What does it take to build a multimillion-dollar screen printing business from the ground up?
In this episode of NWA Founders, Ben Clark shares the remarkable story behind B-Unlimited, a screen printing and custom apparel company based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Ben’s journey started with dishwashing jobs and door-to-door T-shirt sales, followed by a stint with Chick-fil-A, failed restaurant ventures, and a bold move to purchase B-Unlimited. What followed was decades of learning the hard way through risk, reinvention, and relentless perseverance.

Summary

Ben walks us through the early days of B-Unlimited: buying the business with borrowed equity from his house, learning operations on the fly, and investing in relationships more than marketing. He shares how B-Unlimited became a trusted name in collegiate and Greek apparel by focusing on quality, creative freedom, and servant leadership.

Throughout the episode, Ben talks candidly about failure, loss, and the lessons that shaped him. From losing his brother to navigating COVID and a company merger, he explains how personal hardship clarified what really matters: family, integrity, and helping others succeed. Whether he’s leading a staff of 100 or a startup cohort across the globe, Ben leads with authenticity.

After years of growth at B-Unlimited, Ben launched Bold Creators, a faith-centered entrepreneurial mentorship initiative connecting Arkansas business leaders with young Ugandan founders. With 78% of Ugandans under age 30, he sees the country as a rising hub of talent and resilience, offering weekly coaching and culminating in a transformative in-person business retreat.

Highlights

00:00 – Introduction: Learning through failure

15:00 – Bankruptcy

30:00 – Scaling B-Unlimtied

45:00 – Navigating COVID

1:00:00 – The launch of Bold Creators

1:15:00 – Defining success

Nick's 3 Key Takeaways

1. Failure is a class, not a curse - Every failure, from bad credit to business closures, was part of Ben’s leadership training.
2. You can’t skip steps - There’s no shortcut to integrity. From leasing equipment to leading teams, lasting success is built slowly.
3. Generational impact matters - Whether mentoring young entrepreneurs or working alongside his own children, Ben sees legacy as the highest return.

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NWA Founders is a voice for Founders, Owners, and Builders driving growth in Northwest Arkansas, and is hosted by Cameron Clark and Nick Beyer.