Propak, Rockfish exec talks business leadership

story by Linda Kaufenberg
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Steve Clark is busy.

He is the founder of Propak Inc. a Fort Smith-based national supply chain management company.

Additionally, he is co-founder of Rockfish Interactive, a globally recognized digital innovation company, based in Bentonville. Rockfish, which employs about 150, was been named to the Inc. 500 for the second consecutive year, was named to the Ad Age Agency A-List 2009 and was named OMMA agency of the year in 2010. The company recently sold to WPP Digital.

Clark is actively involved in investing in technology based start-ups via Rockfish Brand Ventures and the creation of new companies and emerging technology products via Rockfish Labs.

Clark, a 1986 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a degree in business administration-finance, spoke Thursday at the 360 Leadership Series.

The 360 Leadership Series was created by a group of business professionals whose mission is to provide professional development and networking opportunities for Fort Smith area professionals.

Clark began his talk explaining that he had no powerful 12-step method to success but that he did have experience and time. Clark outlined three points he believes important.
• Money
Clark said money is a tool that propels people and a business, and also can be used for the betterment of society.

“It is the love of money that is ruinous,” Clark said. “I noticed that everyone who worked only for money was on a ruinous path.”

• Time
Clark acknowledged that for the first 35 years of his life he acted as if he was going to live forever. He often wondered, “Why does a football team play the game the same way they do when they have a two-minute warning?” He added that if you don’t have a purpose, the days will happen to you and cautioned everyone to use their time wisely.

• People
The important people are those who are in your immediate circle. Once a camp counselor asked him when he was a teenager, “If you are in a garden wearing white gloves, how many times does your dirt get glovey?”

GOOD ATTITUDE
“Twelve years ago, I was in an airport after traveling from Monday to Thursday each week and looked at the men I was with and asked, ‘Is this who I want to be in 20 years?’” Clark said.

Having small children at home, he decided no, he did not like his lifestyle or job.

Clark then founded Propak with no money, a telephone and a good attitude. Now the company employs 1,500 and owns warehouses and trucks coast-to-coast.

Following Propak, Clark worked with Kenny Tomlin started Rockfish, which was named after a restaurant in Dallas where they met to lay the groundwork for the company.

“I did not know what Kenny was talking about but knew it was the future of advertising,” Clark said. “Rockfish is a digital innovation partner with companies like Bunn, P&G, Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, PF Changs, Pepsico, AT&T and United Healthcare.”

Clark said Rockfish is now an agency that also works with entrepreneurs with digital startups, agency ventures, advertisers and venture capitalists.

ADVERTISING CHANGES
In explaining the difference in advertising today, he said it used to be about a big idea but that now it’s about the technology that enables the big idea. Most companies know they need digital but don’t know how to use it. Rockfish partners with clients to apply digital innovations cross-company to help them grow their business by leveraging technology.

Clark outlined the five things important in advertising.
• It’s not a department – it’s cross company.
• It’s a mobile world – we are all connected through a smartphone.
• The mob is the new media – a person will pay attention to a food review from a person he knows rather than a professional reviewer.
• Media is something you earn — if a restaurant gets good reviews, it is earned.
• Innovation is required by leveraging technology.