Joshua Clark shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Joshua, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My 18 month old son brings me joy on a daily basis. He is my entire world. There are a lot of things in life that I enjoy. And I love being a balloon artist. I’m very fortunate that I get to do something for a living that I truly do love doing. But, I was born to be a dad. I feel like that is what I was created for, more than anything else. There’s nothing that I love more in life than being a dad. There is nothing in my life that I am more proud of than my son. And, I feel like I am a really good dad. I feel like everything in my life has prepared me for fatherhood. And coincidentally, my son loves Balloon animals and gets Balloon animals anytime he wants.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Balloon Josh. I am an award-winning balloon artist based out of Houston, TX. I have won multiple first place awards in international balloon twisting competitions. I have been twisting balloons for over 33 years. I have twisted balloons in 46 out of the 50 states and 19 different countries. I started twisting balloons when I was nine years old, and I try to come up with a brand new balloon design every single day. I think one thing that sets me apart from other balloon artists is my ability and willingness to take brand new characters, designs, and creations that I have never made before, and make them on the spot at events. I love innovating. I love inventing. I love creating new things. I love creating new designs and new techniques whenever possible. Because of this, I am constantly growing, and constantly improving. My goal is that every time someone sees me at an event, that I’m better than the last time they saw me.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My father has taught me virtually everything that I know about work. He is one of the main reasons that I have such a strong work ethic. He has always inspired and encouraged me. When I was just a kid, starting out on my balloon twisting journey, I remember my dad helped me print business cards, helped me come up with a business plan, helped me with branding, helped me create a budget, and helped me create my first website. He has had multiple jobs over the years, but he has always worked so incredibly hard at whatever he does, and quickly excels at it. He has won multiple professional awards in a variety of different fields. Growing up, I would see his work ethic, and I would see that whatever job he had, he always did his best, no matter what. And, he never let his job interfere with his family or his integrity. Somehow, he was always able to maintain that balance that I think most struggle to maintain. He has always been able to focus on his job, and excel at it in ways that others cannot. While at the same time, always being there for his family, and always maintaining his integrity, even when others don’t. I’ve seen how he’s handled stress. I’ve seen how he’s handled demanding bosses. I’ve seen how he’s handled clueless bosses. I’ve seen how he’s handled dishonest bosses. I’ve seen how he’s handled dishonest employees. I’ve seen how he’s handled dishonest coworkers. I’ve seen how hard he works when he’s in charge of others, and I’ve seen how hard he works when others are in charge of him. I’ve gotten to see firsthand from him how to effectively lead people as well as how to graciously follow people. All while prioritizing his family, and maintaining his integrity. Not only is he the best business mentor that I think anyone could ever have; But, he’s also the best father and man that anyone could ever know.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I think that for me, suffering taught me empathy in a way that I don’t think I could’ve truly grasped without it. I truly feel that if you’ve never hit rock bottom, then you can’t truly understand how someone else feels or what they’re going through when they are at rock bottom. I feel like the suffering that I have gone through in my life, some of it self-inflicted by my own actions, and some of it inflicted by the actions of others, has given me a greater understanding and empathy for others that I come into contact with. And I think that suffering can also make you stronger in a way that success cannot. And suffering, in the long run, makes you more hopeful. While in the midst of suffering, it can sometimes be extremely hard to be hopeful, but then when you come out on the other side of that suffering, I feel like it gives you the ability to see light in the darkness, and then when future suffering comes your way, You can have hope that you will make it through it, because you know you’ve made it through it before.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
I rely on my wife’s ideas and opinions more than anybody else I know. She is one of the most talented, most intelligent, most compassionate, and caring individuals I’ve ever met in my entire life. She views a lot of things and a lot of situations very differently than I do. Which is a very good thing. We balance each other out really well. We make a great team. We each have complimentary strengths that help fill in the gaps of one another’s weaknesses. We have each had different life experiences that has shaped how we see the world and how we react to the situations and people that we come across. And together, we are able to react in a much more effective and beneficial way than I feel like either of us would be able to on our own. So as far as I’m concerned, my wife’s ideas, insight, and input are completely indispensable.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am very fortunate that I’ve not had very many people in my life “telling me what to do“. I remember two things that my parents told me growing up: 1) The goal is to find a way to make a living doing what you love. 2) We will support you in whatever you do as long as you always try to be the best at it. I am extremely blessed to have such supportive parents. I never felt like they were pushing me to be someone that I wasn’t. I never felt like they were pushing me to pursue a career that I did not want to pursue. Also, my friends have always been supportive and encouraging of me and my career choice. My wife is also a huge supporter of my chosen career. In fact, she is my biggest fan and my biggest supporter. Have there been those in my life that didn’t support me? Absolutely. And I chose not to keep those people in my life. I think that everyone should intentionally surround themselves with people who support them and believe in them. Every once in a while, I will get comments from people along the lines of “is that your real job?” But personally, I find those comments and questions pretty easy to brush off. I get to bring people joy on a daily basis. I literally make my living by making other people happy. My job allows me to travel the world. My job allows me to meet amazing people and make amazing friends. My job is how I met my wife, and my job Supports my family. I love my job. I’m excellent at it. And I believe that I’m doing what I was born to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.NeverlandBalloons.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/NeverlandBalloons
- Twitter: Ball00nJosh
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/NeverlandBalloons
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/neverland-balloons-and-facepainting-houston-2
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/NeverlandBalloons
- Other: https://Beacons.ai/BalloonJosh
Image Credits
The images with the solid black backgrounds were all taken by Michael J Green.
The rest of the images I took myself on my cell phone.
