I wasn’t born to be a founder. I was raised to be one.

As a Detroit Firefighter, my dad was (is) a badass. His day at the office entailed running into burning buildings and saving lives. He also worked side jobs in construction to make ends meet. He taught me grind and resilience.

As a stay at home mother, my mother was (is) an angel. Balancing out an intense and gritty father, my mother was as sweet and caring as they come. She’s the best listener I have ever met, and raised me to do the same.

Being a founder is so hard. It’s lonely (especially on day one), it’s volatile, and in the beginning, it feels like everyone you care about is looking at you like (or telling you) you are insane for chasing your passion or “crazy idea”.

When I quit my job at GM to work on Clik full time, I couldn’t yet explain my vision, but I could feel it.

I knew I had to learn everything I could about the photography industry as fast as possible.

So, I started saying yes. To everything.

In my first 18 months working as a full time photographer, I went completely all in. I conducted 200+ gigs and field experiments. I captured over 150,000 photos. And I familiarized myself with every little problem that photographers and event organizers could possibly experience.

I couldn’t be more proud of the ways in which I myself AND my company evolved throughout the process.

But I’m not going to lie - there were some TOUGH moments. I had so many days where I felt stupid, unmotivated, and full of nothing but shitty ideas.

I have never once thought about quitting, but even now I recognize it would be the easiest option.

I’ve realized that the best way to overcome the overwhelming aspects of being an entrepreneur is to remember who I was raised to be.

When I get beat down, I think of my dad, and I keep going. When I feel like a clueless fool, I think of my mom, and go talk to more users to gather the information I need to move forward.

Clik would not exist without my parents. They shaped me into the relentless and empathetic builder I am today. They have given me all the tools I need to change the future of photo sharing for good. So stick with Clik. We have so much to share with you!

-Conner Roach, Founder/CEO

P.s. My mom has always been the first supporter of any of my businesses or ideas, like my repair business in college "Roachie's Repair"