E99 - Debra Clary | From Truck Driver to C-Suite

About this episode

Dr. Debra Clary shares her journey from truck driver to CEO, highlighting her experiences and insights on leadership and curiosity.

In this Matthews Mentality Podcast episode, host Kyle Matthews interviews Dr. Debra Clary, founder and CEO of the Clary Group and author of The Curiosity Curve (launching with Fast Company in October 2025). Clary shares how she grew up feeling like an underdog and used that mindset to outwork others, beginning her career as a 4:00 AM Frito-Lay route driver in Detroit before moving into leadership roles at major organizations including Coca-Cola, Jack Daniels, Papa John’s, and Humana. She recounts learning credibility through discipline, building trust with backdoor receivers to increase route sales, earning a promotion to manager in nine months, and discovering the “power of a question” after being publicly accused of damaging truck tires that weren’t hers. Clary describes being fired after a corporate shakeup at Frito-Lay, landing at Coca-Cola through a recruiter connection, saving the Papa John’s account by gathering franchisee feedback and securing a video from Coca-Cola president Jack Stahl, then later being hired—and fired—by Papa John’s. After joining Jack Daniels as VP of strategy, she earned a doctorate at George Washington University and later moved to Humana, where she…

People in this episode

Host: Kyle Matthews

Guest: Dr. Debra Clary

Topics covered

• career growth
• leadership
• overcoming adversity
• curiosity in performance
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• leadership
• curiosity
• career development
• entrepreneurship
• Frito-Lay
• Coca-Cola
• Jack Daniels
• Papa John’s

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Clary Group, Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniels, Papa John’s, Humana, George Washington University, MIT

Books & works: The Curiosity Curve

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