Clarence Bethea
Upsie
Minneapolis, MN USA
"If it’s your goal in life to only do what’s required of you, then you aren’t going to be very successful. Life is about going over and above. The ones who succeed are the ones who work harder, do more, and are more grateful."
Career Roadmap
Clarence's work combines: Business, Entrepreneurship, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
To have my mom say this to me as a teenager was difficult to deal with. All of the issues I struggled with growing up led to a strained relationship with my family. I had to move away and get space away from that negativity. You have to keep working hard through all of that adversity. I have spent a lot of time talking with therapists and dealing with all of that baggage.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Cowley College
Bachelor's Degree
Bemidji State University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born and raised in Atlanta, GA.
2.
Grew up in a rough neighborhood and in an abusive home—I fell into a life of selling drugs and spent most of my early life trying to figure out who I was.
3.
When I was 15, I was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor.
4.
Moved to Minnesota to turn my life around and won a basketball scholarship to Bemidji State University.
5.
After graduation, I began working as a sales manager for 43 Hoops Basketball Academy and helped it grow into a company worth over $1 million in its first year.
6.
While working there, I met one of my mentors, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, who began coaching me in business and helping me build my confidence.
7.
I struggled in my early entrepreneurial years with mental health issues, financial disappointments, and racial discrimination within the tech industry.
8.
In 2015, I started my company, Upsie, where we developed an innovative way of selling extended warranties for electronics and now have over $2 million in funding behind it.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
You're going to be dead or in prison by 18 years old.
How I responded:
To have my mom say this to me as a teenager was difficult to deal with. All of the issues I struggled with growing up led to a strained relationship with my family. I had to move away and get space away from that negativity. You have to keep working hard through all of that adversity. I have spent a lot of time talking with therapists and dealing with all of that baggage.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I didn't grow up with a lot of money. When I was first starting out, I drove a beat up old car and I remember going to a lot of meetings where people drove Bentley's and flew in private jets. I didn't even realize that was real life.
I grew up in a bad neighborhood and in an abusive household. When I was younger, I thought that problems were only solved with violence. It wasn't until I got older and got into business that I realized there were more constructive avenues.
When I was young, I got sucked into a life of selling drugs. I eventually got out of that and took my life in a different direction.
Being black and in tech is not a thing that you see very often. I've struggled to get funding, be taken seriously, etc. I even briefly considered hiring someone white to be the face of my company. Ultimately, I knew I could do this myself, so I did.
Dealing with the stress of starting my business took its toll early on. I dealt with depression, contemplating suicide and had trouble just getting out of bed in the morning. I made a commitment to not let that be my life and got the help I needed.