Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiara Townsell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kiara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Where do we begin? I’ve been an athlete since I was a kid. I was born in Philly & raised down South in Savannah, GA. Volleyball and Track were my two loves. Once I got to college at Armstrong State University, I chose not to compete in anything. My main focus was to get my credits for the first two years then transfer to SCAD for photography. I’ve always been super artsy and extremely creative. Of course, things never really go as planned. I went from an Arts major to a Biology major, because all of sudden I wanted to pursue becoming an Orthodontist. That pipe dream ended quickly as I was extremely bored in all the classes, and lacked real interest. I always say I stumbled across my passion for health & fitness because that’s literally how it happened. After going my entire freshmen year without stepping foot inside of a gym, or engaging in any type of physical activity (after being consistently active for years) & eating the usual college kid’s diet of processed foods, fast foods & alcohol, I decided to get back in the game. I was extremely out of shape, although my figure was still relatively “small.” I couldn’t run down the block without getting winded. I borrowed my aunt’s “Insanity” workout DVDs and got to work.
Shortly after, I began working out with an old high school track teammate. He really got me into weights & strength training… and that’s when I discovered my love for lifting. It helped me mentally, as I had a history of clinical depression & anxiety since age 12. It gave me confidence, purpose & motivation. At the end of my sophomore year, I decided to switch majors once again. This time choosing something I had REAL interest in and had developed a passion for fitness. My college boredom turned into a never-ending fascination of the human body and how it worked; what made it stronger; muscles, biomechanics, kinesiology, etc. I really dove in, and all of sudden I turned into a “C’s get degrees” student to an Ace student on the Dean’s List. I went to school all around, no summers off. That’s when I truly knew it was what I wanted to do for a living. I wanted to train athletes to get stronger and help them discover new strength they never knew they possessed… physically and mentally. I graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science diploma with a degree in Human Performance & Fitness Management. Soon after, I became an ISSA-certified personal trainer and certified USTAF Track Coach. Soon after I began hosting women’s only boot camps. I called it “Booty Bootcamp.” That REALLY took off. I loved every bit of it. I loved meeting new women, I loved giving them a great workout. It allowed me to obtain real clients. That’s how I gained my experience early on. A few months into training, I decided to take a leap of faith & move to Atlanta.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! It never is! You can have a solid plan, and still have to improvise because life happens! I didn’t know I would end up hating a job that promised me $60k a year and having to survive off $500 paychecks. I didn’t know I would end up getting fired from my 9 to 5, then getting hired 2 days later from a client from that same business, who happened to own a gym. Then, eventually resigning to work for myself. My master plan went right in the toilet only a few weeks after relocating to Atlanta. All I knew was that I knew how to grind and make connections. And that’s exactly what I did. At one point, I was working my 9 to 5, interning at another gym in Midtown and training 2-3 clients on the side. So, I would train as an intern at a gym in Midtown from 5 am-6: 30 am, work my 9 to 5 from 7 am-4 in Buckhead, then sprint to Roswell to train clients. I was on the move. The Midtown gym internship didn’t work out, and a friend told me about DASH Performance, which is now my home for my in-person clients.
Please tell us about TheFitnessKi – what should we know?
I operate under the name, TheFitnessKi. In the real world, my business, TheFitnessKi, LLC offers one-on-one & two-on-one training at DASH Performance. I’m very selective with my clientele. I try not to hold any more than 10 clients at a time. That’s how I like it. It works for me. My main business is online, so I like to have ample time to manage that. The online world is a different ballgame. The majority of my revenue comes from online sales and online training. I use an awesome online training platform that allows me to post specialized workout programs for each online client. They have access to their workouts right on their phones using my app. They’re able to chat with me every single day and check-in via Facetime to make sure everything is going as planned.
On Instagram, I’m known for my 5-week challenges and my online programs. I specialize in quick transformations, that someone that can actually maintain for a long time, My online programs are also popular because they’re so detailed & people can follow them on their own and still receive outstanding results. Also, with me currently being pregnant I’m showing women that they can still remain active even while they’re carrying a baby. (Safely, of course).
I’m so proud of where I’m at now. Fitness has become such a lucrative market that a lot of people go into it for the wrong reasons, and because it’s loosely regulated, anyone can call themselves a “trainer” and have NO idea how to actually get someone results. I’m proud of the education I worked hard to receive, and people see that in my programs. They see the professionalism, they see the detail and they see the effort I put into everything I release. In addition, my followers on Instagram resonate with me because I’m real. I’m not an Instagram influencer. I don’t post what I feel will grab the most attention nor do I try to portray an image of someone I’m not. I’m just… me. Kiara. I really let my followers in. I’m open about my life & my struggles, and maybe that’s why they trust me even more.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
If I had to choose just one, it would be authenticity.
Pricing:
- Standard Online Training: $175/mo.
- Elite Online Training: $215/mo.
- 5-Week Challenge: $40-$45
- 1-on-1 Personal Training: Starting at $320/mo.
Contact Info:
- Website: TheFitnessKi.com
- Email: TheFitnessKi@gmail.com
- Instagram: TheFitnessKI
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
