Today we’d like to introduce you to Esteis Marseille.
Hi Esteis, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Throughout childhood and middle school, I would gravitate towards composition, particularly when dealing with emotional situations. Although I enjoyed books written by Walter Dean Myers and the Goosebumps series, I wasn’t the most avid reader, but I always loved to write. Whether it was for a school assignment, a journal entry, or a poem, I remember surprising teachers, a few family members, and sometimes myself with an attractive story, or with how well I wrote. Creating new worlds and stories, or reflecting on an event was a form of therapy for me.
When I entered high school, I did what most 6-foot-plus, semi-decent basketball players in Brooklyn, NY did, and tried out for my high school’s basketball team. Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School was a basketball powerhouse that sent several young women and men to college or the pros. Getting selected to compete for the Lions was a life-changing event, but it required most of my free time and recreational writing took a backseat.
This continued into college. I played basketball at Tennessee Tech University and focused my attention on competing at a high level and graduating – a first for the men in my family. After sustaining a knee injury that required three knee surgeries in three years, I fell into a depression that I didn’t recognize or know how to manage until after I was done playing.
During my last (and extra) semester of school, I took four English classes to rekindle my relationship with writing. My favorite classes that semester were Creative Writing and American Lit. The combination of creating my own stories, while also reading American classics, took me away from the mundane routine of Physical Therapy, practices, and Exercise Science classes.
I picked up my pen again and began journaling and writing poems. I performed at Open Mic nights, like Atlanta’s C-Room, and a few school events. That was 2014. I started a hashtag #strengthnwords back then, too, and continued to use it when I started building my creative portfolio via social media. Side note: my creative page was hacked a few weeks ago, but we’re back up and running. “Minor setback for a major comeback.”
Fast forward to 2020, I decided to use my free time from coaching and teaching during the shutdown to write again. I wrote a collection of poems that spoke on social issues, mental health, and a few personal stories from my life, and ended up collaborating with a good friend Jawaun Crawford of the Lucky Seven Brass Band to create an EP titled Pendemics. In 2021, we linked up with Ethan Vaughn, a local bassist, to release a second EP titled Obsolete Perspectives. We realized our potential to create something fresh and unordinary, and took Pendemics off streaming sites. Pendemics will make a return, but there’s more writing and fine tuning to do. Right now, my focus is on writing a second book and helping my students at Soulsville find their voice and experience freedom of expression through composition similar to how I do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. I’m a father, teacher, trainer, and high school basketball coach. There are seasons in the year where other responsibilities take priority and the majority of my time. So, to create space to write, I break my year into quarters. Though I do some form of writing every day, the bulk of my projects are curated after basketball season is over.
My greatest obstacle comes from a situation regarding a book I wrote, and naively forfeited my copyrights for after signing a contract with a local organization. Though the experience proved that I can plan, write and finish an appealing book, I’ve been forced to sit on my hands and wait for my product to be released.
Though I’m frustrated with the experience, I’m finishing up an even better story and will have it ready for 2023. No contracts or outside organizations will be able to control what I do or how it is published. This is only the beginning…
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Well, my vocation is in education. I currently teach High School PE at Soulsville Charter School and will be teaching two Creative Writing classes next year. My favorite part of teaching are the “real-life” conversations I have with students. The 7th-grade students I taught in 2018 are now in the 10th grade. Guiding them as they wrestle with early dramas that come with high school, and having the opportunity to share the little wisdom I have, is just as important to me as the organization I’m building.
I’m proud of my students and how they persevere despite the challenges life throws at them. Life is different when growing up in the trenches of South Memphis. Yet, they find a way to show up and handle business on a daily basis. Shout out to the Soulsville Revolution!
I’m also proud of myself for finishing an EP, performing at shows, and writing novels. It may sound pretentious, but for my own sense of security and self-image, I must recognize my successes.
Lastly, I’m proud of my basketball team. We’ve lost several teammates, classmates, and family members that contributed to our heartaches over the last few years. We were underdogs in most games we’ve played, but despite this reality, these young men remained focused and motivated year in and out. We’ve taken down powerhouses like Manassas and Booker T Washington when most people betted against us. Watching them grow their championship DNA has been a highlight for me over the last four years.
My ultimate mission is to build Strength N Words. I’m excited about the partnerships we have aligned for the summer and fall, and have our eyes set on a huge summer of 2023.
Strength N Words incorporates fitness and wellness and literary art in its programs, and curates motivational, literary and musical content for the community to enjoy. The N in our name is threefold, like the three bars in the capitol N itself. We StrengtheN our words through education, motivation and affirmations. We find Strength iN the words we ingest and express. Lastly, we use Strength (fitness) aNd Words to build our body and souls. Strengthen words; Strength in Words; Strength and Words. Strength N Words.
We have programs and content for children, student athletes, young adults and grown folks looking to improve their athletic performance, build their composition skills, learn how to train themselves and others, or take a step towards becoming the best version of themselves.
Though I teach PE and coach the HS basketball team, students and colleagues are starting to recognize my “skill with the quill.” While the titles of “athlete” and “coach” reinforce certain stereotypes in the minds of those who do not have an intimate relationship with the individual. The combination of fitness and composition as forms of expression and therapy falls in line with the mission of Strength N Words.
All that said, I realize there is no limit to what I can do. Now is the time to get active!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The lessons I gained from the Covid-19 crisis are countless, so I’ll share the top 5 that come to mind right now:
1. Life is too precious to waste in the wrong company. Reach out to those who come alive when you come around. Be open to meeting new people.
2. If my mind and body aren’t performing well, my team, family, and tribe suffer. The wolf is only as strong as the pack, and the pack is only as strong as the wolf.
3. No one is coming to get you out of bed and onward to your dreams. It takes vision and consistent work to manifest what you want.
4. Love and belief are the greatest forces in a human. Love and believe in yourself – it’s okay to be a little selfish with this.
5. Meditate and pray daily. After a month or sooner, you’ll see why it was one of the greatest things you could’ve done for yourself.
Pricing:
- Strength N Words General Fitness Camp $350 a month.
- Strength N Words Team Camp $5k for a 12-week training camp, $1K for the complete program.
- Spoken Word Performances / Voice Acting (by commission).
Contact Info:
- Email: Esteismarseille@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/strength.words
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCIcFH8wHRyRZCl8j8oSdCAA
Image Credits:
Jamie Harmon and Bryson Gilkey
