Clifford completed his PhD in Tourism Marketing focusing on how places could position themselves as fashionable destinations. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree from the University of Wollongong for which he was awarded the University Medal.

After completing his PhD, Clifford moved into the Market Research Industry and worked as a consultant for a range of private and public sector clients. During this time, he worked on projects related to new product development, service creation and implementation, customer relation management, pricing strategies, brand development, and marketing communications.