8 minute read
Deblar Tate
DEBLAIR TATE
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Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.
A. DeBlair Tate is from a small town in Mississippi called Winona. She is a celebrity Health & Wellness Coach, Life Coach, Published Author, Designer, Master Resilience Trainer, former professional figure competitor, a Military Training Instructor, and the successful owner of the 8Figured Brand. With a primary focus on mental & physical health, wellness, and making people feel confident about who they are and how they treat themselves, DeBlair’s goal is for those she encounters to reach a place of wholeness—mind, body, and soul. Her passion centers on helping others break through barriers and fully realize their ability to live happy, healthy, and prosperous lives. In addition, she helps professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs redefine success, recommit to themselves, & reactivate their personal goals.
Q. What made you want to pursue a career in Health & Wellness?
A. My journey into health and fitness wasn’t something I wanted to do, it just fell in my lap, and everything started fitting like a glove. After college graduation, I moved to the coast to work for the Air Force. I was there for less than a year when Hurricane Ivan hit, and I decided that I did not want to continue fighting against the storms. I moved to Atlanta, landed a job as a loan officer, and worked part-time at a gym near my apartment. One evening while working at the juice bar in the gym, a gentleman who had come to purchase supplements asked if I had ever thought of doing fitness competitions. He said I looked like I worked out and that I probably would do well in the competition. Unknowledgeable of the competition world, I responded with an & “absolutely not!” My image of female bodybuilders were not something I wanted for myself, so I politely declined. He attempted to explain the difference, but I wasn’t interested. Later that day, a young lady came into the juice bar with a book. She introduced herself to me and stated that she was asked to come in and show me some pictures of her as a fitness competitor. I was in awe. She looked amazing. At that moment, I was sold and ready to begin training to become a fitness competitor. I joined their gym and began training and prepping myself for upcoming shows. I learned quickly that fitness competitions are not for the faint of heart. It is a serious business, and it requires a commitment of time and effort and a perfect diet. I began training for my first fitness competition in 2006. I hit the stage in April of 2007, where I placed 4th out of 32 competitors in the nationally recognized Supernatural Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition. I later competed in another show where I put first overall, which allowed me to compete worldwide in a Pro-Status—an accomplishment that can take many years to reach. From that point, I competed in shows where I’ve won many titles and awards. I was crowned Miss Georgia Fitness two years in a row.
During this time, my body changed dramatically, and everyone noticed. I would be out shopping, and people would approach to ask questions as if I was a professional trainer and ask if I could train them. For a long time, I would say no and direct them to one of the trainers at the gym until I realized that this had become my lifestyle, and I knew to guide people just as I had been guided. It became a journey of not only sculpturing my body but having the ability to affect the lives of others. I trained clients to compete in numerous shows. Along the way, I gained several certifications and was on the road to becoming one of the best trainers in the game. To experience the impact my training had on transforming people’s lives—whether for image, health concerns or self- confidence— passion burned within me and grew increasingly over the years. From there, I began to really channel my energy into my hometown and became an advocate to educate
them on the importance of being healthy. Mississippi was labeled one of the most obese states among the 50. Young people were passing away at an early age, people suffering from heart disease, diabetes, and poor eating habits, and I wanted to step in and make a difference. That’s where the passion got extremely deep, and it grew full force from there.
Q. Let’s talk a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today?
A. The previous questions pretty much sum up a lot of it. In addition to my journey, I lacked balance in my personal life. I was spending more time hustling and less time with family. I realized that I had to restructure my life and get my priorities in line, but I didn’t want to forfeit the love and passion I had for the health and fitness world. The pandemic really molded me and caused me to reshuffle my journey, allowing me to create my apparel line, 8Figured. 8Figured has grown so much in a short period. What started as an apparel line has turned into a trademarked brand. Under the brand is my 8Figured Body Coaching Program, supplement line, paraphernalia, and my new book, Resilient As F*ck (Release date 1 June 2022), just to name a few. I’m so excited that it is continuing to grow.
Q. What are some of the challenges and hurdles you had to go through in life?
A. This journey has definitely been a struggle. The hardest part of it all was achieving a work-family life balance. I struggled to balance my career, extracurricular, and personal life for a long time. I can’t even say today that I have it all together, but my priorities are much better aligned. I was always the one that wanted to support everyone and participate in everything. I valued my clients and the organizations I was a part of, so it was vital for me to share important things with them. That sometimes meant neglecting self-care. I was always sleep-deprived and exhausted, but I found energy in knowing that I could support the ones that supported me- which was not healthy for my body. The younger mind took a lot for granted. Saying no was not in my vocabulary. I had to learn through my experiences how important it was to make an effort to provide myself the opportunity for balance and downtime. I also learned how important it was to create boundaries between my work, extracurricular, and family. That meant determining where my priorities should lie. With clear boundaries, it made things easier. My health was no longer a factor, and my family no longer had to ask where I was. Moving too fast and taking life for granted can definitely catch you off guard, especially as a career worker and business owner.
Q. Let’s talk about your book and the motivation behind the book.
A. The book. Yes. This started from an interview I received from a company that wanted to do a mini documentary on me. While prepping and interviewing with them, I began to tell my story, and they were in total shock at some of the things I was saying. I actually was shocked at some of the things I was saying as well because I never really processed my life- I just lived day by day. I started to realize that as a trainer/ coach, I was helping everyone else
and just looking over my life and how my story could potentially help someone else. I am a very private person, but when I decided to be a coach full-force, I knew I needed to open up, so, I could relate to the people I encountered. stop growing and striving to be a better version of yourself every day.
Q. Are you working on any projects for 2022?
A. Yes! As I stated, my book, Resilient As F*ck, launches on 1 June. I have theResilientAF Women’s conference in Atlanta, GA, on 16-18 Sept. I am still working on the cookbook. This should be ready to go in December.
Q. What are some tips on staying healthy and fit?
A. Yes, Find your “Why.” With everything you do- have a purpose and hold yourself accountable to that purpose. Make sure you love yourself first, then start setting realistic goals to make you better. Stay consistent and be patient. If you need help, then seek it.
Q. What is one positive message you would like to leave for the readers?
A. Change requires doing things differently. It’s necessary to shed old belief systems, patterns, commitments, and priorities in order to grow. So never
Q. Where can the readers follow you?
A. You can follow me on social media: IG: @iamdeblair and @8figuredbrand. LinkedIn: https://www. linkedin.com/in/deblair-ftate-16516638/ You can also visit my website, www.8figured.com, and join my community by texting the keyword 8Figured to 770-685-6709, then follow the prompts.
