Ep. 13 - Clark Hipolito (Art Co.)

The first word that comes to mind when thinking of Clark Hipolito is "energy". I met Clark while running a clothing store in Raleigh, North Carolina around 2003/2004, and I just remember him as one of the more positive energies I'd ever come across up to that point in my life. He was always the guy who gave you the hand shake followed by the bear hug and simply walked with an air of confidence, yes, but more importantly: positivity and enthusiasm. As the owner of The Art Company, he's an artist both of projects small and huge, both literally and figuratively. He's done small pieces for friends, he's painted standard polyurethane surfboards to look like they were made from wood...he's done murals on the sides of music venues while at the same time hand-picked to do a mural inside the Carolina Hurricanes arena when they first came to town. His road was paved, however, when a local restaurateur came calling which was piggybacked by a little show called Sex & the City. You can absolutely feel his energy when listening to him speak in this episode. His passion and ever-present drive to do what he loves is clear, and he's honestly one of a handful of people I try to see when I go back home to North Carolina. We talk about cars, watches, architecture, music, wine, and of course art and the ins and outs of how exactly Clark does what he does. We talk about the recession and how having the biggest house and owning too many things isn't really cracked up to what it's made out to be. He has an unabashed honesty, he's an active guy who talks with his hands, so the mic was on the move in this one, and his dog Phyllis makes an appearance or two, but this was a fun one, so I think you'll enjoy it.