Kyle Smeby

Founder, Calla Lily Networks, LLC

2004-2005

Interactive Management
ASI Marketing (Off-Site)

2000-2004

Interactive Designer
and Programmer
ASI Image Studios (Off-Site)

1999-2000

Web Designer
techies.com

1995-1999

Student
Bemidji State University (Off-Site)

Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Technical Illustration and Graphic Design with an emphasis in Illustration and a Minor in Art.

I caught the tail end of the dot.com boom just in time to witness the dot.com bust up-close. It was a valuable experience that taught me a lot about big companies with delusions of grandeur without getting stuck in one for a long period of time.

Soon after, I was fortunate to be taken in by a small print design company called ASI Image Studios. I was the first ASI employee dedicated to interactive design. Over the next five-and-a-half years I helped develop their interactive department up to a team of 8 that does work for some of the biggest companies in Minnesota. I worked with an incredibly talented group of designers and programmers, while gaining management experience and helping in both the design and programming of advanced web and interactive applications.

Still drawn to production however, I decided to leave ASI, now a company of 30 strong called ASI Marketing, to pursue smaller clients whom I felt I could have more of an impact on. Fortunately, I left with the blessing of ownership and I continue to work with them when it serves their clients best interests.

Michelle Smeby

While less an employee of Calla Lily Networks, LLC than the wife of Kyle Smeby, Michelle Smeby is the primary reason for the company's existence and a valuable resource to it. As an independent business owner herself and with connections to several other small business owners, Michelle opened Kyle's eyes to the world of self-employment and the opportunity it presents.

In her "day job" however, Michelle also represents a resource to Calla Lily Networks. Working in Information Technology as a Business Analyst and Program Manager for three Fortune 100 companies over the last 6 years, Michelle has a wealth of experience in the development of web-based applications and other IT solutions. She helps her clients identify requirements, gather & allocate resources, assign tasks and avert pitfalls to make their projects successful.

David vs. Goliath

As the large multinational companies continue to merge into still larger companies and more and more jobs are farmed out overseas, there is another phenomenon happening on the web. Individuals and small groups of people are being empowered to tell their stories and even sell their own goods and services on the internet, competing with these huge companies at the national and sometimes international level.

With today's technology, motivated individuals are finding ways to prosper and in some cases even challenge entrenched market leaders. For an example of this we can look at Netflix^® (Off-Site) which came from nowhere to challenge movie rental leader Blockbuster^® (Off-Site). But while Netflix is the current Cinderella story of the new generation of dot.coms, they distract from the more common story. For every Netflix there are a thousand individuals who are signing book deals based on the content of their blog, signing recording deals because of their mp3, being cast in television and film thanks to their digital short film and, most common of all, achieving financial independence by making their hobby their job and selling their own goods on eBay, Amazon, or their own website.

We wish to help other people achieve this same success and in turn become a success story ourselves. If you are interested in starting a small business or have started one, and are looking for ways to expand your business, maybe we can help. Check out our Web & Print section to see the different ways Calla Lily Networks, LLC can help you.