Meet Gary Lee And Leesa Clark- Price

We recently connected with Gary Lee And Leesa Clark- Price and have shared our conversation below.

Gary Lee and Leesa Clark-, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Gary:
Witnessing the murder/suicide of his mom on a German military base when he was only 6 yrs old. Then being shipped back to the states within a week following to find himself in a new and complicated family situation with a step sibling ( 7 yrs older than Gary) who resented his arrival and proceeded to abuse him in every way possible for the next 7 years.
Because his mom had spent so much time with him as a child doing art he had a hook or a connection to tha being what comforted him and made hm feel whole. His 1st grade teacher, in Montpellier, ID, just weeks after the tragedy noticed his artistic abilities and held up his drawings and said out loud to his classmates, “Look what Gary Price did!”… This was his “hand reaching back to lift him” . One of the first of many he know sees as his divine destiny … through his “Divine Turbulence”. Which is the title of his #! International best selling memoir.

Leesa:
My parents! They raised all of us (three brothers and me) to have confidence and humility. To go for the gold and then to share it!
This prepared me for the tragedy that struck my life at age 26 when I was widowed unexpectedly by suicide and left with 4 very young children to raise by myself. (oldest 6 yrs- youngest 6 months)
My Dad’s message of “you can do it” all of my life was always there and I just stepped into it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Gary:
Business and life Motto is “Lifting the Human Spirit Through Sculpture”

His lifes works are about this as well as inspiring world peace and connection.

Our non-profit is: The Statue of Responsibility Foundation. Building holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl’s vision of a Statue of Responsibility to book end The Statue of Liberty! As mentioned by Dr. Frankl in his famous book, Man’s Search for Meaning”…pg 132!

Leesa:
I spend most of my “work” time focused on the Foundation. “It is more than a Monument…it is a Movement!”. Most of my leisure time is spent on the grandkids and my women’s retreats. I fit in the RE Broker bucket in my spare time these days after selling several hundred million in real estate over the past 25 years.
If there is leftover time I try to get Gary to go to the mountains! LOL

WE are looking to spread the word about the Statue of Responsibility. It is NOT “our” monument . It belongs to EVERY one who hears the story and feels the message. A message that we pray will inspire all to be better, do better and seek for better things for others along the way. It’s a big message. Including our Liberty! It was not free. We must learn to be responsible for our freedom.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Gary:
1- Acquire knowledge and skill (practice and keep practicing)
2- Learn how to do many facets of your business/career
3- Never quit

Leesa:
1-My Dad always said to me “You can do it!”… and I believed him! Confidence is a really big game changer!
2-Follow your passion! If your J.O.B. is your passion you won’t “work” a day of your life!
3-Never quit! If it’s time to move on do it gracefully…

WE have don’t think its an accident that we have both had some very challenging things in our lives. Through challenge comes commitment and meaning. Like the famous quote Nitchka ? says….(I paraphrase) “It is through the burning that we so often find our purpose and our light. We have learned to push through challenge and expect the miracles.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

Gary:
Tony Robbins played a very big part in my early career. I attended one of his “walk on fire” events where he asked all of us to spend an hour and write everything we could about our business. Then he had us boil that down to one page then one paragraph. Finally asking us to create one sentence to describe the business/ vision we had for ur business. I came up with “Lifting the human spirit through sculpture”. This has been my mantra ever since. some 35ish years now.

Leesa:
My Dad. I miss him so much! I am who I am because he made me believe I already was! I don’t believe in “Problems”…only “decisions to be made”. Every day has a gift and there is always an “ouch- thank you” in pain and disappointments. We just don’t always see them until later.

We believe the Statue of Responsibility (its image and its message) will inspire not just our country but the world to connect and lift…to stop the negative that seems to have taken over and to hopefully re-align with thoughts and actions that are positive and lift us all. Just as the subtitle for Gary’s sculpture “The Ascent” (which is the inspiration for the Statue of Responsibility) states, “They rise highest who LIFT as they go!”

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