Meet Drake Clifton | Small Business Owner & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Drake Clifton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Drake, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I lost my job back in 2020 when Covid hit, that was the start. I was feeling depressed and needed money to pay bills. During that time, I ended up building a coop out of free material for a friend so she could keep her own food during the pandemic, she loved it! I also loved to design and build it for her & it helped me feel better about my situation. She told me she could probably sell more of them if I wanted to build more so that is what I did! I always knew I wanted to start my own business, but I was too afraid to quit my job until I was forced into it, it was just a perfect storm!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have always been a perfectionist and somewhat artistic. I have a fascination with art & creating! I am a musician, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, and a builder. That feeds into integrity. I don’t care about accolades or the money. I want to do something different, build something different! I care about the quality of my product and something that helps the environment. I want to help people become more self-sustainable! This is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done professionally or personally and that is why I love it so much. I started this business out of my front yard with only a drill and borrowing tools from family members. Then, when I needed a shop, I sold my house and lived out of my truck for 6 months so that I could pay for a shop to build out of. I’ve put every dime I have made back into my business to build it and grow it even up until this point. I lost a lot of my friends along the way & I lost a family member this year in an accident which took quite a toll emotionally. I’ve pushed my body & mind to the limits which contributed to now having developed a heart condition recently. All of this is why I’m so proud of this company. I learned that I wasn’t a hard worker before starting this business. I learned that I lacked discipline in other jobs working for someone else. I have been forced to grow up and now have a much deeper appreciation for this opportunity I have been given, my family, and the people that truly work hard to make this country an amazing place.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Fort Worth!!! If I am not at work, you’ll find me eating a big ass steak at Cattleman’s Steak House in the Stockyards or seeing one of my favorite Country or Rock bands at Billy Bobs like the Toadies who happen to be out of Fort Worth!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am not someone who is driven or inspired by money, I am inspired by people. My biggest inspiration was & is my Dad, who I named my company after. My Dad was my best friend & I am inspired to make something that he would be proud of if he was here today. Dad was the nicest, most generous person who would drop anything to help anybody. My Mom is also the smartest hardest working person I know, and I am so grateful that she instilled that diligent work ethic in me at a young age. That is why I am where I am today. I also work hard for the people that work hard for me. I wouldn’t be anywhere without the people I have on my team! Lastly, I am so grateful for the people have trusted me to build for them and have supported me and my company from the beginning.

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