Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Clarissa Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Clarissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was severely overweight (308lbs) when I started my personal fitness journey. I was uncomfortable doing any form of exercises, however growing up being in dance & that being my passion my whole life prior to all my weight gain, o found ease in dancing as my form of exercise. It also helped me to build confidence and embrace my journey as I was doing something I loved while also gaining my health back. After losing almost 100lbs ppl began coming to me for advice & motivation. At the same time I had lost my job of 8 years. So I decided to make this a lifestyle all the way around while making it my occupation as well. I started teaching group classes & providing people with wellness plans. I’ve helped over 5 other women lose 100 lbs as well. Seeing how their lives changed motivated me even more. So it became my life mission to do that for as many women as I could. Over the last 10 years, I’ve been able to help so many women, find their self confidence again. I’ve help them to fall in love with the journey instead of just looking for an end result. I combined my love for dance with fitness, where women can get in a workout without feeling like their really working out & dancing is a therapeutic energy within itself. So women learn how to love their bodies NOW while working towards the bodies they desire. Seeing these ladies get excited about not only showing up for themselves but also for each because of the community I’ve been able to build, is the best part. Outside of me being their coach, they have each other to lean on for encouragement and accountability. It’s about teaching them a lifestyle and not just training them for an hour of exercise that they dread and would end up quitting bc they felt it was too challenging. Even if they don’t see the results they desire, they still show up consistently, because they feel good! And that’s the key to anything in life! This is for your overall health, not just physical but mentally and emotionally as well.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I danced from the age of 3 until my high school years. After having a baby and gaining weight, I had stopped. When I tried to get into the gym to get right I always felt out of place, so I ended up taking a Zumba class instead. Due to my dance background it wasn’t difficult for me to excel & after loosing enough weight, I started weight training. This was where o grew a passion for fitness in general because of how I felt afterwards not because of the results I was seeing. I decided to combine these two passions and start a class that wasn’t restricted to just one style of dance but all styles.. while on this physical journey for myself I also began working on my healing. The things that contributed to the reason I became so overweight. I started documenting it all for myself, & because of that quickly became an influencer at the same time. I used this as a way to market myself and grow my business. There were many challenges I faced along the way, but I knew my purpose and never gave up. I do this full time and have since I started 10 years ago. I think what’s sets me apart from most ppl is that when they don’t see enough coming in for what they are putting out they ease up or stop completely but my faith and prayer life has always aligned me with what was meant for me, and in the time it was meant for… I just remained patient. I moved away from my home town where I started my business because I didn’t have the support I was seeking. I moved to Nc where I knew no one during COVID and after one year saw tremendous growth for myself. What I want ppl to know is that I’ve worked a long time and put a lot to be where I’m at now, even though to many my success seems sudden, ITS NOT!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Word of mouth people sharing the results and stories
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I moved to NC during covid and while going through a divorce of 16 years. This was a place where I have no history or family or anything. It was literally a from the ground up move, even though I had been doing my business for 6 years at the time. However I didn’t allow any of that to discourage or stop me from my vision and passion. I stayed true to my plan.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Nutella_24fit
- Facebook: Clarissa Jones
