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Robby Klein.
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Robby Klein.
Each year we celebrate the incredible people that make Nashville a beautiful place to live. This year, we toast a lineup that includes creatives, business people, culinarians, and everything in between. With a passion for philanthropy and a beautiful outlook on life, these are the men and women who make Music City shine.
Name: Morgan Leigh Ivey Marks
Age: 31
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Occupation: Corporate Lawyer at Waller
What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I like to compete, and I don’t give up. One time, I was playing a tennis match against a tough opponent and was winning in the first set. Then, I slipped on the muddy clay court after a rain delay, fractured my right wrist and sprained my left wrist. It was silly and painful and easy to see now that I should have walked away—but I finished the match, because that’s what I do. I, of course, lost, and got a stern lecture from my coach when he discovered that both of my wrists had stopped working. I’d like to think I’d do it differently now... but some things don’t change.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Before March 3, 2020, I would have answered with your standard type of response—academic and athletic achievements (I played tennis through and after college). But after the Nashville tornado, I realized there is one accomplishment that matters more: the way we survived it. I’m not talking about surviving the literal tornado; that was just luck. I’m talking about getting through the year‑plus of contractors, insurance adjusters, COVID delays, wood prices, and on and on, and then planning and re-planning (and re-planning again a couple more times) a wedding in the middle of it all. Surviving and thriving in the experience showed us that we have more grit than we realized.
How would friends describe you in three words?
Driven, joyful, and loyal.
Tell us about a skill or activity that you’ve always wanted to try or one you’ve learned and mastered?
Pickleball! As a former tennis player, I was curious to try the latest sport taking over the nation, especially when I discovered one of my best friends had turned pro in Pickleball. My husband and I started playing at the YMCA in East Nashville, and it’s so much fun!
Name the person who has been the greatest influence in your life.
My mom. She instilled in me the importance of work ethic, ambition and poise and composure. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I began to realize why: before she settled down, she was an “it” girl in Charleston, SC, who then became a globe-trotting model—she even dated a famous NFL quarterback!—and then became one of the leading BMW salesmen in the world (and the leading saleswoman, by far). She was, in her charming way, dominating a male-dominated industry before women had a fraction of the opportunities they do now. She wanted me to become a model or actor, but I loved playing tennis and negotiating too much.
Name an organization or non-profit that you affiliate with outside of work and why it’s important to you.
- MOVE Inclusive Dance: MOVE is an inclusive dance studio that empowers individuals of all ability levels to learn life skills through dance, and uses the power of movement and music to transform students’ lives while providing a nurturing, inviting community for all. My friend, Lauren, approached me one day with her idea for starting MOVE (originally, The Project), and asked me if I wanted to join the Board and to help with some of the legal and formation matters. This program spreads so much joy and gives these students confidence they didn’t have before entering the studio, whether in person or virtually.
- Nashville Urban Debate League: NUDL serves public school students in the Metropolitan Nashville area by providing high school students with opportunities to participate in competitive, research-based policy debate. I believe, and my dad always told me, that education affords you greater opportunities and freedoms. Participation in debate programs equips students with skills and confidence that prepare them for future success and has proven to increase academic achievement. This program provides students with access to some of these opportunities through debate. My husband was one of the top debaters in the country in college and went on to teach while he lived in New York City. He and another coworker who debated in college introduced me to this organization.
Tell us about someone you consider a hero and why?
My dad. Before he married my mom, he was a forty-year old bachelor who had toured the world when serving in the Army for seventeen years. He then became a leading periodontist in South Carolina, and founded the ethics program at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he has taught for more than forty years. He’s seventy-five, and still loves his job!
What are a few of your favorite places in Nashville?
- Hyde out House: the AirBNB where my husband, David, and I stayed while waiting for our house to finish being repaired from the tornado. We were supposed to move back in our house thirteen months after the March 3, 2020 tornado hit, but due to construction delays, we had to hop from our other AirBNB to this one. While the additional move was certainly stressful, this AirBNB turned out to be the perfect staycation for us for a couple of weeks!
- Tailor: Vivek, the owner and chef, is an old high school friend of my husband. But to be completely honest, even if that were not the case, Tailor would absolutely be our favorite spot. If you haven’t been, go — it’s one of the best places to get high-end Indian food filled with soul and a touch of the South (but not too heavy).
- Lockeland Table: We love this neighborhood restaurant! We ate dinner here the night David proposed, so it will forever hold a special place in our hearts. If you want to know what it’s like to live in East Nashville, just get dinner at Lockeland Table.
Tell us about your routine/tips for looking and feeling great inside and/or out (salon, spa, fitness, wellness, well-being, etc.)
Pure Barre! I have been taking Pure Barre classes for almost ten years and teaching for almost nine -- and it still works! I injured my knees in college and have already had a couple of surgeries from my years playing tennis, so I needed something that was low impact but efficient and effective -- not just for my body, but for my mental health. Not only is getting in a sweat good for my mind and body, but I am incredibly grateful for the community of incredible ladies I have met in the studios in Charleston and in Nashville.
Describe your perfect day.
Close a $100 million dollar deal, and then enjoy a walk with David and our three dogs and a glass of wine with friends in Shelby Park or poolside.
Do you have a favorite quote you live by that you would like to share (and why)?
Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” It’s important to remember that my accomplishments are not mine alone; and also that any of us can do more by believing in something greater than just ourselves. That’s true no matter your religion.
What is your definition of beauty—as it pertains to yourself and/or others?
Being kind, loyal and supportive of others when it is hard to make time or when under stress. I think beauty is when you see someone transcend a stressful moment or feeling of self-importance by choosing to focus on helping someone else. To me, that true ethic of service is beauty.
Special thanks to Grogan Jewelers by Lon for bringing some extra sparkle to our shoot!
Morgan Leigh Ivey Marks is wearing: Sloan Street yellow gold pearl station necklace; Norman Silverman yellow gold diamond by the yard- 3 carat total weight.