Clearwater entrepreneur Rudy Mawer’s mission to $1 billion

Rooms covered inch to inch in red paint, filled with anime figures and a wall display of custom-designed Nike sneakers are all part of local entrepreneur Rudy Mawer’s brand.

Mawer is one of the most well-known marketing consultants and serial investors in the U.S. – working with retail brands and celebrities from his headquarters in Clearwater. 

Unbeknownst to first-time visitors, the space Mawer leases inside an old brick building at 1140 Cleveland St. has become a mecca for filming commercials and programs. 

“Hulk Hogan was shocked when he started working with me and visited our HQ – he didn’t believe we were right here in his backyard,” Mawer said inside the 15,000-square-foot office space while sporting a puffy red robe and sunglasses he picked from a closet packed with additional red robes, jerseys and jackets. 

Inside one of the rooms, a 50-plus-member team is typing away on keyboards creating viral social media content for celebrities. Others are filming commercials and Mawer’s business-centric podcast, Living The Red Life.

Rudy Mawer, founder of Mawer Capital, inside one of his podcast studios. 

The teams are part of the multiple businesses Mawer runs, including Mawer Capital, a marketing capital group he operates with Kevin Harrington, one of the original investors from the TV show Shark Tank. 

His firm produces roughly $1-$2 million in monthly revenue and has generated over $200 million in revenue for clients and his brands.

“For over a decade, I’ve been building my business and reputation. Two years ago, I was leading the marketing for several major U.S. brands, and I still had my other businesses, but I wanted to build a celebrity division,” Mawer said.

Over the past two years, Mawer primarily focused on operating large U.S. retailer brands that his two partners, Tai Lopez and Alex Mehr, acquired with their investment group, Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV). The group’s acquired companies include Pier 1, DressBarn and Steinmart. 

“I’ve worked with influencers and athletes before, but now I have better experiences, a bigger team and capital, and I’ve talked at global conferences. People know my name,” Mawer said. “A lot of celebrities are very famous, but they don’t make much money online, so we pull it all together, repackage it, scale it through ad platforms such as Facebook and Google, and create content.” 

Today, Mawer works with NFL (National Football League) Superbowl champions among others.

“Everyone in our industry says, ‘Don’t use red in marketing.’ I like to do the opposite of what people say and take risks. It’s the only way you can move forward,” Mawer said, explaining how he likes to go against the grain – a mindset carried throughout his journey. 

Mawer was born in Leicester, England, and raised by his mother, a triathlon gold medalist, and father, a former triathlon team manager for the Olympic Games. 

Mawer said the strive for excellence and the unwavering determination he witnessed in athletes his parents trained fueled his passion for the fitness industry and entrepreneurial career, at a very early age. 

In his mid 20s, Mawer was managing real estate properties, running nightclub events and operating a personal training business. Through the endeavors, he was earning $10,000 a month.  

However, Mawer had a restless hunger to branch out and move to America. 

“If I stayed in this little fish tank in England, I would never grow. Out here, I’m hanging out with the sharks,” Mawer said, first getting introduced to the area through his acceptance at the University of Tampa, where he studied sports and exercise science. 

Mawer eventually settled in Clearwater Beach. At the time, he had 50 employees at Mawer Capital, and two were based in Largo.

“I got a tiny office in this building for them to be able to physically meet and work together a couple of days a week,” Mawer said. 

The firm quickly evolved to over 70 employees, working in-person and remotely. Mawer’s team is conducting hundreds of interviews a month, he said, to add more highly experienced employees.

What’s next for Mawer 

“I don’t want to build a $5 million or $10 million company; I want to be a billionaire. Saying I want to be a billionaire is the easiest way to explain where I want to be in life. There are only so many ways you can make a difference in the world. With capital, you can contribute to philanthropic organizations that have an immense impact,” Mawer said, referencing how Richard Branson, a self-made billionaire and founder of the Virgin Group, one of the world’s most recognizable brands, is leading African wildlife conservation projects. 

In the meantime, Mawer is currently working on a new TV series that will premiere on Amazon Prime. Details about the show have not been released. 

Mawer hinted he may purchase an office building in Tampa in the near future, as he would like to expand his meeting and events spaces.