Principals of Stollie Web Builders
Steve Smith
The Content and Usability Guy
Steve works the mechanics behind our Web sites, crafting compelling, targeted content and mapping design to guide users, not confuse them.Before starting Stollie, Steve entered the career world as a reporter for a small daily newspaper, then was among the first batch of media workers to make the jump to the world of Internet publication... just in time to start the dot-com rollercoaster.
Unlike many, Steve was fortunate enough to finish that ride with a minimum of injury. His versatility enabled him to expand his roles at both Citysearch.com (where he served as Editor in Chief of the Austin site) and CollegeClub.com (where he held a similar position, albeit with a much hipper boom-era job title).
The lesson he learned from watching the bursting-of-the-bubble layoffs? Those who only know how to do one thing are limited. But people who develop many different talents are always valued as contributors and leaders.
After leaving the excitement of Internet startups, Steve took a position as Webmaster for a stodgy but stable state agency. He soon grew to miss the buzz of unfettered creativity and, in the fall of 2003, tracked down Ollie to pool their talents and start Stollie Web Builders.
Anthony “Ollie” Olivieri
The Arty Guy
Ollie claims he was born with athletic abilities that rival a beanbag chair, so at an early age he gravitated to gentler endeavors. Instead of playing dodgeball at recess, he began to develop his artistic skills.If Steve is the pragmatic left-side brain of the Stollie operation, Ollie is the flashy right side of that brain, sparking ideas on design that are exciting and beautiful, but that serve to reinforce the Web site message, rather than detracting from it.
After a stint serving Uncle Sam on the high seas — where he learned that life on a submarine isn't nearly as glamorous as "Das Boot" makes it seem — Ollie started as a data input monkey on the overnight shift at CollegeClub.com. In his downtime he started poking around to learn how the Web operated. Three years later he was creating graphics, pages and special sections for that same site. This while attending the San Diego Art Institute at night.
When California operations of CollegeClub were winding down in 2003, Ollie lived a dream and spent several months floating around Europe, spending about equal time in museums and pubs. When Steve tracked him down to ask about pairing for some Web building jobs, Ollie wrapped up his wanderings and came home to form a team with ideally complementary talents.
San Diego, California
