We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heather Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I decided to take a risk on myself, and it was the most terrifying thing I had ever done, and well out of my comfort zone. I dreamed up my current career as a health and fitness coach for years. I would work my corporate job, but all I could think about was creating a business of my own that truly meant everything to me.

When I was working in corporate marketing/finance, I decided I would go back to school when my son was born and start slowly creating my dream.

During this time, I got several certifications ranging from personal training, the Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Certified Nutrition Coach from Precision Nutrition, Pre- and Postnatal Fitness Specialist, and certifications in Macros Coaching.

I started slowly building my business, and I had a few clients, but I always knew I was meant to do more. I just didn’t have the structure to design my program and the business tools needed to keep growing.

After two years of officially launching my 1:1 coaching health coaching business, I knew it was time to take a considerable risk. With two kids and a husband relying on my income, it was terrifying to invest in myself. But I took the chance and hired a business coach and invested more in 6 months than I made the previous year. There were a lot of mindset shifts that needed to be made during that six months. I put my head down and worked harder than ever, I got out of my way and out of my comfort zone daily, but that is where actual growth lives.

If I didn’t take that risk and everything on the line, my business would not be where it is today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey, I’m Heather! I’m a Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach with a tremendous passion for health, nutrition, & fitness. I love helping women & mothers recognize & achieve changes they want to make for themselves to have a healthier & happier future.

When I became a mom the days started to move in super speed. I needed to find ways to fit in quick workouts while eating & sustaining a healthy lifestyle for my family. I was working a full time job & taking care of a new human, so I needed to find meals that I could prep ahead of time & workouts that I could realistically manage with my schedule. I decided I wanted to not only help women with their nutrition & lifestyle goals but design fitness programs specifically for other women.

1:1 Fitness & Nutrition Coaching is designed for hard working women who want to fit nutrition and excerise into their already busy schedules. My coaching philosophy is to teach you how to make this lifestyle work for you. There is POWER in understanding the diet cycle. If given the knowledge, you’ll know exactly what you need to sustain results. Have quick and effective workouts that can be done at home or at the gym through strength and conditioning I am here, as your coach, to help you reach your lifestyle goals, stay accountable, and show exactly what foods you need in your diet to reach your goals without giving up your treats.

I had fallen for the fad diets and low-calorie plans for years and was spinning my wheels. It was so frustrating, and it was hard for me to sustain results without restricting my food. After I had my kids, I was ready to learn how to build muscle and lean out through science-based practices. After going back to school and learning about nutrition and the different phases, your body needs to go through, it isn’t through quick fixes. After kids, I first went through my transformation following these principles and experienced being in the best shape of my life. I was ready to share this knowledge with others who have tried diet after diet, bringing their calories way low and going through my miserable cycle. I wanted to teach women they can reach their goals without restricting any foods and just enjoy life while moving toward their goals!!!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Before I started my 1:1 coaching business, I had shared my fitness and health story on social media for years prior. After my son was born (now 7), I started documenting my workouts, sharing my meals, and giving people advice on motivation and best practices to begin their health transformation.

I didn’t have a business; I was just sharing my journey and providing value. When it was time to take the leap of faith, I had a small following who had seen my transformations and the value given.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When starting your own business, there are many ups and downs. When I decided that this was indeed what I wanted to do, I decided to stay home with my daughter and raise her and build my business. This meant that I needed some additional income to support my family while building it up. Instead of going back into the corporate world and working 9-5 with my degree. I decided to go back to my old routes and bartend a few shifts a week at night; that way I could focus on building the business during the day.

Was this an easy decision, no? But I was willing to sacrifice the “traditional” route for working nights. It was not easy on our schedules as a family; my husband and I felt like we were two ships passing through the night. But he supported me the entire process and believed in my vision.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: heathermartin._
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fearlesslyfithm