We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madison Deaton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Madison thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Within the world of women’s fitness and nutrition, it feels like there’s such a big emphasis on physical appearance. But what if movement & nourishment could be tools to help us feel good from the inside out, instead of something we use to change the way we look?

I’m a big believer that you shouldn’t have to suffer through a miserable workout just to feel good after. Or be pressured to adopt a strict diet to achieve someone else’s body type.

The Fit Flamingo is for the woman who feels left out by the fitness industry — the woman who wants to heal her relationship with food, lean into the forms of movement that light her up, celebrate every big and small win, and leave behind the guilt and shame once and for all.

Where the fitness industry tends to focus on perfect progress, before and after pictures, and strict diets, The Fit Flamingo gives you the freedom to experiment, play, have fun, and come home to yourself. We don’t do before & after pictures or weight check ins!! Instead, we heal our relationships with food, movement, and our bodies so we can be truly free.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I was in the second grade, my mom made me pick an instrument and my dad made me pick a sport. As a kid, basketball was my first love and cello was always a close second. Even when I got to college, I studied Kinesiology at The University of Texas at Austin, worked in gyms as a group fitness instructor, and played gigs on weekends as a singer/songwriter at restaurants and farmer’s markets. I always felt the pressure to pick just one thing to turn into a career. So when I started The Fit Flamingo, I took all the things that made me feel like me and found creative ways to weave them together. Now, instead of writing songs, I’m using my words to empower my clients towards their health & life goals. Music taught me how to connect deeply with others and create an experience that you can feel on a soul level. And when we combine that with movement the results we get are honestly life changing!! Movement is magic and in my business, I create personalized workouts and nutrition plans to help my clients ease tension in their body, release stress, and process the emotions they’re experiencing. I take the time to be your friend first and coach second so I can guide you home to yourself and help you feel so empowered, seen, and supported in your health journey.

If you’re looking to release every ounce of guilt and shame around food, movement, and loving your body, The Fit Flamingo is for you. I’d love to invite you into our fit flamingo world — whether you want to press play on a feel-good workout on our YouTube channel, inquire about a custom 1-on-1 coaching path designed for you + your body, or join our new group coaching experience launching August 1st!! Let’s fill up your cup, together!

Have you ever had to pivot?

The Fit Flamingo first opened as an in-person studio space with personal training & nutrition coaching for women. I spent 6 months converting a 40-foot shipping container into a space where women could gather, move, and feel good from the inside out. It was unlike any other traditional gym!! We had lots of functional equipment, space to spread out, and stunning design features. We opened a few months before Covid but quickly had to pivot when gyms were forced to close. Now my husband & I run our business fully online, which has given us the opportunity to work with women across cities we never would have been able to work with previously!! But truth be told, the transition to being a fully online business was a tough one for me. After 3 years of pivoting, I finally feel like we have the back-end of our business built out into something that fully supports our clients, helps us show up consistently across multiple social media platforms, and even with the launch our new group program coming soon… it just feels good to see something come together that you’ve poured your heart into creating!!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When it comes to fitness & nutrition, there’s so much subconscious messaging to unlearn!! It’s actually a big piece of the work I do with my clients. I know for myself, too, I’ve learned how to be intentional about healing and unlearning the messages I absorbed as a child and young adult. Now, I’m learning how to redefine what beauty looks like and feels like in my body. I don’t have to punish my body or beat myself up in order to feel worthy in my own skin. I get to feel enough today, before I lose the weight, land the dream job, hit my fitness goals, buy a home – you name it!! I get to unlearn all the things I was taught about food and lean into the foods that feel best in my body. And even when it comes to success, I’m getting to set myself free from someone else’s version of success and create my own. Coming home to yourself looks a lot like unlearning what worked for someone else if it doesn’t work for you, holding so much grace for yourself, and being willing to try again because every meal and every moment is an opportunity to try again. It’s so freeing!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thefitflamingo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefitflamingo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefitflamingo

Image Credits
Clarin J