Recent reports show there has been a significant increase in domestic violence due to the coronavirus pandemic. In general, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes. Playbook Media Group’s Co-Founder and Haitian women’s activist Marie Driven wants to help those in these complicated situations.
Marie has partnered with boxers and mixed martial artists to offer self-defense courses for survivors of domestic abuse. Marie has delved into the complicated topic via numerous online platforms over the past few months, both as a guest speaker and a moderator. The mission is to help raise funds for people impacted by domestic violence and are still surviving. Recently, she opened up on social media to share her own very personal story.
“On May 13th, 2020, I was physically abused by the person I was dating,” Marie shared. “It was such a shocker because I would never think he would take his anger so far, especially with my birthday being a week away. I will never forget my two black eyes and a broken nose, which motivated me to protect myself from engaging in self-defense training and women empowerment. I decided to build strength with my trainer and box with my boxer to learn how to defend myself.”
That experience gave her the idea for the campaign, “We Fight Back,” which offers free self-defense classes for Domestic Violence survivors. The classes will take place in New York City. “I teamed up with Gym X to make this happen,” said Marie. “I am using my Public Relations background to spread the word. Boxing saved me emotionally and mentally. It helped me build confidence physically. I’m also teaming up with the DA office to offer my services.”
An Entrepreneur With A Mission
“I used to be a salesperson for various fashion brands. From urban wear to high-end fashion,” Marie said. “After mastering my sales skills, I wanted to try something new. I realize if I can sell clothes, shoes, and belts to people, why can’t I sell a person’s brand to a company? So, I launched Marie Driven On The Scene (MDOTS) to break into the entertainment field.”
MDOTS allowed her to attend red carpet events and network and helped open doors for her to grow the business. As the company began to expand, she realized she needed help. Ms. Driven partnered with Jean Jones in 2014 to create Playbook MG.
Playbook MG specializes in branding experiences that convert audiences into advocates. They aim to amplify awareness and ignite interest geared toward impacting the bottom line. Marie and Jean started with an obsession to develop a go-to-market system that adeptly addressed the growing difficulties of capturing an audience’s attention. Playbook MG is working hard to become an industry leader in sports, music, and lifestyle brands.
Addressing Domestic Violence
“In 2020, the man I was dating gave me two black eyes, broke my phone and my glasses,” Marie disclosed. “This man was so angry and drunk. He just lost it that day. I was extremely depressed and needed some motivation.”
It was then that Marie reached out to a trainer of hers and began to work with him on how to fight back. After two months of her training, she felt motivated, empowered, and able to fight back. Marie wanted to share this sense of self with others who may have been in a similar situation.
“I thought if I can provide women with self-defense classes, it would help them heal.” She said. “We Fight Back” was born.
The “We Fight Back Campaign” will begin on June 5th, 2021, and occur in Brooklyn, New York. All classes will be free, and the first ten people to sign up will receive a pair of boxing gloves.
Marie’s ultimate goal is to have brand ambassadors in every city and state to host free classes for those who need them.