Young Aussie entrepreneur: From broke and sacked to multi-millionaire taking on the world
Announcement posted by Invigorate PR 09 Aug 2023
Aussie rags to riches entrepreneur Daniel Clark has always had a penchant for innovation. Clark is the founder and managing director of Clark Asset Management and has gone on to start up several other successful Australian companies, Sortr, SD Plumbing, RecTraders and Australian Energy Assessors amongst others. His portfolio consists mainly of green energy and resources companies.
Each of these companies contribute to the group’s impressive turnover of over tens of millions of dollars per year. But it hasn’t always been easy for Clark and the road to success was rocky to begin with.
Life’s curveballs
“From a young age, I had no choice but to take on the responsibility of learning to save and spend wisely, an invaluable lesson that laid the foundation for my future endeavours,” Clark said.
“When I was 16, my life took an unexpected turn and my family moved from Melbourne to country Victoria; however, due to school limitations, I moved out of home and back to Melbourne to complete my VCE.
“After graduating from high school, while my peers pursued university education, the weight of financial obligations steered me towards the workforce immediately. I worked for six months before facing redundancy; but I didn’t let that get me down. Instead, I pitched the company some ideas on how to improve their processes, which led to me becoming a contractor and starting up Clark Asset Management in 2015.
“At first, I was only paid in savings and on the profits I brought in, but the passion for entrepreneurship ignited within me, and over the years, I went on to found several successful companies. Today, the combined efforts of these ventures employs hundreds of professionals, creating a ripple effect that has transcended industries and touched lives.
“My journey from a determined high school graduate to a serial entrepreneur has been nothing short of transformative. It’s driven by my unwavering commitment and relentless pursuit of innovation.
“My journey taught me that succeeding in life is about noticing the things that others take for granted or overlook due to ignorance or lack of foresight. In all of my ventures and entrepreneurial activity, I have managed to find opportunities in business activities where others have not.
“Translating these opportunities into businesses that operate in a well oiled way is the next learning that I mastered very quickly. Businesses tend to fail through rapid uncontrolled growth rather than slow managed growth.”
Visionary leadership
As the founder and head of his businesses, Clark’s strengths lie in his visionary leadership, strategic planning and innate ability to foster collaborative work cultures.
“Despite my age, I offer significant life lessons that have helped to forge my outlook and thinking. I bring a wealth of experience and expertise in the industry, enabling me to make informed decisions and drive the business forward,” Clark revealed.
“My ability to identify emerging opportunities, coupled with a strong focus on innovation, allows us to stay ahead of the competition. I am passionate about nurturing talent, empowering our team to thrive, and creating a customer-centric approach. With a keen eye on market trends and a commitment to excellence, I am dedicated to achieving sustainable growth and ensuring our businesses’ long-term success.
“Building trust and long-term relationships is integral to our business strategy. We prioritise reliability, consistency, and transparency in all interactions. What sets us apart in our work is our focus on innovation, exceptional customer service, and personalised solutions.
“Our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends and consistently exceeding customer expectations has cemented our position at the top, enabling us to build lasting relationships and maintain a competitive edge in the market.”
Passion in innovation and nurturing talent
“Innovation and talent have been the cornerstones of my success story. For me to continue to build on the current success, it’s a continual process of innovation and investment. Part of that investment comes in nurturing talent. It’s something that I am very passionate about as well,” Clark said.
“My goal is to continue to build and grow these companies, to continue sourcing quality talent to join the team and to collaborate. My goal is to reach 500 team members this year. We’re nearly there but we won’t stop once we reach that goal. I’m always pushing forward to get to the next goal.
“Our planet desperately needs societies committed to sustainable living and green business practices. My hope is that I can contribute in some way to this end through my portfolio of businesses.”
About Daniel Clark
Daniel Clark is an Australian entrepreneur from Melbourne whose rough start to life gave him the basis of his strong work ethic and pursuit of innovation. He is the managing director of Clark Asset Management, amongst other companies he has founded, including RecTraders, Australian Energy Assessors, and Sortr. Clark’s companies employ nearly 400 staff and bring in tens of millions in turnover figures annually.