Today we’d like to introduce you to Caden Kulp.
Hi Caden, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My background is in software engineering, but my story has always had a strong creative thread running through it. I began my career in the Space Force working in product development and software engineering. Through several moves and different assignments, my wife and I had the chance to meet some incredible people and learn about the businesses they were building. That is really where my passion started to take shape for the work I wanted to do after the military.
Over time, I started creating websites on the side for family and friends. What started as a creative outlet slowly became something more. The people closest to us encouraged me to take it seriously, and that push eventually led me to start Coastal Leaf Designs. At the beginning, we focused on web design for service-based industries, but we learned very quickly that business owners needed much more than a well-designed website. They needed digital systems that supported both how they market and how they run their business. They needed payment portals, blogs, project management tools, e-commerce, event management, and more. And most traditional software-as-a-service solutions were not cutting it; they were too expensive and rarely the best fit.
Today, Coastal Leaf has grown beyond traditional web design. We still love helping people create a website that feels personal to their brand, but we also build the tools behind the scenes to make their business run more smoothly. For me, the heart of the work is taking what someone dreams up for their business and turning it into something real, useful, and thoughtfully designed.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it definitely has not always been a smooth road. Like most small business stories, there have been a lot of moments of excitement and clarity, but also plenty of moments where we questioned what we were building and whether we were headed in the right direction.
One of our biggest challenges has been deciding what kind of products and services we actually want to build. From the outside, a traditional software-as-a-service model can look like the more efficient path. You build one product, sell it to as many people as possible, and try to scale quickly. But what we love most is sitting down with someone, hearing how their business actually runs, understanding the problems they are facing, and building something around their specific needs. That model often feels harder to scale, but much more impactful to build.
Through the toughest times, the moments when we question if we are building the right thing or whether we should keep building at all, we have been incredibly grateful for the people in our corner. Family, friends, clients, and people in our community have encouraged us, supported us, and reminded us why this work matters.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Coastal Leaf Designs?
Coastal Leaf is a software engineering and design studio focused on delivering systems that fit the way your business actually runs.
For a lot of our clients, the starting point is a website. We help create something that feels personal to their brand, communicates clearly, and gives people confidence in who they are. But as we get to know the business, the work often becomes bigger. Many owners need better ways to manage content, organize projects, sell products, promote events, or automate pieces of their day-to-day operations.
That is where our background in both design and software engineering really shapes the work. We care about the visual side, the brand, the layout, the feeling someone gets when they land on the site, but we care just as much about what is happening behind the scenes. We are not trying to force every business into the same system, we are building for you.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have always focused on building real relationships, not just making connections for short-term gain.
The best networking has happened when I have gone into conversations looking to learn, listen, and provide value before expecting anything in return. People can usually tell when you are only reaching out because you want something. But when you genuinely care about what they are building, look for ways to support them, and stay consistent over time, those relationships become much more meaningful.
I also think it is important to find people who align with your values, especially when it comes to running and growing a business. The right mentors and relationships are not just people who are successful. They are people who are building in a way you respect and can learn from.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://coastalleaf.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastalleaf/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coastalleaf
