Nicole Lareau - Concrete Barbie
A Journey of Strength, Self-Alignment, and Redefining Beauty
Childhood & Growing Up Different
Nicole grew up academically driven and active in recreational sports and dance. From a young age, she saw herself as a “thicker girl,” never quite fitting the narrow mold of beauty often portrayed to young women. The societal standard—thin, delicate, and hyper-curated—left her feeling out of place. But even then, movement was her language. Sports laid the foundation for what would later become her greatest strength.
Before she was a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, or a confident woman standing tall in her strength, Nicole was a young girl trying to find her place in a world that didn’t seem built for her. She grew up surrounded by sisters, each navigating their own version of girlhood. A true bookworm, and academically driven Nicole had yet to find her passion.
Academically gifted and active in dance and sports, Nicole did everything “right”—but still felt like she didn’t quite belong. She saw herself as thicker than the girls around her, and the images fed to her through media and culture only deepened that disconnect. Beauty, as it was advertised, portrayed a different image than what she saw in herself.
But Nicole’s story isn’t one of defeat—it’s one of discovery. What began as a struggle to conform became a journey to self-definition. Through movement, strength, and reflection, she found a version of femininity that was hers alone. One that didn’t shrink her but celebrated her. One that didn’t ask her to change but invited her to become.
Powerlifting to Bodybuilding
Nicole first stepped into the gym at 19, armed with determination but no guidance. She counted macros, tried to eat “clean,” and chased the thin ideal that society relentlessly pushes on young women. Without a coach or proper support, she fell into a cycle of under-eating and bingeing—trying to shrink herself into a version of beauty that never felt natural. She wanted to be skinny, because that’s what she thought she had to be.
But something shifted. She stopped fighting her body and started listening to it. She realized that her strength wasn’t something to hide—it was something to build. She began aligning her identity with her natural structure, her drive, and her inner power. For the first time, she embraced who she was, and everything changed.
Nicole spent years powerlifting and Cross Fitting, building dense, functional muscle without even realizing she was laying the foundation for something greater. By the end of 2021, she turned her attention to bodybuilding. In 2022, she officially began working with a coach, and her training transformed. It wasn’t just about lifting heavy anymore—it was about fine-tuning, sculpting, and creating the shape required for the physique division. Her nutrition was dialed in, her programming became precise, and her vision sharpened.
In December 2022, Nicole stepped on stage for her second-ever show—NPC Nationals—and walked away with her pro card. It was a massive achievement, but not a shortcut. The years of hard work in the gym had built the mass; now she was refining it. Her journey wasn’t fast—it was earned. After her win, she adopted the name “Concrete Barbie”—a nod to her strength, her femininity, and her unapologetic presence.
Nicole thrives in bodybuilding because it’s a sport of solitude and self-reliance. She loves that her success depends on her own discipline, her own choices, her own grit. In a world saturated with filtered images and unrealistic beauty standards, she stands as proof that beauty is not one-size-fits-all. Femininity is not fragile—it’s fierce. It’s found in every body type, every structure, every woman who chooses to define it for herself.
She says, “Muscle may not be for everyone—but that doesn’t mean it’s not for someone.” And if you’re consciously aligning your values, your image, and your strength with what truly matters to you, then you’re already on the path to becoming.
Her training is more than physical—it’s spiritual. It’s where she finds her rhythm, her resilience, her release. Even on the hardest days, when life feels heavy and self-doubt creeps in, she returns to the gym—not just to build her body, but to reclaim her identity. And every rep, every set, every moment of sweat and struggle reminds her: this is who she is. This is what she was meant for.
Overcoming Adversity / Battle with Disordered Eating
Nicole points out that many of us including herself aren’t immune to negative body image but also realizes that through movement and strength there is a deeper more fulfilling purpose and meaning.
She says that disordered eating doesn’t define you. Saying that in no way does what you eat define your inner strength or put limits on what you can accomplish. She urges the importance of not carrying the negativity and weight of past decisions into the next day. There is something powerful about writing out on paper what your goals are. Writing out habits and seeing if your daily actions are reflective and conducive to your goals. Taking the small steps to align yourself to your goals through daily actions is the most important step. “Do a little better each minute, each day, the next choice is a little bit better than the one before”. There’s always a new day, and you can always get to where you want to be. Nicole practices self-reflection, and connection by using pen, paper, and self-honesty. Realizing that struggle can be helped through therapy, and openness.
It’s not that Nicole doesn’t enjoy food, freedom, or indulgence—she does. But she’s found something deeper: the strength that comes from alignment. When your daily actions reflect your values and your goals, every choice becomes a step toward becoming who you’re meant to be. That kind of alignment isn’t restrictive—it’s liberating.
There’s happiness in sharing meals, in baking for others, in enjoying life’s simple pleasures. But Nicole has discovered a more profound joy—the kind that comes from discipline, from overcoming urges, from choosing long-term fulfillment over instant gratification. It’s the kind of happiness that builds confidence, resilience, and self-respect.
She believes success isn’t random—it’s built. “When you have the right plan, the right path, and the right coach,” she says, “you’re going to do well.” And she’s living proof. Through struggle, realignment, and relentless self-honesty, Nicole has become the strongest version of herself—not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Bodybuilding and Baking
Nicole started a baking business, and despite seemingly different concepts she says that bodybuilding and pastry baking are one of the same. Finding enjoyment and freedom with baking and giving to others, she started her business Cheat Daze where you can place your order and have it delivered. Nicole bakes blondies, cookies, pies, and essentially everything under the sun. This creative outlet is more than just a hobby, signaling that her battle had not only been won, but herself had been found.
She found freedom in food through baking; a signal that she has overcome something that once held too much strength in her life. Finding enjoyment in making pastries for others. Having a creative outlet and something to enjoy outside of work, and bodybuilding. Symbolizing self-mastery and self-alignment.
Full Circle Moment and Self-Identification
Nicole struggled with finding her path in this world, and fought her inner self, realizing that all that is needed is to follow your passion, and align yourself with simply what is just naturally underneath. Finding your path cannot be done when asking others, but only through self-understanding and intention.
After earning her college and graduate degrees, Nicole began working in state and local government. On paper, it was a stable, respectable path—but deep down, it didn’t feel right. Something was missing. She made the courageous decision to pivot, leaving behind what no longer served her and stepping into the world of bodybuilding. It was there, in the discipline of the sport and the clarity of purpose, that she finally found her alignment.
Nicole is living proof that misalignment doesn’t mean failure—it’s just a sign you’re not done evolving. Through every struggle, she’s become a beacon for others who feel lost or disconnected. Her mantra, “nothing is forever,” reminds her—and those around her—that change is always possible, and hope is never out of reach.
If she could go back in time to young Nicole, she would tell herself to trust the process and just keep going. Even when things feel uncertain, and you are questioning yourself. If it feels good and it reflects who you are, you are on the right path. Inspiring women and young girls to embrace their passion, ignore others judgement, follow your values, accomplish your goals, and your inner beauty will inevitably shine.
Nicole believes that true femininity isn’t defined by softness or fragility, it’s found in strength, in presence, in authenticity. For her, the physique division is where that balance comes to life. It’s where muscle meets grace, and power becomes poetry. Through bodybuilding, she has uncovered her perfect expression of womanhood: beautiful, strong, feminine, and unapologetically herself.
Nicole has become the woman she once searched for in magazines, mirrors, and moments of silence. And now, she stands as proof that when you embrace your truth—fully, fiercely, and without apology—everything becomes worth it.
Her pro win in 2022 summed up her experiences with body image and not knowing her place in this world and was the moment that everything came together. Her strength, beauty, passion, skills, all started working with each other. With blonde hair and sporting a pink bikini, Concrete Barbie was born and is here to stay.
Things really do work themselves out in the end.
