THE MEN’S ISSUE
David Shelton
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David Shelton exudes positivity and authenticity. He tells VIP, “There is not much in my life that is not informed by how much I love Clarksville.” David continues, speaking fondly of the mentors that have poured into his life, and the loving community surrounding him. He tells VIP about his father Judge Shelton, who has sat on the bench for 42 years. He reminisces about his relationship with Pastor Terry telling VIP, “You don’t get to meet salt of the earth people like that very often.” David tells VIP that these gentlemen taught him what it truly means to see people for who they are, where they are at. They taught him the importance of relationships, and most importantly, they showed him what it means to be deeply and meaningfully kind. Those lessons have carried David through his life personally and professionally. David was given the space to be wholly himself. He strives to show compassion, kindness, and build relationships at every turn. Growing up, he was encouraged to be a dreamer. He tells VIP that he lives his life through his favorite quote, “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind wake in the day to find it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are
dangerous men; for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. This I did.” — TE Lawrence Being called to be a ‘dreamer of the day’ has led David to pursue a full, well-rounded, diverse career path: from preaching to publishing, graphic design, and now owning Made in the Shade (MITS). “I have a hard time thinking small,” David says. Though working in different fields, his various paths intersected at the perfect time to lead him to where he is today. David met the woman who would go on to found MITS when he was a graphic designer working on another project. They hit it off, and when she founded MITS, she asked for his help with the graphics. He created the original logo for MITS as well as the branding and marketing materials. He continued to help in a creative capacity for years, and through the growth of the company, he told the founder that there needed to be a MITS in Clarksville. She told him that the Clarksville market would launch when there was some here locally to launch it. That conversation went back and forth for a few years. Finally, in 2014, it dawned on David. He wanted to be the person to launch the Clarksville market. Over
the years of working with the company, he fell in love with it. Within weeks of starting MITS locally, he was busier than he ever anticipated being. His idea took off, and he jumped into the business fulltime. MITS combines his love of helping people, creativity, expression and design, and in 2020 David moved MITS to its current showroom off of Madison Street. Owning a business comes with a huge set of challenges, but David’s biggest challenge to overcome is one that can’t be seen. He is hard of hearing, and has been for his whole life. He’s never let it slow him down. As a child, he was active playing little league and doing gymnastics. As an adult, he has owned multiple businesses, has regularly had public speaking engagements, is a Leadership Clarksville ‘16 graduate, and is seeking to be actively engaged in the community at every opportunity. Even in business, David conducts himself with a spirit of collaborative kindness. Regarding competition in the market, David says, “We don’t win by beating others. We win by becoming the best we can be.” In closing, David reflectively says, “I want to be known for bringing people together.” FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK! • 35
