Brian McKeiver’s career is anything but ordinary. He co-founded BizStream, turning a passion for code (and pizza) into a thriving agency. A loyal Detroit Lions fan and Star Wars aficionado, Brian leads with heart—balancing business challenges with lessons learned on the CrossFit floor.
Whether reminiscing about starting in an old firehouse (now a brewery) or discussing his team's Jedi-like approach to web development, this interview about the journey of one of our favorite MVPs begins with building SaaS before it was a buzzword to spearheading cutting-edge digital solutions.
The Mozart of coding
I saw you wrote your first program at age 8. That’s impressive! If you could give young Brian one piece of advice now, what would it be?
Oh yeah, if I could tell young Brian something, I’d probably say it’s OK to ask for help. I used to think asking for help meant failure or that I couldn’t handle things on my own. But looking back, I now realize how important it is for growth. I was so focused on figuring everything out alone, but teamwork and collaboration really help you learn. If I had embraced that earlier, I could’ve grown faster.
It seems you dove straight into your career with passion. Did you ever imagine doing something different before starting BizStream?
Not really! I never thought of it as just a career—it was always my passion. I was coding at home, at work, and during my free time. It was never just work for me; it was something that I truly loved doing. That mindset pushed me to where I am today. But yeah, 20-something years later, it turned into a full-fledged career!
We didn’t have a giant vision or strategy at first. We were just happy to cover rent, beer, and pizza!
Garage Band
You’ve been in web development for over 22 years, which is longer than Kentico’s existence. What did it feel like starting BizStream back in 2002?
Back then, it was wild. The world was so different in 2002! I had just graduated and was promised a full-time job, but that offer fell through at the last minute. Luckily, I ran into a friend who offered me a gig. Building a company was a foreign concept to us—we were just two computer science students who loved coding and building things. We didn’t have a giant vision or strategy at first. We were just happy to cover rent, beer, and pizza! But as life evolved—getting married, having kids—we realized we needed to turn this thing into something real. Over time, it just grew naturally.
So, BizStream wasn’t your classic “started-in-a-garage” story?
No garage for us! We started with one desk, two chairs, and shared a monitor and keyboard in another company’s office. Mark and I would take turns coding and learning from each other. There wasn’t extreme programming or pair programming back then; it was just us figuring things out. We eventually moved into a tech incubator in an old firehouse. We even had to run Ethernet cables since wireless didn’t exist yet! And fun fact—our current office has a fire pole to pay homage to that space.
Cool kid on the block
That’s such a cool story! It’s amazing how far things have come. How have you seen the digital landscape evolve over the years?
Oh, it’s been a huge shift. In the early days, most businesses didn’t even have a website. If your site had flash animations, you were the cool kid on the block! Now, websites provide so much more value—real-time search, location-based features, and instant access to assets like maps. There’s a lot more complexity, but we remind clients not to overcomplicate things. The key is keeping it simple, fast, and user-friendly, especially with all the tools we have today.
What challenges do you commonly see when businesses come to BizStream for help with platform migrations or Kentico?
In 2024, marketers are consistently being asked to do more with less—fewer resources, tighter budgets. Many of them are dealing with multiple systems—websites, portals, ecommerce—each with their own management tools. Consolidation is a huge trend, and that’s where Xperience by Kentico comes in. Clients want one platform that can handle everything, making content management simpler and more efficient. Security and accessibility are also big concerns—many clients come to us for help modernizing and securing their sites or making them more compliant with regulations like ADA or GDPR.
Mastering integrations
With Brian McKeiver
Matrix vs. Star Wars
You’re a big fan of Star Wars and The Matrix. Both are known for their futuristic visions. When you approach a new project, do you see yourself more like the Architect from The Matrix or a Jedi creating a seamless user experience?
That's a great question. I don’t think anyone’s asked me that before! I’d say I lean more toward being a Jedi. It’s less about engineering everything perfectly and more about having the confidence to build a vision, even if you don’t know all the details yet. I’m lucky to be surrounded by Jedi Masters in my team, and together, we create seamless, immersive digital experiences for our clients. I think it’s more about having a "New Hope" for what we can achieve together.
What excites you most about the latest refreshes in Xperience by Kentico?
The recent updates were big, especially the introduction of marketing automation. Being able to design an automation flow triggered by form submissions or emails is a game-changer. The way smart folders are evolving is also exciting. We’re trying to reduce the need for custom code and make content management more flexible, allowing marketers to group and manage content more intuitively. This reduces project costs and speeds up time to value for clients. There’s always room for improvement, but the direction is really promising, especially with new features for synchronizing content between environments.
Brian McKeiver
The excitement of Xperience by Kentico
Superbowl dreams
As a Detroit Lions fan, you’ve seen your share of underdog moments. Is there a particular underdog project you’ve worked on that turned into a big win?
You're pulling the heartstrings a little bit! I’ve been a loyal Detroit Lions fan my whole life. My dad and grandfather were too, and we’d watch games together. For years, the Lions were terrible, but last season they were just a half of a football away from the Super Bowl! Similarly, back in 2008, BizStream was on the verge of shutting down during the recession. We were down to just four people, but a local government agency came through with a big project. That project has grown from one county to over 40, and it’s been one of our biggest wins.
Wow, talk about a game-changer! You’re also into Ultimate Frisbee and CrossFit. Do these sports influence the way you lead your team?
Definitely! Sports taught me that hard work and teamwork are essential. There's no such thing as quitting. If you say you're going to do something, do it to the best of your abilities. Whether it’s pushing through in CrossFit or working with the team at BizStream, it’s all about setting goals and working together to achieve them. That’s the mindset I try to instill in the team every day.
I’m lucky to be surrounded by Jedi Masters in my team, and together, we create seamless, immersive digital experiences for our clients. I think it’s more about having a "New Hope" for what we can achieve together.
Brian’s journey from firehouses and pizzas to modern web solutions highlights his passion for coding, creativity, and teamwork. Whether it’s tackling security concerns, consolidating systems, or building Jedi-like user experiences, BizStream is leading the way.
If you’re interested in learning more about digital consolidation and streamlining your business, don’t miss out on our ebook on Consolidation for valuable insights!