Model, fitness guru, entrepreneur, casual chef. There are more than one roles that Marie Blanchard takes in her life, and performs exceptionally well in each one of them. But perhaps we should call her for what she really is: an inspiration.
The meaning of ‘fitness’ is highly subjective. Some want to reach peak physical form, while others only want to stay away from illnesses. Yet others think about mental fitness as the true form of fitness. For Marie Blanchard, it is all of them. The New York-based athlete and fitness model is already an icon in the local circles for all she has achieved at her young age, but she has her eyes set on higher goals. Blanchard is aiming towards creating a culture that harbors mental and physical alike. So far, she has done spectacularly.
For those interested in fitness and health, Marie Blanchard’s is a familiar face. She has appeared on Muscle and Fitness Hers South Africa, Inside Fitness, Fitness Curves, and American Curves Magazine, to name a few. Blanchard was born and raised in Port-au-Prince in Haiti, and she moved to the USA at the age of 10 after the death of her father. She grew up in a blend of cultures and speaks French, English, and Creole fluently. She completed her studies at Stroudsburg High School and then studied Industrial-Organizational Psychology at St. Joseph’s College in New York.
Making the shift towards this career path was not easy. Blanchard needed to make sure that 20 years down the line, this was what she still wanted to be doing – and the answer was ‘yes’. The journey was not without its many hurdles, but Blanchard overcame them all with sheer will and dedication alone. In no time, Marie Blanchard became a professional bodybuilder under the Natural Muscle Association (NMA), but her goals were higher. Through her hard work, she soon became to compete under the National Physique Committee (NPC) one of the biggest professional organizations in the bodybuilding niche. Now, she is aiming to become a part of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB) and gain enough points to become an Olympian.
But fitness is not the only thing Blanchard excels in. The fitness guru often dabbles in cooking and creating healthy recipes for herself and her followers alike. In 2019, she launched her first recipe book titled “Dieting Deliciously”. This was a natural extension of her desire to create a fitter, healthier world. If you missed the book, don’t worry; you can always check out her Instagram stories to view some of her select recipes.
As the wise men said, never put all your eggs in the same basket. While Blanchard is dedicated to her passion for fitness and health, she also has other ambitions. She recently turned into an entrepreneur and launched the Designer Bag Exchange. The platform is a unique venture that deals exclusively with luxury handbags and related goods. It connects buyers and sellers across the world in exchanging products.
Unlike many other celebs, who starts a venture simply for the sake of it, Blanchard is truly invested in the project. She admits that running a company needs passion, the guts to take risks and sacrifice a lot of comforts. But her entrepreneurial ambitions are not just hopes and positivity; she had a well-laid plan since the start. This included doing adequate research before beginning, making smart investments, forming contacts, and listening to what your customers really wanted. In a world full of influencers and celebrities, Blanchard’s pragmatism and passion are what makes her a successful entrepreneur and icon.
It would be unfair to speak about Marie Blanchard and not talk about her life’s philosophy. Blanchard believes that “the key to success is concealed in everyday mundane activities”. A college degree might seem useless in your offbeat career choice, but it will be invaluable one day in the future. But speaking of her own success, Blanchard struggles to find one single moment of glory; everything she has achieved holds equal importance to her. In days to come, Marie Blanchard might well become one of the most shining stars of the fitness and bodybuilding niche.
