228. Marcel Clarke | Hiding In Plain View

Hello, Book Thinkers family, and welcome to our personal development podcast, Book Thinkers Life-Changing Books. During each episode, we interview one of the world's top authors, and as a listener, you can expect to discover new books, new mentors, and new resources that you can use to achieve more and live better. In today's episode, we have the pleasure to interview Marcel Clark, author of Hiding in Plain View. Marcel is a real estate developer, investor, and entrepreneur with a background in business administration and organizational communications. He has built successful ventures in commercial cleaning, real estate, stock market investing, and cryptocurrency. But his path to success wasn't conventional. At just 7 years old, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, Marcel had one answer. He wanted to be a drug kingpin. The flashy lifestyle of dealers in his neighborhood seemed like the pinnacle of success. But instead of letting the world consume him, he took the leadership strategy and risk management skills he learned on the streets and transformed them into a thriving career. Now, his greatest mission is to help others break free from limiting beliefs and take control of their futures. In this episode, we dive into Marcel's extraordinary transformation, the biggest misconceptions about success, and how to turn adversity into opportunity. He shares the raw truth about overcoming obstacles, building wealth, and owning your story, even when the odds are stacked against you. If you've ever felt underestimated or unsure of your next move, this conversation is perfect for you. Now get ready to learn and enjoy this incredible conversation with Marcel Clark.

Marcel Clark, welcome to the Book Thinkers Life-Changing Books Podcast. We're excited to have you on today. And here's my first question. Rumor is when you were 7 years old, your teacher asked the class, what do you want to be when you grow up? And what was your answer?

Ah, that was it. That was it. That was a moment in time. Yeah, I was kind of just like perplexed with a lot of the things that were going on in my neighborhood at the time. So I was like, look, I want to be like the Bling Bling Boys out there. I want to be, you know, top kingpin drug dealer. So that was literally my answer, like right off the top of my head.

The reason I bring that up is because I think it helps us see into your life when you were younger. I mean, what was life like for you growing up?

Wow.

I mean, my life, it had lots of ups and downs, you know. Um, I was raised in a pretty nice neighborhood initially when I was smaller, you know, nice little middle-class neighborhood. But, you know, the ups and downs of my life, you know, next thing you know, I was living in the hood, you know. And then, you know, we emerged from that. So as a young person, it was kind of like, you know, it was just always fluctuating. Taught me a lot as an adult. But yeah, there's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of different types of neighborhoods, a lot of different places where I lived.

What was it about being a drug kingpin that was attractive to 7-year-old Marcel? Like, what was it that you looked at with the people in your neighborhood that made you say, like, I want to be— I want to be like that someday?

I mean, they had everything, right? I mean, they had nice cars, nice clothes, nice everything. So when you're younger, you know, and you see that, that's what you aspire to be, you know. So it was just a natural, you know, environment for me to kind of look around and go, hey, you know, that's a cool thing right there.

And then as you started to age a little bit, like, how did your perspective of that change?

Well, it just depends on where I was in life, you know. I mean, as a grown adult, you look back on it and you go, wow, that was, you know, You know, interesting choices at a young age. But I mean, when you're young, you're naive. But again, you know, the environment at the time when I found myself in, in several different environments, that was just, that was just the thing that, you know, you did. You know, it was just the environment that you were in. And again, as a grown adult, though, you know, you can reflect and you can go, hey, probably should have made better choices. But, you know, I'm one of those kind of people that I'm like, you know, what's meant to be is to be. 'Cause if I didn't go through a lot of that, I wouldn't be the person I am now.

Yeah, very true. And there's definitely some things that you just said that I want to unpack in a couple of minutes, but paint a picture for where you are today just to bridge that gap for the audience. So, I mean, you're multifaceted, you've got a lot going on. So kind of share some of the major things that you have in your life today.

Yeah, I mean, first and foremost, just a great father, parent, you know, to my 3 kids and they're all just doing, you know, wonderful things in life. So that makes me really proud. On the business front, I mean, I do everything from real estate development to commercial cleaning contracts with my commercial cleaning company. Obviously, I'm an author. Obviously, I have my own YouTube channel. I just do a lot, you know? And I just signed a deal with Marco's Pizza. Shout out to Steve out there for Marco's. So it just depends on what I'm getting into. You know, I branch out as a business person. That's the thing about my background and my education. If you're an entrepreneur, you can own anything.

Yeah.

You know, everything is open to you. So it just depends on, you know, you just gravitate towards the things you love and you like. And real estate development is probably one of my favorite things right now.

Yeah, I find that in my own life too. You know, I am an entrepreneur, I am a business owner, but I feel I get excited by a whole bunch of different stuff. And I think that's what's so cool about life is that when you, when you have the opportunity to play in these different worlds, real estate or franchising, like, it's just, I don't know, that's the spice of life. Do you agree?

Yeah, I mean, that's the beautiful thing about being an entrepreneur. I mean, you can just, you can create your own, you know, palette, right? I mean, it's a blank board right now, and you can just create whatever you want to. And, you know, I think the best entrepreneurs, we gravitate towards the things we really truly like and love, you know. So everything I do, I love. When I wake up in the morning, I'm looking forward to whatever I'm getting into that day. So, and then the diversity in, you know, my projects keeps me, you know, keeps me sharp. So the fact that we can do that as entrepreneurs dictate, you know, our outcomes, it's a beautiful thing.

Yeah, man, I've got so many things I wanna— I'm going to ask you about what it's like for you waking up in the morning in just a minute. But my first question, you mentioned your 3 kids. I'm curious because my wife and I, we just had our first baby a few months ago.

Congrats.

Your kids are raised in a very different environment than the one you grew up in. And so some of the things that you highlighted a few minutes ago when we first started the podcast, like those ups and downs that you had when you were younger, they created a little bit of resilience, right? How are you able to instill those same things given the success you've had today and maybe the different environment that your kids are growing up in?

That's an excellent question because, I mean, it's really challenging. You know, that's the one thing I didn't anticipate with success, that my kids be— they're in a great environment, but they're soft. I mean, that generation, yeah, this younger generation, my 30-year-old, she's tough like me. She's built out of nails. She'll be okay. But my 18 and 16, They're just so, you know, social media savvy, but also just like that's a defining factor in their lives. And it's just that like those things right there, you know, they're trying to navigate that. At first, I really didn't get. But over time, I started to understand like it is true though. Like if somebody has a room— if somebody wants to put dirt out there on you, now it's 1,000 people seeing it versus 2 people seeing it, you know? So that's a lot of pressure at one time. And That's their environment. So like for me, I'm always in teacher mode, which comes in handy 'cause my mom was a teacher, right? My mom was an English teacher, French teacher. So like that's inside me too, right? So every single time I can show them and illustrate, like not only through my words and my actions, but also like we have lab time. Like when something happens that's a big event, I'll sit them down in front of the television and say, watch for yourself. You know, like these are certain things you have to pay attention to.

Mm-hmm.

when you— as you guys grow and you try to navigate the world. So I really try my best to show them through real-life experiences, 'cause kids gonna be kids and they be like, yeah, Dad. Like, like, that's— I mean, it's gonna go in one ear and out the other. I think so. At some point they grab— they grasp that. But if you really wanna show them like, hey, listen, this is real stuff. A lot of times I try to take real-world events and go see, listen, you know, you guys growing up in this cush environment, but look what's going on in the hood, right? So don't go there because that's not what you— that's not what you made out of, you know? And don't go there down there trying to pretend, you know. So I give them that real, that real stuff. So, you know, it, it lands. But like I said, it takes time.

Did they know all the stories about you when you were younger that were in this book?

No, they didn't. You know, my oldest didn't even want me to put out the book.

Oh wow. Is she worried that her friends are gonna judge?

She was literally like, why are we even revisiting this? You know, like, she's like— is she— I mean, to a certain extent she's correct, right? Like You can just, like, put the past in the past and let it be. And I would be— I would still be me. But at the same time, you know, I'm one of those kind of people where I'm like, you know, I really want my whole story to be told because I think that what happened to me happened for a reason, you know? And I think there— I know for a fact that there's somebody that's going to pick up that book and they're going to not only learn from it, but they're going to be inspired by it.

Yeah, sometimes I think, you know, because I have the chance to interview a lot of interesting people, and, and one thing that you're doing really well that I think sometimes people miss the mark on is they write a book based on where they are today and they kind of forgot where they came from. And like, the younger version of Marcel going through everything wouldn't want to read a book just about the glitz and the glam. Like, this is so much more relatable for the younger version of yourself, the person you're probably trying to serve with the message, right? And so, it's important to include all those details and be real with it, not just close the curtain and forget about that side of your life.

Absolutely. And that's the whole thing. Like, we're in this environment where everybody wants to just show their best side. You know, everybody wants to act like it was perfect. Everybody had a great day every day. Yeah. So, you know, like, with me, I'm not— I'm just not built like that, right? I'm just like, look, let me show you my whole picture and you can judge for yourself. And again, You know, that's the thing about being an entrepreneur. You know, I'm bulletproof from that standpoint, right? Like, I'm used to people criticizing me. I'm, I'm used to hearing all the nonsense, and it's okay because it doesn't bother me. You know, like, it's just business is business. And, you know, yeah, this is a little step for me because that is my personal life. But even the critics, when they come out with their comments or whatever, you know, that kind of stuff bounces off of me because at the end of the day, I'm doing this for not only to close out that chapter in my life, but also to kind of like, like I said, hopefully Somebody out there can read it, be inspired, and they can push through their challenges.

Why did you decide to write the book? I didn't ask that yet. I'm curious, like, when did you wake up and say, hey, you know what, I've got to document all of this into a book?

Well, you know, like, maybe 10 years ago, I started writing the book. And it sat on my desk because life happened, got married, started businesses. So I think I had gotten through like 4 or 5 chapters.

Oh.

Yeah. And then I went to a class reunion and I saw a couple of people and it kind of brought back some things that I was like, hey, I need to kind of close that out. I need to really get this all finished, done, and push it out there. So once I became— as my life morphed and I experienced success, You know, I felt like to a certain extent, like I was kind of hiding in plain view. Like my real— like my whole story wasn't out there. Like all people saw was, and all they see is successful Marcel. You know, I mean, a lot of people, they would never think that any of that was a part of my life. And like, I'm— something in me said, listen, man, get that story out there. You know, like make sure everybody understands who the whole Marcel Clark is. And then like I said, you know, let it do what it's gonna do. But I would just, I would just encourage this internally. I just felt like I just wanted to wrap it up. So, so I finished the book up. And, um, you know, I'm happy that we finally pushed it out there. I mean, it's really a proud moment in my life.

Yeah, I think it's a, I think it's a smart move to put it all out there. And in today's world, everybody, like you alluded to earlier, every day is a good day. It's perfect. And, you know, today everything is run through AI algorithms and Photoshopped. And it's just, It feels a little fake. And so although I'm sure there were times where you thought, oh, if I put this out there, people might judge me, it's also the thing that will help them build a deeper relationship with you and maybe do more business with you or look up to you in a different way. And that's what I think is so cool is like what makes you unique. Sometimes you're scared to share it, but then sometimes it's also the thing that propels you to the next level from a business perspective.

Yep, again, yeah, like you just knocked it out of the park, Nick, because I mean, we're in an environment where, you know, when I first started business, you know, you could just have a website and basically that was your marketing, that was your marketing tool and your card, and people wanted, I mean, they would just do business based on that. Now people wanna delve into you, they wanna know who you are, they wanna know who they're doing business with. And you know, like you said, the story's gonna be the story, we've all been through some things, But, you know, like, just to put it all out there and be like, listen, this is me, that makes me a lot more comfortable. You know, I would hate for something to come up from the past that, you know, I haven't dealt with, and then all of a sudden it's here in my face, and I'm like, oh. 'Cause then it looks like you're trying to hide it, right? I don't have anything to hide. It is what it is. You know, my life is what it is, and I'm happy with my life. So, you know, putting it out there to me made the most sense.

Yeah, it's like it's easier to live one version of reality, right? The truth with it all out there. Yeah. Rather than trying to remember who you told You were told what and how you were positioning yourself there.

You know, like, you free. Like, you don't have anything to hide because it's right there. And yep, you— yep, that's what happened. Like, what, you know, there's nothing that you— whoever's out there that might have, you know, you know, ill intent, you know, it's out there. So like, it's going to be what it's going to be. But yeah, it's definitely liberating.

Yeah, it's like that scene in 8 Mile where Eminem starts dissing himself You know, and it's like, what are you gonna say now? What are you gonna say now?

Yeah, when he beat him to the punch, right? That's perfect. That's a perfect analogy. Like, he took everything from him, and at the end of the day, it created an epic win. And that's a classic, classic scene for that reason.

I haven't thought about that in a while. I might have to rewatch that. That's funny.

I mean, that's a classic, man. 8 Mile, that's one of my go-to movies. I wish Eminem could have done more. I really felt like he killed that role.

Yeah, I think so too, man. That's funny. I'm gonna check that out after. So back to your book though. When you, when you decided to— after the reunion, you decided to kind of close out that chapter in your life. What was it like writing this? Were you calling friends, having them, you know, exploring those memories with them in real time? Were you— did you have a writing partner? Like, how did you get it all onto paper?

Nah, I mean, I just really just kind of like just dug down deep, started thinking about, you know, those times. And I mean, I pretty much like that part of my life. Some of those things are just unforgettable, you know. So it was just really about how I was going to lay them out. Um, but yeah, it was just me just sitting down, taking time, kind of shutting the world down and just putting time into the book, you know, just focusing on, you know, what I wanted, you know, what I want, how I wanted it to come up, come about, and like really just crafting the message. So I mean, it was, it was definitely a therapeutic experience too, you know, because you just go back and you're thinking about some of these things and you go, Okay, man. I mean, I actually pushed through that. So it was, I mean, it was just brilliant all around. When I laid that book, when it was done, I mean, I definitely, I had a different type of relationship with my dad before he passed away. But when I finished that book, I mean, I was at peace. You know, like, no more beef, no more anything. I was like, all right, I got it. Because I had to take into consideration through that book that, you know, my dad was one of the first entrepreneurs I ever, ever even, you know, saw one-on-one. And if I wasn't, if I didn't see all of that, if I didn't experience that life as a kid, there's no way I would be here. You know, just looking at him do his thing, I was like, oh, that's definitely me, you know. So I knew some way, somehow I would end up as an entrepreneur. It's just that my path kind of just zigzagged. But at the end of the day, when it was time for me to kind of like step into it, I stepped into it with no problem. Yeah, sure.

Well, share with everybody, what were some of your earliest entrepreneurial gigs?

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Oh, oh man. I mean, it was a little bit of everything. Like, I mean, I mean, the crux of my— the crux of my story is basically it's about 4 young men who decided to just get involved. They were actually in— they were from a really, really nice middle-class neighborhood. So, I mean, when we were in our, you know, 12, 13 years old, all of us in high school, we lived in a really nice neighborhood. But for some reason, we just decided that we wanted to get involved with criminal activity. And through that journey, you know, they— once you dealt— once we started dealing with the criminal underbelly, man, it was a lot of things that our group had to navigate. Crime, drug addiction, murder, incarceration, obviously. And then, you know, a lot of my— a couple of my friends just didn't make it through, you know, that segment. Um, but me, I emerged like a phoenix, you know, and became an entrepreneur, you know, author, multimillionaire, you know. So, I mean, that's the, that's the crux of the actual story. Um, and, you know, again, it just covers a wide range of just events that I think, you know, when, when somebody reads this book, they'll be like, yeah, you know. Every day is a good day when you wake up, you know?

Yeah, no, and listen, that's what I was kind of fishing for, was for you to start touching on a few of those subjects, because I think it's also what differentiates you for our audience, for this podcast, for my social media following. Like, you know, you're, uh, you're teaching from a perspective that not a lot of the successful entrepreneurs that we work with come from, right? So it's, it's interesting to people. It's different. And again, that's what makes you unique is that you're speaking from a perspective, you know, and this story is operating from a perspective that we don't get to hear all the time, not in like the business world, right?

I mean, you know, that's the thing, you know, where I come from, a lot of— there was a— there were a lot of very talented young people, you know, but just use their skill sets the wrong way. Um, and I don't think, you know, people really understand that. I mean, you know, the crux of entrepreneurship is, you know, buy low, sell high. I mean, it's the same. That's the same frequency on the streets. You know, they're just trying to get a good and, and sell it for more. So like, you're right. Like, I think a lot of times people don't Can't, can't, can't gel the two because they don't understand, you know, both sides of the equation. Well, I do, you know, I understand both sides of the equation, and I really do feel like, you know, you know, if, if, if a lot of our young people were to understand that they could use their skills in a positive way, I mean, it could really be impactful. So there you go again. Like you said, I mean, me trying to bridge the gap at this stage of my life, I mean, that's all I— even if I save one kid. You know, from, from all the drama I had to go through to get here, then, you know, that'd be a good thing.

Yeah, I think so too. That's a good mission. Who is, uh, from your perspective, who's the target reader for this book? Who is it best positioned to serve and to help?

Oh, the young me.

It's—

you open with that, right? Yeah. Anytime I'm doing anything now, I always try to figure out, like, when I was trying to start out, when I really tried to really focus on, like, getting ahead in the world in my 20s, trying to work through college, trying to figure out my direction. You know, you know, I, I just had to deal with a lot. You know, I think young, especially again, younger people these days, they're probably dealing with more than they, they, and they don't really understand that. Listen, some things just have to work themselves out. You know, you can't, you, you're never gonna be able to resolve every issue the way you want it, you want to, um, resolve it. However, what you can do is focus on the things that you can control, right? That's the most important thing to being a successful entrepreneur. I focus on the things I can control. Right? Everything else that I can't control, actually, I just pray it up, right? If it's outside of my realm of control, I pray it up. But I do understand that the things I can control, those are the things that matter, right? And those things push me forward all the time. That's what I want my young people to understand too. Like, don't— let's cut out the noise, all the social media, la la la, all the fake influencers. Like, look, man, I see those same messages. Ah, get up every day and give it that. Listen, All of that is all of that. But what do you want to be? Like, what do you want to do? Like, what's the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? That's all that matters, right? And go after that. You know, whatever that is that you just have to do, go after that. And then you'll be okay. You know, follow whatever it is. You know, my son Bryce, man, he's incredibly meticulous. And as a young— when he was a kid, I used to look at him like, why are you so meticulous? His mom's smart. It's heck. She took him to some guy that, you know, when they go to school, what's going to be there? What would be— what do you be best at in college?

La la la.

And the guy said he'll be an engineer. And now that I look at him now when he's in first year of college, absolutely he's an engineer because he pays attention to the most meticulous things that, like, I'm like, Bryce, why are you bothering me with this? You know?

Yeah.

But his brain, the way he works, his individuality, this is what he's destined to do. And that's what I'm thinking. People sometimes get all caught up in what their mom wants them to be and what their dad wants them to be. Be what you want to be, you know, go with whatever works best for you. That's where you find success.

Yeah, I'm reading a couple of, like, early childhood development type books since I've got a little kid now. And that, that's a lesson that I'm starting to read more and more, which is like, your kid is never going to be who you want them to be. They're going to be who they are. And it's your job as a parent to help them become that person. And you don't have control over it. And that's a— it's a tough pill to swallow. I think there's probably a lot of parents on this podcast who are like, wait a second, I never thought about it that way.

Absolutely. Again, my— you know, their mom is a physician, OB-GYN, top of the echelon, right? She used to be like that with my daughter Jordan. She's like, she wanted to go into medicine. But I was always like, Jordan loves to draw. Jordan was just talking to me the other day. She might want to own a tattoo shop, right? I'm like, that's cool as your side hustle. I'm like, no, you're— You can do that as your side hustle. But my point there is, I'm like, yeah, we can open up that shop. You know, like, what's she gonna be? Whatever her plan A is, because she wants to be a pediatrician or something like that. We've naturally let her gravitate towards that. One minute she a lawyer, one minute— whatever she wants to be, I'm cool with that. But I'm saying, yeah, if you like drawing, which you do, because you've been drawing your head off, yeah, tattoo parlor makes sense. You shouldn't get all tatted up, but you want to tat people up and you want to make extra bank when you in school? Go after it. But it's what that— it's what your book, your, um, your author is saying. You have to let them just do what they're going to be. Now, of course, you give them guidance. Like I said, that's your side hustle, you know. We're not going to do that forever. But yeah, I want her to be the person that she wants to be because to me, you, you want her— again, you want her to be following that path where she's happy, you know. Happiness. We, we all as grown adults, you know, that's what we start focusing on as we age. We like Are you really happy doing la la la? And a lot of adults out there we know are not. You know, they're doing things they just don't want to do. They doing things just to make a paycheck. Nah, I mean, I'm not doing all this for my kids to be kind of like working for somebody else. I want them to do whatever they want to do. And if they do want to work for other people, that's cool. But they'll still have another foundation over here where if they want to, you know, jump into the family business, let's make it happen.

Man, I saw it was a quote on Instagram the other day and it, it sort of stopped me in my tracks. It said, just because you walked in the wrong door doesn't mean you have to stay in that room for the rest of your life. And I was like, oof, that's tough. Because yeah, so many people, man, they, they walk in the wrong door one time, and then they stay in that room and they hate them. They hate it. They hate it. They, they wake up every day and they're just thinking about how they can get out of doing their work. And it's like, man, what a tough spot to be.

When I was, I was riding the train in New York one time, and I was, I was sitting beside this older lady that works in hospice. And, you know, she actually, you know, she sees a lot of people at the end of life. She said that's the 2 things she always hears. She hears people say that they regret not living the life that they wanted to live versus the life everybody else wanted them to live. That's the bottom line right there. And that's a consistent theme she heard from people time and time again before they passed on.

Right.

That tells you everything you need to know, right? You got to do you. You know, man, push through the fear and push through the criticism and all the nonsense. and do what you wanna do, you know, 'cause we don't get to do this over. No second chances.

Have you ever read The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware?

No.

I'll send you a copy. It's, um, yeah, she's an end-of-life care nurse and she documents all of those takeaways, what people share. And it's heartbreaking, but at the same time it's motivating, it's clarifying, it helps you take action in the present moment. I think that fear of ending up with a life full of regret, man, That's the worst.

That's— that has to be the worst. You know, I've had a couple of things in my life when I was young, when a young person, and, you know, I just listened to other people and it didn't end the way I wanted to, and I regretted it. And I was like, I'm never doing that again. Yeah, I'm never doing that again. I'll take the hit all day long. I'll take the blame. You can put it on my shoulders if I make the decision. It's cool. But I do not like catching the blame or catching an L for something that I basically wasn't on board with. That's just not— that's just— it just doesn't work for me. It keeps me up at night. So I just prefer to take the whole, let's just do it, it's on me. Yeah, I'm totally with that. Like, I'm not— I'm not— my life is mine, so I'm going to make the decisions for me, and I'm cool with the way it turns out. But I'm not okay jumping on some bandwagon, or somebody said something and I follow them, it gets messed up, and I knew I shouldn't have done it. That's not okay.

Yeah, no, I think that's great clarity. You mentioned earlier that, like, understanding the difference between what's in your control and what's outside of your control kind of helped you level up in a big way. Where did you learn that? Did it just happen naturally in your life? Or did you study that somewhere else?

Nah, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. So good. Read that in college and it changed my life. That was it. Like, I saw those 2 circles. And I was like, that makes total sense. You know, I was like, why would I be sitting over here in my circle of concern worried about what people think and la la la? Get, get this circle going, get these things, focus on these things. And then I was off to the races. I mean, it totally changed my perspective and paradigm. I've never abandoned that, and I definitely passed that along to everybody I come across. It's— I'm starting to see it now. People starting to try, you know, I guess the word's out, but it's factual.

It is factual. Yeah. The Locus of Control. And man, that book changed my life too. So, we have that in common.

Yeah. That's a good— I mean, that's probably my number one book outside of Purpose Driven Life. I actually like— I mean, that's my number one and then number two.

So, you mentioned waking up in the morning and loving your life. And I know a big piece of that is having a purpose that you're connected to, something that you do every single day that brings you energy instead of takes it away. So, we kind of covered that. But I'm curious, going back to your comment about those Instagram influencers talking about their habits and stuff, do you have a morning routine? Are there things that you try to do every day, or is it just kind of wake up and get to work?

Nah, it's the same routine. I mean, first thing in the morning, I'm on CNBC looking like literally CNBC to the remote. Then you got, you got everything, Squawk Box is on. I'm usually up around 6-something. I'm looking at everybody on Squawk Box. I'm looking at the market to see which way it's going to go. Um, and then once I'm listening to a couple of interviews, then I'm off to the gym. And then once I hit the gym, I'm in the gym normally thinking about, okay, what's my calendar going to look like today? So once I'm in the gym, I'm working through it. I love the gym because, I mean, like, it's also an outlet for stress, you know? So if there's anything bothering me, I'm just taking it out on the weights, you know?

Yeah.

Um, and then I'll immerse in my day. My day could be totally different depending on the day. So If it's a— if it's a— if it has something to do with, like, we got a big project we're doing in DC, um, if that's— if that's my thing, I'm going up there and meeting with my general contractor, walking the property, trying to figure out what's next. Is it going to make, um, the date that we have for it to open? Or if, you know, if it's— if it's something to do with my commercial cleaning company, you know, that's— I'm— I'm putting out proposals, meeting with clients, la la la. So it is— my calendar dictates my day. Um, so then that's— so I knock out all business and then I usually try to wind down around 4 or 5, just kind of like start just letting things go, figuring out what I'm going to do for dinner, blah, blah, blah. I don't do the weekends. That's my routine too, right? I don't carry business into the weekends. So Friday is cut off. Like Saturday and Sunday don't bother me, you know, like it's going to have to wait till Monday. Yeah, that's another thing I learned, right? I used to always— I mean, I was 24/7, you know, and, um, it just didn't really do good for me when it came to personal relationships and things like that. So I learned that, you know, listen, do the Monday through Friday thing and then Saturday and Sunday is, you know, my time for me, my personal life, the people I care about, things like that. So that's kind of like my overall routine. And I stick to it, you know?

Yeah, good. Yeah. Routine. People think, oh yeah, you just stay in the same place. But routine creates forward momentum.

Yep.

I love that you start off at the gym. I'm the same way. I think it's a great way to relieve stress, to clear your mind, to be present, and also getting the exercise endorphins flowing early in the morning. Those benefits last throughout your day too. So you're sharper, you got more energy to apply to everything.

Yeah, it's like you just get your body going, you know, that activity, everything just gets you going and your mind is starting to get ready. And yeah, it just gets you sharper. So I love, I love starting my mornings out there too. Plus it feels like you did something, you know.

What's, uh, what's your favorite muscle group to work out?

Pecs, always.

You know that.

Gotta get that, that and the shoulders, man. Those are important. Yeah.

What's— are you like a flat bench guy?

Or free weights?

You do everything?

Yeah, I like the free weights though. I like free weights. You have to control those, you know, like free weights is harder to control. Keeps you— keeps your form where it's supposed to be. So I like the free weights the most with everything I do.

Yeah, me too. You get stabilizing muscles, which also help for the full range of motion and stuff. Yeah. Listen, I'm the same way. And I, you know, it's cool to hear. And then also Chandler was telling me That if you're ever up in the Boston, Massachusetts area, you're gonna have to play some basketball with us. He said that— he said you were a basketball star in your day.

I was pretty— I was okay at basketball. Take the star off, but I can still ball though. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I usually try to play at least once a week at the gym around the corner from me. So I still got— I still got a nice shot.

Yeah, I'm sure.

I'm sure we can—

we can attach star to your name when you see the level of play that we have and about how you'll probably stand out in a good way. Well, good stuff, man. Um, before we wrap up, a couple of final questions for you because we're already getting to the 30-minute mark. What are some of the other lessons, uh, that somebody can expect to learn if they choose to read this story?

The biggest lesson is it's all about perseverance. Yeah, you're never out of it. You're never out of it. You know, like, just always believe in yourself under all circumstances. You know, focus on the on what matters to you the most, but really understand that it's never over. It's like they said, till the fat lady sings, and she better be singing loud for me, it's never over. You know, I just learned that, you know, just keep going at it. And failure is just a part of the paradigm. It's like, it's going to be what it's going to be. Get some thick skin on you, because that's what you're going to get from that book. But when it's all said and done, everything that I went through, every lesson that I learned, it actually served me better down the road. So that's, I think that's the premise of the book, understanding that you have lots of ups and downs, but like staying focused, you could push through all of that.

I love it. Yeah. Let me ask you a personal question. Where does your communication style come from? Because I love how, how confident you are, how certain you are, but also you're kind of playful and smiley at the same time. So it comes across as like, Marcel really knows his stuff, but he's also somebody that I'd want to like hang out with, you know? And I admire that. I think you're a very good communicator.

Well, you know, undergrad, you know, that's again, there you go. Like when I was a kid, they used to always call me walkie-talkie. I love to talk and communicate. Like it was my thing. Like I couldn't get enough of it. So in undergrad, that was my major, communications. I was so focused on like things like the people wouldn't pay attention to nonverbal communication. People don't understand. If you just pay attention and listen, you learn way more than talking, you know? And I just became fascinated with that, you know? And like, I just— over time to start to hone my skills. But what I learned is always be you. You know, like, don't, don't try to be this or that or what you see. What are your assets? What do you have? And just be you. And like, that, that right there comes through all the time because I'm just being genuine, you know? And, you know, the rest is, you know, it works itself out.

Yeah, no, that's such a great answer. I remember I took a public speaking class in college and they would You'd record a video and then you'd have to watch it back with the volume off. And all of a sudden you realize, you know, your nonverbal communication skills aren't great until you start to develop. Well, you were walkie-talkie, so you were always communicating. But for me, I had to learn how to use my hands and like be more, you know, charismatic and enthusiastic and smiley and stuff and expressive. And it doesn't come naturally to everybody. So it's really, uh, sounds like it's a great skill set that you have.

Yeah, but like you said though, I mean, you can also learn some of the small nuances to make yourself better, right? I think that's the beautiful thing that people that— about people that love to, you know, learn. You can just evolve, you know?

Yeah.

You know, my Brian, my favorite, one of my best friends, Brian, when we were kids, he was like, get in where you fit in. You know? Like, that was his thing. He was like, no matter where we go, just get in where you fit in and then figure it out, you know? And I took that and I understood what he was saying. Like, you just have to always be trying to evolve. But when you— wherever you are, Just, you know, get in where you fit in and, you know, like, just have those conversations where you're comfortable and it'll all be okay.

Yeah, I think so too. All right. 2 final questions. The first is this: for people that want to buy a copy of your book or they want to learn more about you, where should they go?

Oh, marcelclark.co. So .co, y'all. I didn't get the .com. .co. So marcelclark.co. You land on my page. I mean, you can find the book there. But if you just plug it in on Google, I mean, it's everywhere now. It's on Amazon. It's on Book— is it Book Millions? It's like every major platform that's out there, Walmart, everybody has it. So you just plug it in at this point and you'll be able to find it. But yeah, go to my website, marcelclark.co. You'll be able to find me, a lot more about me, and you'll definitely learn more about the book because we have a whole landing page waiting for you.

All right, fantastic. And then we'll have all those links in the show notes for anybody that's still with us. Um, so that you can get a copy. And then here's the final one. Now, sometimes I ask, what's your favorite book? You already covered that. Um, so I'll ask a little bit of a different question. If this book disappeared, but you could leave the world with one message from it, and you kind of already said perseverance, so I'm gonna ask you for a different one. What's one more message from the book?

Believe. Believe. Like, believe in what you've been— your God-given talents, man. Believe that every person on this planet has a reason to be here. Everybody has an incredible skill set. Everybody has something to offer. Believe in that thing that's calling you at nighttime, that thing that you wake up to, that thing that's in the back of your head that you, you want to do. Like, it's just there. Believe in that and just never give up on your dreams and your hopes. Because I promise you, if you stay focused and you push, one day you're going to wake up and you'll be there. And that's happiness. You know, you'll be happy. You'll be good.

That's the mic drop to end the podcast. Hey, thank you, Marsau. This was a lot of fun today.

You the man, Nick. Thanks for putting me out there, man. I really appreciate you having me on the show. And man, much success to you as a father, man. It's going to be a good time. So you enjoy that aspect of it.

That is a wrap. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of Book Thinkers Life-Changing Books. It would mean the world to us if you could write a review and share this episode with a few of your friends. I mean, these books truly have the power to change people's lives, and by reviewing or sharing our podcast, you're helping us make an impact. If you have any recommendations for future guests or any constructive feedback for us on how we can improve our show, please feel free to submit a form on our website, www.bookthinkers.com, or send us a direct message on Instagram @bookthinkers. With that, I am signing off, and I hope you have a wonderful day. Don't forget, go read something.