Mike Clum had a hobby in high school. He liked taking videos on his iPhone. When he compared what he did to what his peers were doing, Mike realized he was quite skilled at videography and would be able to do something with it. It wasn’t until the first year of college that he realized video production was his passion. That led him to drop out of college and buy a camera for $600. This would be the start of a multi-million dollar success story called Clum Creative.
Clum Creative is a B2B creative services company that serves marketers, entrepreneurs, and in-house creatives as a partner for producing video and animation content. The company boasts of having over 700 clients spread out across the US, with over 25 full-time staff. Its 5-year growth rate is a remarkable 1,000%. The primary way that Clum Creative was able to distinguish itself from competitors was the focus on using animation.
Back when Mike launched the company in 2011, animation was still an untapped niche. It was also more challenging to hire qualified people to help him, which is why it took until 2014 for him to hire someone. As the years progressed, video demand kept growing. Also, with the advent of social media, there is a demand for dozens of social media and other projects that need video content that engages with audiences effectively to increase leads and sales.
Mike started getting clients for the untapped market he was focusing on by following the now-classic cold email practice. This is something that is still used today because it can work effectively when done properly. Mike also had a LinkedIn Premium profile that helped him find potential clients. He actually enjoyed the process of seeking out clients and finding them, and still does to this day. He has had a tremendous amount of fun growing the company, which helps with the success Clum Creative enjoys today.
In fact, Mike’s company has come a long way from being the one-man operation it used to be. It now has 5,000 square feet on the East Side of Cleveland. However, given the pandemic leading to restrictions on businesses, a lot of the work is currently being done remotely from the homes of employees.
Besides creative services, Clum Creative also develops its very own content. Mike and a former sales rep, Teddy Baldassarre, launched a YouTube channel that quickly become one of the leading luxury wristwatch review shows in the world. Teddy’s interest in luxury timepieces led to the development of the channel, which now has nearly 300K subscribers on YouTube. The brand has even grown into an e-commerce business, with Teddy selling his own custom line of watch straps.
The innovative approach to video production for businesses has helped cement Clum Creative and Teddy Baldassarre, both under the Clum Group umbrella, to enjoy an impressive annual growth rate that appears to be continuing well into the future.
You can learn more about Clum Creative by going to the official website. You can learn more about Clum Group by going here. Head over to the Teddy Baldassarre YouTube channel to see luxury content.
