We recently connected with Christina Maldonado and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The funny thing is I never came up with my business idea. It found me. It all started when I decided to attend a women’s retreat and walked away with the realization that I was not doing all I could do to take care of my health and the conviction to do so. I began to make changes in my own life which included attending the fitness classes at my nearby gym which I was actually terrified of. One day my instructor encouraged me to get certified which I later laughed off with my husband. He encouraged me to go for it which essentially launched my fitness career. I became certified and enjoyed the atmosphere of teaching in clubs around the city striving to make it a little easier for women to come into a situation I once felt petrified to encounter. Along the way I’d been encouraged countless times to take my business online but shrugged it off over and over again. Then the pandemic hit and the world was online. As I continued my personal training I continued to receive requests to teach online. Still not my idea, I decided to respond to the requests and my first six week training program was born. I focused on helping women get started on a health and fitness journey in the most practical way possible. I had started and stopped so many times in my own health and fitness journey and I wanted to provide a program that would encourage lifestyle changes versus a diet. After my initial program I got a request for another six week program which I provided and then a monthly program to maintain what my clients had accomplished. It’s been a joy to witness the lives impacted by the FitMomATL programs and the families being touched in the process. It’s also been an incredible experience of what happens when you go for something that’s not initially your idea but ignites a passion far beyond what you could’ve imagined.
Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a fitness coach who hates diets and loves to eat! As a woman over 40 I’ve tried to take hold of my health and fitness more times than I could count in my life and just after the birth of my second child I realized I needed to stop putting off that which could be best for me and my family. As a busy working mother of two I wasn’t sure how I could do that but formulated a program for myself that focused on lifestyle changes that were realistic and enjoyable and I’m thrilled to be able to share that in my programs. I provide six week programs that allow you to have weekly challenges, live workouts with me and coaching to ensure you have all the tools you need to be successful. I also have a monthly program with my “squad” where we have monthly challenges to keep us on track for our goals along with live workouts each week. I love helping women with what can seem like a daunting task – the challenge to put themselves and their health first above all else. I love hearing about the improvements that get made along the way. Some of my favorites don’t just include weight loss but the ease to do everyday activities now, the clothes they can fit back into, the kids that are now working out alongside mommy. Those are the victory stories I love and ones I hope to continue to hear about with my clients.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients for me has undoubtably been word of mouth. I’m maybe one of the only business owners that has not built my base on social media and I’ve been tempted to get anxious about that. No doubt this will change in the future, however, I’ve found that in this season of my life and with my business I tend to thrive when I come face to face with potential clients. When I do workshops and have speaking engagements I love connecting with people and find that I tend to land most of my clients in this fashion.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
One of my favorite new clients came more than a year after I’d had contact with her. She saw me perform a workshop and bumped into me while she was out and about. What this taught me is that even when you don’t see any sales/clients after an event you don’t know the impact that it might have in the future so keep putting yourself out there!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fitmomatl.com
- Instagram: @FitMomATL
- Facebook: @FitMom ATL
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-maldonado-0b5816ba
Image Credits
@mnjphoto