We recently connected with Melody Courtney and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Melody, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

At Desert Blaze Fitness, we equalize the importance of both physical and mental well-being. We recognize and highlight the importance that fitness plays in our mental health as well as our physical health. Lifting weights and exercising helps reduce stress, it boosts moods, boosts confidence, and improves physical conditions as well. A strong body equals a clear mind.

My home garage is completely converted into a full gym where our business has built a community of both men and women who inspire one another. The small yet large space we call our private gym is full of motivation, positivity, sweat, friendship, and love. We celebrate what our bodies can do through difficult workouts, proving to ourselves that doing hard things in the gym can help us do hard things outside of the gym.

I started out only doing 1 on 1 private training sessions, and over the course of a year I have expanded to also doing small group workouts. The community we have built is amazing and positive and one of a kind. Whether a client comes to a private workout session or to a small group session, two things are almost guaranteed. One, they will get a good workout in, and two, they will leave feeling better both mentally and physically than when they came in. I believe one of my specialties as a trainer is my positivity. Being able to turn something negative into something positive in the gym. I recognize the importance that the mind plays in the fitness world, yet not a lot of people talk about it or focus on it. Being able to talk a client through how to get through a hard exercise step by step and breath by breath, they are able to realize how powerful they are.

I had a client in her 50’s who lost 40 pounds over the course of 5 months by working out with me twice a week. I had a different client in her 50’s lose 6 inches in her waist by working out with me 3 times a week for 4 months. These are exciting physical results, but for me, nothing compares to hearing the impact it has had on someone’s mental well-being. An over-stimulated mom is able to be the best she can be for her kids because of the workouts she comes to regularly to release stress. After having a biopsy done, another woman who had found a lump on her breast, came to several workouts during a waiting period to help her manage the stress of not knowing what the results would be. Another woman who struggles with body dysmorphia works out regularly to help boost her confidence. To me, the mental aspect matters just as much as the physical aspect when it comes to fitness.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was a high school athlete who loved playing volleyball year round. I had some awesome coaches, and one specific coach of mine was also a boys football coach. He would have us girls working out hard and hitting the weight room and running bleachers and doing all kinds of things. He had an optional 2 week conditioning program that you could pay for and be a part of in the early morning hours during one hot Arizona summer. It was probably the best thing I ever signed up for. He pushed us to our limits. It was much harder than anything I had done before that. Even though it felt like some type of boot camp and it was super hot, for some reason, I enjoyed it. It lit a fire within me that never went out.

My fitness journey was put on hold as I became a teenage mom, at the young age of 16. I found myself raising a child while still trying to grow up myself. I put myself on the backburner for years. After completing high school I took several college classes but never earned a degree as life was very hectic for me at the time. I eventually got married and had two more kids by the time I was 22 years old. I knew I wanted to help people for a living, and originally I thought I wanted to be a nurse. I earned my prerequisites for nursing and finished the certified nursing assistant program while having three little kids at home. When I went through the CNA program, it was then I realized I definitely did not want to be a nurse.

Again, I put the pursuit of a career on hold as I chose to focus on raising three kids. Fast forward about 8 years, all my kids were older and all enrolled in school, and I had a job that was paying the bills but not one that I was passionate about. I started to lose hours at my job and realized it was time for a change. I wanted to do something I really loved. I felt like it was finally time for me to do what I wanted to do, I just didn’t know what that was. I decided to read a book that my mom had given to me a while ago called ‘Business Boutique’. It is written by a women’s coach who encourages women to start businesses based off what they are passionate about. While reading it, I quickly realized what I had always been passionate about – fitness. From there, it was a lot of deep inner work, schoolwork, and getting into good physical shape to become the personal trainer and glute specialist that I am today.

I had a vision for turning our home garage into a blacked-out gym. Little by little, my husband made it happen for me. It is now completely converted and even has air conditioning. I currently provide personal private training sessions 6 days a week and I also lead small group strength training classes 3 days out of the week. My husband is currently working on his schooling to become a nutrition coach which will benefit our business greatly. My mom helps me with everything I need done digitally, advertising or special projects, she is my go-to. She is living two states away from me, but she makes herself available to me for anything and everything.

I am most proud of myself for everything I have been through along the way so far and for where I am today. I am also proud of myself for never giving up when things get hard, and I never will give up.

I envision now opening a self-standing gym. One big enough to share with the whole community that we live in. One that brings people together, provides a safe space for people to get their fitness on, and most importantly, one that brings positivity to our world and hope for a better future.

I want people to know that they are the reason I do what I do. I want others to feel good about themselves inside and out. I want people to know they are worthy and loved and they matter the most. I want people to know that I am cheering for them in their own journey and I always will be. I want people to know they can do anything they set their mind to.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Facebook has been where I have gotten about 90% of my clientele. Our town, Casa Grande, has a Facebook page called CG chat where anything and everything going on in the town is talked about. I would always read through posts to keep informed on what was going on. I knew if I posted myself and my business on there all kinds of people would see it. People I didn’t necessarily want to show my face to. The thought of putting myself out there was scary. I put it off for a while. I eventually got tired of not getting clients and I decided to put myself out there on CG chat one day. I got hundreds of hits from that very first post. I have been very busy ever since.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

‘Business Boutique’ by Christy Wright was the book that my mom gave me one day. It sat on my shelf for probably a good year or two before I decided to pick it up and read it. As I read it, I knew what I was going to do for my career. I was so sure of what I was meant to do from that point on. It seemed scary definitely, but I was so sure of it that I wasn’t going to let fear or anything stop me. My passion aligned with my vision and what I loved. It was obvious to me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: melcourt0909
• Facebook: Desert Blaze Fitness