Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Montesanti.
Nicole, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started life as a college athlete, majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I didn’t start off college very well, discovering what it means to hang out with friends and engage in partying. This was a new experience for me as I didn’t really get to do it that much in high school due to always working. I began my education at a junior college and then transferred to Lander University in Greenwood, SC, which is a small division 2 school in the Peach Belt Conference. I ended up finishing my 4 year career in softball, but due to transferring, I had to complete an extra year of academics. In that last year, I thought I would miss softball, but not one part of me did. I just felt kind of lost and bored from always having to do something in between school and my life. That’s when I wanted to start actually working out and eating “healthy,” or what I thought was healthy. It was then that I realized that I had no idea what the hell I was doing. My coaches only taught me one thing, and that was softball. I went to the gym, but felt lost and confused. I tried to eat healthily, but wasn’t eating “right” for what my goals were. That was really when I decided I wanted to learn how to do this, for me. I actually first started my education with becoming a specialist in fitness nutrition. That was when I thought I was working out in a way that would get me to have the goal body I wanted. Don’t get me wrong, I was working my way towards a better body, but not the body that I saw in my head that I truly wanted to transform into. For the nutrition part of my wellness journey, I was dedicated to eating healthy and then soon graduated college with a bachelor’s in Biology.
However, my end goal was no longer the health field in a clinical setting, but rather in the fitness setting. I started working at a dietary and nutritional supplement company as a lab technician making supplements which also assisted me in increasing my knowledge about nutrition in a holistic way. It was an awesome experience, but I was not fulfilled in what I was doing.. I didn’t feel as if I was growing in my true purpose. I wanted more, so I took a bold next step and left a really good job with the unknown ahead of me. I moved back into my mom’s house to pursue a life as a personal trainer/coach.
I began by working in a basic gym, knowing I had to start somewhere. I worked my way up to a managerial position and got transferred to a gym in Sandy Springs where I really started to grow. I met some amazing people and am super fortunate to still have some of them in my life today. At this time, I encountered a challenging life hump, a man. The relationship started off fine, but I was blind as to what was about to be revealed. I was dating a man who was living a double life and had a wife and child on the way. I was horrified when I found out. Not only did this man “break my heart,” but I thought about the lifetime movies I used to watch with my mom, and couldn’t help but think, “I’m THAT girl.” That’s probably what got to me more than anything.
In addition to the trauma of this relationship, I was fighting with my current apartment complex due to a mold situation. I had to drop pretty much every penny I had to get out of this apartment and find somewhere to live safe. In this time, I had to bring my two dogs home and I even lived out of my car for a few days (Sorry, I never told you mom). I was broke, had no place to live, and had to travel to work in Sandy Springs. In addition, I was prepping for a bodybuilding competition and training two hours a day. It hurt and I felt lower than low in this part of my life, but I had to keep going. Around this time was when I met the first person that taught me a lot of what I know today, Albert Sampson. Albert was an experienced trainer who invested in me tremendously during one of the most difficult times of my life. He trained me and taught me a lot of what I know to this day. My time with him transformed me physically, mentally and spiritually. He saw something in me, and to be honest, to this day, I’m not sure what, but he did, and I’ll forever be thankful for him.
There have been so many amazing people who have assisted me along this journey in who I am today, including giving me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go, connecting me with resources, investing finances, and supporting my career growth. What all these people have done is role-model what it truly means to give back to humanity, and this is what drives my approach to health and wellness today.
I worked in numerous studio’s and eventually collided with a new type of fitness, cycling; But this was not just any cycle class, this was heated cycling. I realized that if I’m going to work for a fitness facility other than my own, I have to LOVE their workout and I LOVED the heat. Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t at first, but this class made me come alive and change my perspective on “my” own FITNESS program and approach that grounds me and sets me apart from other trainers.
Through all these experiences, I realized I have come so far, that I can’t even find the words that accurately depicts the transformation of my life. I now am holding my own. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment with my two dogs and one cat. I have my own business, “Nikki Fitness,” and I’m currently working on a holistic company to help people achieve overall health and wellness because people fail to realize that it’s so much more to their wellness journey and it’s not just an “exercise plan,” or just a “meal plan.” It’s everything about a persons’ life, that needs to be addressed in order to be whole.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all, but who’s road has been smooth?! I lost my apt. I lost some friends. I lost some loved ones, but I also gained SO much. I can truly look at everything I’ve gone through and say “it happened for a reason,” and take those situations/people and learn and grow from them. It’s so corny, but you really have to trust this process of life. You have to work on YOU, to learn how to remain grounded because at the end of the day; Life will go on.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Without our health, there is no “US.” I believe the reason people pick the fad diets and plans is due to a general lack of knowledge and understanding, which unfortunately comes from the Fitness Industry. People who are seeking change in their life are looking to fitness to guide, instruct, and teach the proper ways to increase a healthier way of being and living. My recent client told me that before training with me, she spent almost $6500 in two years on gym membership fees, tests, extra classes, and supplements. In her opinion, the fitness industry has turned into a branding and marketing strategy to engage clients to purchase packaged programs, tests and supplements in order to make a corporate profit. I have seen this repeatedly with new clients who come to me because everything else has failed, and they are looking for a true lifestyle change.
What I bring to my programs, is an authentic approach for all my clients. My job and purpose in life and through my business is to bring integrity to the fitness industry by; educating clients on a balanced approach to life, providing an authentic coaching and mentoring style that is intentional for each person, and increasing the self- awareness so that each change is sustainable for a lifetime. I address the whole person, mentally, spiritually and physically, as those in my past have with me. I meet them where they are at and help them improve from there. After all, if you don’t know where you’re starting, how do you know where to go?
I purposefully use every experience I have had, every struggle and trial to engage my clients in a “fight for it” mentality. You must earn the change you want. It’s never given to you, it’s not easy, but the reward is what lasts forever.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, there are a lot of gyms, fitness centers, health and wellness businesses and communities that support entrepreneurs and clientele that are looking for something to hold onto that contributes to their health. This city is welcoming and provides a great opportunity for collaboration in the fitness arena from business to business or from business to community!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nikkifitness.fit/
- Phone: 6785253551
- Email: nf.nikkifitness@gmail.com
- Instagram: @nikkii_fitness
- Facebook: Nikki Montesanti
Image Credit:
Robert Rainbow and William Allen
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.
