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Scottsdale man makes a business from selfies

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

After being furloughed from his job at a tourism company in 2020, Mike Clevenger wondered what he would do next.

As someone with an entrepreneurial background, he saw an opportunity one day when his 15-year-old twin daughters showed him how TikTok users would sometimes take videos of themselves in selfie studios.

Clevenger thought about how he could refine the concept.

Fast forward to last month, when Clevenger opened Scottsdale Selfie – a place where he and his family have allowed customers to have fun and capture unique photos.

While social media sites like TikTok and

There are 14 booths for customers to shoot photos inside of Scottsdale Selfie and

the booths will be changed periodically. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Instagram were a major influence on Clevenger’s decision to create the studio, he wanted to offer a unique twist on the traditional photo studio business.

“As we started kicking ideas around, I thought this would be a neat way to bring yesterday forward,” Clevenger said. “We are essentially bringing the old idea of a photography studio with the Instagram world and our studio brings both of those elements.”

He was also heavily swayed by the opportunity to run a business with his family.

“Being able to do something collectively with my children was the major motivator,” Clevenger said.

He had already procured a space that he had leased as a gym to independent trainers for three years called Getting You Fit Studios.

Because of its past as a gym, Clevenger was able to utilize the restrooms as fully private changing rooms for customers and utilize existing lockers in the space for customers to store their belongings and any

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Nemesis Club offers sophisticated escapes

BY MALLORY GLEICH Progress Contributor

If you’ve visited Soda Jerk Milkshake Co. on High Street in north Phoenix this year, you’ve probably noticed the door around the corner that might lead to a freezer or storage area of the eatery, but then…you’d be wrong.

On the other side of that door is a secret “organization,” otherwise known as the Nemesis Club.

The club, which opened in February 2021, is an escape game venue that hosts two different missions.

“The Nemesis Club is a secret underground hangout for arch-enemies, heroes and villains, spies and double agents,” owner Dustin Smith said.

Smith explained that guests receive a password to gain entry to Nemesis. Once inside, they will find themselves in a new environment and receive their “assignments.” The team (usually comprising four to eight players) has 60 minutes to uncover clues, solve puzzles and crack codes to accomplish the mission and make it out before the evil robots or the “Mogollon Monster” take over.

“As a ticketed guest of the club, you’ll step into a game and try to prove yourself a worthy member of the club by foiling an evil plot or pulling off a caper,” Smith said.

While inside the game, there is a “trusty sidekick or henchman” who remotely monitors each move and feeds the team helpful information.

“The sidekick is like the guy in the van in every spy movie,” Smith said. “He has access to helpful information to guide you if you get stuck. He plays a supporting role. The goal is to have fun, but remember to