About Crystal Calhoun of Made To Be Unique

About2023-04-20T15:00:54-05:00

Made To Be Unique is a Christian web site design company based in the beautiful country of Oklahoma.  We are located near McAlester, Tulsa & Oklahoma City OK.   We attribute our success to God, as He is the giver of all good things.

As a family owned and operated business we provide personal service and a strong commitment to developing results-driven marketing solutions.  We provide excellence in design and profitable results for your business!  It is our business to help YOU attract new customers for your products or services, by creating visually appealing store fronts and graphic design marketing materials.

Designer and owner Crystal Calhoun excels in combining appealing store front designs with over a decade of solid sales experience and passionate artwork. Please visit our portfolio to see some of our professional designs.

Made To Be Unique majors in WordPress Websites, graphic design, online business consulting, SEO and  marketing. As former retail store owners we are aware that marketing comprises more than just one aspect, and our services encompass all areas of the marketing experience including: print advertisements, business cards, flyers, brochures, online marketing, email marketing, social networking and beyond!

Made To Be Unique is there to help you determine what should be the next step for your business, and includes valuable marketing advice free of charge. Not sure what to build up, or build on? Let us help you determine your UNIQUE products and demographics. You can count on Made To Be Unique for experience, an honest opinion and trustworthy advice. We are passionate about our work, our clients and their success!

An interview with Crystal Calhoun

I was recently asked to do an interview with a local newspaper in my area.  I thought I’d share some of the questions and answers here with you.  I hope you enjoy.  Please feel free to reach out to me with questions of your own.

How long have you been providing marketing, web design and graphic design services?2021-01-14T19:36:19-06:00

I’ve been helping business owners for over 15 years.

Why did you decide to pursue this occupation?2021-01-14T19:45:54-06:00

It happened by accident actually. Back in 2005 I co-owned a brick and mortar shop. We sold fine furniture, clothing, antiques and collectibles. The business was struggling because even though we had amazing products, very few people actually knew that our store and products existed. So I taught myself marketing. Shortly after, I found that many of our products sold better online than they did in the store. I did so well with marketing that other businesses hired me to help them sell their products better as well. I found that I enjoyed helping other businesses grow, much more than I enjoyed running the brick and mortar store. So, eventually the store was closed and my online marketing business began.

How long have you been in the Talihina area?2021-01-14T20:43:20-06:00

I’ve lived in the general area for the past 7 years including Wilburton and Red Oak, but Talihina has really grown on me. The people are friendly, the businesses seem to work well together for a better community and the area is incredibly beautiful! I hope to be here for quite some time.

What is the thing you love most about your job?2021-01-14T20:43:51-06:00

There’s so many aspects to my job that I love. From the challenge I get starting new projects, to art and graphic design, as well as the fascinating results of effective marketing, or working with others for a common goal. But, what I have come to love the most is the excitement I get from my clients when they see their revenue growing, or to hear their success stories as more people visit their store or more products and services are sold. Hearing my clients excitement and seeing their numbers grow first-hand is extremely rewarding!

What is the thing you dislike the most about your job?2021-01-14T20:44:23-06:00

The well-off schmuck who has the audacity to ask me to lower my prices because they are putting their kids through college. I say, value my time and experience and you’ll have yourself a committed, energetic team player whose occupational goal and passion is to help you make more money.

What would you recommend to the local businesses?2021-01-14T20:44:59-06:00

Do what you love and stick to it. Nothing good comes without sacrifice or commitment. Also find people who believe in what you are doing. People can pull your business down, or they can spike it up by the mere energy they put into you and your business. Team up with the right people so you can stay focused on what you love to do most. It’s not healthy to try and do everything all by yourself. That’s the quickest road to burn-out and business failure.

Why is marketing so important to a business?2021-01-14T20:45:32-06:00

If you have a great product or service and people don’t know about it you’re really not going to benefit much from it, at least not financially. You need to learn to “toot that horn” (or hire others to toot it for you) if you want people to know what amazing products and services you have available.

How much money should a business invest into marketing?2022-03-16T18:27:46-05:00

The general recommendation is 7-8% of your business revenue should go back into marketing but I would suggest setting aside 10% for marketing whenever possible. If you have a new or struggling business be especially careful where you put those marketing dollars. Consider hiring a marketing consultant such as Made To Be Unique to help you invest smartly so you can get a return for your investment.

What would you recommend to others who may be interested in the same line of occupation?2021-01-14T20:46:49-06:00

Do it! Especially if you enjoy it. There’s enough fish (business) in the sea for us all. Find what you love most about this line of work and use that passion to help others. It’s very satisfying and can be a financially rewarding occupation. However, it really comes down to if you love what you’re doing, whether it be the art in graphic design, the challenge and excitement of learning effective marketing, the fascinating numbers in business growth, analytics and reporting, or working with others to make their dreams come to fruition…. Do what you love to do most, learn to iron out the kinks that get in the way, and enjoy your life in the process.

Have you ever taught classes on marketing, web design or graphic design?2021-01-14T20:47:33-06:00

YES! Infact, I have quite a few online courses available for graphic design students of all ages. I also offer one-on-one video training sessions for my clients that want to learn how to manage and grow their websites themselves. So if you want to learn how to do graphic design, marketing or even how to edit and grow your website you are welcome to contact me, I’d be happy to show you how!

How can you be reached?2021-01-14T21:43:15-06:00

You can email me directly at: [email protected] or call 918.268.8811. You can also find me on facebook by looking up Crystal Calhoun in Talihina, or madetobeunique.