Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Brown.
Hi Kendra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a track athlete in middle and high school, so fitness was a big part of my life. I stopped once I went to college because my interests changed. I wanted to be a singer/songwriter, so I went to school for audio production as an intro into a career in the music industry. Fast forward to 2018, I was a married, part-time, stay-at-home mom, and I joined a gym as a hobby. I hired a trainer, and that’s what sparked my interest in fitness again. I went through a divorce during that time, and fitness was a way for me to pour into myself.
In 2019, I was newly divorced after six years, and I found myself in an unfamiliar space, having to navigate through single motherhood and figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. Fitness is the direction that I chose because I loved the way that I felt, I loved seeing the changes in my body, I loved getting stronger, and I wanted to be able to give those same feelings to other women, specifically mommies. I received my first certification and started training clients, mostly friends. I honestly had no direction. I was traveling to my clients and training out of my trunk. I was charging pennies, but I really just wanted the experience. I had the passion, and I wanted to be an asset. I was working four jobs, and then the world shut down in 2020 because of Covid. That was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me because it forced me into entrepreneurship and forced me to bet on myself. I haven’t looked back.
I believe that I have a lot to offer this world. I make every effort to be an asset to women. I study hard to increase my knowledge because I don’t want to be just another pretty body on Instagram. I’m transparent with my story at times because I want to lead by example. I have had clients from all walks of life, all ages, all sizes, and the things that I want them to take from me is to always pour into themselves. To give the same love to themselves that they give everyone else. To overcome all of the obstacles that life throws at you. To be resilient in the face of hardship. I also started recording music again. I have done a few fitness covers and some original music that I plan to release SOON. Music is my first love, so it’s amazing to me how I’ve been able to marry the two.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Entrepreneurship is hard and very unstable, so it’s important to have a “why” outside of money because the money isn’t always there. Although I chose to be a fitness coach, I’ve struggled with finding my place in this industry. To be honest, I still haven’t found my people for real. At times, I’ve felt like it isn’t for me because a lot of what I see isn’t in alignment with who I am, especially when it comes to the social media politics & the excess vanity. I have an unwillingness to compromise myself to be liked by the masses. When I leave this earth, how good my body looked or how many human “followers” I had on a man-made app won’t matter.
Fitness is about how good your body looks, and while my body looks great, I want to be respected as a knowledgeable coach and not just a pretty face and nice body. I want to be an asset in real life, and I have been making an effort to be that for people within my means. I don’t believe in attaching myself to any and everything, and I am big on self-preservation. I’ve lost my clientele and had to rebuild from scratch a few times. I’ve had to change environments in order to have peace and grow as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome and even feeling like I belong in this industry because of my morals. I love what I do, and I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else except music. I keep going despite the obstacles I’ve faced because I see the bigger picture. I am making a difference in the lives of women, and I love the relationships I’ve built.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My clientele consists of women and mothers. I have trained as old as 63 and as young as 21. Primarily strength training with light cardio. I incorporate mental health practices in my workouts. Something as small as an affirmation makes a huge difference in mindset and morale. Being a personal trainer, I really aim to establish relationships with my clients. God has really blessed me with the perfect clientele that are aligned with who I am. I genuinely get a second wind from them on my worst days. Synergy is real and I am looking to increase my clientele so ladies come and join my family of Kenfolk!
It’s a little corny to me now, but I used to call myself the “Singing Trainer” once I started recording music again. Some of the songs are about fitness. The idea came to mind because I was trying to find a way to do music again and make it make sense. I don’t have the desire to be a famous singer, but I use music as a creative outlet. I do feel that is the perfect lane for me to create for myself because I can do two things that I love. I guess I could stick with that title because I haven’t met another singing trainer yet.
I established a brand called Mommiana Fitness this year, and it’s specifically for Mothers. I held my first fitness class in June, and it was a huge success to me. We worked out, laughed, danced, talked about mental health, and breaking generational curses. We discussed the necessity of being gentle with ourselves & giving ourselves grace on our Motherhood journey because we are human & we are still learning. It was one of the best experiences being around like-minded women who were strangers to each other but alike in many ways. Women, black women, black mothers. The intimacy of being seen, heard, & understood. I plan to host more fitness events in the near future.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve never had a mentor, but my advice for networking is to step out on faith. Put yourself out there. Put yourself in spaces that are in alignment with who you are and where you are trying to go. Attend networking events. Bootstrap and promote yourself in real life. Ask for help. Be vocal and advocate for yourself. Don’t be too prideful. Find your niche and add value. Always make effort to be an asset in a world of liabilities.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitmomkeni/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fitmomkeni
- SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/fitmomkeni
- Other: https://linktr.ee/fitmomkeni
