This millennial Mover & Shaker understands the strength in family, inspiring youth and paying it forward. Like a superhero, he’s dual powered – a “for profit” auto salesman by day and a “non-profit” philanthropist by night. Driven by a mission to empower, impact and inspire lives, he believes in the importance of preparing for the future by educating the next generation about social responsibility today. We are honored to spotlight Middletown’s own, Terrance Clark, Jr. as a Top 10 North Delaware Mover & Shaker of 2015.

The co-founder and co-visionary of Limitless La Vie, Terrance Clark, Jr. is a catalyst to inspire growth for the Pay It Forward philosophy – those acts of kindness among strangers, generating a ripple effect from one person to the next, one community to the nextconcept. Terrance tributes his giving ways to his parents and the Boys & Girls Club who taught him early on the importance of taking care of your community.

Q&A with Terrance

NDH: The person who nominated you gave us 3 reasons why you should be nominated as a Mover & Shaker.  Now we would like to hear it from you.  Tell us three reasons why you are a Mover & Shaker.

Terrance: Truthfully, I try to just live in a manner that reflects gratitude, being grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to give back to my community. When I think of the challenges facing our youth today, the question that comes to my mind is “how can I serve?” It is my firm belief that strengthening family ties has a positive impact on the community. Within our underserved populations, I want to help as many youth as possible reach their fullest potential and be the movers and shakers in this next generation. My goal has always been to be a positive influence and make things happen! Being a cofounder of Limitless La Vie, gives me a platform to accomplish meaningful goals that empower our underserved populations. I like partnering with other influencers to achieve this goal.

“My goal has always been to be a positive influence and make things happen!” Terrance Clark

NDH: For which achievements are you most proud?

Terrance: I am most proud of the school supply drive that we coordinated with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Newark. I believe very strongly in the power of education. By providing school supplies, I see it as a way to take some of the financial burden off the families who might not otherwise afford all of the materials that their children need for their schooling. I also believe that students perform better in school when they have the resources they need. Having grown up in the Boys & Girls Club, under people who greatly influenced me, it was quite rewarding to be able to facilitate an activity like this that I know is needed and appreciated. I am happy to be someone that the kids can come to for help.

NDH: Can you share how your involvement has impacted an individual or the North Delaware community?

Terrance: We sent 90 children to school this year(2015) feeling truly prepared with all new school supplies.

NDH: Movers & Shakers are visionaries.  What projects are you working on for future achievement?

Terrance: Limitless La Vie is also a lifestyle brand. As such, we feel that our recognition of students in the arts is a worthwhile endeavor. One of our goals is to help dreams come true for outstanding high school students in high-risk and underserved communities.   We seek students with academic excellence, positive leadership and dedication to service. Currently we are partnering with the High School of Art & Design in New York City on a student design competition that will award the winner a $5,000 college scholarship. The students will be designing a young professional capsule collection made of sustainable fabrics.  The High School of Art and Design has very good synergy with the core of Limitless La Vie Corp. – we both inspire and develop opportunities for the creative minds.

NDH: Have you faced any serious challenges along the way that you would like to share?

Terrance:  In the fashion industry when you aren’t a manufacturer, you are forced to deal with independent contractors. Sometimes that can be a nightmare; in fact we were scammed out of close to $5000 by a “manufacturer” in California. This challenge definitely made us more aware and taught us to approach business situations differently. I would advise to make sure the people you deal with are people you can sit in front of “face-to-face”. Also, do not hesitate to ask for references and verify that the references are valid.  In our particular situation, I later found out that many of this manufacturer’s customers had also experienced similar problems with them. Another precaution is to look for reviews online to see what others are saying. If too many people are writing negative information, that’s definitely a red flag.

NDH: What local organizations, events or clubs are you currently involved with?

• Boys and Girls Club Greater Newark
• American Cancer Society
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

NDH: What attracted you to these organizations?

Terrance: I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club (BGC, “the Club”) and appreciate them as a positive place for kids coupled with the fact that they help build strong relationships. American Cancer Society  (ACS) supports a lot of causes such as Breast Cancer. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is making strides to find a cure for Type-1 Diabetes which affects far too many of our children and youth..

NDH: Who or what inspired you to get involved in those organizations? And, how did they inspire you?

Terrance: The Boys & Girls Club has been such a positive influence for me and my siblings. Growing up and experiencing the nurturing from activities and support at the Club made me want to pay it forward. I figure the best way to do this is to support them in fundraising so that they can continue to make a difference in the lives of the youth they serve. American Cancer Society inspires me with how they support so many who face cancer. Cancer affects families; it affects our youth, too. An adult facing cancer is hard enough, but children and youth facing cancer can be tough. I have friends who have mothers who are breast cancer survivors. The American Cancer Society is there making a difference, and I would love to see my organization LLV making that kind of future impact. We were inspired to create our “Faces Behind the Pink” event to support Breast Cancer Awareness. My cofounders and I saw an Instagram post from NBA player Ray Allen regarding his son Walker who has type 1 diabetes; Ray’s Allen’s post inspired us to support and contribute to JDRF.

NDH: Do you have a mentor?

Terrance: I have several mentors, Bryant Wright, Robbie Johnson, Matt Johnson, Amber Hickman, most of them volunteer at the same Boys & Girls Club in which I grew up. Of course, my parents are great mentors and role models; and they have done an excellent job over the course of 25 years.

“Believe it or not, I am kind of a quiet guy. But I do believe that our actions should speak louder than our words.” Terrance Clark, Jr.

NDH: What’s your favorite North Delaware event?

Terrance: I love Cecil’s World Classic which is now held annually at the Boys & Girls Club. An extremely close family friend, Cecil W. Bond IV lost his life due to gun violence. I knew Cecil as a good kid who was passionate about basketball, but ended up going down the wrong path.  This was the tragedy that inspired the Limitless La Vie team to help make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth and their families. Although Cecil is no longer with us, his memory lives on and through this event, we get to experience the youth having fun, playing basketball and developing positive relationships with one another. For every young person that comes out to the Classic, I know that’s one of our youth who isn’t somewhere else doing something that may not be benefiting them in the best way.

NDH: What’s your go-to spot for dinner or night life?

Terrance: If I’m going out, which isn’t too often, it would probably be to Bobbi Rhian’s Executive Lounge on Market Street

NDH: What’s the best advice you ever received and from Who?

NDH: How do you feel about being named one of the Top 10 Movers & Shakers in North Delaware?

Terrance: It’s truly an honor to be among such great company. When I saw my name on the same list as Tony Allen, I was shocked. I know the type of work he does in the community and it was an honor to be in his company as well as the other Movers and Shakers.

NDH: What events do you have up & coming?

NDH: Tell us about Limitless La Vie Corp and working with your family? How did all that come to fruition?

Terrance: Limitless La Vie Corp is a family business. I am one of four co-founders, Aaron (my brother), Amani (my sister), Alexis (my sister).   Initially in college, I had my own brand that I started with a friend. It was inspired by an HBO show we got hooked on called “How to Make it in America”. Soon after, we started “Kicks & Culture”. My sister and mother decided they wanted to start their own brand. I figured it would be most productive, if we just combined our talents to create a brand that we all loved. Together, we strategized and decided giving back and helping others was most important and so Limitless La Vie was born.

Fashion with a Cause

Founded in 2013 by Terrance, Aaron, Amani and Alexis Clark – siblings all under the age of 26 – Limitless La Vie has inspired people of all ages to get involved and give back to the community. Limitless La Vie Corp demonstrates that you are never too young to make a difference!  With passion, vision, commitment, and a plan for success, the organization donated more than $17,000 to various causes in less than two years. Driven by a mission to empower, impact and inspire lives, the founders believe in the importance of preparing for the future by educating the next generation about social responsibility.

We are a lifestyle brand led by fashion. Our team designs fashionable Limitless La Vie apparel which is sold through our online boutique, to build our brand and create awareness of causes. The apparel serves as a lasting symbol of our passion to support our community. Limitless La Vie funnels all proceeds directly into the community for youth development and helps provide financial backing to several organizations that nurture young students and aspiring professionals.

Limitless La Vie funnels all proceeds directly into the community for youth development and helps provide financial backing to several organizations that nurture young students and aspiring professionals.

We leverage the mission and charitable work of selected nonprofit organizations to drive participation and donations; and build awareness by mobilizing our efforts through Social Media.

Follow Terrance & Limitless La Vie(LLV)

• www.limitlesslavie.org
• www.facebook.com/LimitlessLaVie
• www.twitter.com/Limitless_LaVie
• www.instagram.com/limitless_la_vie

Thanks Terrance!

For all you do for our North Delaware communities and beyond. #lovelocal

A Big Thank You to Budget Rooter, Sponsor of Movers & Shakers 2015.

Budget Rooter was established in Delaware in 1992 by Suzanne & Jeff Palady – a hard-working mother/son team with little more than $500.00 and a healthy dose of determination & drive.

Their mission?  To provide excellent service at a fair price, to remain committed to the environment, and to treat their customers with integrity and respect.

Today, more than 22 years later, Budget Rooter has added thirteen employees and is fully equipped to serve the needs of their residential and commercial customers with a fleet of eight service trucks, three high-velocity water jets, and two excavators.

Budget Rooter offers truly free estimates that are valid for 30 days – there is no pressure, and no “selling” when you call.  Need a plumber?  Get a plumber, not a salesman!

For more info, check out www.budgetrooterinc.com!