Mark Clayton, born on July 2, 1982, is a former Oklahoma University football player who excelled in college. Mark was a 2-time 1st Team All American, who served as a captain during his junior and senior campaigns. In college Mark was a part of many championship wins including the 2000 National Championship team.
Mark made his mark in the NFL as a wide receiver. Selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Clayton began his professional career with high expectations. His rookie season was initially slowed by injuries, but he quickly gained momentum, finishing the year with 44 receptions for 471 yards and 2 touchdowns, and landing on the PFWA All Rookie Team. Over the years, Clayton’s performance showcased both highs and lows, with notable achievements including a spectacular game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008 where he had five receptions for 164 yards and scored a 70-yard receiving touchdown.
Clayton’s career also witnessed some challenges, particularly with injuries. His least productive year came in 2009, a season marked by fewer opportunities as the Ravens’ offense shifted focus to other players. In 2010, he was traded to the St. Louis Rams, but his time there was cut short due to a severe knee injury.
After retiring from football in May 2013, Clayton embarked on entrepreneurial ventures. He founded LIVV Headphones, a company specializing in high-quality audio products, and also established a Christian-based clothing line named MyChristianT (MCT). These endeavors reflect his shift from sports to business and innovation.
Mark Clayton’s life now balances his entrepreneurial spirit with family life. He is married to Elizabeth Clayton, a 10-year Navy combat veteran, and a father to four children: Ayden, Jada, Ava, and Grayson. His post-NFL journey is a testament to his versatility and adaptability, transitioning from a sports professional to a business entrepreneur, all while nurturing a growing family.
Company: LIVV Audio
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Mark Clayton: I am Mark Clayton, a former NFL wide receiver from the Baltimore Ravens and the St. Louis Rams. After a successful college career at Oklahoma University, I was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Throughout my career, I saw both high points, such as a standout game in 2008, and setbacks, including injuries and a trade to the Rams, until I was ultimately forced to retire in 2013 due to a severe knee injury.
Following my time in the NFL, I shifted my focus to business, founding LIVV Headphones in 2022, a company specializing in high-quality audio products. In addition, I also launched MyChristianT (MCT), a Christian-based clothing line. Balancing my entrepreneurial pursuits with family life, I am married to Elizabeth Clayton, a 10-year Navy combat veteran, and a father to four children.
Now, LIVV Audio is a consumer electronics company that developed and patented the first over-ear headphones for active and casual use. The inspiration for LIVV Audio came from my own experiences as an athlete struggling to find headphones that could keep up with my training regimen. The flagship product, LIVV Pro Headphones, are designed to be secure, durable, and deliver high-quality sound. The headphones were designed and tested by professional athletes to ensure a secure fit even during intense activity. In addition to a secure fit, these premium headphones feature 40mm precision dynamic drivers, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), 50-hour battery life, and are water-resistant. LIVV Audio aims to empower athletes and active individuals to achieve peak performance through their audio experience.
What emerging technology trends do you believe will have the most profound impact in the next 5-10 years?
Mark Clayton: Biometrics: Data in a data-driven world at your fingertips or audible in your ears as you’re working out or running is the future of what active hearing devices will be able to offer. Audio and fitness enthusiasts at large will be able to respond in real-time to information about themselves as to make adjustments if needed to maximize their training sessions.
Can you share a specific technological breakthrough from your company that has the potential to reshape your industry?
Mark Clayton: LIVV Pro Headphones taunts a breakthrough in mechanical and industrial design, the ergonomic shape of our headband gives you a unique fit that disperses the clamp force allowing the headphone to fit securely and comfortably.
How do you approach innovation while balancing the need for practicality and market readiness?
Mark Clayton: When I was getting my business degree, we learned to develop iteratively. When you’re introducing something novel and truly unique to an existing market, you have to understand that there are set thoughts and experiences about how products should look and function based on the success and value-added of those products for millions of people.
With that, we started with a small group of around 500 users with our first Gen. We received a ton of feedback good and bad that really helped shape the LIVV Pro everyone will experience today.
What challenges do you face in integrating cutting-edge technology into existing business models?
Mark Clayton: Our challenges have been on the mechanical side. Our focus has been to use ergonomics to create a use case in the over-ear that hasn’t been done before.
But the issue in the beginning was that we needed the headband to come from the front of the headphones first. I didn’t know this but my partner and good friend, Dale Lott, did.
The original concept I thought of was one that simply had the headband going vertical like every other headphone and then bending it back on the top half of the headband to get it to lock in just behind the parietal region of your head. When I would test it, it didn’t stay in place like I wanted it to.
When I met Dale, he was thinking through what I was looking to do and had done up until that point he figured it out. I needed to bring the headband out of the front of the ear cup to create what functions like a counterbalance to help with the secure fit of the headphones. This changed everything.
How do you foster a culture of innovation within your organization to stay ahead in the tech race?
Mark Clayton: That’s easy. I openly welcome ideas, thoughts, and questions, as well as being challenged on things that exist. If I don’t know anything I know I’m not the smartest person in the room and that it takes a community to really build, launch, and maintain a brand or company. And ultimately, it’s not all about me, it’s about us. So it’s easy to listen to everyone’s thoughts and ideas.
