Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Kamara.
Hi Olivia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had a thing for websites. In middle school, I attended Meridian Public Schools during the launch of their new technology program. Every student received a Chromebook, and many of our projects required us to build websites alongside presentations. At the time, it just felt like another school assignment, but looking back, it gave me an early introduction to skills that would eventually shape my career.
If you had told me back then that I would one day build websites professionally, I don’t think I would have believed you. I enjoyed creating them, but I never imagined they could become a business.
Over the years, I explored a variety of interests and launched several small business ventures ranging from skincare and makeup artistry to graphic design and business development services. Most of them didn’t last, but each taught me valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, branding, customer relationships, and what it takes to build something from the ground up. At the time, I viewed those projects as failures. Today, I see them as stepping stones that helped shape the business owner I am now.
Everything changed after my daughter was born in 2023. Becoming a mother gave me a new sense of purpose and pushed me to take a serious look at the future I wanted to create for both of us. I invested in developing my skills, pursued web development professionally, and eventually launched Codess.
A major turning point in my journey came when I joined Runkle Consulting, Inc., a structural engineering firm based in Georgia. What began as an opportunity to support the company’s website and digital presence evolved into a broader role supporting web operations, business systems, branding, and technology initiatives. The team took a chance on me, encouraged my growth, trusted me with new challenges, and continues to support both my professional development and entrepreneurial goals. I will always be grateful to Runkle Consulting for providing my first major break in the industry.
Today, I work full-time in web operations while growing Codess, where I help small businesses create websites, build memorable brands, and establish a professional online presence. I love taking someone’s idea and turning it into something tangible. Whether that’s a website, a logo, or a brand identity that helps them feel confident about their business.
Looking back, it’s funny to think that the websites I built for school projects eventually became the foundation of my career. In many ways, Codess exists because of two things: an early introduction to technology and a little girl who inspired me to bet on myself.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has definitely not been a smooth road.
I think people see a business and assume there was some grand plan behind it. There wasn’t. Most of my life has been me trying things, failing, learning something from it, and then trying something else.
Before Codess, I started more businesses than I care to admit. At various points I was convinced I was going to become the next Estée Lauder, a successful makeup artist, a graphic designer, or a business consultant. One of my more memorable ventures involved me standing in my kitchen with bulk skincare ingredients, a sterilized mixing bowl, and an unreasonable amount of confidence. Looking back, it’s funny. At the time, I genuinely believed I was about to build a skincare empire.
None of those businesses became what I hoped they would be, but every one of them taught me something. I learned about branding, customer service, design, sales, and what happens when a great idea meets reality. Most importantly, I learned that failure isn’t the end of the story. Sometimes it’s just redirection.
The harder challenges weren’t business related.
In 2023, I became a mother. Around the same time, I was coming to terms with the fact that my marriage was abusive and unsustainable. Leaving wasn’t one brave decision. It was hundreds of small decisions made over time while trying to protect myself, care for my daughter, and figure out what life looked like on the other side.
There’s nothing that prepares you for raising a toddler, working full-time, rebuilding your life, navigating divorce, and healing from abuse all at the same time.
We’ve been impressed with Codess, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Codess is a web design and development studio built around one simple idea: businesses deserve websites that people actually remember.
I specialize in custom websites, branding, and digital experiences for small businesses that want something more personal than a cookie-cutter template. My goal isn’t just to create a website that functions well—it’s to create something that feels like an extension of the person behind the business. Every company has a story, and I love helping bring that story to life online.
What sets Codess apart is that I’ve never been particularly interested in fitting into traditional business boxes. I’ve always been creative, a little unconventional, and unapologetically myself, and that shows up in my work. While many agencies focus on looking corporate, I focus on creating websites that people genuinely connect with.
I’ve also learned to embrace the fact that I’m a little unconventional. Codess has always reflected my creative side, right down to its alien mascot and intergalactic branding. The mascot was inspired by one of the strangest dreams I’ve ever had, where President Obama recruited me to help solve an alien invasion through coding. I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but the dream stuck with me. What started as an inside joke eventually became part of the company’s identity. Running a business has taught me that authenticity is a strength, and I’ve stopped trying to fit myself into boxes that were never built for me.
More than anything, I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built along the way. The best compliment I can receive isn’t that a website looks professional—it’s when a client falls completely in love with what we’ve created together. There is nothing better than sending over a logo, website, or design and getting a message back full of excitement because they genuinely can’t wait to show it off.
At the end of the day, Codess is a reflection of who I am: creative, a little nerdy, occasionally fueled by caffeine and divine intervention, and always focused on helping small businesses build something they’re proud to call their own.
What does success mean to you?
Success used to mean having everything figured out. Now I think success is having the freedom to be myself.
It’s being able to provide for my daughter, pay my bills, build weird things on the internet, and create a life that doesn’t require me to pretend to be someone I’m not. It’s having clients who trust me, work I’m proud of, and enough peace at the end of the day to know I’m headed in the right direction.
Don’t get me wrong—I still want the house, the investments, and maybe an emerald crocodile Birkin one day. But those things aren’t the finish line. The real goal is building a life where I have freedom, stability, creativity, and time with the people I love.
If I can do that while helping other small businesses grow, I’d call that success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.codess.dev
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codess.tech/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571973302224
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-kamara-76820530b/
