Overview
Careytech Studios produces a modern and professional web presence for each of its clients. More than just a “web design” or “web development” service, the Studio identifies the client’s business objectives, drives the entire production, and delivers a state-of-the-art website and related web solutions. Businesses become clients because they want to hand off their web project to an expert who will develop and deliver an effective turnkey solution.
Careytech Studios channels the creativity and energy of its founder, Randy Carey. More than just a web designer or coder, Carey is a web architect – one skilled in business, content strategy, and technology – not just in visual design.
This is not an agency which incurs considerable overhead. Centered on its web architect, the Studio takes a light-weight and agile approach. Careytech Studios reflects the new and present-day realities of website development: lean, quick, and reuse of sophisticated solutions at a minimal cost to the client.
The Careytech Story
In 2008, Randy Carey faced a tough decision. An established publisher contracted him to write a book for international distribution. As the deadline approached and success requiring that he focus full-time on writing, he took the road less traveled. He resigned his "day job" – a hard-earned position, “director of information strategies,” at a national association.
Once the writing was completed, Randy considered his next “day job.” Two things motivated him away from the traditional “W2” option: First, he realized that he possessed a rare mix of success in diverse areas: software engineer, writer/speaker, web designer, and executive-level leadership. These areas reflect the four pillars of modern web development.
Second, Randy recognized a new reality emerging in web development. Web sites and their sophisticated components no longer need to be built from scratch – a process requiring the time and dollar overhead of a sizable web team. A single expert can architect most web projects – relying on proven and reusable components, design patterns, and diverse expertise.
So in 2009 Randy founded Careytech Studios -- offering more than just “web design” or technology, and much less overhead than an agency.
But perhaps the rest of the story – that which illuminates his diverse background and accomplishments – should be told from the years preceding Randy’s book contract and his resignation of a director’s job.
A brief background of Randy Carey
In the 1980s, freshly out of college, Randy founded Progressive Pacer Productions, a concert promotion company. Within five years his work graduated from high school auditoriums to productions performed at the Minneapolis State and Orpheum theaters. “Downshifting” in 1986, he left concert promotion and pursued his first masters – in theology.
By 1993 Randy had completed his second masters, this time in software engineering. In addition to working in R&D at Lawson Software, he developed custom software for companies like Pillsbury, ThermoKing, and Byerly’s. Connecting with students as a college professor in 2002, Randy felt the urge to be more involved with his clients. So he shifted his career from engineering toward directing the IT and web initiatives for the Minnesota Autism Center and later for a national association of executives.
In his new director-level roles, Randy identified business objectives and addressed them by driving technology and web-related initiatives. No longer just a technologist, he held a seat on the senior leadership team. After leading a $100K website initiative, he recognized the “fat” in web and marketing teams. As he worked with web agencies, he recognized a marketplace opportunity for a qualified expert who could step into the role of web architect. But at that time, he had his own day job.
Earlier, in the mid '90s, Randy fell in love with the web and spent time building websites. His own web presence, tied to his aquarium interests, opened up opportunities to write, speak, and be a thought leader. He was offered a national column in 1999 which led to feature articles. Assignments led him to the Smithsonian and even to the Amazon Rainforest. And, of course, all this led to a book contract. Today, Randy serves on the Petco Editorial Review Board and is represented by a speakers’ bureau.
Being an early adapter of building web sites, he was also an early adaptor of leverage the new technology of digital photography. Recognition of his photography skills led to two-page spreads and cover shots for magazines. Day-in and day-out, he leverages his imaging and design skills for web sites.
All this provides the background leading up to where the story started above: a book contract, the tough decision to leave a director’s job, and the opportunity to launch Careytech Studios.