KYLE CLARK – HIS SECRET TO BUSINESS SUCCESS
He is an Entrepreneur, TV Host, Radio Presenter and Actor known for his humility, talent, and directness. Kyle boasts a resume that is not only inspiring, but also diverse. As the owner of 3 different companies, he faces an important task of being able to jump into different managerial roles and manages to do so with ease. by Kirsty du Toit
What inspired you to start your company?
I never thought I would own 3 companies and especially not in their respective industries. I was a field crew presenter at 947 (one of the biggest commercial radio stations in the country) and when I left there, I thought to myself, “where to next?” I knew I wanted to be in media and that I wanted to speak to an audience. I worked within the digital marketing space within 947 and started to apply what I had learnt at such a huge corporation into my own pages. At that time, social media was the craze. I was growing my following rapidly fast, and everyone wanted to know how and what I was doing that helped me grow (just being myself) and that was the birth of the then “Kyle Clark Digital Agency”. Little did I know what was in store for me.
What is the story behind the name of your company?
Back in 2015, The Kyle Clark Digital Agency started off with a name that was purely focused on just me. I remember starting off with a swim & tan-brand and quickly moving onto to bigger clients like game lodges, beauty salons, the Mrs South Africa queen’s and their finalists, it just didn’t stop… For a marketing agency, I had never ever had to market our company, our agency was born on word-of-mouth marketing, and it was spreading like wildfire. Having absolutely no education within this industry, I quickly started to teach myself everything off YouTube and Google, and from there our agency started signing clients that even I couldn’t believe we had back then.
I knew I wanted to leave a legacy with a very big admiration for my father’s surname as his family were so kind to me in his absence, and when I decided to include my mother (my best friend) and furthermore, employ my brother into the agency, I went from The KCDA to “Clark Media”. I envisioned a media house, a warehouse that had everything you could think of. You as the consumer would be able to walk in and there would be a door for everything, a hallway leading to all your answers to get your business off the ground and make it look incredible. My dreams are sometimes bigger than me.
What makes your services unique – how do you define yourself apart from your competitors?
I have energy that I knew no-one could compete with. I bring a certain flair to someone’s business and vision. A lot of the clients we had, and currently have, always tell me that they hired me because they felt like I had bought into the vision as much as they did when they started it. Most clients feel like I am a shareholder and not just the head of their marketing. It was how I could take someone’s idea and see it through their eyes and then help them tell a story that would translate to everyone around them. Most of my clients did not care that I had no education or paper to say that I had a “PHD in Digital Marketing”, most of them hired me just because I brought the energy they wanted to see in their business and that’s what set me apart. Up until today I can still go on tangents for someone else’s idea, and I can help them see things they cannot. I have absolutely no idea where I get it from, all I know is that I get so excited for everyone’s great big ideas. I feel like a kid in a candy store, I have completely fallen in-love with helping people make their dreams come true and watching the magic unfold in front of them.
Which individual or organisation have played a huge role in your success?
My mom must go down in history as one of the most powerful female motivations within my career, her perseverance for excellence really helped me to excel. I believe everyone knows that I always look up to her, we even share a magazine cover together. It goes without saying, she is relentless, resilient, very dominant and stubborn. She knows what she wants, and she doesn’t have a lot of time for excuses.
What are some of the surprising things that people do not know about you?
I barely passed Matric, I have absolutely no tertiary education when it comes to my industry. I taught myself everything off YouTube. I look Indian, but I’m part Asian, part Cape Malay Coloured. I come from tough times that includes a lot of poverty, I was brought up by a single parent. I prefer a good night in, instead of a night out. My love language is quality time, and I don’t like gifts because I am not that good at being surprised.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other Entrepreneurs looking to start-up?
You will never know everything from the day you begin your journey, make peace with the fact that you will learn as you grow. The most important part of being an entrepreneur is just starting. No matter where you are. There is always a place to start, with or without capital.
What does Wealth mean to you? How do you define a Wealthy life? Wealth is living without fear or worry, wealth is giving and opening the doors for others. Wealth can sometimes come off as materialistic, but it can also be looked at from a very beautiful perspective. You work hard to give back to yourself so you can give to others.
What are your future and aspirations for your company?
I aspire to send the elevator down. I have visions of my company being the creative direction for what transpires a digital future for South Africa. I dream to be the benchmark of creative freedom. I not only want to have a marketing agency that creates openly and is an award-winning company, I want to start a self – help movement where nothing is unavailable to you. Clark Media is a house, not a company.
“Passionate, Powerful, People’s-Person, and Productive” – these are just a few words that describe Kyle Clark’s overall sense of being, as a businessman and visionary.
A successful businessman can be man things, but there’s only going to be one Kyle Clark.
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