Today we’d like to introduce you to Samuel Clayton and Caden Hutchens.
Samuel and Caden , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Samuel Clayton – Journey to Executive Leadership
I studied Advertising at Brigham Young University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree focused on account management. My early career centered around client-facing roles as an account manager across several industries including legal, technology, consulting, and advertising agencies. Those experiences helped me develop a strong foundation in communication, strategy, and understanding how businesses grow.
Eventually my career led me to Otuvy, where I initially joined as a salesperson. Over time, my role evolved as the company grew. I stepped into leadership as Director of Marketing, then expanded responsibilities as Director of Marketing and Sales. Later I moved into the product side of the business as Executive Vice President, helping shape the platform and customer experience.
As Otuvy continued to scale, I transitioned back into the revenue side of the organization overseeing marketing, sales, and customer success as Chief Revenue Officer. Today I serve as Chief Operating Officer, working across revenue operations and finance to help guide the company’s growth and operational strategy within a bootstrapped environment.
Caden Hutchens – Poop to Prez: His CEO Journey
Caden Hutchens’ path into leadership began in a very hands-on way. Early in his career he worked at Otuvy as a Personal Assistant, where his responsibilities ranged widely — including literally picking up dog poop in the CEO’s yard as part of his role.
Through that experience, he was introduced to the commercial cleaning industry and began learning the operational challenges businesses face in maintaining consistency, accountability, and quality across teams. His curiosity about how these businesses functioned led him into increasing levels of leadership within the organization.
Over time, Caden rose through the company to become Executive Vice President, overseeing all departments of the business. In 2020 he was named CEO, stepping into the role during a pivotal time for the company and the industry.
It’s a journey that shows how hands-on experience and a deep understanding of operations can lead to leadership. As a running joke between us, I often tell Caden he should write a book titled “Poop to Prez.” — a nod to how far that journey has come.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has certainly not been smooth. Building and growing a software company in the commercial cleaning industry comes with constant change and new challenges. Over the last several years, the landscape of SaaS solutions serving this market has evolved quickly, with multiple competitors entering the space and new technologies, especially AI, rapidly reshaping how software is built and delivered.
As leaders in a bootstrapped company, one of our biggest challenges has been navigating those market shifts without the luxury of large external funding. That means we must be extremely disciplined about how we allocate time, resources, and energy. Every decision matters, and efficiency is critical.
One of our core values at Otuvy is being relentless. That mindset has helped us push through many of the day-to-day challenges that come with building a business in a competitive and fast-changing environment. We continually look for ways to improve how we operate internally by leveraging AI, refining our processes, and empowering our team to work smarter so we can focus more of our time on what matters most: helping our customers succeed.
Another ongoing challenge is clearly communicating how our platform solves very specific operational problems for cleaning companies. The industry is filled with hardworking operators who do not have time for complicated tools. Our job is to stay close to the customer, understand their real-world challenges, and continue refining our solution so it delivers practical value in their day-to-day operations.
Ultimately, the obstacles we face such as competition, technological change, and operating in a bootstrapped environment have pushed us to become more focused, more efficient, and more committed to staying customer-centered in everything we build.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Outside of our day to day work leading Otuvy, both of us enjoy building and creating things that entertain, inform, and bring people together.
One example of that is a podcast we launched together when the NHL announced a team in Utah. As longtime hockey fans, we started a Utah Hockey Club podcast where we served as the hosts and handled everything ourselves including recording, editing, and publishing the show. It quickly grew into a podcast with a sizable audience of local hockey fans. It was a fun creative outlet and a great example of something we built from scratch simply because we were excited about it.
That interest in entertaining and engaging audiences has also carried into live events. Last year we were invited to a large commercial cleaning industry association event where we served as the lead MCs for a formal gala. In that role we helped guide the evening, introduce speakers, and announce several high level industry leaders throughout the program. It was a unique opportunity to bring energy and personality to a professional setting and something we both genuinely enjoyed.
Caden also channels his creativity through a side business called Luxona, a sound and lighting rental and service company that helps couples and event planners elevate the experience at weddings and events. Through Luxsona he provides professional sound systems and lighting setups that help create memorable environments for people celebrating important moments.
Sam has also pursued several creative projects over the years. Since 2017 he has done voiceover work for a variety of businesses and projects. He has also hosted several personal podcast projects with other collaborators, continuing to explore storytelling and conversation through audio.
In addition, Sam runs a small consulting practice called Captain Marketer where he works with local Utah companies to help them improve their marketing, sales, and operational systems. This work blends creativity with strategy and execution, helping businesses clarify their messaging and build processes that allow them to grow.
Creativity also plays a large role in our professional work. At Otuvy we regularly produce content, thought leadership, and educational resources designed to help commercial cleaning companies improve their operations. Whether it is podcasts, written content, presentations, or social media, we enjoy creating material that teaches, entertains, and sparks conversation while building our company and our personal brands.
Outside of work, one of the ways we stay balanced is by playing hockey together each week in the adult league at Provo Peaks Ice Arena. It has become a great stress reliever and a way to reset from the daily responsibilities of running a growing software company, managing side businesses, and trying to be present husbands and fathers at home.
At the core, we both enjoy building things that connect with people. Whether that is software, a podcast, a live event, a wedding experience, or a marketing campaign, we take pride in creating work that provides real value and leaves people better than we found them.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Many people deserve credit for the journey we have been on. No business or leadership path is built alone, and we have both been fortunate to have mentors, supporters, and teammates who have helped shape how we think and lead.
From a professional standpoint, one of the most influential communities for us was SaaS Academy, originally created and led by Dan Martell. Being part of that network exposed us to other founders and operators who were building and scaling software companies. It helped us better understand how to structure, grow, and operate a SaaS business while staying disciplined as a bootstrapped company.
We have also been influenced by several leaders and authors who have challenged the way we think about leadership and performance. One book that had a strong impact on both of us is Raise Your Game by Alan Stein Jr., a former basketball performance coach. The principles in that book pushed us to think more intentionally about the standards we set for ourselves, our team, and the way we run Otuvy.
Beyond the professional world, both of us credit our parents for the foundation they gave us growing up. They instilled in us a faith in Jesus Christ and a desire to serve and help other people. Those values shaped how we approach leadership today. We try to lead with integrity, humility, and a genuine desire to support the people around us.
There have also been many mentors along the way, both formally hired coaches and personal mentors who have invested time in helping us grow. Their guidance has helped us become better fathers, better husbands, and better leaders to our employees, our families, and the communities we are part of.
Finally, our team and customers deserve tremendous credit. The people who work alongside us and the customers who trust us with their businesses continue to challenge us to improve. Their feedback, partnership, and belief in what we are building have played a huge role in shaping Otuvy into what it is today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.otuvy.com/ | https://luxsonalightandsound.com/ | https://www.captainmarketer.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueljclayton-coo and https://www.linkedin.com/in/caden-hutchens/
