Cody Clark was pulling people out of burning buildings when he decided to build his own house. The builder he found was too expensive, so he figured he could do it cheaper himself. That first build went fine. Then a friend offered him $40,000 to build another house. When you're making $60,000 a year as a paramedic, that's hard to turn down.
For five years, Cody juggled both jobs. His CPA told him to start an LLC before the IRS came calling. He posted a few pictures on Facebook, thinking he'd do two houses a year and retire from the fire department after 30 years. That didn't happen. What started as a side hustle grew into Clark Custom Homes.
But leaving the fire department wasn't easy. "I sat for that position. There was 2,000 people there and they were hiring six or maybe ten. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than you do getting hired."
Cody talks about the parallels between running a fire department and running a business. The fire chief organizes chaos and delegates positions. That realization changed everything. But getting there almost broke him.
"I was all things to all people, but I was nothing to anyone. I was trying to be everything to everyone and I was failing in all aspects."
The turning point came through bringing in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), reading obsessively, and hiring a business coach. "I'm just really smart enough to listen when somebody says, 'Hey man, you look like you're drowning over there. You want a life raft?'"
In Texas, there's no licensing requirement for builders, so banks create their own rules. Early on, Cody couldn't get financing without enough builds, but couldn't do builds without financing. Classic catch-22. Now banks send him steaks at Christmas.
The marketing conversation gets practical. Cody hired professional videographers, but it felt fake. Then he started shooting raw videos on his porch with his phone. Wind blowing, dogs barking, whatever. People actually watch those.
"Everybody has eye candy. That's a given. The differentiation isn't in the finished product photos anymore. It's in letting people actually know you."
Right now, Clark Custom Homes does exclusively custom homes at about a million-dollar potential annually. He's watching land prices and thinking about $2 million specs in 2026.
The conversation circles back to this: all the information is out there. One of Cody's wealthy clients told him, "Those secrets are safe. Everybody's too lazy to execute on them." That's the real difference. Not talent or connections. Just the willingness to actually do the work everyone else talks about doing.
Cody Clark is CEO of Clark Custom Homes, a company built on craftsmanship and integrity. Growing up, he learned construction working alongside his dad, who learned from his grandfather, a homebuilder. Years later, while serving as a firefighter paramedic, he built his own home. What began as a one-time build evolved into something bigger. Over the past seven years, Clark Custom Homes has grown into a trusted brand.
Cody's leadership style is mentorship-driven and systems-focused. Outside of work, he finds balance outdoors through mountain biking, hunting, and working with his hands.
Facebook: facebook.com/Clarkcustomhomesllc
Instagram: instagram.com/clarkcustomhomes.llc
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCFa3KMKztlnAtAepSuK9WUg
Google: g.co/kgs/p2Z4PL4
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
03:04 Paramedic to Builder
05:22 Transition to Full-Time Builder
07:20 Learning and Growing the Business
14:41 Navigating Financial and Regulatory Hurdles
25:52 Delegation and Business Structure
32:24 Power of Authenticity in Video Marketing
32:41 Balancing Polished and Raw Content
34:14 The Importance of Trust in Marketing
36:02 Sales Strategies and Team Dynamics
39:14 Marketing Channels
41:01 Creating Engaging Content
55:09 Leadership and Teamwork
58:12 Challenges and Growth