Stefanie Barrett made a career as a marketing manager for large companies over the years, and though she found her job to be a creative one, she also felt a little stifled.

“Working for only one company, I felt I was stagnating from a creating standpoint,” said the 43-year-old.

Barrett started picking up freelance jobs on the side.

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Since 2006, Stefanie Barrett, founder/owner of Barrett Creative, has garnered an average of 30 temporary and six steady clients a year. She operates her marketing and design company from her home in Harbor Town.

“I noticed I could fill a niche for companies that didn’t have someone creative on staff or didn’t have any in-house marketing resources in-house,” Barrett said.

Once she grew enough of a base for herself — three companies — Barrett made the leap to start her own marketing firm, Barrett Creative.

Since 2006, she has garnered an average of 30 temporary and six steady clients a year, offering “everything from initial concept to logo design to Web site design.”

Working out of her Harbor Town home, Barrett outsources anything on “the real technical side,” such as programming and design, but does everything else herself.

“I have a really low overhead, which enables me to keep my rates competitive,” she said.

She considers herself self-educated outside of her English degree, having taken various classes, such as design and Web site development, over the years.

“I have developed a skill set that is very diverse,” she said.

In this way she’s able to meet the needs of most any type of client, from medical businesses to tire businesses, from condominiums to restaurants.

“I don’t specialize in any one industry. I could be doing something for a boutique one day, and tomorrow it may be septic tanks,” she said.

Her approach to working with her clients is to match their marketing strategy with the type of product they offer.

“It’s my job to turn a company’s marketing program around and matching it with the quality of product they offer,” she said.

In today’s business world, she believes spending dollars on marketing is a worthwhile investment.

“Consumers are still out there looking for these services, so I try to help them make smart decisions to communicate their message,” Barrett said.

By listening to her entrepreneurial drive and going out on her own, Barrett has found that not only are her clients’ needs met, but hers are as well.

“Working with such a variety of companies, it forces me to be creative all the time. I don’t get so much in a rut,” she said.

“I’m very fortunate to have a job I get excited about every day.”

Stefanie Barrett

Age: 43

Profession: Owner of Barrett Creative, a marketing and design firm

Address: 1350 Island Place East, Suite 202

Phone: (901) 827-1799

Online: barrett-creative.com

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