Inspiring Conversations with Wendy Clark of Ignite

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Clark.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
Wendy Clark is a strategic thinker, communicator, and developer who has made a significant impact in her community through the integration of heart, business, and real estate. Her journey began at age 19 when she founded Carpe Diem Cleaning. With less than $100, the ability to scrub toilets (though she hates cleaning), and a dream, she unlocked the gifts of leadership, business, and life skills that have been her foundation of unlocking health, wealth, and wisdom. Today, Carpe Diem is a 7-figure business that is growing both in health and revenue. In 2007, she pivoted into the world of real estate development rooted in community development. She took a blighted, historic (for America) brick warehouse in a hurting part of Durham, NC, and created a sustainable entrepreneurial center which has been a beacon of practical hope for her community. She believes entrepreneurship is a cornerstone to healthy community development. As she has built teams, sustainability and matured her leadership and life skills; she pivoted again. She invested her leadership skills in creating a healthy foundation for her local EO chapter which is continuing to thrive today. She has served on their board since 2018 including a two-year term as president with a maternity leave in between. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
On the contrary. My road has been marked by deep suffering and pain. My childhood was marked with deep trauma, which could be captured by its lowest point when I was 14 years old. My Dad was remarrying. We had an incredibly special relationship, however the last two times I saw him alive were marked with deep pain. We had our first real argument ever. He was upset that he didn’t feel supported. I was annoyed fundamentally at his immaturity but trying to blame others for his pain. We ended at a peaceful pause but not a complete conversation. 

Then he remarried; which in itself wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but she had a daughter, Wendy, as well. As she was local, she became Wendy 1, and I became Wendy 2. Though I wanted my dad to be happy, it truly was the deepest moment of betrayal and rejection that a 14-year-old heart and brain could not process. Then 3 weeks later, 2 days before Thanksgiving, he died of a heart attack. 

Out of my inability to process that grief and pain, I didn’t want to exist. I didn’t bother to commit suicide as it wouldn’t solve my problem that I existed, which wasn’t my idea. As I went through the healing process, when I was 18- I decided that since I still exist, then I might as well live my life to its fullest. Henry Thoreau shares that we all live lives of quiet desperation. So, if I was going to have to experience this desperation then let it be for something greater than myself. So, it led me to the process of discovering my North Star as two of the gifts of my dad’s death, which were that I saw the brevity of life and that you could die with regrets. 

So, I chose to live and that I wanted to be the Olympian of being Wendy K Clark and to discover what that meant, not just getting to death doors and saying oops- did I live life to its fullest? 

The biggest challenge as I have been on this journey to live my North Star has been learning how to heal, both in terms of mindsets and practical tools, and breaking through my inner ceilings. I have met the enemy, and she is me. 

We’ve been impressed with Ignite, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In 2017, Wendy invested in remodeling the building’s event space into a charming venue now known as The Wedding Exchange. Through her entrepreneurial endeavors, numerous boards, and non-profit work; including serving as the President of the local Raleigh Durham EO Board between 2019-2021, she invests in the growth and development of the Durham community through increasing leadership and opportunity. 

As Wendy continues her journey, her focus is on fostering employee growth to strengthen the success of her businesses. She is developing a training curriculum designed to help leaders achieve full potential by unlocking the skillsets of prioritization and communication. 

“The keys to my success have truly been understanding what leadership means which includes proactive goal setting and my strategies for decision making. At its heart, goal setting is really about discovering who we are. Each and every one of us was brought into this world to express something unique, and goal setting enables us to unlock those works which we were created to do. I am grateful to continue to be a positive part of the thriving entrepreneurial community in Durham.” 

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Going to Niagara Falls in Canada to experience and visualize peace in its natural form. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thewendykclark.com/
• Instagram: @the_wendyclark
• Facebook: Wendy Clark