I'm Nick McClish
I build companies that make legacy industries feel alive again.
Started in fashion, ended up in insurance. Built a startup, sold it, scaled another to $2B, almost died twice, had two kids, and found perspective in the chaos.
example: how we made insurance lovable
on growth…
my life story:
ages 0–10: The Silent Huckleberry Finn Era. Quiet kid. Big observer. Built forts, caught frogs, didn’t talk much. Learned more from watching than from words.
ages 10–18: The Nomad Years. Moved every two years. Learned to adapt, make friends fast, and leave faster. Found lacrosse. Almost died from ventricular tachycardia. Got a head start on learning what “limited time” really means.
ages 18–30: Got into an Ivy, somehow ended up in fashion deciding what was cool. Traveled too much, ate too well, got named one of Vogue's “most stylish men,” and realized the real profit wasn’t in fabric — it was in storytelling. Had open-heart surgery. Met my person. Got married. Moved to London.
ages 30–36: The Startup Era. Built Pluto, sold it. Ran growth at ManyPets, hit the “unicorn” dream. Advised 20+ companies on growth. Learned that building companies and raising toddlers have the same energy: chaos, optimism, and cleaning up other people’s messes.
ages 35–38: The Dad Era. Best era so far. Two kids, less sleep, more joy. Started a search fund — failed. Turns out failure hits softer when you’re holding a baby and a latte.
ages 39—45: The Next Era. Less grind, more groove. Doubling down on my gift — growing businesses. Building Clarence. Enjoying the short window where my kids still think I’m cool.
yes
momentum > perfection
founder-led, operator-backed businesses
simple systems that scale
compound learning
people who do the work
no
performative hustle
bureaucracy
growth without purpose
endless decks
people who already “figured it out”
