
Michael Clendenen's career started at the fast-food restaurant In-N-Out Burger, but he has since transformed his life. Now, he is a six-figure copywriter and direct-response marketer, working with Fortune 100 companies, USA BMX, political campaigns, and more.
In a Business Insider interview, Clendenen described his life at 19 as dire. He was malnourished, penniless, and felt he had ruined his future. Each morning, he walked through fast-food drive-thrus to buy food and collect cans of sweet drinks, scraping together money.