THE AD MAN
About
The Ad Man provides a story of an individual who has experienced setbacks and failure but persists until he succeeds. Faced with devastating adversity, Jim is forced to re-invent himself in a new industry. He learns to develop new skills to move from barely surviving to thriving in a changing world. After losing his business and worrying he cannot support his wife and five young children, Jim encounters an old friend and former client who offers to set up a mentoring program to help Jim transition into a new industry.
Jim begins a journey where he learns several key time tested principles that have helped others. Follow along with Jim as he visits different automobile dealers across the country to discover skills and philosophies that have made them leaders in their communities and their industry.
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These lessons are universal truths that can help any individual who is attempting to perform at a higher level in their industry. As Jim is filled with a desire to turn his life around, learn as he did what it takes to be successful. The Ad Man also gives long overdue credit to a group of incredible entrepreneurs that are often overlooked - American automotive dealers.
Each day, they manage complex businesses and provide millions of jobs and local community support across America. They are part of the framework of every community in which they are located through their generous support of local charities, arts, civic group, sports and entertainment. Each of the vehicles they sell is made up of over 15,000 parts providing millions of production jobs. The assembly of these vehicles is made possible by the sales and marketing efforts of the American automobile dealers.
The authors of The Ad Man wish to acknowledge and thank the automotive dealers for their part in the development of America through their efforts to meet the transportation needs of the communities in which they operate. Enjoy Jim's wild ride to find out what really matters in life!
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BIO'S
Jim Mudd Sr.
Jim Mudd Sr. serves as founder and chief spiritual officer at Mudd Advertising, and is based at the company’s corporate headquarters in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He serves as chairman of the board and is responsible for consulting on the vision of the company and guiding future plans for success. As chief spiritual officer, Jim is committed to the personal and professional development of the 170 associates employed at Mudd Advertising. Jim funds a book club for associates to receive a featured book of the month focused on leadership, helping associates advance their professional careers.
Mudd Advertising opened in 1981 with just one local client and today serves thousands of automotive clients throughout the nation. The most recent additions to Mudd Advertising were a creative loft in 2010 and a state-of-the-art production studio in 2007, the largest of its kind in the state of Iowa.
Jim Mudd Sr. has helped others succeed by providing advertising advice through presentations to more than 250 different audiences. “Mudd Advertising is thankful for the many people who have helped the company grow over the past 30 years, especially our loyal clients. We are committed to providing forward-thinking advertising and marketing strategies to help our clients reach their goals.”
Jim graduated from Brescia University in Owensboro, Kentucky, and attended graduate school at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, focusing on radio and television broadcasting. After a respected career in broadcasting, and owning radio stations in the Midwest, he decided to create an automotive advertising agency in July of 1981. He is a national board member for the Lead Like Jesus ministry and a board member on University of Northern Iowa Foundation, and a philanthropist for many charitable organizations.
Jim passed away at his home Tuesday afternoon February 20th, 2024, surrounded by his family in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Clifton Peter Lambreth
Clifton Peter Lambreth is a highly sought-after business, marketing and automotive industry specialist, published author and television personality. Speaking to numerous organizations, he frequently tours the nation to present on success and business principles and has authored numerous articles on diversity, leadership, compensation and other business topics.
For over 26 years, Clifton proudly served the Ford Motor Company in a variety of positions. He was consistently a top performer throughout his career at Ford and received many prestigious awards and distinctions including five Ford Inuksuk Drive for Leaders Award, three Diversity Leadership awards and the 2008 Ford Leadership Award.
Clifton has been a Ford college recruiter for over ten years at Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, Johnson Business School and Wharton Business School. He graduated from Thomasville Senior High School in North Carolina having been a proud alumnus of the North Carolina Baptist Children’s Mills Home. He went on to receive his BSBA in Marketing and Management and his MBA from Western Carolina University.
Further, he is the founder and CEO of Daniel Bradley Matthews, Inc., a firm that provides strategic automotive, business and marketing consulting.
Due to his expertise and experience, Clifton has been quoted in over 400 media sources. He has done over 150 live radio show interviews and has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox TV discussing a multitude of business topics. His first book, Ford and the American Dream: Founded on Right Decisions, has been translated into Russian.
Clifton received his BSBA in Marketing and Management and his MBA from Western Carolina University. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Foundation Fun; on the Executive Advisory Board of Lead like Jesus Foundation; Western Carolina's Alumni Board; and on the Advisory Board for Western Carolina University’s School of Business. Clifton resides in Brentwood, Tennessee.