Guyanese entrepreneur and fitness coach, Melissa Hillaire is a Special Person

Mar 12, 2023 News, Special Person

---

Empowering women through her efforts for fitness and nutrition…

By: Rehanna Ramsay

Kaieteur News – Women make the world go round. And while it is important to celebrate their achievements during Women’s History Month in March, it’s equally important to keep that support going every other day of the year, too.

As part of our efforts to celebrate women, The Waterfalls will seek to highlight the achievement of a few phenomenal Guyanese women like this week’s Special Person, Melissa Hillaire.

She is a wife and a proud mother of five children and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mel’s Fitness and Nutrition Club, a business that was created out of her desire to assist women in the area of fitness and nutrition.

For this reason, Mrs. Hillaire has been a women’s health fitness, and nutrition advocate for over thirty years and a proud distributor for Herbalife International; a global multi-level marketing corporation that develops and sells herbal dietary supplements.

She has been working at the world team level for Herbalife International for nearly two decades and has been a certified fitness instructor by profession for over twenty-four years.

Hillaire told this publication that fitness has been her life’s passion. She said that she is a strong believer in the products, she markets.

“I had the privilege of working with numerous persons locally and internationally, guiding them to a healthier lifestyle,” Hillaire said of her over three decades as a fitness coach.

She noted that her business Mel’s Fitness and Nutrition Club is a growing business dedicated to empowering women.

Hillaire added that “Through holistic wellness, we promote a healthy lifestyle by creating a safe space for women to improve their mental health while pursuing their wellness goals.”

The entrepreneur is currently planning Mel’s fitness and nutrition’s club first-afternoon tea party on March 18, 2023, as an appreciation event for supporters who have helped the company achieve its milestones.

She explained that the event also provides a platform for female entrepreneurs to inspire, empower, and share knowledge while showcasing their businesses to each other.

Hillaire’s goal is to continue to be a role model for women across different cultural spectrums as she advocates for their health and wellness. She believes that the only metric for success in the business world or any other sphere is the love of God.

BUILDING A BUSINESS

This week’s Special Person shared that she grew up in Alexander Village, Georgetown, with her parents and Ann and Patraj Jagnandan.  She is the youngest of the four-sibling household and has also had a love for fitness, beauty, and fashion.

She said owing to her sculpted figure and gorgeous features, the young Hillaire often graced many fashion shows.

“I attended the West Ruimveldt Primary school and the Multilateral Secondary School.  While I was going to school, I was always invited to participate in and model at fashion shows.  I modeled for Club Illusion and local fashion designers, so fashion formed part of my childhood memories…” she said.

As such, Hillaire told this newspaper that her passion for fitness and nutrition evolved after she had her first son at the age of 25.  She noted that as is common amongst most women; pregnancy weight was part of her postpartum struggles.

“I hit the gym to get back in shape because I noticed it is very common for women after they have had children to let themselves go, but I wanted to change that and inspire other women to do the same.”

Consequently, Hillaire, a then-new mom became a member of Flex Gym in Georgetown. She recalled that she would regularly talk to the owner of the gym about her interest to have more women become more involved in fitness activities.

She said that it was during one of these conversations that the idea to become a local distributor for Herbalife International materialized as a means to help provide dietary options for those struggling with weight loss.

She said that at the time her target group was women but the products are designed to help both men and women struggling with their weight.

“I started attending the training courses and using the products. The results were amazing so other people joined the class… We were about 100 locals in class being trained by international coaches. I started to coach locally and sell the products … I started to get feedback from customers locally and internationally,” she added.

As her training evolved, the entrepreneur became a certified independent distributor for Herbalife International in Guyana. She launched her business Mel’s Fitness and Nutrition Club.

She later opened her own gym under the brand, with the goal of creating a comfortable space for women to work out at her property in Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Hillaire said “I am very happy that I was able to help numerous women achieve their fitness goals… I had customers come to my classes feeling really down about themselves, but with discipline, training, and exercise, they have turned their entire lives around and become the best versions of themselves.”

She added, “I always tell my clients that the key to effective weight loss is found in the 80/20 rule because 80 percent of it comes from nutrition and what you put in your body and the other 20 percent comes from exercise.  I supply my client with the appropriate dietary supplements and develop weight loss regimens to suit their individual needs.”

FAMILY SUPPORT 

Having sustained her business for over thirty years, Hillaire credits her supportive family of six for always having her back.

Hillaire is a mother to five, Jonathan, Julissa, Joseph, Jacob, and 4-year-old Joel.  The businesswoman recalled that at the beginning stages of her business, she leaned heavily on her husband to help in raising their five children.

She said that at the initial stages, her training would sometimes commence at 4:00 am and end at 9:00 pm at night.

She said, “First, I always return thanks to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ for what he has allowed me to accomplish and then my loving husband, Joseph Hillaire who never ceases to be a very supportive husband and father to our five children. He has always been there for me and the kids especially.”

“We have a sitter and my husband runs his own engineering firm but that has never stopped him from taking care of the kids while I was working to build my business. I can safely say it took a lot of sacrifice in terms of my time in training sessions but we have good understanding and communicate well so it makes it a whole lot better.”

Given that the business is now more established, Hillaire said that she manages her time to ensure that she has time to spend with her family.

“I would make sure I set the time now, because at the beginning that was not possible. So now I do even small stuff with them to spend time like take them to school,” she explained.

ACTIVE FAITH

Outside of her work in fitness and nutrition, Hillaire is actively involved in the work of her local church. She said that outside of work and family, her next safe space is found at her local church, the Power Hour of God Ministries located in Non-Pariel Street, Albouystown.

The Church which is under the leadership of Pastor Samuel Davidson offers Hillaire and her family the faith-based teaching and spiritual foundation pertinent to a successful and well-rounded life.

Hillaire is an active member of the ministry and operates as the Head Usher of the church. She is part of the team of persons responsible for meeting and greeting persons as they enter the domain of the sanctuary.

This function is essential in any established Christian church. Ushers are responsible for ensuring members and visitors feel comfortable and welcome whenever they enter their place of worship.

To this end, Hillaire said that she is very grateful to play an integral role in the work of her church. She said too that the Ministry has been a blessing to her family.

“Giving my life to Christ is one of the best decisions, I have ever made. I am most grateful that I get to raise my family as Christian and give them that foundation that I did not have growing up,” she said.

Hillaire said she looks forward to Sunday mornings when my family and I get dressed and head to Church for worship.

 MEL’S HIGH TEA

Given her desire to continue to impact the lives of women, the entrepreneur is set to host her first female empowerment and networking event at the Pegasus Hotel, on Saturday, March 18.  She said that a lot of thought and consideration was placed into organizing and putting together her first networking showcase.

I constantly surround myself with a community of women who have contributed to my journey and success in one way or another. So this event is about giving them platforms to showcase their goods and services and find ways that they can collaborate with other businesses that can help take them to another level.

Hillaire said that the event will include a booth where the various participants can showcase what they have to offer as well as there will be a podium set up for them to tell those in attendance a bit about their ventures and how they can benefit. Hillaire anticipates that her first empowerment and networking will be a successful one that can evolve into an annual feature for her business.

 

 

 

 

 

---

---