Rolling Monkey, Garrett Clark (’13), Owner
Alumni Excellence in Business Awards
More than a Sweet Treat
Rolling Monkey handcrafted ice cream is a locally-owned rolled ice cream shop that is popular among adults and children alike, and it has firmly established its own place within the Statesboro community.
But the concept behind the business is much deeper than simply a sweet treat.
Finding a “reason for being”
Rolling Monkey founder, Garrett Clark and co-founder, Meagan Clark, are both graduates of Georgia Southern and began dating during their time at the school.
Garrett, an engineer, and Meagan, an elementary school teacher, spent a few years within their respective professions before feeling a strong calling to do “something more” with their lives and their goals.
Garrett had discovered the Ikigai concept, which is a Japanese term translating to “purpose” or “reason for being,” and the two knew that their lives were meant to change.
The couple set out to address what John Vervaeke, professor of cognitive science at Toronto University, has termed “the meaning crisis,” and the concept of Rolling Monkey Ice Cream was born.
Rolling out the Inspiration Station concept
From the day the doors opened, Rolling Monkey has positioned their unique and engaging ice cream experience as an example of what can be accomplished within the retail and restaurant business model. Rolling Monkey isn’t just about selling ice cream for founder Garrett Clark. He’s created a holistic environment that meets the needs of their employees from the ground up.
The founder and co-founder’s mission is to “Inspire People who Inspire the World”. They do this by unlocking the potential in their most valuable asset, their culture. Garrett is on a mission to create environments that unite people to drive positive, meaningful change. As part of that mission, the Clarks have developed a communal “InspirationStationTM” at Rolling Monkey that has yielded thousands of inspired testimonies from employees, interns, customers, and business partners alike.
The work environment they have created is designed to meet employees’ and interns’ physiological, safety, love, belonging, esteem, and meaning needs. Through this commitment, the Clarks produce more driven, abundant, creative, and adaptable graduates who are effectively prepared for life in today’s world.
In addition, Rolling Monkey is committed to being involved in our community, frequently hosting percentage nights for various causes and forming mutually beneficial partnerships with other local entities like Georgia Southern University.
A sweet success
Under this concept, Rolling Monkey has accomplished an incredible amount in just five years of business. Garrett led the business to achieve half a million dollars in revenue in its first year of operation and designed a resilient business model that was built with a foundation to withstand an economic crisis.
The business has been awarded more than 70 recognitions to date, including Best Locally Owned Business, Best Place to Work, and Best Place for Family Fun. The social entrepreneur and his team have also developed seven internship programs, yielding 30-plus accreditations in a variety of areas including organizational psychology, finance, and multimedia.
In early 2023, Rolling Monkey received a particularly meaningful recognition: the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber’s 2022 Best Small Business Award. Garrett said at the time, “This one touches a special place in our hearts, as it recognizes businesses specifically around product and service innovation, customer service, community
involvement, and staff development, all of which we care deeply about and strive each and every day to further develop.”
Inspiring a path forward
Moving forward, Garrett aims to partner with other leaders who share in his vision of unlocking the potential in their cultures. Through Inspired Solutions Consulting, Garrett is catalyzing synergy between top-level leadership’s vision and value-added team members’ day-to-day tasks, providing each employee with a meaningful purpose and improving metrics such as turnover, retention, and synergy scores yielding higher productivity and unity throughout the organization.
An expression of gratitude
“We are grateful to reach this milestone and know it wouldn’t be possible without an amazing team, community, and partners,” Garrett said. “From the bottom of our hearts, we thank everyone who has been a part of this venture and look forward to those who will join us in making Rolling Monkey a legacy that positively impacts generations to come.”