We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aiesha Collins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aiesha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Training was actually never on my radar. I got into training purely by circumstance. I overworked myself in a workout, and as a result, couldn’t move for the next 8 days. I went to see an orthopedic doctor, where some body tests and X-rays were done. From those tests, he advised I had degenerative arthritis in both my knees and if I wanted to walk at age 50, I needed to stop all heavy squatting and lunging, or any lifting that required bending at the knees. I was 26, so I wasn’t thinking about 50. He offered surgery and injections, but I declined both, and made a decision right there that I’d figure this out on my own. I did 8 weeks of physical therapy with this amazing woman Lynn, who taught me the importance of core strength. I spent the next 9 months rebuilding my body, focusing on core activation and strength. And that’s where the journey to becoming a trainer started. If I could will my own body back to being fit from nothing, I could help others do the same. I studied, got certified, and did lots of research on my own to find the best ways to help my clients and potential clients reach their goals, even with injuries.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m AC, the trainer and nutritionist with all the vibes. I offer personal training both in personal and virtually, and creates an online platform for my ladies only to get training on a more independent level, but with all the same vibes. Nutrition is always apart of training because you can’t be successful with only one.
I created my brand for working women, women on the go, and women who may be like me, have played a sport or dealing with injury and want to build their dream bodies. I’m proud to deliver services to my ladies on the most transparent, raw, realistic way that most trainers don’t. It’s important to know I’m just like y’all. I struggle, I fall off, and I’m not always motivated. I’m just more disciplined.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My audience was built organically. At the time I truly got into my business, I had somewhere around 1200 followers on Instagram. A friend of mine was putting on the biggest fitness event in the country and invited me to come see what it was about. I was able to network with people I wouldn’t have otherwise met outside of that event. My following increased by 200 from that event alone. I learned a lot about posting my workouts and the importance of being in front of the camera and showing who I am, the side most people don’t get to see. And my social media has been growing ever since.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
This industry is very up and down, plenty of highs and lows. It’s inevitable to have periods of dwindling clientele, and I remember when I first started out, those were the times I thought “this wasn’t for me” and I needed to switch career paths, completely quit my business. I did much soul searching during that time and tapped into who I am, and understood I’m built for this. I continued to trust the process, market, hired my best friend to manage my business, and surely my business grew. My name grew.
Contact Info:
- Website: bodybyac.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/bodybyac
- Facebook: Body By AC LLC
- Other: Patreon.com/bodybyac Instagram.com/theeofficialladiesroom Instagram.com/theeathleteculture
Image Credits
Accari Alexander Myself