Nita Marquez is the founder of NitasWorld which is an adventurous world built around empowering others, while having family-first fun and living fit. What many do not know is that Nita was a Crack Kid before she was the National Fitness Champion and an International Fitness Model. Growing up in the midst of a crack-infested and abusive home life, both parents were gone from her life by age 13. She is an empowering yet tough fitness/life/sexuality coach who helps people love themselves in more ways than one. Nita is also an active advocate for single parents and troubled teens while also being the sole provider and driving force of her family. Nita’s unique combination of family, fitness, and stagemom-ism has garnered her a substantial and engaging following that continues to grow in readership. From her no-bullshit articles and intrigue with her live videos of her famous fitness recipes, to training people in the gym, to her kids’ live performances. She is the hot, fit and single momager of three children, whose family is dubbed to be ‘Bigger than the Kardashians’ without needing the sex tape. Read our interview with the lovely Nita below…
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
My upbringing definitely motivated me to want to work hard and build something magnificent with my life. I have always been out to prove that my circumstances did not have to limit or define me.
Tell us about your business.
America’s Hottest Fit Mom, LLC is a brand built in support of the many strong and beautiful women in the world. In my heart, I believe every woman is strong, but we have not all discovered and/or embraced the beauty and strength of our own being. After becoming a single mother, I was seeking ways to embrace myself through the challenges because it was lonely and scary entering the world in this new way, without any support or partnership. Upon realizing that in fact I was not alone, I really worked to build more of a community for all of us who are feeling so isolated in our circumstances to come together more, not so much for camaraderie, but more for strengthening ourselves to become better models for our children. On top of that we become a brighter light that spreads. Strong women shine on other women, they don’t crush them.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Not currently no, but my OnTheMarq ActiveWear Line is coming soon!
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
- Miss Fitness Arizona 1999 & 2001
- Miss National Fitness 2008
- Women’s World Fitness Top Ten Champion (out of 46 countries)
- American Physiques Champion Runner Up
- National Latina Business Women’s Association “Women Who Inspire” Nominee
Where is your business based?
Los Angeles, California, USA.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
- Understanding My Mission
- Defining the Brand
- Marketing
- Getting the DBA
- Getting the LLC
- Branding Development
- More Marketing
- More Branding Development
Branding is about authenticity of the mission, so the brand is always evolving and developing, and it always has to be shining with clarity. I always say that “Your Brand is the Soul of what you are marketing.”
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
My business has to do with a lot of direct connection, so social media inspires a lot of my movement in business, since that point of contact allows me to be more personal in my approach to people. As far as clients, well, my business is a bit different than most, as we are always seeking to empower women through direct contact and clear concise inspiring content for our audience. A lot of what I provide is content-driven, so social media and programming are the most effective ways to create meaningful relationships.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Definitely as a single mother and sole supporter of my children, maintaining the household and the kids’ commitments is by far the most challenging thing to do while growing my business.
How did you overcome these challenges?
Day by day. There is no real formula other than tenacity and staying the course, when something is meaningful to you, whether it’s business, personal, familial or otherwise. For me, my personal life is really my business, so it’s all very meaningful to me to balance.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
I’m a mother, and my family is what I do EVERYTHING for, so that makes staying motivated a very clear and easy focus.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
We are really not in business to compete with other empowerment brands. I seek to complement what’s out there and to be an extension of the already existent services and products that help motivate, educate and inspire women. At the same time, I seek to be a brand that gives inspiration for birth of lots of other brands to empower women. I believe in the industry of empowerment, we are really all out for the same thing – to uplift women, so there’s no need to do anything but support the cause rather than compete with each other.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
Don’t build to be the best in your industry. Build yourself to be the best you can of your own brand. Instead of constantly spending time trying to develop relationships just for sales conversions, spend a lot of time developing your brand and developing relationships. Good relationships will lead to powerful sales.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Define your brand by understanding the purpose you are serving with your mission. Let purpose be the soul of your business, and branding be the soul of your marketing.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
Gary Vaynerchuk’s how to’s and motivationals, along with HootSuite.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Gabrielle Bernstein’s “The Universe Has Your Back” was a great read. Currently reading CAA Powerhouse (because I have kids in entertainment whose careers and business development I manage), and for my writing and branding development, I’m reading “Story” by Robert McKee.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I’m looking for a great bookkeeper!!! Interviewing now 🙂 As much as we hate it, the numbers are what keeps the doors open to our business, so it has to be a focus, and creatives don’t do well to manage numbers while being creative. It’s too much chaos in my brain working alone on these things.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
We are releasing the activewear line and another book and a line of t-shirts in 2017. Excited to share more great energy and build more relationships!!