Marissa Martin has been making a name for herself in Calgary. The owner of not one, but two HERC's stores in the region, she's also a young single mother, fitness enthusiast and cheerleader for anyone who has felt left out of the fitness community. We chatted with Marissa recently and here are a few of our favourite takeaways. 

1. She didn't start her career in nutrition or business.

When you're trying to begin a business, sometimes it can feel like everyone else has way more experience and has been on a career track all of their lives. We love Marissa's story because it shows that you can make a change at anytime and decide you're going to do something different. Marissa had been working admin jobs in a hospital in Red Deer when she decided to completely uproot and move to Calgary without much prior planning. "I was struggling. I was working a bunch of random jobs.’ 

2. She identified a real need and made a move to fill it.

When she made her move to Calgary, Marissa still needed friends and family to get her all of her nutrition essentials from the HERC's location in Red Deer. She knew others in the Calgary community were probably struggling with the same lack of fitness, health and wellness options. So she put the time in to learn about opening a new location and then decided to pull the trigger on her new business venture.

3. She keeps rolling through challenges. 

Although the opening of her second HERC's store makes the process look easy, Marissa had plenty of bumps along the way to being independent and a business owner. She went through a divorce, gave birth to her daughter at the same time she was opening her first store and while it was still in the grand opening phase, COVID hit. It wasn't easy and Marissa is the first to open up about the breakdowns and doubts she had. But she never stopped and never gave up. "There's never going to be a right time and it's never gonna feel perfect. You just need to jump and you'll figure it out. Don't wait for it, because it's never going to just happen. Her tip for time management? Outsource everything you can. That means asking for help and not trying to do everything on your own. 

4. She is determined to make nutrition, fitness and wellness accessible to everyone.

One of the reasons Marissa first wanted to open a nutrition store of her own was to create an accessible, inclusive, welcoming environment, where everyone, no matter their gender, fitness level, health conditions, or capabilities, would feel at home and supported. She makes a point to get to know all of her customers and wants everyone to know that  they can ask questions, seek advice and just be themselves in her store.

5. She is all about keeping supplements simple. 

Marissa recommends a good quality omega-3 and greens to lay a good foundation of internal health. She also reminds everyone to make sure they're getting enough protein. Many times we might think we are but oftentimes we aren't meeting our recommended daily amounts. That's where a protein shake a day can help you reach the right levels, supporting muscle health and metabolism.