Conversations with Kariim Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kariim Smith.

Kariim, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve loved fitness for as long as I can remember, but becoming a coach wasn’t part of my original plan.

Before starting Body by Kariim Fitness, I was involved in real estate investing and experienced some early success. Then the 2006 recession hit, and like many people during that time, I lost everything. Financially, emotionally, and mentally, it was one of the toughest periods of my life. I found myself dealing with a level of uncertainty and depression that I had never experienced before.

During that time, a friend of mine who was the General Manager of an LA Fitness encouraged me to take a position as a Training Sales Manager. To be honest, I was extremely skeptical. I loved working out, but I didn’t see how anyone could make a living in the fitness industry. For weeks I talked myself out of it. Eventually, with very few options and a lot of encouragement from my friend, I decided to give it a shot.

The beginning was rough.

Even though I had years of experience in the gym, selling personal training was a completely different challenge. I hadn’t yet deeply studied health and fitness, and I was naturally very shy. Walking up to strangers, starting conversations, and asking them to invest in themselves was uncomfortable. But with training, repetition, and persistence, I slowly improved.

What surprised me was that people weren’t responding to a sales pitch. They were responding to passion. Fitness had changed my life, and when I talked about it, people could feel that. Before long, I was consistently one of the top performers in the company and eventually became one of the top three salespeople in the country.

But something interesting happened along the way.

Many of the people I signed up would tell me, “I’ll do it if you’re the one training me.”

Part of my job was helping members learn how to use equipment and become comfortable in the gym. Every day I watched people walk into the facility, change clothes, wander from machine to machine for ten minutes, and then quietly leave without ever doing a workout. At first I didn’t understand why. After speaking with enough members, I realized many of them weren’t lazy or unmotivated—they were intimidated. They were afraid of looking inexperienced. They were afraid of being judged. They wanted to improve their health, but they didn’t know where to start.

That realization changed everything for me.

I saw a huge need for a place where people could learn fitness without feeling embarrassed. A place where beginners could ask questions, make mistakes, build confidence, and progress at their own pace. That idea eventually became the foundation for Body by Kariim Fitness.

In November of 2008, I took the leap and started my own business.

The early years were anything but glamorous. I wasn’t a well-known trainer. I didn’t have a large social media following. I was simply asking people to give me a chance. I offered free sessions, worked long hours, and poured everything I had into helping people succeed. For a period of time, I practically lived in my gym. There were plenty of setbacks, expensive lessons, and moments when it would have been easier to quit.

But I stayed persistent.

One client became two. Two became ten. Ten became a community.

Over the years, I’ve learned that fitness is rarely just about losing weight or building muscle. It’s about confidence. It’s about helping people do things they once thought were impossible. It’s about giving someone the energy to play with their kids, recover from an injury, improve their health markers, or simply feel comfortable in their own skin again.

Today, nearly two decades later, Body by Kariim Fitness is still built on the same principle that inspired it from the beginning: creating a safe, supportive environment where people can learn, grow, and become stronger than they believed they could be.

Looking back, losing everything during the recession felt devastating at the time. But in many ways, it led me to discover the career I was truly meant to have. What started as a second chance became a calling, and I feel incredibly fortunate that I get to change lives through fitness every single day.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. Like most small business owners, I’ve had my share of challenges, setbacks, and expensive lessons.

One of the biggest hurdles came when a city inspector visited our studio and informed us that we were missing a critical document: our Certificate of Occupancy. At the time, I had no idea what I was about to get myself into. We were cited and faced thousands of dollars in fines, but the financial penalty was only part of the challenge.

The real struggle was navigating the process of converting our business occupancy classification from mercantile to gymnasium. Anyone who has gone through commercial permitting and zoning knows how complicated that can be. What made it even more difficult was that I had never done anything like it before, and there wasn’t a clear roadmap or someone guiding me through the process.

For nearly a year, I spent countless hours going back and forth to city hall, meeting with inspectors, filling out paperwork, making corrections, scheduling inspections, and learning the system one step at a time. There were plenty of frustrating moments. There were days when it felt like every answer led to three more questions. It cost a lot of money, a lot of time, and probably a few gray hairs along the way.

Looking back, though, I wouldn’t change a thing.

At the time it felt overwhelming, but that experience taught me a valuable lesson about business ownership: sometimes your greatest growth comes from the problems you never saw coming. The education I gained from that process has benefited me ever since. In the grand scheme of things, the cost was relatively small compared to the knowledge and experience I walked away with.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Body by Kariim Fitness, we don’t chase trends, fad diets, or one-size-fits-all workout programs. We believe every person is unique, and their fitness plan should reflect that. Our approach is built around designing individualized workout programs and providing nutrition guidance based on each client’s specific goals, lifestyle, schedule, limitations, and macronutrient needs.

Whether someone wants to lose weight, build muscle, improve mobility, increase athletic performance, or simply feel healthier, we create a roadmap that fits their life rather than forcing them to fit into a generic program. We understand that long-term success comes from consistency, and consistency is only possible when a plan is realistic and sustainable.

What truly sets us apart, however, is the relationships we build with our clients. Before we can help someone change their habits, we first have to earn their trust. We take great pride in listening, understanding where people are coming from, and creating an environment where they feel supported, encouraged, and valued. We don’t just coach workouts—we build relationships.

One of the things we’re most known for is that our clients never feel like just another number. We genuinely care about the people who walk through our doors and invest in their success. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to watch those relationships grow into something much bigger than fitness.

Spouses invite their spouses. Parents trust us with their children. Siblings bring siblings. Friends bring friends. To me, there is no greater compliment than when someone trusts us enough to refer the people they love most. That level of trust is something we never take for granted.

What I’m most proud of isn’t the awards, the years in business, or even the physical transformations we’ve helped create. It’s the community we’ve built and the impact we’ve had on people’s lives. Fitness is simply the vehicle. The real goal is helping people become healthier, more confident, and more capable of living the life they want to live.

At the end of the day, our mission is simple: meet people where they are, guide them with honesty and expertise, and help them become the strongest version of themselves—both physically and mentally.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My biggest piece of advice is to stop looking for shortcuts and start looking for people who have already accomplished what you’re trying to achieve. A good mentor can save you years of mistakes, but you have to be willing to listen, stay humble, and put their advice into action.

When it comes to networking, focus on building genuine relationships instead of trying to collect contacts. Be curious, ask questions, provide value when you can, and stay in touch. Some of the best opportunities in my life and business came from relationships that were built over time through trust and consistency.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Successful people are often more willing to share their knowledge than you might think.

Pricing:

• $75-$150 per session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bodybykariim.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BBKfitness
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBKfitnessATL
• LinkedIn: Kariim Smith