Meet the Founder: Chris Clay

Roots in Saint Paul

Chris was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As a kid, he could often be found on the courts and fields at the MLK Center and Jimmy Lee Rec Center, playing football and basketball with neighborhood friends. Sports weren’t just games — they taught him discipline, teamwork, and gave him a place to belong.

Outside of sports, Chris had two passions that defined him early: music and fashion. He loved being sharp, keeping up with the latest styles, and expressing himself through sound. By high school, he was already writing and recording his own music — pouring his creativity into beats and lyrics.

Rock Bottom

Chris tried many times to fight his way back to long-term sobriety. But his breaking point came in his mid-30s after a difficult breakup with his fiancée and a horrific car accident that left him with permanent damage and partial paralysis in his leg.

The physical pain fed the depression. The depression fueled the drinking. Eventually, Chris’s body began to give out. In the ICU, doctors told him he was in kidney, heart, and liver failure. For weeks he lay tethered to machines, undergoing dialysis and barely clinging to life.

If it weren’t for his family’s intervention, Chris may not have survived another day.

The Turning Point

That brush with death became the catalyst for change. Chris realized he had been given another chance — and he made a decision to transform his life from the ground up.

He turned to a holistic path of recovery, blending traditional medicine with natural healing:

Nutrition & Herbs – shifting to a plant-rich diet of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and supplements that restored balance.
Daily Exercise & Routines – creating consistency, strength, and structure in his days.
Meditation & Breathwork – calming his nervous system, healing his mind, and breaking cycles of stress.
Acupuncture & Massage Therapy – easing nerve pain, improving circulation, and accelerating his body’s healing process.
Medicinal Marijuana – prescribed after the accident to manage pain and aid recovery in a natural, less harmful way.

Piece by piece, Chris rebuilt himself. His body grew stronger, his mind steadier, his spirit lighter.

A New Life, A New Purpose

Today, more than 2.5 years sober, Chris is in the best health of his adult life — physically, mentally, and emotionally. But his story doesn’t stop with his recovery. It’s now the fuel behind his purpose.

Chris has brought together his passions for music, fashion, and wellness to create MNUE — a brand built on the principle of Upper Echelon living: being the best version of yourself in every way.

Why MNUE Matters

Chris doesn’t just talk about transformation — he embodies it. He’s lived through loss, addiction, trauma, and the brink of death. And he’s fought his way back through grit, resilience, and holistic healing.