Indie chats with Franceso Clark, Founder and CEO of Clark Botanicals, an anti-aging skincare brand that was introduced out of sheer passion and transformative purpose. Clark’s life story was rewired following a mishap that left him paralyzed from the neck down. It had left him in a deep state of depression, making him question his reason for living. However, over time, Clark regained some movement and the ability to speak and breathe independently. But his mental state was still not there yet.
Just when everything seemed to be falling apart, Clark began to realize that it wasn’t only him who was in the struggle; it was also the rest of his family that was fighting with him in the process. That led him on a journey to transform lives, and Clark started Clark Botanicals with his father, a homeopathic doctor himself.
What it turned out to become is an inspiring tale of reemergence and survival. Clark teaches to not only take responsibility for your one precious life, but also to become a part of the solution instead of relying on other people entirely - to help you come out of it.
Links:
Indie chats with Franceso Clark, Founder and CEO of Clark Botanicals, an anti-aging skincare brand that was introduced out of sheer passion and transformative purpose. Clark’s life story was rewired following a mishap that left him paralyzed from the neck down. It had left him in a deep state of depression, making him question his reason for living. However, over time, Clark regained some movement and the ability to speak and breathe independently. But his mental state was still not there yet.
Just when everything seemed to be falling apart, Clark began to realize that it wasn’t only him who was in the struggle; it was also the rest of his family that was fighting with him in the process. That led him on a journey to transform lives, and Clark started Clark Botanicals with his father, a homeopathic doctor himself.
What it turned out to become is an inspiring tale of reemergence and survival. Clark teaches to not only take responsibility for your one precious life, but also to become a part of the solution instead of relying on other people entirely - to help you come out of it.
Links:
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to coming clean within delay. And today I'm gonna try not to cry. Francesco knows this, I already said this, because I am sitting here with Francesco Clark and I wrote this to him that he is truly one of the most inspirational people I know. He continues to be a source of inspiration for me, and he didn't even know it. I've been following your
Unknown:nd Okay, for Hello. Hello.
Indie Lee:So welcome.
Unknown:But let me just say, that was the first time I'd ever used clubhouse. And I was kind of like, oh, look, you had asked me to join this discussion that you know, I was like, of course, I'm going to join a discussion if Andy Lee is heading. But I never used clubhouse. And so I get into this application. I'm in the garage, and I'm pedal pedal this bike with my arms and my legs. And I'm
Indie Lee:Yes, that is a great way of saying it because I just felt this. I heard your voice. And I literally fell in love, like, in a friendship way like no outlet, like people like Oh, what happened here? Um, I was like, Oh, my gosh, everything I thought and I've read about you, your heart was just right there. And I think that from this episode, I'm really hoping that people who maybe
Unknown:Oh, the it was a weirdest thing because I had just used your cleanser. When you said that to me, I'm like, looking at him right now. The cloud with the light blue?
Indie Lee:Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's amazing. Okay, so we're gonna dive in. And I always so for anybody who doesn't know, Francesco, like I said, He's the CEO and founder of Clark's botanical and similar to most people in the industry, he did not start in beauty at all. But I think that your origin story and your why is so powerful, so impactful, that I and I said to him before we started,
Unknown:Thank you. I started a company from a hospital bed. In one sentence. My life changed in the blink of an eye. I was working in the fashion industry. I was working at Conde Nast. And then Harper's Bazaar, in the fashion department. You know, I was 24 years old, and I thought I was invincible. And I was an assistant and just seeing this incredibly glamorous, right brightly colored life
Indie Lee:Yeah. I listen from a 49 year olds perspective. It's like and it's so I'm with ya. Yeah.
Unknown:You know, and it's like Bronner Wolf, one of the the directors at the time at bizarre. She put together that Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and Brian park and you know, we were all assisting her to help to put it together. And then I'm sitting front row at the New York at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and I watched
Indie Lee:it from above my office overlook Bryant Park area.
Unknown:Yeah, it was one of those things where I was sitting there like, I am a seat filler, and I should not be here like, that's exactly what's going through my mind. But it was that was one of those moments where you're, I was just lucky, they needed a seat filled. I just so happened to be an assistant working for somebody who worked for, you know, somebody who was doing something there, and it shattered my C three C four vertebrae which is about two inches above that little bump in the back of your neck. And one minute before this happened 30 seconds before this happened. I had been celebrating. Wow and becoming so independent. As a young adult in New York. I am showing my family and my close friends how I'm really going to be making it on my own. And look at look at how great of
Indie Lee:I can't even that's life.
Unknown:And I was also alone. There was not one person in the house. Somebody walked in, saw me floating facedown in the pool, lifted my head above the water. And I said call 911 You just saved my life. But they didn't believe that anything was wrong with me because I did not have a scratch. There was not a drop of blood. There was not a bruise. I looked the same as I did 30 seconds before. But
Indie Lee:I can't believe you had the wherewithal to do that.
Unknown:You have no choice. You that I do know, you have no choice. And it is I have to say it's that you are only dealt with what you can deal with?
Indie Lee:Yeah. You know, I know that.
Unknown:Yes. So when you're put in a situation like that, I don't know. I don't know what kind of, you know, Mountain Dew or energy drink.
Indie Lee:Like, right? You're right. It's the adrenaline and it's just like you like you said, it's fight or flight. And you're gonna fight to save your life and you just your body instinctually knows what has to happen.
Unknown:Yeah. And at the same time, for some reason, I knew I would survive. So that overarching message of Do you realize what you're gonna have to do to get better, you still knew you were going to get better somehow. And so you're like, Okay, now I have energy to get to that point. Because that's what's going to happen. Let's just moment by moment. Exactly. So I'm helicoptered over to SUNY shallow end and right. I'm an idiot. And I don't know what to do to make it better. And I don't even want to tell you talk to you about this. Because the pain that I was not feeling in myself. I felt through the lens of them experiencing it for me. So imagining what I had gone through through my parents eyes, wow, was too much to bear. I can deal with it myself. But to think about what it must then things would get better. And it's more than just yourself. Yeah. So I started to, you know, I was on I was on life support for two weeks, I was on a respirator, I had a tube in my nose, I had tubes attached to everything. I would wake up at two in the morning and three in the morning to the smell of plastic, because I was intubated. And these like beeping and hissing sounds. And you would
Indie Lee:Oh, yes. Yeah, I know that I know the air.
Unknown:Yeah. So she said to me, you have to do this two hours a day. And I was kind of like, no.
Indie Lee:That's what you're not gonna do. Everything. Nope. Not gonna blow in the tube.
Unknown:No, I mean, I said yes. But realistically, I'm like, No, I'm not gonna do this for two hours. This is the most boring thing you could do. And so I'm sitting there, like, what can I do to make it more fun? So my sister, my best friend, brought speakers into the ICU. And I started singing Abba karaoke, every day for like three to four hours. And the guy in the room next to me was on, I think
Indie Lee:But isn't that how you are to this day? I mean, I look at you and I read about you. And that's what you exude. I mean, we were talking on the phone. I was like, or I could bring one you're like, oh, yeah, come bring one. I mean, you don't let anything stop you. Because you know, anything is possible. If you put your mind to it.
Unknown:I mean, what's the alternative? Yeah, you know, I mean, people are gonna say, you know, aren't you? Aren't you sad? I'm like, Would it help? Would it help? If I were sad? Are you worried? Would it help if I were worried?
Indie Lee:That is the conversations. I mean, you and I've had, it's so true. People said, I don't understand how when you got this diagnosis, and it was nowhere near what you went through? And I would say, what is that going to do me? If I go down the doom and gloom? How is that going to help me fight for my life? And I would say, No, I'm going to find a different diagnosis, I'm gonna find a
Unknown:Yeah. I'm not always peachy and rosy every day. That's not reality. I'm also a realist where I'm sure you can attest to Andy. But when you work in the beauty industry, a lot of there's a lot of, like, ethereal talk where it's like, oh, this ingredient was picked by an invisible unicorn. on Mars. That was like this Ross Hainault. Like, I don't know, everything is just
Indie Lee:I know, I know, the storytelling is. The truth is, is being pressed by a machine extracted.
Unknown:And yeah, I think I think that the there's also like a welcome sense of reality and being human and I think that's why you have a podcast, you can connect to people in a real way. That's how you and I met in the clubhouse. Because we have a real conversation it wasn't this like Frou Frou talk where we're being like overly elusive about stuff you just your director to the point. That's
Indie Lee:I was gonna say so what was that shift?
Unknown:The day that Christopher Reeve passed away for me was, it was a very, it was almost like an earthquake that you didn't really feel. But it helped me adopt my way of thinking in a different kind of way, where Superman just died. And he was the biggest advocate for other people with disabilities. But even for anybody I mean, he testified against Congress, he Yeah, flew to Australia and
Indie Lee:she really she was.
Unknown:Yeah. But I said, Mom, in order for me to go to this meeting, though, I had to put on a real shirt. And I need to put on real pants. And I looked in the mirror for the first time in three years, because up until this point, if I was in a room with a lot of windows, or looked in a mirror, all I would notice was a wheelchair. And I would burst into tears I would not notice me it was my
Indie Lee:No and anybody who and why I'm so thrilled we're doing this also for video and will be on YouTube is because anybody who is watching this sees you this vibrant, alive moving around person who's embracing life, defining it on your own terms. knows anything is possible. That's what I see when I look at you is anything is possible. Thank you. Thank you.
Unknown:Yeah. So when I looked in the mirror, I didn't see the way that I felt, I felt strong. I felt happy, I felt confident, I did not look strong, I did not look happy, I did not look confident. I look 10 years older than I was, I had rosacea, dry, flaky, oily skin, and which clearly
Indie Lee:you do not have now, by the way,
Unknown:thank God. So I turned to my father who's a medical doctor and a homeopath. And I said, you know, I've tried everything, it's not working for me. And you have to help me. I didn't do this to sell product. I just did it. As an emotional and psychological exercise, in recovery from trauma. I wanted to feel connected to myself, I wanted to look like the best version of myself. And so we our father and she took out one of the little ugly glass box. Oh, let me go. Embarrassed. Oh, and there's so you
Indie Lee:will your sister big time?
Unknown:i Yes, yes. 100%. So, Glenda, settable, if you're using it, I'm going to use it. I get a phone call three weeks later, where they want to shoot in the September issue. And I say thanks. but no thanks. And they're like, no, no, we're gonna put you in front of beauty director. And the beauty director gets on. And it was Alexander Parnassus at the time. And she said, whether you like it or baptism by fire seriously, it was very much a parallel experience to my parents standing next to me, in the hospital bed in the ICU, where I said, where I thought to myself, if they believe in me to like, to this degree, that they don't have a doubt that I can perform, then I have to do it, I have to do well. Of course it's going to do well, of course, it's going to be something and that's the power of why you and I are
Indie Lee:Yes. So I think that's yeah, I mean, I think that the universe gives you what you can handle. Sometimes you don't know it, but the universe knows better than you do. I mean, I always say you know, you don't know what your strength is until it's been tested. And I think both you and I have gone through that. And I completely agree sometimes times it takes other people believing in
Unknown:And one of the things that you and I were chatting about before, is people walking on the street, can see my wheelchair from a mile away. You if you're walking down the street and D, there'll be like, Oh, what a beautiful, like, they'll just see a beautiful woman walking down the street, but they will not understand everything that you went through to get to that day where you're walking
Indie Lee:Yeah. And that's, well, that's goes to exactly your back goes back to you. That's why Clark's botanical was born, it was to help yourself, reclaim your sense of self and feeling that confidence. It was interesting, I was doing some research, I did read a quote. And I want to I want to put you directly because it was from birdie. And it said skincare became the opposite of how most
Unknown:Yeah, you know, and I think we've all seen this during quarantine. What I always call them are mirror moments, it's like after you've showered, and you're putting on moisturizer, I was trying. So let's say those are the only like five to 10 minutes that you really have to yourself. Because as soon as you open that bathroom door, your cell phone is beeping and ringing and your
Indie Lee:1,000% 1,000% I can I guess Yes, yes, yes, yes. Because for me it's not just it's one thing to maybe write it but you've got to you've got to embrace it and and really take it in and like you said visualize it so that it's put out there in the universe and that energy is out there however you want to say it but that's that's the whoo side of me. I really say put it out there but the
Unknown:you know how, like, everybody said her, a lot of people say, you have your best ideas in the shower. Yes, that is me. Like every day, I'm always in the shower. I'm listening to music, I'm thinking. And I'm like, Oh my God, I'll start like thinking about stuff. And it's always, it's always during these like mirror moments where you really have time for yourself. And you can let your
Indie Lee:That's what self care to me is it is exactly that it's that true freedom for you to to be with yourself
Unknown:end. Because that's when you're truly indie you're
Indie Lee:in. That's it. That's why I changed my name. That's exactly it. I changed my name because it was about me stepping into my own sense of self, and independence. And so I shed that old version of myself who never did that would never step into her own power. That was Lisa, that was the old make. And I became, indeed taking care of myself, owning myself owning my power, standing up
Unknown:for Halloween, you could be superwoman, and I can be Superman.
Indie Lee:We're doing it. Everybody heard it here first. But that's, that's just me. You know what it's also about having fun. And I have to say, for me, personally, I wasn't enjoying my life fully. I was not living full out. Until my life was almost taken from me. I didn't understand what it meant to truly live. Until I thought I wasn't going to.
Unknown:I feel that. And I can only imagine I can't even imagine.
Indie Lee:Well, you can you. I mean, you had it. You had it. And I it's like, I look and I do this with my children. Because I'm like, don't wait until like I was 37 When I woke up. Yeah. Don't wait until then. Take the chances. Make the mistakes. Live full out. Yes, your parents are gonna be here to support you.
Unknown:But do your homework.
Indie Lee:Yes. Oh, Emily, if you're listening to your home.
Unknown:I agree with that. For me, it shifted from this way of thinking of life happened to making life happen. You know, it's easy to fall into this. How can this happen? Oh, life happens. But then, like, why now? You can take take the control, even if it's for me, it was
Indie Lee:11 choice every day? Yes. Every day. Yeah, have that. So let me ask you this. You go through some highs and lows. Right? How do you write that shit these days? Because you must still have bad day? I mean, I do. Yeah. Oh, god. Yeah. And certainly during the pandemic, I mean, that's a whole nother I mean, there's so much silver linings that I found from the pause I really did. But you
Unknown:I don't, I don't think when you're in that state of mind, seeing what I've accomplished, I never fall into that way of thinking, the thing that helps me snap out of it is doing the opposite of what I would want to do. So when you're in that kind of like, sad or kind of, you're in a funk, maybe like depressive state of mind. You like want to curl in under your blanket and be in bed and
Indie Lee:right. I think that I've said this in so many interviews, I think that the ability to ask for help is actually a superpower. Yeah, and I don't think it's a weakness. I think it is one of our greatest gifts, I think that the, the ability to give is something that's so incredible and so fulfilling. And by not asking for help, you're not allowing people to give that Grace to You. You're
Unknown:Exactly. And indie. You know, we founded our own brands, when you become a brand, founder. And then, you know, you stay on and you're you continue with the brand as is growing. There's this camaraderie with other founders, CEOs type thing where you're kind of like, Oh, my God, can you believe that this happened? But how did you get through it? And you start to ask, like, how did you? How
Indie Lee:I agree. I agree. I got a PhD by asking questions. And bringing people into the fold and wanting to help other people. Yeah. And give other people a platform. That's why I wanted you to the podcast is to get to know people better and to allow us to share our vulnerabilities and our strengths and how we get through things. Because that's the storytelling is the interesting part.
Unknown:Yes. And in that theme, and asking for help, there's also this sense of exactly what you said is giving back also, you can expect to only ask for help and never give any help as well. So they go hand in hand. And if both feel good, I think it feels so much better. For my what I really like is anything that I've learned to share with other people, it makes me feel better because what am I gonna do with it? Like working from my bedroom? What do I care if I like, know the answers to these questions, but don't share
Indie Lee:exactly I'm like, we all I say this all the time we all rise with the tide. Yeah, like there's enough people to go around for different brands, etc. Wouldn't it be more fun to help others than just to hoard information that could be so valuable to somebody else? It to me, that's, that's what I love about and that's what I love about social media too, is the ability to create these
Unknown:Yeah. Yeah.
Indie Lee:Or three? Yeah, there you go. I see a whole ship Kotori board in the making. 100% Francesco, I cannot thank you. Enough, though. For opening up to everybody here. You are incredible. I want to I have to ask two questions. Okay, so the world is reopening. What are you looking forward to most?
Unknown:I mean, the every day, more social aspects are what I ended up missing, you know, going out to dinner going out to like last minute dinners with friends in Manhattan. Um, and it's weird because like, now as New York is much more open, and I started going to the museums and like out here and there. It's like you have to get used to it again. Yeah, yes. It's weird. Yeah, reentry is weird. I miss traveling to like, I really, I miss I even miss like, international tourists as you're walking around in the city. You know, you know, like, you kind of miss that. And so
Indie Lee:yeah, you don't hear a lot of different languages or anything. It's there's not a lot of tourists looking around. But you're like literally getting out of my way. Yeah, I agree. I missed a sense of normalcy. I'm so looking forward to seeing my parents and my family. You know, being immune compromised and having a family that was immune compromised, you know, you're very, very careful.
Unknown:The 23rd of June what it was, it was
Indie Lee:two weeks ago. I was so funny. I was like, should I should I text him? Should I text him? And then I was like, Oh, I don't want to bother him. I'm like that person. Like it wasn't planned.
Unknown:So I have a lanyard for my cell phone. So it's literally around my neck. And oh, okay, great. So
Indie Lee:now all your friends
Unknown:text me they're like, I know that you can see my texts.
Indie Lee:Okay, no, did now I know. Now I know. So I'm gonna go see them. Hopefully. Well, I'm we're making I'm making the plan to see you and then they'll be aside. Okay. Okay, perfect. And my last question is, how do you recharge and stay present for you?
Unknown:How do I recharge, I have different, like two different ways I have. I sing really badly and loudly in my room, and I make a complete fool of myself with I love that my nephews or my two nieces. And I recharge, not taking myself seriously with my family. We have family dinner nights. My mom is from Bologna. And I grew up in Italy. So Italian was my first food, Italian, that was my
Indie Lee:you're around i Oh, I cannot wait. Yeah, I think it's the perfect place to end this because I cannot wait to be part of you recharging and vice versa. I know like I said the moment I was on the phone with you. I'm like this is someone who's going to be in my life for a long time. And I just felt that instant connection and so after our plate David I will find you and we will make our our
Unknown:a new product, but it's coming out right after the new year. Okay. Everything's like super slow and shipping. So
Indie Lee:I know I know, please, I know.
Unknown:But we are we are working in a couple of the things that I will brainstorm with you about.
Indie Lee:I can't wait. Okay, more to come then More to come guys. You have to wait. Stay tuned. There might be a part two of this then. Yes, go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for today. Thank you Wendy. I hope you enjoyed this episode of coming clean with indie lay. If you like what you hear, please hit the subscribe button and love to hear your review. If there are ideas for upcoming episodes