Meet Clarisse Frazier: Professional Educator and Fitness Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clarisse Frazier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clarisse, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in a small town in Louisiana most have never heard of. Alexandria, Louisiana is truly home for me as my entire family lived on either ends of the town. Although I moved around a lot with my mother’s job, Alexandria was always the central location of my roots. Being from a small town never really seemed to fit my dreams. While most of my family planted their lives there, I always wanted bigger. I wanted to see more and to do more than was presented to me. Moving to Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans exposed me to different people from different places. It also taught me to be bold about starting over in new places and taught me how to meet people. Overall, I learned to appreciate my small, honest and humble beginnings and I embraced the notion of working hard for the things I wanted. I am forever grateful for Louisiana, my family values instilled in me by my parents, Clarence and Ellen, and I am grateful for Dillard University and Louisiana State University whose educational rigor prepared me to stand tall as an educated and cultured woman.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
By profession, I am an educator. I served the students of Georgia for over 13 years as a classroom teacher. I taught English Language Arts for 12 of my classroom years and I was able to foster a love of literature in many students in local Title One schools. What set me apart from my colleagues was my ability to reach students in and out of the classroom. I coached a step team for ten years and was able to use the platform to mentor young girls many of whom I remain close to years later. Currently, I am an Instructional Coach where I work with professional educators to develop them through professional development and coaching support. I also travel and deliver various Professional Development training sessions at conferences across the country. Additionally, I am a spin instructor and I have developed my own spin certification program which has allowed me to train current and upcoming instructors from Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, California, United Kingdom and more. I have prided myself in inspiring others to use the instructor platform to serve others and impact their lives in a positive way. My goal is to share my formula with others and to see them use it in their own successful business. I have spent ten years growing as an instructor and it has definitely been a challenge. Trying to balance both professions while being a single mother has been a challenge but God has always provided support from family and friends. Defining my own voice and style in a very competitive community has left me to my own devices but I have learned to believe in my gifts and to allow them to make room. I have learned not to allow anyone an opportunity to talk me out of my assignment. I have learned to let my loss and grief fuel my passion and to allow people to love me through the process. I have learned resilience I never thought I had and I have learned I have the courage to reach levels even I thought to be unrealistic. I want the world to know that my brand stands for all the things that have made me who I am today. My brand represents faith, humility, service, love and family. In area where I share myself, these characters will always shine through. While money is great, I strive to live a life like my parents; a life of honesty, service and hard work. I hope, through my brand, I can create a happier and healthier community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my bestfriend were visiting, I would start her off attending church service at Elizabeth Baptist Church where I have been a member since 2009. We would then have to visit The Real Milk and Honey for brunch and maybe take a few circles at Cascade Skating Rink. During the week, she would have to come workout with me at Effect Fitness in my spin classes and bootcamp. We would have to grab some healthy food at Upbeet and grab some massages at Treat Your Feet. We would enjoy a few nights of fun at Suite Lounge, Apt. 4B and Area 4. I would take her for the best wings at the Wing Bar Atl and work off the food by riding bikes on the Atlanta Beltline. If she had any energy left, we would have a return to our childhood at Main Event or Dave and Busters. After our fun, we would end the week at Eight for some delicious ramen. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My story could not have been written without my loving and support parents, Clarence and Ellen Frazier. My parents would not be the ones who who seek fame and fortune. They spent their lives earnestly seeking God, a healthy family and a honest living. By today’s standards, they wouldn’t have been defined as successful, but according to my standards, they were rich beyond measure. Their legacies have created professional daughters and granddaughters who have made lives for themselves in the fields of Education, Informational Technology and Social Work. Both of my parents demonstrated the honor of handwork, the strength of character and the long lasting impact of caring for others through service. They worked for over thirty years in their professions and provided evidence of an honest living and an admirable foundation which would sustain a family for years to come. I am forever grateful to be their legacy.

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Image Credits
Paul McPherson