by Serial Entrepreneur, Author, and U.S. SBA Entrepreneur of the Year - Clay Clark
For more information on how to schedule SBA Entrepreneur of the Year Clay Clark to speak to your organization or group call 918-851-6920 or you can also visit us online at http://www.makeyourlifeepic.com
By the very definition of the word, and “entrepreneur” is A PERSON who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with CONSIDERABLE INTIATIVE & risk. Whenever I hear the word, “entrepreneur” I instantly think of ONE WHO TAKES CONSIDERABLE INITIATIVE to forever change the course of his or her destiny. To me, the “considerable risk” portion of the definition just goes with the territory, but it is really nothing to be celebrated.
Why do some many entrepreneurs fail?
People that start a business because they want to “work for themselves” or because they “don’t feel appreciated” almost never make it as an “entrepreneur.” Being an entrepreneur has very little to do with working for yourself. In fact as an entrepreneur you spend almost every waking hour of your life during the start-up phase working for THE CUSTOMER. In fact the customer is a brutally honest boss who is not worried about hurting your feelings like a typical boss would be. As Sam Walton wrote, “customers vote with their dollars.” So in this big election of commerce, if you want to win some votes and to cash in on election day, you had better make sure that your customers like you. And trust me, they will not like you if you do not consistently over-deliver.
What does it mean to “over-deliver” and what does over-delivering have to do with “TAKING CONSIDERABLE INITIATIVE?”
To over-deliver, simply means that you take the time out of your schedule to wow the customer and to exceed their expectations. If you are cab driver, your customers expect you to drop them off in a safe and timely manner. However if you wore a tuxedo, if you pampered them by letting them choose the music selection and if you gave them refreshments while you drove, how much more would you get tipped? If you cut hair, the customer expects you to cut their hair the way the want it. But if you took the time to massage their head, to get to know them, to shine their shoes and to give balloons to their kids who are waiting patiently how much more would you get tipped? If you own your own small or medium-sized business, the question is really simple, “what can you do to systematically exceed your customer’s expectations everytime?” Asking the question is the easy part however. It’s taking intiative that gets tough. I mean think about it, you would actually have to emotionally prepare yourself to do more than you are paid to do. And if you left your job to go work for yourself, you probably “hated doing work that I don’t get paid to do” right? Maybe not? Maybe this wasn’t you? Maybe you are the guy or girl that constantly exceeds expectations and you are ready to take the CONSIDERABLE INITIATIVE needed to be a success as an entrepreneur.
Any Jack-Ass can take CONSIDERABLE RISK.
If you are a human, or a jack-ass (a mule) or pretty much anything with a pulse you can take “CONSIDERABLE RISK.” I don’t know whether that makes you an entrepreneur. Michael Vick took considerable risk when starting up his dog fighting company, was he an “entrepreneur?” Braylon Edwards, the moron wide-receiver and prolific drinker who plays for the New York Jets takes “considerable risk” when he drives drunk, is he an “entrepreneur?” My friends, taking risk will not make you a success. Working for yourself will not make you a success. To be a successful entrepreneur, you must be an ACTION ORIENTATED PERSON WHO IS OBSESSED WITH TAKING THE PERSONAL INITIATIVE NEEDED TO GET THINGS DONE AND TO EXCEED YOUR CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATIONS DAILY.
For more information on how to schedule SBA Entrepreneur of the Year Clay Clark to speak to your organization or group call (918) 481-2010 or (405) 201-5380. You can also visit us online at http://www.makeyourlifeepic.com
“Inspiring, funny & brilliant! Clay, thank you so much for the brilliant presentations you made to our students in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. You motivated, entertained and educated us! We truly appreciate your time and hope to see you again in the near future.”
- Professor Jeretta Nord: Oklahoma State University: Spears Business School: 405-744-5064
Clay Clark is the President of the Make Your Life Institute, an organization dedicated to EMPOWERING people to achieve profound success and life-balance. During Clay’s business career he has received numerous awards for his pragmatic results driven approach to business including the: United States Small Business Administration Entrepreneur of the Year, the Metro Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the United States Chamber of Commerce National Blue Ribbon Quality Award, the 40 under 40 Award, etc…
Clay Clark has entertained and educated for our 1,500 events during his career for such companies as QuikTrip, BamaPie, Broken Arrow High School, the United States Government Accountability Office, the National Honor Society Awards Banquet, numerous business colleges, IBM and many more. As a keynote speaker and entertainer Clay interacts with and inspires over 30,000 people per year.
THE MISSION:
Clay is one of the few motivational speakers out there who trains in a pragmatic and practical way. His goal for each and every event for which he is hired is to motivate and inspire your crowd before leaving them with a laundry list of PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS that each and every member of your audience can begin doing immediately (if not sooner). Clay strives to improve the lives, the businesses and the communities he speaks to by delivering his passionate speeches, workshops and talks on many topics including the following:
*website optimization
*workflow & duplicatable system creation
*sales training
*employee management
*entrepreneurship 101 (including his journey from the “Dorm Room” to the “Board Room”)
Clay has been the entertainer of choice for Bama Companies, Quik Trip, Fedex and UPS…Clay Clark. Clay Clark will bring a much-needed hopeful message that emphasizes the “epicness and profoundness” of each individual in your crowd.
Clay brings a dynamic, humorous, motivating, entertaining and enlightening delivery to his uplifting messages. With his quick-wit, and vast knowledge from years spent “leaning how not to do it” Clark will leave your audience feeling wired and inspired. His book “From the Dorm Room To The Board Room: How To Build A Successful Small Business (With A Relatively Small Brain),” has been praised by college students, young entrepreneurs and business people throughout the country.
“I own Facchianos Bridal and Formal
attire and have had to pay thousands of dollars in the past to
have websites that were sub par and not what I needed for my
business until Clay taught me how to do it myself. Now my company
website comes up on the search engines in the first three searches.
It has changed my business overnight on how many times
our phone rings. It can change the life of your business to be
in control of your website.”
Jennifer Thompson
Owner/Bridal Stylist
Facchianos Bridal and Formal Attire
461-(VOWS) 8697
jennifer@facchianos.com
www.facchianos.com
“I am a Vocational Business Educator at Sequoyah High School in Claremore, OK.
We have have worked with Clay Clark for several years. He has spoken to our Business
Professionals of America Organization several times. The students are so impressed
with his knowledge of business and his motivation for success! He is inspiring
to young students…When in need of a dynamic motivational speaker you
should consider Clay Clark!” your choice.
April Blackwell: Sequoyah High School in Claremore, OK
“Dear Mr. Clark, Thank you so much for the outstanding workshop you did on
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO). Several of our clients said it was the best
workshop we have offered so far (we have been doing these for 5 years!). I gave the
attendees surveys to fill out and all except for one said they were very satisfied.
The one person who was dissatisfied said the workshop simply wasn’t long enough.
Some of the remarks from the attendees were:
- “The overall presentation was great!”
- “The workshop was very informative and the speaker was really good.”
- “Right to the point.”
- “Very fast-paced and informative will good follow-up contacts.
- “The speaker had a great sense of humor and was very easy to follow.”
Both from an attendee and a meeting planner’s prospective it had been very enjoyable
working with Clay and his staff. By the way, we are very interested in having him back
soon to expand on this topic a little more for the people who attended.
Thanks again for doing such a great job, you made me look good!”
Lynn Wilson
Roger State University Innovation Center Services Coordinator
918-343-7533
Click above to view Clay Clark in action at the State’s Department of Commerce
“Entrepreneur Day” Event
(This video clip is Part 6 of 6)
“Speaking to different age groups and interests is a challenge.
The points you shared with the NW Tech morning students, the
college audience, and the high school / middle school audience
were “right on.” It was interesting to watch the high school /
middle school students come alive during your talk with them.
I know they listened intently to you.
One parent shared with me this morning that her child was
shooting baskets late last night until her parents finally
said it was time to come inside.
The NW Tech morning students appreciated your sharing with them
your successes and noting that there are sometimes failures.”
Patti L. Wilber, Ph.D.
Economic Development
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
580-327-1700
www.nwosu.edu
***Listed Below Is the Early Entrepreneur History of Clay Clark:
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DJTV: The Company History Episode
Click above to here the historically correct and hysterical story of the DJ Connection History.
The original components that would later give birth to DJ Connection arrived on Earth via Mary Clark (Clay’s Mom) on November 5th 1980 at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma…
After spending 12 years learning and marinating in the Broken Arrow Public School System, the Clark family moved North to a town famous for “Corn.” And that town’s name was Cokato…however that town was not large enough to justify having its’ own high school, and thus young DJ Clayvis attended “Dassel-Cokato High School” with 125 other class mates…big shout outs to the class of ’99.
By age 15 young Clay Clark’s heavily entreprenual alter-ego “DJ Clay” had been birthed. Whether selling T-shirts, his personal DJ services, cartoons or remixing services one things was sure…DJ Clayvis was always selling…and never buying…because he was and is cheap…yet wonderfully-humble and extravagent in his entreprenual spending…
The year was 1999…the dude was DJ Clayvis…the School was St. Cloud State University, the weather was cold…the political climate was liberal…and the verb was “getting the heck out of Minnesota.”
And so promptly after graduating from Dassel-Cokato High School amidst of Sea of School Dances young Clayvis made the jump down south to Oral Roberts University via his hand-painted 1989 Ford Escort (pictured above).
(Behold one of DJ Clay’s original playlists…now located for your viewing pleasure at the DJ Connection Museum and “DJ Institute for the Over-Deliverence of Random Humor and Personal Finance”)
The year was now 1999…the dorm room was #416, the dormitory was Oral Roberts University’s EMR.
the roommate was Mark DePetris, and the verb was “not sleeping” and making money.
And so on DJ Clayvis went…Remixing, Recording, DJing, Lifting Weights, and attending ORU…
and everyday was fueled by a high-protein diet and passion…and coffee…various beverages…
Each week, every day, all the time and sometimes even more than that DJ Clayvis could be found promoting his fledging “DJ Empire” out of his trustee black back pack filled with flyers and more propaganda than a Joseph Stalin pep-rally.
However, amidst Clay’s endless cycle of eating eating turkey, lifting weights and self-promoting his businesses. Something terrible happened. His roommate and life-long best friend Mark DePetris would be killed in a sudden car accident. This accident forced Clay to pause to evaluate his life, his momentum and his friends. And then it would inspire him to work even harder.
(Pictured above…1999…DJ Clayvis and his best friend Joseph Casey pause for a moment to pay tribute to the Kings of Beer.)
(Jason White, Ryan Tedder and Hannah Crockett enjoy the delicious music mix and ambiance provided by DJ Clay at the “Full Armor: Triple Phat Dance.)
During the years of 1999 and 2000 DJ Clayvis would establish DJ Connection as ORU’s choice for entertainment…
And then he would be asked to leave Oral Roberts University amidst a WAVE OF CONTROVERSY regarding the recording of the infamous “ORU SLIM SHADY.”
A parody song which spoke truth about the blatant injustices experienced on a daily basis by the campus body attending ORU at the time…and although the song was song well-received by Richard, and Lindsey…the ORU students enjoyed the hell out of it…and Clay’s dismissal from ORU only served as fuel for the young “Caucasian Sensation.”
And so with his hat on backwards, his head down, his finances down, but his morale up…DJ Clayvis continued to onward on his quest to become a self-made millionaire by age 30. And so off to TARGET he went (for a job)…and then off to TAX AND ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE he went (for a job), and to a poured concrete company he went (for a job)…and then the FAITH HIGHWAY he went (for job)…and to APPLEBEE’S he went (for a job)…and to…you get the point…off to work he went…
(Young 1999 – 2000 edition of DJ Clayvis pictured above)
And then one day, DJ Clay’s young and beautiful Team Leader at Faith Highway spoke up, with these words paraphrased for dramatic emphasis…”Clayvis you must read this book!” And that book was “Think & Grow Rich” the best Damn Book Ever Written…and yes the word Damn was needed to emphasize the greatness of this american self-help literary juggernaut. And after reading that book it was decided…DJ Connection would be the best DJ service ever.
And then…by the grace of God…it happened…DJ Clayvis married the most incredible woman ever. And her name was Vanessa Clark. And oh Vanessa would change him for the better. Not only was Vanessa more intelligent than Clayvis but she was more determined, she was more classy, she was more gorgeous, she was more fit, she was more…her maiden name was Vanessa Moore…but in all sincerity she was better than Clayvis…and he infinite betterness inspired DJ Clayvis to compete…with her. And although to this day DJ Clayvis can still not compete with his wife on any level…the DJ Connection is better because of Vanessa’s presence at his side, and as the “real boss” of DJ Connection.
(The college edition of Vanessa Moore…now Vanessa Clark is pictured above during the year of 1999)
And with his eyes focussed on the dream, and with his wife at his side, onward DJ Clayvis has pressed…moving from the ORU dorm room, to the Fountain Creste Apartments
to their Hearth Stone Condominium…
to their Silverwood House…
to their 8900 South Lynn Lane “DJ Shire of Inspire”
and now finally to the DJ World Headquarters of 5800 E. Skelly Drive…
and now finally to the DJ World Headquarters of 5800 E. Skelly Drive. And from suite #200, with the help of the incredibly talented DJ Connection Team of “Merry Men” DJ Connection is loudly and obviously becoming “America’s Most Humble” and most sought after DJ service…
and the harder they have worked…the more awards they have received…and the more books they have read the more they have learned they don’t yet know…and the epic journey continues…
Propaganda & Highly-Biased Fun Facts:
- 2008 DJ Connection was nominated as being, “The Best of the Best” by the WeddingMBA.
- In October of 2007 DJ Connection became a Better Business Bureau Accredited Business for our team’s continued excellence in customer service.
- In June of 2007 DJ Connection was featured in the Tulsa World Business Section for our recent awards and for our owner’s upcoming book “Turn Your Passion Into Profits”
- Clayton Clark owner of DJ Connection Tulsa Inc. was named the 2007 State of Oklahoma Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
- During the early summer of 2007 DJ Connection was featured in Oklahoma Magazine’s feature entitled “40 under 40″ which was an article describing Oklahoma’s top 40 entrepreneurs under the age of 40.
- During the calendar year of 2006 DJ Connection donated $10,000 + of service to local Oklahoma charities including March of Dimes and Relay for Life.
- DJ Connection received recognition from the “American Wedding Association” as Tulsa’s Best Wedding Vendor in 2006.
- DJ Connection was named “The number-one DJs in the Tulsa area…They are great party executors” by Modern Bride Magazine in their December/January 2005 edition
- DJ Connection is a proud member of Tulsa Bridal Association
- DJ Connection, DJ Clay and the rest of the DJ Connection staff volunteered over 100 hours of work with local (Tulsa) in school peer and mentor groups.
- DJ Connection Tulsa Inc. is an ecstatic member of the American Wedding Association
And where will this saga end…Well, we are assuming eventually Clay would die….but we really don’t want to focus on that now…but shortly before the end we know that DJ Connection will purchase Cuba in hostile takeover after they have expanded fully throughout the Continental United States.
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For more information about DJ Connection’s founder, serial entrepreneur, award-winning U.S. SBA “Entrepreneur of the Year” Clay Clark call us today at 918-481-2010. Listed below are various links to his multiple business ventures. Click below visit these websites:
Founder of DJ Connection, U.S. Chamber National Blue Ribbon Quality Award Winner, U.S. SBA Entrepreneur of the Year, Dallas Business Coach, Serial Entrepreneur, Tulsa Metro Chamber “Entrepreneur of the Year” Clay Clark is also the founder of Tulsa Real Estate company Fears & Clark Realty Group. This company is the home of the best Tulsa realtors in Oklahoma. Find your house today at www.fearsclark.com. |
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