Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Allison Tenney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Allison, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
The story behind my mission is deeply personal and transformative. I remember sitting on the couch, feeling utterly defeated and shattered, just two weeks postpartum. In that moment of despair, I uttered two words that quite literally saved me: “GET UP.”
My background is in playing and coaching soccer at some of the highest levels. While sports instilled in me valuable qualities like discipline, leadership, and teamwork, they also fostered a toxic mentality: if you’re not the best, you’re worthless. I internalized that belief and felt worthless when I couldn’t measure up.
As I sat there, exhausted and overwhelmed, my body had become my only measure of success. But the athlete in me had practiced those two words—GET UP—so when I finally did, I knew things had to change. I had to change. I realized that my self-worth couldn’t be tied to my performance or how others perceived me.
As a coach and then as a mother, I recognized the need for a better way, for myself and for those I wanted to help. I started my strength and conditioning business to create a space that is different in the fitness industry. It’s a place where women are more than a size or a number, where they don’t need to perform their worth.
Through strength and conditioning, we can reclaim our relationship with our bodies. The iron can teach us to GET UP and choose ourselves. My mission is to show women how to find their strength from within and redefine what it means to be truly strong—both inside and out.
Allison, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My approach to fitness is grounded in simplicity, sustainability, and effectiveness.
Because of my background in elite sports, I bring a wealth of experience to the table. As a former Division I soccer player, I transitioned into the professional arena and also coached at the NCAA DI collegiate level for 13 years. Working in team sports has allowed me to understand what it takes to stay healthy, strong, and perform at the highest levels. My online fitness programs reflect that. I also embraces a whole human approach, bringing the care and compassion it takes to stick to your fitness journey for the long haul. This is not a quick fix.
I aim to create an environment that is purposeful and strategic when it comes to training, while also tending to clients needs as humans with full lives.
Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or stepping into fitness for the first time, this is where your aspiration meets expertise, and where your progress is celebrated as a collective victory.
I am also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS) and hold several other fitness credentials including: USA Weightlifting, FMS, SFG, and RKC kettlebell certifications.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media has been a great place to connect with other fitness enthusiasts and has helped me grow my business. There are two main things that have helped me the most when it comes to social media:
1. I stay process oriented. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to social media so you get to try things out, see how they go and keep practicing. Social media continues to evolve and change and you have to be able to grow with it, which means tying new things, and being okay with not being great at them.
2. Doing my own work OFFLINE, so that I am clear about who I am when I show up in the online space. It’s easy to get caught in the compare trap or trying to mimic others who are successful online. Doing the work offline with your messaging, vision, mission, your story, and your Why allows you to share from a place of self worth versus seeking validation from people online.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn that saying “yes” and constantly trying to accommodate people would lead to success. For much of my life, I was a “people pleaser,” and this tendency spilled over into my business, friendships, and relationships.
For several years, I hosted an event involving people I deeply cared about. Because of my care for them, I often stayed quiet about my own needs in the relationship. Whenever issues arose, I kept silent and tried to resolve them on my own, believing that handling everything myself was the best approach.
However, when I finally set a boundary and spoke up, I was met with backlash. Experiencing friendship breakups was one of the most painful heartbreaks I’ve ever endured. I realized that my silence over the years had contributed to the problem. I had prioritized their needs over mine, which ultimately led to an unhealthy dynamic.
This experience taught me that when you cannot openly express your needs or your boundaries are not respected, it’s time to move on from that partnership, relationship, or friendship. No amount of work or communication can compensate for a relationship that lacks reciprocity. Sometimes, saying “No” is the most loving and necessary thing you can do for yourself and others. This lesson was crucial in reshaping how I approach relationships and prioritize my own well-being.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allisontenneyfitness.com/
- Instagram: @allisontenney