cheesy, but BD Creative Group is definitely ‘small but mighty.’ Our team brings a wealth of experience in areas like fashion, advertising, HR, communications, event coordination, real estate, government contracts – not to mention our diverse hobbies! We’re a combination of creative and data driven people, allowing us to create eye-catching websites, ads, and digital campaigns that deliver measurable ROI.
We handle everything from business card design to high level digital lead generation, all while remaining agile. We’ll often receive last-minute requests and can quickly pivot to meet our clients’ needs – like the time we had just 24 hours’ notice to photograph a dinner on a sandbar! No problem…
Lastly, because we’re a small team, we’ve grown close and actually like each other and our clients (cliché, I know)! There’s real FOMO amongst the team when we find the chance to get together in person and one of the team members can’t be there!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It’s only in hindsight I can offer this advice – whether you’re fresh out of college or an experienced professional looking to make a big change: surround yourself with people who believe in you. There will be times when you need to lean on others’ confidence in you to step outside of your comfort zone, pick up the phone and demand the position promised to you, or launch your very own business. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bdcreativegroup.com/
- Instagram: bdcreativegroup
- Facebook: BD Creative Group
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bdcreativegroup
