DOUGAN CLARKE, FOUNDER & CEO TUUCI

American Dougan Clarke grew up in Florida next to the water and was always fishing, diving and being outdoors. Not surprisingly, he is founder, CEO and Chief Product Architect of high-end parasol brand TUUCI. For more than two decades, the company has been designing and manufacturing unique parasols, lounges and cabanas worldwide. Creating outdoor living spaces where people enjoy the outdoors as much as possible is its credo. But who was Dougan's wheelbarrow?

What was your very first job?

"As an 8-year-old child, I mowed neighborhood gardens in my hometown in Florida. I started with my parents' garden which eventually resulted in mowing neighbors' gardens. This job made me quite a bit of money and kept me busy. I enjoyed being outside with my friends! Then as an adolescent I worked in the boat store of Fred Herman, the father of one of my best friends near my parents' house in Florida. In this store I literally learned the ropes of outdoor living and everything to do with yachts, boats and fishing.

For example, at the time I made a Hawaiian Sling, aka an underwater bow and arrow. This spear was many times better than what was available in the stores. After this design, I realized that the skills I learned there helped me develop for the rest of my life. Around age ²⁵, I joined a retailer of outdoor furniture in Miami. I started as a sales person and grew into a manager. I noticed that there was huge demand for better quality umbrellas, because every time the product came back broken. I decided to create my own product."

How did you end up in your current job?

"In Fred Herman's store, I was given the space to sell my own products, both umbrellas and outdoor furniture. My company was named: 'The Ultimate Umbrella Company Inc.' or TUUCI. This was in 1997."

In that, who was your wheelbarrow?

"Actually, my wheelbarrow is the whole world. I believe that as an entrepreneur you can do a lot on your own, but ultimately you need your network and immediate environment for support and advice. In my environment, people wanted to see my team and me succeed. This gave me extra energy to achieve my goals. I also see Fred Herman as a good mentor who supported me in the early years."

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

"I find it very important to keep the various confidential ties continuously good and to learn from each other. This applies to the ties with the customers, the points of sale, the partners and the team. Rob Planken, the managing director of TUUCI Europe, is a man I am very happy with. He understands the market and the business like no other. My passion is really to maintain the good relationships and to go for it full time, time after time."

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

"The greatest one is the next one. As an entrepreneur, when you think you've seen it all, you fail. We never stop learning and I always want to keep evolving."

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

"Have guts, be confident and listen to the different advice around you. It's good to be stubborn now and then, but also trust your surroundings. So at some point you create your own life path and if you trust yourself as well as your inner circle, the rest will follow naturally. In the past I often heard that I could not do it or that certain goals were not achievable. This fact has given me the extra strength to achieve my goals."

Have you been a wheelbarrow for anyone?

"I give my advice to people who are open to it, both within the same industry and outside it. As I mentioned earlier, it's good to be open to other well-meaning advice. After all, together you are strong: listen, learn and (re)invent."