The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience but where they stand in times of challenges. Pat Clark, a renowned name in the soft washing industry, has had his own share of setbacks to be where he is today.
He is the owner of a multi-million dollar company, Precision ProWash, with several locations across the East Coast. Patrick doubles up as the founder and owner of Gutter Butter which he runs with his wife and children. But what challenges did he face to achieve his American dream?
- Suffered Panic Attacks
Patrick’s father left when he was born and was never in the picture. His mother had schizophrenia. At the age of 10, his grandmother passed away. Since Pat always got into fights, he had been enrolled in special education. He recalls having punched the principal’s nose in one encounter. Early tests revealed that he has an IQ of just 56, which was equivalent to mild mental retardation. Due to his habits, he was forced to go into emergency foster care. To him, life was hard, and often he would suffer from panic attacks.
- Suffered Malnutrition
In foster care, the food wasn’t healthy. Pat grew very skinny and malnourished. Though they tried to make him eat, he was already scared, sad, and trying to figure out things. Since he couldn’t eat, he had a month-long stay at the group foster school.
- He Was Mistreated
Life was difficult in foster care. He recalls that he was placed with foster parents who mistreated him. He had to dig holes every day after school for their chicken coop. He also washed the floors by hand and did the laundry. His foster dad was on steroids. At one time, he changed the channel, and the foster dad hit him with the remote. He experienced many more hardships before his uncle took him under his care. As much as he loved his uncle, he was an alcoholic. This new setting brought a new set of challenges.
- Serious Disagreements
Pat was 16 when he had a severe disagreement with his uncle. He had found out they wanted to return him to foster care. Pat remembers running his drunk uncle over with the back tires of his car. When he saw his uncle wiggling, he felt like the most insignificant piece of garbage ever for running over his family. However, this marked Pat’s turning point in life.
- Joblessness
Before starting his company Precision Pro Wash, Pat was jobless for a long time. His former job at Pima Valley properties ended following the 2006- 2008 global economic recession.
Wrap Up
Despite all the challenges Pat faced in his early years, he did not give up. He kept his hopes high that one day his dreams would come true and his star would shine brighter. Sure enough, he now owns a multi-million dollar company and has impacted thousands of people across the globe. For more information about Pat’s life, click here.