HIDING IN PLAIN VIEW by Marcel Clark - Synopsis, Excerpt, Q & A

 

Unveiling a journey from poverty to prosperity, this inspiring tale of resilience and self-discovery charts a path through adversity, empowering readers to forge their own destinies.

Hiding in Plain View is a compelling narrative by Marcel Clarke, an entrepreneur, community advocate, and YouTube host. Marcel vividly recounts the twists and turns of his life, revealing how he became the man he is today. His story begins in the streets of Philadelphia where he discovered his fearlessness, resourcefulness, and decision-making abilities, attributes that would later lead him towards entrepreneurship and leadership.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Marcel is thrust into a life of poverty due to his father's poor choices. Anger, resentment, and fear creep into his life for the first time. A chance encounter changes his life trajectory, as he moves from a comfortable suburban life to become a drug kingpin, leading to a constant struggle between his precarious environment and the pursuit of a better future.

His past, however, does not define him. Marcel decides to use the strength of his experiences to carve a new path. His journey of redemption and success is a testament to the power of discernment and an inspiration for readers to identify their passions, ignore distractions, and relentlessly pursue what truly matters.

Marcel's story culminates in his commitment to faith, guided by an unwavering devotion to God and his family. His narrative extends beyond personal triumphs and trials, offering assurance that with alignment, financial success will follow. His story serves as a beacon of hope, inspiring readers to take control of their destiny and shape their future for the better.

Hiding in Plain View is a powerful story of resilience, transformation, and the unwavering belief in one's abilities. It is a reminder that regardless of the obstacles one faces, the power to change lies within ourselves. It's a compelling read that will resonate with those looking to rise above adversity and achieve success against all odds.

EXCERPT

A LETTER TO MY INNER CHILD

 

"Don't let the world or your circumstances define you. Ignore the people in the stands with the negative signs, and just go after it."

 

Marcel,

The people you encounter, most of whom know very little or nothing about you, will always find ways to judge you or limit the sights you set for yourself, but none of that matters. What matters is knowing exactly who you are and being able to name the one, two, or three things you wake up thinking about every day.

 What is it that you love to do? If you were to quiet the noise around you, what would your soul whisper to you? To remain unshakeable in this world, you have to listen intently to that inner voice and when it calls out to you, no matter what it is, bet on yourself and go after it.

 Money is irrelevant; it will come, so if you have a passion for something, just focus on it consistently and make it happen.

 You're adventurous, and despite being an only child to parents who aren't incredibly hands-on, your curious nature means that you'll keep your investigative hat on at all times. You'll quickly learn to love the freedom your parents have given you to venture out and explore Philly on your own terms. In time, you'll start to rely on and have faith in the academic intelligence and the street-savviness your parents instilled in you. Your fearlessness will continue to grow, and it's these very traits that will follow you into adulthood and carry you through many (arguably, too many) formidable moments in your life. Not to worry, though, there will be several favorable times, too.

 The advantages of being by yourself from a young age will present themselves fully in adulthood. Your ability to tap into your creativity to keep yourself occupied will also prove beneficial-never lose that. Though your sociability skills will make it easy to connect with others, your ability to think quickly on your feet, draw conclusions, and confidently make decisions without the influence or input of others will serve you well when you step into the position of a leader and entrepreneur; two roles you were always destined to fulfill.

 Understand that making decisions solo doesn't make you selfish. It's your superpower and simply reflects the fact that you've been raised in an environment where you had no one else to bounce ideas off of. The advantage of this is that you've had no other option but to trust your gut and consider multiple angles and perspectives, which, in turn, became skills that you honed in order to start the process of deepening your self-trust. Doing this will help you own the decisions you make. Remember, it's okay if you're wrong sometimes. These are learning opportunities, as all mistakes are, and they create circumstances for you to learn the art of pivoting-something you'll have to do a lot throughout your teens and early twenties.

 Speaking of, Mom and Pops' separation will be difficult. Not only because you'll no longer be around them both but because the pivot will lead you and Mom into poverty. As your first major example of just how quickly life can change, it will be distressing, but trust me, you'll get through it, and you and Mom will grow a little closer as a result. The experience will also exemplify the importance of being aware of your environment, why you should never take anything for granted, and how to stay modest and grounded on your path to greatness because life can cruelly and quickly humble your ass in an instant.

 Experiencing poverty will form the eternal unconscious conviction in the back of your mind and depth of your bones, that you will never experience that ever again. In many ways, and after many years of reflection, you'll come to realize that it was the strength of your desire to never return to a life riddled with rats and roaches that kept you in the game far longer than you'd anticipated.

 The development of your ability to reserve judgment about the people you encounter in life will also come as a result of those years spent living in poverty. Where people come from will never be as important as where they are when you meet them or even where they're headed, and you'll make it your mission to keep this intact by any means necessary.

 Entering the drug game will present the second major example of how quickly life can change. Despite setting out to be successful rather than rich, you'll be exposed to rapidly accumulating wealth beyond anything you can imagine, not to mention cultivating sibling-like relationships and family-like bonds, some of which you'll maintain right into adulthood. The antics, trials, tribulations, money, and, quite frankly, power you'll experience as a result of saying yes to a random kid when he asks you to help him out on the strip will blow your mind. My advice is: Buckle up and get ready for the most adventurous ride of your life!

 When exposed to just how much money there is to be made in this world, you'll light a match on building rapid wealth, igniting a flame that you'll ultimately never be able to extinguish. The birth of your first daughter in your early twenties will reinforce why, for her sake and the sake of your future children, you cannot and will not ever be broke again.

 The love you'll have for that kid will exceed your expectations, and you'll also be introduced to the nuances of love, relationships, and, in many ways, your duty as a parent and partner through your relationships. Sheanea, your first official girlfriend, will open your heart up to deep friendship and love, and while she won't be your forever love, she'll provide you with one of your greatest blessings in life: your daughter, Marshay.

 The next significant relationship you'll have will be with a woman named Jackie, who, unfortunately, around the time of writing this letter, passed away from eye cancer. She's the once-in-a-lifetime comet that will fly by at the most precise and perfect time to redirect your path toward your destiny.

 Jackie will expose you to the caliber of ambitious, career-driven women who don't necessarily need a man to pay their way but who are very selective about the men they choose to engage with. You'll come to learn that there's something so captivating about a woman who doesn't need you but wants you, and over the years, you'll feel indebted to Jackie for exposing you to the kind of woman you'd want to marry someday.

 It will be a few years before you find the woman you'll ultimately marry, but when you cross paths with Stacy, you'll know she's the one. When it comes to your relationships with women, it's Stacy who will stand above all else as the woman who, in a world full of standards, criteria, and judgment, helps you understand and experience what true and unconditional love really is.

Without her, you wouldn't be who you are, where you are, or understand how imperative it is to meet people exactly where they are. From her unwavering belief in you to her contagious positivity, not to mention her exceptional intelligence and beauty, the eternal sense of gratitude you'll have for her will never fade. Stacy is the woman who will facilitate a pressure-free environment that allows you the space and grace to grow as a man as you enter the second quarter of your life. She's the woman you'll marry and create a beautiful life with. Your other two greatest blessings, Bryce and Jordyn, will come and augment the parental love you didn't know could expand any further and similarly help reinforce your duty to ensure you build your legacy so they, too, will never have to experience the poverty that you did.

 Outside of your loving family, you'll encounter folks whose presence impacts you, but in several instances, it will be their absence that hits you harder. From Stan The Man to your foster kid Craig (yes, you are briefly a foster parent) to even your dad, each of these individuals will leave an enduring impression on your heart.

 Though it will take many years and several conversations with God to forgive yourself, especially as a result of what happened with Stan, your perpetual commitment to public service and positively impacting communities will be ignited. The fire in your soul to influence the lives of underprivileged minority youth will be catalyzed by Craig entering your life.

 Due to the unfortunate way that his life is ultimately taken from him far too young-an instance experienced far too often within African American communities-you will forever be dedicated to educating and uplifting the lives of young Black men like Craig, whose circumstances do not have to determine the rest of their lives. In fact, every day, you will wake up questioning how best you can impact another young person's life, whether through cost-free advice, activities, or speaking engagements.

 As for your relationship with your dad, just trust me when I say that despite all the setbacks you will encounter with him (and believe me, there are many!), telling your story is what will help you reconcile your relationship with him. You'll let go of the grudges that compromised your relationship for decades, and instead of criticizing the decisions he made on how he chose to live his life in his later years, you'll learn from them, realizing that he remained true to himself until the very end.

 Without him being an entrepreneur, you wouldn't have been inspired to be the same way from a very young age. Ironically, it was his questionable parenting that served to reinforce you growing up to be the type of parent you wish you had in him. It's your dad who gave you the ability to detect silver linings in even the most unfortunate of predicaments, and for that, as well as his entrepreneurial spirit, you'll find yourself thinking that he, too, deserves a small crown.

 Collectively, throughout all the losses you will endure from your family and friendship circle, you'll learn to live your life to the maximum every single day. You can be here one day and, in the blink of an eye, be gone the next. With that always in mind, you'll remember to never put off until tomorrow what you can get done throughout today.

 Remember, loss doesn't always entail the ending of a life. Loss also includes the ending of long friendships. Would you believe me if I told you that Kofi, Kedron, Kevin, and Nathan would no longer be your brothers in adulthood? Unlikely. But what I will say is that for the season that they are in your life, for the most part, they are your ride or dies, and your interactions and dealings with them are what catapult you into rapid wealth and out of poverty.

 Letting them go will not be easy, and the challenging times and feelings of betrayal you endure will try their best to consume you in the period of isolation you'll be forced into. But the distance will emulate that of a cocoon, and the metamorphosis you'll experience will take the form of an intentional decision to rebuild and redirect your life for your growth and especially your safety.

The friends you meet, many of whom will turn out to be lifelong and from all walks of life, will be made once you leave the proverbial cocoon, during what will possibly feel like a period of abandonment and almost punishment while you're alone.

 Looking around at your newly developed circle, there will be no traces of anything negative or illegal because you'll simply no longer associate with it. Your friendships will be balanced, and everything you do will be above board, to the point where many of the people reading this won't believe half the things you've shared in the book you'll write in your fifties.

 The term "no cap, no snitching" will lose the hold it once had over you, because all it ever really does is keep the Black community in a perpetual state of covering each other's crimes. Juxtaposed with the life you'll come to live, where there are actually consequences for crimes, you'll appreciate the peace that comes with a life that's free from it.

 No more having to dodge bullets as you wade through cars or jump on the back of firetrucks to escape shots being fired at you by a known killer. No more watching over your back, questioning who the real ones are, or being in life-threatening situations, period. Life will slowly begin to reflect answered prayers; it will begin to feel easy.

 Betting on yourself when you have to start from scratch for the second time will test you and have you questioning whether you'll ever be able to make a comeback. You'll go from having hundreds of thousands of dollars passing through your hands monthly to a small $800 bi-weekly check to make do with, and it'll suck! But just hold on because you've started from scratch before, and you know how to get it done.

 Things will exponentially improve the more you reinforce your commitment to a better life through prayer and action. The prayer and promise you make to God to stay out of trouble if He gets you out of the bind you're in gets heard. You're given a second chance, Marcel, one you grab hold of and never look back.

 Believe it or not, your mom's incessant requests for you to finish school will be your ticket out of the life you'd known, so no matter how much you'll be tempted to resist her wishes, you'll realize she saw the biggest vision for your life all along. What's even more ironic is that you'll be the exact same way, if not worse than her, when it comes to instilling the importance of education in your own kids! Marshay, Bryce, and Jordyn, your three children, will be intelligent and possess exceptional leadership qualities despite their differing personalities.

 At the end of the day, you'll understand that, despite the dynamic you had with your family growing up, family is everything and that the investment you make in them is what makes everything else you invest in worth it. Instilling knowledge of the business world in them, so they know where to pick up if and when necessary, is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

Your kids won't have to be one of the hundreds of competent but ultimately illegitimate young Black CEOs in the streets like you were. They'll learn from your transferable skills of navigating people, communication, coordination, sales, and marketing, to maintain and build on what you start. From owning a cleaning franchise that grows to generate over $1.5 million in revenue to starting several of your own thriving businesses, you'll observe that you can make just as much money, if not more, legitimately.

 If I could sum it all up, I would say to you that everything is going to be okay. Keep doing exactly what you do, which is to determine your own path with the flexibility to be open to pivoting should a more suitable direction present itself. Be aware of the people who not only say they love you but consistently show you what they do through action. Those special people are your advisors whose advice you hold in high regard. Even so, you know and trust yourself, and it's ultimately up to you to listen to your inner voice. Remember that it's God speaking to you, and when you are one of God's children, you can't lose, and your life will reflect that.

 Marcel, you can do anything. Don't let the world or your circumstances make you lose sight of that. As long as you're breathing and capable, the world will be yours!

 Rooting you on from the future,

Marcel J. Clarke

Q & A  

On writing:

How did you do research for your book? 

It's an autobiography. I wrote my book based on mental and physical notes. 

Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?

The hardest character to write was my father.  The easiest was myself.  

In your book you make a reference to your childhood. How did you come up with this idea?

It was an essential aspect of my story. What made you write a book about your life? It’s a story that needed to be told.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories? 

My memories inspired my stories. 

There are many books out there about life. What makes yours different? 

It’s a story about resilience and fortitude. One’s ability to manifest change through decision-making and actions. 

What advice would you give budding writers? 

Be original and use your unique perspectives to connect with your audience.  

Your book is set in Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Maryland. Have you ever been there? 

Yes

In your book you state. “Be smart” why is that? 

Because in this world everyone doesn’t have your best interest in mind. 

If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be? 

Myself (Marcel)

Do you have another profession besides writing? 

I’m an entrepreneur. 

How long have you been writing? 

10 years.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it? 

No. I have to take mental breaks.

What genre do you write and why? 

Bio-Fiction. Because it allows me to expand the truth. 

What is the last great book you’ve read? 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing? 

That “I am a brilliant storyteller.”

bHow are you similar to or different from your lead character? 

We both have tremendous perseverance.

If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles? 

Not sure.

If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack? 

All mid 90’s hip-hop artists (Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z).

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book? 

The biggest challenge was converting memories to paper.  The greatest reward was actually capturing my life in a book, which will now be analyzed for generations.  

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like? 

Easy. I used a well-established publishing company.

Which authors inspired you to write? 

Mason Betha, Rick Warren and Russell Simmons. 

What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept? 

Nothing

On rituals:

Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?

Yes. Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Where do you write? 

On my phone, in my bed. 

Do you write every day? 

No

What is your writing schedule? 

Mostly weekends

Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time? 

I like writing between 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. when it's incredibly quiet. 

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop.

Have you ever written parts of your book on paper? No. 

Fun stuff:

If you could go back in time, where would you go? 

I wouldn’t.  If anything, I would love to see the future, 2050. 

Favorite travel spot?

 Anywhere in the Caribbean. 

Favorite dessert? 

Chocolate Mousse Cake. 

If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you? 

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, A Purpose Driven Life, & Do You. 

What’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?

I’ve been shot at! 

What’s the strangest thing that ever happened to you? 

I observed a UFO. 

What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? 

Starting my first business. 

Any hobbies? 

Playing golf, basketball & high stakes poker.

If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be? 

That I never gave up on myself and I never will.  

What is something you've learned about yourself during the pandemic? 

Solace and self-awareness are good for your mental growth. 

What TV series are you currently binge watching? 

Night Agent on Netflix

What is your theme song? 

“So Ambitious” (Jay-Z & Pharrell Williams) 

What is your favorite thing to do in the spring? 

Spend time with family & friends.

What is your favorite holiday? 

I have to love Thanksgiving.  It brings everyone together.  

What song is currently playing on a loop in your head? 

“Sun Comes Down” (Artist: Fridayy) 

What is something that made you laugh recently? 

Instagram clips in general. 

What is your go-to breakfast item? 

Steak & Eggs 

What is the oldest item of clothing you own? 

Not sure.

Tell us about your longest friendship. 

Max Hernandes, 40+ years. We are like brothers. I may not talk to him every single day.  However, when we do speak it's as if we talk every single day.  

What is the strangest way you've become friends with someone? 

Met two of my best friends in a Madden League (video games).

Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

Lisa (Left-Eye) Lopez.

Marcel Clarke, a native of Hyattsville, Maryland, is a serial entrepreneur with a unique journey to success.

An honor student of the streets, he transformed his life, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Organizational Communications.

Now, he is a successful entrepreneur and real estate developer, with investments in the stock market and cryptocurrency.

Marcel is also a community advocate, speaker, and mentor, dedicated to sharing industry knowledge and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Hiding In Plain View is his firstbook.