Name: Clarence M. Lee, Jr., MD, MBA
Profession: Physician-Entrepreneur and Persistence Coach
Age: 35
Clarence M. Lee, Jr., MD, MBA, is a far cry from your typical medical doctor. Accomplishments and accolades within his field of work are wonderful to have, but for Dr. Lee, they are meaningless in and of themselves. It wasn’t until he realized he had everything he needed inside of himself and was already blessed that he started to walk toward his destiny. “My main inspiration is God and the high standards for love, energy, and community God teaches us to hold,” Dr. Lee tells BE Modern Man.
Dr. Lee remembers the moment when he realized that walking in his destiny as a medical professional was what he was placed on Earth to do. “After three days of being on call, I was sleeping in the hospital. I woke up and asked myself, ‘What am I doing?’ I hadn’t seen my family or talked to friends in weeks.”
In order to get the surgical training necessary to become a success, Dr. Lee found that success was beyond a name and title.
He says, “I realized being a success wasn’t about being consumed by your goals and their pursuit, but it’s about bringing people along with you. Without inspiring others, my success is moot. So, I decided in that moment that I’d use my life to encourage others to live to their highest potential and be persistent in the pursuit of their vision. It started with mentoring, which led to speaking, which led to writing books and putting on events.”Speaking, writing, and putting on events is how Dr. Lee uses his surgical training to be a servant and have a mindset that is in tune with the needs of others.
“Set up your time so that you schedule to do things that you love,” Dr. Lee tells BE Modern Man. “Find others that are doing what you want to do and follow them! Many people have come before us that have created the lives we want; we don’t have to go it alone. Success leaves clues, so just seek out those that are [already] where you want to be.”
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Work ethic, persistence, optimism, and compassion are the traits that Dr. Lee believes will make you unique and help you to stand apart in a cluttered space.
“I am the type that will hit my head on the wall 100 times, as I’m trying to accomplish something,” says Dr. Lee. “Many may say, ‘Wow! That guy just doesn’t get that it’s not meant to be. He should quit.’ But, in my mind, I create my destiny, even if it takes me 100 times to succeed only one or two times. I will not quit.”
The will to press on and never quit put Dr. Lee in an elite place among his peers, even at a young age. However, he doesn’t believe his degrees, titles, books, flying jets, or money goals are his greatest achievements. “My greatest achievement is overcoming the poverty mindset I grew up around,” Dr. Lee tells BE Modern Man.
“Growing up, I saw and was told that I had many limits. Believing in my own ability and not taking on the limitation mindset of others has led me to where I am today. I believe in myself and I believe in others, which is why my companies are focused on inspiring the masses to live great lives. The day I became a doctor, I literally told myself, ‘Hell, I just made myself into a doctor through pure persistence and hard work! What’s next?'”
Understanding the importance of black excellence and having such excellence represented in the medical field, Dr. Lee focuses on educating the public to show the world what BE Modern Men are capable of. He says, “When people interact with me, they get to see black excellence and achievement. They get a different view in speaking to me; they don’t get to base the conversation in stereotype-lined topics. Excellence is in us all, and I’m passionate about sharing that message. In my book, Well, My Mom Says…: Stories of Persistence, Faith, and Action, I tell my story in order to inspire people to believe in themselves and be persistent first. In my second book, Rx: Persist, I give the prescription for health, wealth, and happiness.”
With future plans to take his teaching and events worldwide in an effort to help others—especially children—Dr. Lee wants people to see what is truly possible for themselves and their community. “Being a BE Modern Man to me means setting the bar at excellence in everything that you do, and never limiting yourself to the thoughts others place on you. You are excellence!”
The Black Enterprise team congratulates Dr. Lee for showing us that there is more to success than degrees on the wall or trophies on your shelf. He makes us realize that, in changing the conversation, we must ensure that African Americans are well represented at every level, in every industry, globally. We are excited about the future plans of Dr. Lee, and we look forward to seeing him continue to make an impact on the community through his work.
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