112. Entrepreneur Takes on Business Schools with Audacity and Price
Clay Clark
Clay Clark, founder of Thrive15.com and SBA Entrepreneur of the Year, is described by Yahoo as the “Jim Carey of Entrepreneurship.” Through his tireless tenacity and honey badger work ethic, he has founded and co-founded a string of successful companies including DJ Connection and Elephant in the Room Men’s Grooming Lounge. Recognizing that his failures and subsequent successes could benefit others who are poor “like I used to be,” he created Thrive15.com, an online business school experience he describes as “nine to ten times better than the average business school, but at 1% of the cost: $50 per month—with a 30-day free trial.”
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
Clay audaciously launched his entrepreneurial life in middle school, making T-shirts in his parents’ basement. Then, because “the dances were awful and I could do better,” he became a DJ—“with no equipment, talent, music or skill.” Napoleon Hill said failure is a prerequisite to success, so Clay got his failures out of the way early.
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
Putting his early “epic fails” behind him, but keeping his wit and sense of humor intact, Clay bought a failing party rental business, turned it around, sold it at a profit, then started Epic Photography. He learned the value of checklists and work-flows, scalability, voracious reading and discipline.
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
Recognizing that his failures and subsequent successes could benefit others who are poor “like I used to be,” he created Thrive15.com, an online business school experience he describes as “nine to ten times better than the average business school, but at 1% of the cost: $50 per month—with a 30-day free trial.”
On His Bookshelf
The Service Profit Chain, by James L. Heskett
The Value Profit Chain: Treat Employees Like Customers and Customers Like Employees, by James L. Heskett
THRIVE: How to Take Control of Your Destiny and Move Beyond Surviving… Now!, by Clay Clark
Top Tools on His Browser
Gary Vaynerchuk’s blog, https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/
The Art of Manliness, a blog that dominates its space:http://www.artofmanliness.com/category/blog/
Seth Godin’s blog: http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/
Connecting With Clay Clark
Website: www.thrive15.com
Twitter: @Thrive_15
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thrive15/
LinkedIn: Clay Clark
Free Gift
30-day free trial, Thrive15.com. Enter promo code: CLAY
