Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Fatimah Behagg. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Fatimah, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

After 15 years of working full-time as a Marketing Leader in the corporate world, I decided to take the leap and follow my passion. I had always wanted to launch a global fitness coaching business with the mission to help people live fitter, happier, and healthier lives.

I had spent years climbing the corporate ladder, leading marketing teams, launching campaigns, driving strategy, and planning lead generation events. Somewhere between boardroom meetings and industry conferences, I had lost my spark. What lit me up wasn’t buried in spreadsheets and back-to-back senior leadership meetings anymore. It was helping people and making a difference in their lives.

A freak back injury had forced me to slow down, and during that time, something shifted. My priorities changed. I realised what truly energised me was being able to empower people to adopt a healthier way of living, and to coach and guide people along that journey to a healthier, fitter, and stronger life.

I wanted to work in the fitness industry and make a difference. I wanted to help people remove the obstacles they face when embarking on a new fitness journey. I wanted to dedicate my life to helping more people become active and to promote movement and exercise as a way to a longer, happier, and healthier life.

I decided to leave the comfort of a senior title, a salary, and a predictable career to build something of my own. I didn’t have a roadmap or any guarantees. – just passion, persistence, and dedication to making my dreams become a reality.

And it was absolutely worth it.

Knowing you’re making a difference gives you such a sense of purpose and drive! Today, I run a fitness and coaching business and have the pleasure of helping hundreds of people live better lives. I also blend my marketing expertise with my passion for fitness and sports in my role at a global sports membership organisation.

Following your passion and making your dreams become a reality can feel scary. Know this, you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to start. You have to take a leap of faith and try, or you’ll never know!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My fitness coaching business, Flex with Fatz (FWF Coaching), was born out of both personal transformation and professional passion.

After years of leading marketing teams in the fast-paced world of corporate marketing, and recovering from a back injury that changed the way I live my life, my attitude to health, and my appreciation for fitness.

I knew I wanted to create something more aligned and more impactful. Flex with Fatz became that vision. A coaching business rooted in strength, resilience, and empowerment.

Flex with Fatz isn’t just about workouts and exercise. It’s about mindset, confidence, and building sustainable long-term habits that support a healthier, happier life.

I work with people who are ready to adopt a new way of living. I work with people who are fed up, feeling stressed out, weak, insecure, or out of shape.

There is no one-size-fits-all program. Every program is designed and personalised to each client. Whether it’s strength training, mobility, nutrition guidance, or simply finding joy in movement, I coach clients to achieve their goals.

What I’m most proud of isn’t just the physical transformations, they are of course, hugely inspiring – it’s the moments when clients say, ”I feel like myself again” or ”I look and feel the best I ever have” or ”I never thought I could do this, and make it last.;;

That shift in belief and focus on self-care and long-term health and happiness is what Flex with Fatz is all about. It’s about helping people to take control of their health and to feel stronger, happier, and healthier than they ever have.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Back when I worked in the corporate world, I thought I had it all figured out. I had worked my way up the corporate ladder into leadership and was leading large teams and global campaigns. My days were full of strategy meetings, metrics, launches, and everything else that comes with being a senior leader.

However, it wasn’t until a back injury happened, seemingly out of nowhere, that forced me to stop. I couldn’t sit through long meetings anymore. I couldn’t travel for work like I used to. I had trouble walking and moving, and for the first time in my life, my body required my full attention.

What started as a physical pain, turned into a journey of deep personal growth for me. I learned what was important and made that the turning point for how I live my life.

The process of recovery was slow. It was painfully slow. My recovery included physical therapy, movement, mindset work, and lifestyle changes. I started to rebuild. I decided to change my life and my habits and committed to myself that if I could make a full recovery, I would dedicate my life to working in fitness and sports, and help people overcome their physical and mental challenges, and live a better life.

Building Flex with Fatz has been an exercise in resilience every step of the way! Especially launching during COVID when the world slowed down and gyms shut. My mission was always at the forefront of my mind, though. I knew I had to continue on the path and pursue my passion. I knew I could make a difference to people’s lives and just kept pushing through.

Resilience isn’t about bouncing back when something happens. It’s about coming back stronger, wiser, and more determined. The back injury could have been the end of something; instead, it became the beginning of everything.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

My background is in Marketing, I’ve had the great opportunity to leverage the skills and experience I’ve gained from over 15 years in the corporate world when growing my coaching business.

My number one tip for anyone who is just getting started is to build genuine relationships through storytelling and trust. People don’t just sign up for my fitness coaching programs. They invest in someone they feel understands them, empathises with them, and relates to them.

Sharing my personal story, leaving the corporate world, recovering from a back injury, launching my own coaching business during COVID, etc. This has been the most effective way to grow my clientele.

I attracted clients who were going through similar transitions: high achievers feeling stressed out and burnt out, people who had picked up injuries that impacted their ability to move freely, people with confidence issues, or who had lost touch with themselves and were living on autopilot.

From there, I focused on consistency. Showing up for my clients in person, showing up authentically online, delivering value through content and coaching they could trust and rely on. Doing regular client check-ins and making every interaction an opportunity to help them achieve their goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flexwithfatz.com
• Instagram: @flex_with_fatz
• Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/fatimahbehagg

Image Credits

Synnott Media