Conversation Summary: Gary Sheng & Lakeida Alexander - Family Dynamics and Life Insights

Context

Intimate conversation between Gary Sheng and Lakeida Alexander at the Alexander family home, covering deeply personal family challenges, business history, and life philosophy.

Mental Health Challenges in the Family

Isaac Alexander's Struggles

Background: Isaac, 25 years old, is experiencing severe mental health issues following his Marine service.

Key Quotes:

• Lakeida: "When he came back from the Marines, his mind wasn't right. So the other house we had, he left it, I think, in January. I've seen him one time walking around. Haven't seen him since February."
• "He's somewhere in Tulsa. And I'll just pray that he's okay."

Root Causes Discussion:

• Lakeida believes contaminated marijuana/cannabis contributed to his condition: "if you buy it from someone who's cutting it with other chemicals, then it can alter your DNA structurally, in your brain"
• The Marines experience compounded existing issues
• "I really wish he hadn't have gone to Marines. I don't know what we could have done to change his mind on that."

Current State:

• Isaac expressed desire for normal life: "Mom, I really would like to have a girlfriend, I would like to get married one day, a wife to have kids. But it's really disheartening to him that he feels like he will never be in his mind right enough to have."
• Living independently but disconnected from family

Pattern Recognition - Joe's Son (Lante)

Similar Issues: "So Joe's son had that issue too. His son is crazy now too. Lante... I mean, batshit crazy."

• Both Isaac and Lante had cannabis-related mental health deterioration
• Safety concerns: "you think he's saying talking to you, don't turn your back on him... 'Cause you never know what he's got in his mind"

Shared Analysis: "when we and Joe talk about it, the only thing we keep coming back to is that they were smoking"

Family Dynamics and Pressure

Parenting Philosophy

No Artificial Pressure: When asked about sons having pressure to live up to expectations:

• Lakeida: "We don't really do that, like pressure on my kids. Yeah, we do expect them to do well morally, well to do well in school."
• "We always tried to be normal people. Always tried to be normal."

Growing Up During Business Development

Contextual Advantage: "Isaac, and Eliah, and Leeah, that's in Louisiana. They grew up in the time when we were developing and growing. Before we even got to where we were, they were doing that. They came up doing that growing phase."

Recognition of Lael's Uniqueness

Children's Awareness: "Do they think he's a wizard? I don't know that they didn't know their dad is special for sure. For sure. I 100%."

• Gary: "Well, I feel like you can also not get it, because it's your dad."
• Lakeida: "You could not get it, but the thing is that... every time we have special dinners, they came... We got special treatment."

Lael's Business History and Lost Opportunities

Early Career - Chemical Plant Turnarounds

Amstead Period: Working in Shreveport, Louisiana chemical plants

• Developed software called "Premark" (Planning, Resource, Execution, Monitoring)
• "he had developed a software on his computer, where he had monitored people that he employees, what they're doing, the materials coming in, materials going out"
• Revolutionary efficiency: "he would do the work and maybe half the time, as most turnaround companies takes... they would save a company anywhere from a million, not too many"

Recognition: "Coleman said a lot of people was talking about this guy out there, Premark, he got a big money for himself"

Port Arthur Audit Success

Municipal Auditing: Applied same software approach to audit chemical plants for back taxes

• "By auditing them... because he knew what materials was coming in the materials was going on... And he is saying how much they were earning every year"
• Result: "maybe 30 million in back taxes"

China Operations and Lost Billions

Major Regret: Not securing royalties/residuals from designs

• Lakeida: "We didn't have to teach them. So on either and when he was designing all those different devices... I didn't really think about, getting residual."
• Forced Exit: "The United States came... was following him in China and before you know it, they had him come inside the... American consult over there. And threaten a whole lot... we have to give off our part"

Scale of Loss:

• "They went... IPO... in China. Oh, my God, there was so much money, but we had to..."
• Gary: "He would have been gazillionaires"
• Lakeida: "Yeah, exactly"

Lesson Learned: "Block Chain now makes it super easy... We would have asked for our royalty. Give me a dollar per thing that you sell"

Personal Insights and Life Philosophy

Misunderstood Family

Public Perception: "We just arrive with family, a regular family with that has a genius husband, genius father"

• "And really, my husband rules. He just do... people there were quite apt to just, you know, to do it and not ask how to do it"

Post-COVID Depression

Lael's Struggle: "After COVID... It felt awful. Oh, my goodness. Depressed. He went through... That first year or two was dropped year"

• Adjustment from travel schedule: "he would come home for you the night and leave for two other weeks... but now he was there the whole time"

Travel and Family Balance

Challenges: "I liked China, but at the same time, I hated being so far from home"

• "It's not easy raise in six kids... making sure they go to catechism, making sure of church in the house, get the bro, get into the doctor"

Rhythm: "But when you get into the rhythm, then it's okay"

Reality TV Opportunity

Declined Offer: "They wanted to make as a into a reality show... They wanted to put us in this big mansion and then... have camera crews everywhere"

• Lakeida's wisdom: "I wasn't not ready for that... it ruin, it just makes you weirdly competitive and stuff"
• "And you know, if you're having the art or a fight, usually a couple can work that out... you get a chance to fix it ourselves"

Individual Children Updates

Asher (15 years old)

• Still very quiet: "He didn't talk that much before... Not until maybe last year, maybe"
• High intelligence: "For the most part, he thinks people are dumb... He's like, where did he get that from, right?"
• Approaching driving age: "He turn 16 on the was 17th. He'll have a driver's license, driving himself to school. I can't wait."
• Milk consumption: "goes through gallon and a half a milk a week"

Ashley's Driving Anxiety

• "Ashley has a friend who's real life. She, her anxiety is through... But she won't get on the highway"

Key Relationships and Perspectives

Global Advisory Potential

Lael's Capabilities: Gary asked if every king would be lucky to have Lael as adviser

• Lakeida: "For sure... Even if there was a world government, he would be able to help the world government. Easy."
• "what we discovered is... he's more of a solutions person. He can go into almost any business and help them figure out what they need"

Personal Health

Hearing Issues: Lakeida experiencing hearing loss in right ear for about a month

• "my right ear right now... The canal is closed... Tried that the olive oil and everything. It's clear"

Overall Themes

1. Resilience Through Adversity: Family navigating serious mental health challenges while maintaining unity
2. Lost Opportunities: Major financial losses due to geopolitical circumstances beyond their control
3. Maintaining Normalcy: Deliberate effort to keep family grounded despite extraordinary circumstances
4. Protective Instincts: Careful decisions about public exposure and family privacy
5. Recognition of Genius: Understanding and supporting Lael's unique capabilities while managing family needs
6. Systemic Issues: Cannabis contamination affecting multiple families in their network
7. Adaptive Parenting: Adjusting expectations and support based on individual children's needs and circumstances

This conversation reveals the Alexander family as remarkably resilient people managing extraordinary circumstances with grace, practical wisdom, and deep care for each family member's wellbeing.