Marketing, Business, and Life Lessons

By Callis Team | May 3, 2022

OUTdrive Episode 100 with Cliff Callis

Happy 100th Episode! We’re celebrating the big 1-0-0 with a very special episode of OUTdrive. This week, we’re turning the mic around to interview our host, the founder and CEO of Callis, Cliff Callis. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at Cliff’s story, the origins of Callis, and life lessons from 35 years of business.

Cliff has over 35 years of experience and expertise in marketing, advertising and public relations. He grew up in the retail business, working alongside his father and brother, where he first learned about the customer experience. Today, he oversees a full-service marketing and advertising agency that specializes in marketing to rural America. Cliff focuses his efforts on client, employee and public relations and working with clients to help them strategically grow their business. He is also president of the Board of Directors for the Center for Human Services. Cliff is a graduate and former trustee of Missouri Valley College, where he studied business, economics and communications and competed in intercollegiate tennis. Cliff and his family reside outside Sedalia, Missouri, where he enjoys outdoor sports, travel and the inspiration of life’s experiences.

Tune in to help us celebrate our 100th episode of OUTdrive and hear Cliff’s thoughts on marketing, life achievements, and 35 years of business.

SHOW NOTES

3:30 – Cliff shares what his childhood was like growing up outside of Sedalia in the 1960’s
4:30 – Cliff describes what it was like growing up in a family business
5:45 – Cliff describes his experience as a high school kid in Sedalia during the Ozark Music Festival
9:20 – Cliff outlines how his career path changed from when he was in high school to the time he graduated from Missouri Valley College
14:15 – Cliff shares why he decided to step away from retail and start his own agency
16:45 – Cliff talks through his roles in the agency throughout the years and the way the business evolved
22:50 – Cliff shares the details behind his morning routine and how it came to be a staple in his day
26:30 – Cliff talks about his favorite part of being in the marketing industry, which centered around taking the agency through the digital revolution
31:20 – Cliff discusses the benefits of joining a peer network and how it has helped the agency stay on top of industry and business trends and best practices
36:00 – Cliff shares the biggest lesson he has learned from being in business for over 35 years
39:30 – Cliff shares what advice he would tell his younger self
40:45 – Cliff shares his favorite marketing books
42:45 – Cliff talks about how the saying “you never know” became one of his go-to quotes
44:20 – Cliff describes what rural America means to him
46:25 – Ivy takes Cliff through a rapid-fire bonus round of questions from Callis employees

Posted in General, Rural Marketing and tagged Podcast

Questions:
If you would like to learn more about this topic, or any topic, and see how we can help your brand communicate to an important rural American audience or segment, feel free to contact us and we would be happy to discuss the opportunities with you.

What We Do:
We are a full-service advertising agency with a specialty providing marketing services to clients targeting rural America, including digital marketing, creative services and public relations.