Last update: 4/13/2026
About Me
I'm a builder at heart. I enjoy turning ideas into real projects whether that's businesses, music, or things I'm learning to code.
I’m drawn to experimentation, learning new skills, and figuring out how things work. The process of building, improving, and trying again is what motivates me.
You'll usually find me happiest when I'm working on a project, producing music, training in the gym, or exploring something new I'm curious about.
I'm Clayton and this website is where I share what I'm building and learning.
My Story
I grew up in Livermore, California with my brother in a household that valued activity, curiosity, and family traditions like going to church every Sunday. As a kid I was always building or exploring something. I spent hours playing with K'NEX and Legos, riding bikes around the city, and getting lost in games like RuneScape.
Sports and outdoor activities were also a big part of growing up. I played baseball and hockey, and spent time paintballing and playing airsoft with friends. Looking back, I’ve always enjoyed environments where I could be active, competitive, and learning something new.
During high school my interests started to shift toward self-improvement and creativity. I became very dedicated to training in the gym and at the same time discovered music production. I became fascinated with hip hop and electronic music and spent countless hours learning how songs were made and experimenting with production.
Around that time I also became interested in business and personal development. I started reading books like Think and Grow Rich and How to Win Friends and Influence People, which sparked a curiosity about entrepreneurship, sales, and self education.
After high school I moved to Los Angeles to attend Icon Collective, a music production school where I focused on developing my technical and creative skills. After returning to Livermore, I worked at the Bankhead Theater doing live audio and stage work, which gave me experience working behind the scenes in live production environments.
During the COVID period I moved to Manteca and began working in sales at T-Mobile. That experience helped me develop stronger communication skills and a deeper understanding of sales and customer relationships. At the same time I continued pursuing self education and began building ecommerce businesses and learning more about online entrepreneurship.
Today I live in San Diego and my main focus is building and growing my ecommerce business, Prime Wine Coolers. It’s where I’m putting most of my energy, experimenting with strategies, and honing my entrepreneurial skills.
San Diego has also been a great place to stay active and surround myself with people who inspire me. I spend time riding bikes around the city and learning new skills from friends. Recently, I’ve been diving into cooking and real estate with guidance from friends who have expertise in those areas, which has been both fun and educational.
Being fully immersed in Prime Wine Coolers, while continuing to explore new interests and learn from those around me, keeps me motivated and constantly pushing myself to grow.
Projects
Ecommerce Stores
I build and experiment with ecommerce businesses, diving into product research, branding, and digital marketing. I’m passionate about understanding what makes products succeed and how online businesses scale efficiently.
Since 2020, I’ve been creating Shopify stores and loving every step of the journey. From branding and marketing to legal, analytics, SEO, and social media strategy, I’m fascinated by every aspect of running a successful online business.
Check out my current ecommerce project: Prime Wine Coolers Website
Building This Website
This website is a personal project and experiment in learning to code while exploring how AI can be used as a tool to build and create faster. Instead of relying entirely on templates or no-code builders, I wanted to understand how websites actually work and practice writing and modifying the code myself.
Throughout the process, I’ve been learning the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and web design while using AI as a tool to help troubleshoot problems, generate ideas, and speed up development. Rather than replacing the learning process, AI has acted more like a collaborator that helps me iterate and improve more quickly.
This project is part portfolio, part learning experience. It allows me to showcase my work in music and other projects while also documenting my progress in coding and technology. As I continue learning, the website will evolve with new features, design improvements, and additional projects.
Things I'm Learning
- Ecommerce & Digital Marketing – Everything involved in building and growing my main project, Prime Wine Coolers: product research, Shopify setup, ad campaigns, email marketing, customer experience, and operations.
- Sales & Persuasion – Learning how to sell effectively and understand customer behavior, both through ecommerce and real-world interactions.
- Fitness, Health & Nutrition – Building consistency in training, improving performance, and experimenting with diet and recovery.
- Coding & Technology – Practicing web development, learning new programming tools, and experimenting with AI-assisted workflows.
- Cooking – Learning culinary skills and techniques from Chris Prael and experimenting with different cuisines.
- Real Estate – Studying property investing, market trends, and deal analysis with guidance from Jonathan Sloboda.
Music
I've been producing music for over 10 years, primarily focusing on lo-fi hip-hop and electronic genres. Over the years I've developed a strong passion for sound design, composition, and the technical side of music production. I'm currently focused on continuing to improve my mixing, sound design, and overall production quality.
In 2017, I graduated from Icon Collective College of Music in Burbank, California with a certificate in music production. My time there helped deepen my understanding of music theory, arrangement, and modern production techniques. From 2018 to 2020, I worked in live audio at Bankhead Theater in Livermore, California, where I gained hands-on experience working with professional sound systems and live performances. During that time, I also co-ran Windmill Studio in Livermore with Brandon Rios, where we worked with local artists on recording, production, and mixing projects.
Icon Collective
Burbank, CA
Windmill Studio
Livermore, CA
Original Tracks
Dreambound
Wondering
Sesh
Time Off
Listen to more music projects here: Clay2k & afkzzz
Collaborations
Song: Twin Peaks
Artist: Brandon Rios (Producer / Writer) (@brandonrios4real)
Director: Sooraj Saxena (@soorajsaxena)
Role: Producer / Mix / Master / Recording
Songs: Dubai, Cruisin', Why You Mad
Artist: Jarvis Neely (@companyjarvis)
Role: Producer / Mix / Master / Recording
MBL Records
Song: The Exorcism
Artist: Hvze (@hvze_muzik)
Role: Master
DQ
Resume
My professional journey has been shaped by building projects, learning new skills, and taking on diverse experiences that pushed me to grow. From music production to sales, ecommerce, and entrepreneurship, each step has helped me develop practical skills and a builder mindset.
You can download my full resume as a PDF below, which includes my work experience, education, and skills.
Download Resume (PDF)Resume Highlights
- Founder — Prime Wine Coolers: Building and growing an ecommerce business from the ground up.
- Sales Representative — T-Mobile: Developed communication, persuasion, and customer service skills.
- Audio / Stage Technician — Bankhead Theater: Hands-on experience with live events and production.
- Music Production & Mixing: Continuous creative and technical development through music projects.