Vladas Krivickas
With an MA in comparative literature and journalism, I felt like I was doomed to wear a jacket with elbow patches for the rest of my life, but then again, I realized I could barely afford one.
Disappointed with academia, I delved into the sketchy underworld of internet gurus, affiliate sales, and amateurish experiments. From get-rich-quick schemes to magical marketing automation (here’s a shout out to you, article spinners and blog autoposters!), I gave it all the benefit of the doubt, until I was ready to discard the apparent garbage and keep an occasional gem.
I did well in affiliate sales and blog marketing on my own. I wished I could leverage my journalism experience and newly acquired marketing knowledge with the technical know-how of a creative web developer and a small team of graphic designers.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like how most of the web development companies operated. Programmers didn’t care about design; designers didn’t care about ROI, and SEO was too often narrowly understood and poorly executed altogether. Of course, there are large companies with huge budgets and enormous capabilities, but they are completely out of reach for a small business. Then again, many web development and online marketing/identity companies that specifically target small business tend to offer cookie cutter, low-quality products and little to no true professional guidance.
Why not offer some intelligence and a little bit of clout? One hot summer afternoon in 2009 while being high on incredibly strong espresso that is generally tolerated by University of Chicago students only, I submitted the Articles of Incorporation from a coffee shop in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood. And so, Intelligent Clout was born.
European background helped me appreciate tradition, while American education and job-related experience taught to seek innovation.
As the Founder of Intelligent Clout, I’m responsible for business development, marketing strategy, and client relations. I also personally participate in the creative process of every major project of Intelligent Clout.
