Ep 87 How Mark Clayton Built LIVV Audio After the NFL

How do you reinvent yourself after the NFL?

In this episode of We Code, You Launch: The Startup Community Podcast from CodeLaunch and Improving host Jason W. Taylor sits down with Mark Clayton — two-time All-American wide receiver, former Baltimore Raven and LA Ram — to unpack his journey from professional athlete to hardware entrepreneur and founder of LIVV Audio.

Mark shares how a career-ending injury sparked the idea for athlete-designed headphones, what it took to fund and manufacture a new consumer electronics brand from scratch, and the hard lessons every founder learns about product-market fit, supply chains, and trusting your team.

Now a judge for the upcoming CodeLaunch World Championship, Mark reflects on why entrepreneurship is a “faith journey,” how he navigated the uncertainty of his post-NFL transition, and what founders can learn from the discipline of elite sports.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode :

• From Field to Founder: How Mark transformed a rehab necessity into LIVV Audio.
• Bootstrapping Hardware: Funding, prototyping, and manufacturing without Venture Capital.
• Product-Market Fit Matters: Why his first brand failed and how he corrected course.
• Lessons from Sports: Focus, preparation, and resilience as a founder advantage.
• Faith & Fearlessness: Why entrepreneurship is a belief system, not just a plan.

LIVV builds premium wireless headphones engineered for movement, focus, and founders who never sit still. Don’t miss out and get 25% off LIVV headphones with the link below

https://livvaudio.com/discount/Codelaunch?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Flivv-pro

On November 12, the CodeLaunch World Championship takes over Gilley’s Dallas.

Six finalists from across the Americas
One belt
$50,000 in real capital investment

Here’s the twist: YOU decide. Every audience member gets CodeBucks (virtual money) to invest in their favorite founder. Add in pro dev team acceleration from  Improving and live music and you’ve got the most unforgettable night in startup culture.

The stakes are high, the energy is real, and the crowd makes the call. Subscribe for more CodeLaunch action.

Get tickets for the World Championship here

Learn more about CodeLaunch Accelerator at https://CodeLaunch.com