We were lucky to catch up with Courtney Dyke-Elliott recently and have shared our conversation below.

Courtney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

I started Island Gyal Fitness 6 months into the pandemic. I had just graduated from Western University with a degree in Kinesiology and I was hitting a wall when it came to finding jobs in my field. Not only were we now in lock down so job availability was limited, the pay and consistency of the jobs available was minimum wage. I had decided to get a 9-5 office job to pay the bills and strategized on how I could start my business as a side hustle. I began by offering virtual sessions to clients I got from online marketplaces such as kijiji and facebook. I was charging a really cheap rate to get people in the door and I offered 1-on-1 training as well as group classes on the weekends. While I was doing this, I was also studying to become an officially registered kinesiologist and taking continuing education courses to enhance my offering. It was definitely challenging in the beginning to juggle a full time job and a growing roster of clients, but I knew eventually I wanted to branch off on my own and that it was only temporary. Another challenge I faced was deciding how to pitch myself to clients and what environment I wanted to create for them. I learned very quickly that people were extremely intimidated by the gym and personal training in general, and that bringing my lighthearted personality and vibrancy to my sessions helped with conversion and retention. When the lockdowns opened up, I transitioned away from virtual training, to in person sessions. I started working part-time at a gym near my office, to get some gym floor experience and learn from the more senior trainers around me. Keep in mind, I worked in an office job, commercial gym and serviced my own clients for 2 years before I was able to feel comfortable enough to branch off on my own. My advice to young entrepreneurs in any field, is to take your time and don’t rush the process. Your business doesn’t have to be perfect when you start and having it as a side hustle first can give you the security you need to enhance your offering before launching on your own. However, when you have reached a certain point, taking the leap of faith will be scary but necessary to take you to the next level. I branched off on my own 2 years ago and although it was rocky in the beginning with the inconsistent nature of my field, I have been able to create a community of clients that not only care about me as a person but about my business and support me in all my endeavours.

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?

As a young athlete in St.Lucia, I developed a passion and appreciation for physical health and fitness. This passion led me to pursue a degree in kinesiology at Western University where I was able to expand my knowledge and skills as it pertains to injury diagnosis, rehab and prevention. During this time I was awarded the opportunity to work as a student athletic trainer for Western Varsity Sports, which really opened me up to the idea of working with clients on a daily basis. As a kinesiologist I apply my knowledge and experience with injury management and prevention to enhance my programming with my personal training clients, in order to provide a comprehensive service. I provide in person : 1-on-1, 2-on-1 and small group training as well as online training and accountability coaching. I also have a corporate wellness consulting program where I provide fitness programs and seminars to businesses to administer to their staff. My mission as a fitness professional and business owner is to provide a safe and encouraging space for people to explore their bodies and gain strength and confidence through exercise. I am an upbeat and enthusiastic trainer eager to equip my clients with the tools they need not only to achieve their goals with me, but also to maintain their desired lifestyles for the long run. I am most proud of the community of people I have been able to curate throughout this process of growing my business. My clients & colleagues are all powerful and kind people who are dedicated to self improvement and self-love. I hope to keep welcoming new clients to a fitness environment that is light hearted and empowering; where they can feel comfortable with being vulnerable and unlock their inner strength.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I grew up always thinking that I wanted to be a physician, and then later, a sports medicine physician. This was also encouraged by the amount of prestige put on professional degrees by the small island society I grew up in. Upon going to university, I realized in my first year that it I was less interested in medicine and more so in day to day injury rehabilitation. So, my first pivot was when I decided I was going to physiotherapy school. After graduating from my undergraduate degree, I was faced with an extremely competitive application process for physiotherapy school. There are only 6 schools in my province and each were accepting less than 200 students per year. Although I had a decent GPA and excellent references, I did not make the cut on my first round of applications. I was devastated, and it being the middle of the pandemic, I was having a bit of an identity crisis. I had always been the girl who was an excellent academic. I had never really failed anything before and now I had to make the decision of whether it was worth it to pay and wait for another year to reapply. I had a conversation with my mom who asked me a simple question ” Do you actually want to be a physiotherapist or are to hung up on the title?” Upon lots of contemplation, I realized the part of physiotherapy that I was drawn to, I was already doing in my practice as a kinesiologist and trainer. The ego in me wanted to pursue physiotherapy so I would be able to say “I’m a physiotherapist” and have some stability in income. My mother really helped me see that I had the talent and drive to achieve success running my own business if I put my mind to it and shouldn’t tie my identity to a job title or description. From that point forward I went full throttle into growing my business and it has been the best decision I have ever made.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy has been to leverage my personality to gain and retain clients. The health and fitness field is a very saturated market with lots of talented trainers. I realized that where there are hundreds of trainers that could give you “good results”, not everyone can make it fun and safe. I pride myself on my ability to make clients feel at ease and comfortable when working with me. I have a very light hearted and relaxed personality, which I try to bring into my sessions. It helps take the pressure off of the whole experience and makes it less intimidating. Creating an enjoyable experience from the first phone call onwards, is how I have been able to convert leads and retain clients for years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.islandgyalfit.com/
• Instagram: @islandgyal_fit

Image Credits
andshayla photography