Success can be defined as “the attainment of popularity or prosperity.” I am also a firm believer that just like beauty, success is in the eye of the beholder. If you were to give me a choice between someone who was born into a rich family, had every opportunity handed to them in their lives and was a billionaire or someone who had to overcome harsh realities and work 10 times harder to acquire those same opportunities and financial status. I would tell you that the 2nd choice is the more successful and it would not even be close. Gene McClendon is certainly the latter. He has gone from growing up in an enviornment that afforded him little to zero opportunity as a child to building 2 unbelievably successful businesses from the ground up with nothing but hard work and a dream. Who is Gene McClendon? How did he get to be so successful? How does he know so many legends of Sport and Music? I can tell you this much, it was no easy journey and no one handed him a thing. In fact, in his own words, “I never want to consider myself successful, because that just means that I’ve accomplished something and I haven’t, I’m just a hard worker.”
Gene McClendon grew up in St. Louis with his Mother Brenda and his 11-
month Older Brother Ronald McClendon. He recalls how he and his brother
spent all of their free time with family and relatives playing who lived just 2
blocks away in the very small town of Kinloch, Missouri just outside of St.
Louis during the 1970’s. Kinloch is the oldest African-American community to be incorporated in Missouri. Mr. McClendon remembers Kinloch as “A small town of about 250 people. Mixed with hard working people but mostly, It was riddled with drugs and poverty. Back then, there were only 3 ways out of there and that was jail, death or you knew how to bounce or throw a ball”. The way Gene and his family were able to get away from Kinloch was not by one of these 3 choices, however. “My family and I got out to escape domestic violence. My biological father was bringing violence into the home regularly so My 3 Uncles got us and all of our stuff, put us on a redeye to California where my mother had a sister who lived there and that is how we were able to leave Missouri”. I could not even imagine. I know an abundance of people that could use those circumstances as an excuse to never make something of themselves or play the victim role for the rest of their lives. Not Gene McClendon. He was determined to make something of himself, and that he did!
Before finishing high school in 1988, Gene suffered the greatest loss of his
life in 1985 when his only sibling and Older brother Ronald was brutally
murdered. Gene was still determined to not give up on a mission to build
his own business. Not just any business, but one that he knew would never change or be pushed out by larger corporations and such. ” I decided to go into the business of mobile detailing. I knew that people were always going to want their cars to be clean, especially in Los Angeles, so it was a business that would never have a lack of clientele.” Every one has to start somewhere. ” I started out working from the trunk of my car with nothing but a bucket, some rags and a garden hose.” Before long, Gene was making a name for himself because of his reliability and hard work. He landed his first celebrity client in Quincy Jones, esteemed music arranger and producer. “Within a few weeks of working for Mr. Jones, I was travelling to many entertainers and athletes homes cleaning their cars. After the first 2 years, I had 2 vans with 2 guys on each van working 7 days a week.” The business was not limited to Los Angeles, Gene was chasing his dream all across the state and country. ” We were driving as far South as San Diego and as far North as Oakland to do our work. Within months we were going across the country to detail vehicles for the NY Jets. I was only afforded these opportunities because I did what I said I was going to do when I said I was going to do it, every single time.” One common theme you will find throughout this article is that despite his success and close relationships with big stars, Gene McClendon is a man of his word and a man who can be relied upon no matter the circumstances.
Following the success of his mobile detailing company, Gene founded International Motoring Inc. which has since been transitioned to Stratos Inc, a company that specializes in the purchase, design and customization of exotic cars. ” I was always the one asked by my clients if I could find new rims and tires or different upgrades to sound systems for their vehicles. I always did. Sometimes, things would go wrong with different shops and it made a little bit of a mess of things. One day I just thought to myself that if I could bring these cars to my own shop and oversee everything myself before they were returned to the client instead of finding different places around the area to do it, it would eliminate the middle man and any mistakes that could be made”. Once off the ground, International Motoring Inc. flourished, as did the close business and personal relationships between McClendon and his star studded client list.
” I became friends with numerous former players such as Lawrence Taylor,Richard Dent, Marcus Allen, Ron Harper, Eric Dickerson and MitchRichmond among many others. I was attending their private events, family outings, and even their kids school functions and graduations. I knew at that point that I really cared for them and I could do better for them than
most.” With these ideals, Gene approached his friends and clients with an idea. “I approached every one of them and asked them what they thought if I was the one who organized appearances and I was the one who cut them the check. Every single person responded with enthusiasm and trust
that I would be the one who could get it done.” Thus, After Sports and
Entertainment Network Group was born.
I know one or two members personally from this group and the level of care and attention is unmatched as Gene alluded to in our conversation. ” What sets us apart from the rest of the people in our industry is that we truly care about our clients. They mean so much to my team and I. In a day and age where everyone gets caught up in the new up and coming stars, we pride ourselves on keeping the spotlight on those that paved the way. We call them our MVP network because that is whothey really are to us. We want to make them money first. We take care of them and then we are taken care of. It is truly a beautiful relationship”.
I have to say, I have never met someone who’s humility shines through everything more than Gene McClendon. Yes, he developed the relationships with these amazing men and women but takes none of the credit for it. ” Honestly I am just a worker.” We both laughed. “My team brings me the ideas and chases down the leads for our clients. I am nothing without them. What my team brings to the table is amazing, it is not about me, it is about us, there are no big heads here”. Under current circumstances, I wondered how a group such as After Sports would move into the future and how they are handling the Covid-19 crisis. ” Well now, a group like ours is going to be in even higher demand. We have to re-invent the wheel and get even more creative, but this is a chance for us to absolutely thrive over the next year”. I could not agree more. I am certain they will because after a brief interaction with Gene and multiple interactions with his team, I know they are welcoming all challenges and smashing their goals no matter what it takes.
Also moving forward, Gene and his team have developed the “After Sports and Entertainment Cares Foundation” which is truly a passion project for him as I could hear his enthusiasm and belief in it jump through the phone. “Whether virtually as we have to do currently or in person in the future, this gives us a chance to not only keep our MVP Network relevant but also give back as much as possible to the community. We want to bring attention to the communities and youth especially who are plagued by poverty and cannot afford dental or health care among all the issues that deserve attention such as mental illness and drug issues as well. I want After Sports and Entertainment Group to be known as a group of marketing advocates who not only made the lives of our MVP Network better but those who are really in need as well”
I have done a few interviews now. I have spoken with many people in the sports industry. None brought me more satisfaction than this one. Honestly to be able to speak to a man who came from the places he did, worked hard, never waivered, kept his word and built something of himself was absolutely beautiful. I am sure as Gene reads this, he may see the praise I give him and think it is unwarranted because he is just that selfless of a person. However, I find it necessary to honor someone like him for their journey. It goes to show what one can accomplish with goals and hard work. The mission that Gene and After Sports and Entertainment Group approach each day with to honor their clientele is exactly what I am trying to do here today for him. I think a man who gives so much of himself to others deserves to be recognized for his efforts, don’t you?
To The Rack With Mac 