It is often quoted that to become a true expert in something, you must practice it for at least 10,000 hours. Throughout his career, Michael has practiced Sales Forecasting and Market Research for more than 40,000 hours. 

Before founding Clear Path Market Research in 2013, Michael developed his skills during a 20- year career at top rated consumer research and sales forecasting firm BASES (now part of the world’s largest market research company – Nielsen).  

He was hand picked to lead the training efforts for new Analysts hired at BASES from 2001-2003 when the company expanded its business throughout Europe.  The manager that chose him, Mitch Barns, is now the CEO.  

Michael’s colleagues and clients most appreciated his ability to explain complex analyses in a clear and concise manner that enabled all stakeholders to understand, and thus utilize, the key findings and conclusions from the research.  

Michael left what is now Nielsen BASES on good terms in 2011 to enroll in a full-time MBA program at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He graduated in 2013 and still happily resides in Boulder, CO. 

During his MBA, Michael interned at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), co-authoring two market research reports for the Wind Energy team.  Both of these reports were published and can be found here and here. 

It was during his internship at NREL that Michael discovered a passion for Colorado industries. With his expert-level skill set, recent MBA education, and the entrepreneurial spirit of Boulder, he chose to create Clear Path Market Research.