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

Kaleigh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. As a kid, I would come up with these wild ideas for businesses or products and pitch them to my parents. I would always get stuck on the “I’m not sure how to move forward with this idea, so I’ll just keep it as an unlikely dream” stage.

While I was going through my undergrad, I knew I didn’t want to work in a hospital setting or as a foodservice dietitian (which is the route most dietitians go). I knew that I wanted to be my own boss, make my own hours, and coach clients in the way that was most natural to me.

As I moseyed my way through other jobs, I continued to dream about the life of being a business owner. I was working for another company who did exactly what I wanted to do and I kept thinking “Why can’t I do this myself?” I had the knowledge, credentials, and skills to help people. I just had to have the gumption to start. I knew there would never be a perfect time, and I’d have to jump in with both feet, whether I felt ready or not. After meeting my husband in the fall of 2021, I had his support (both emotionally and financially), and I decided I could take the leap and start kCal Fitness.

The other huge benefit of meeting my husband is he is INSANELY good at all the legal hullabaloo. I was most intimidated by the idea of setting up an LLC, business bank accounts, and solidifying contracts to make sure I wouldn’t get sued. Thankfully, he took the lead on the backend brains of the company and really put my mind at ease.

Once things started moving on the back end, I started letting everyone know that I was starting a business and setting a soft-launch date to get people excited. I started creating my own website, documents, and training programs to establish efficiency once clients began to fill my roster. And then…we hit the ground running!

In short, there were three major things that helped me start my business.
1. The desire to be my own boss and an entrepreneurial spirit.
2. The skillset and desire to help others.
3. A supportive, loving partner who knew I could do it (even when I didn’t believe I could myself).

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

I am a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. I got my start in 2014 when my father suffered two massive heart attacks. I realized that our daily diet had a lot to do with his health, and I started to make changes in my own life that lead me down a road of passion for health and fitness. I switched degrees from fashion merchandising to dietetics, and completed my undergrad at Southeast Missouri State University. I completed my Dietetic Internship in Colorado through Illinois State University’s distance program, taking my board exam in 2020. Colorado is where I met my husband in 2021, and we both knew that the west coast was calling our name. We moved to California in 2022 and have loved every single minute of it!

kCal Fitness LLC offers a variety of services, ranging from workouts to macro tracking, meal planning, and weekly check ins. My goal is for every client to have a personalized experience, knowing that they are receiving more than a cookie cutter program. I tell my clients that the goal in working with me is, “to never need a coach again”. And often – that goal is reached.

I also have a small following on Instagram which is where I started my fitness page in 2017 as a competitive bodybuilder. My page has matured quite a bit over the years. Now, I focus on providing short reels that make nutrition education “easy to digest”.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As a dietitian, you have to pass a board certified exam after completing your 1200 hour supervised internship. Most interns spend their time split between doing internship duties and studying for the exam. I split my time between the internship and working full time to help pay the bills. Unfortunately – this didn’t pan out well when I sat down for the board exam for the first in 2020.

I figured “I spent years studying this stuff! I got this!”

…I did not, in fact, have it.

At that point, I had a total identity crisis.

I had no idea if nutrition was the route for me. I felt like a poser that had wasted countless years and money on a degree I seemingly knew nothing about.

I decided to shift away from the fitness field for awhile and began my short career as an apartment locator. I decided I would go into real estate instead, where I could still find flexibility in my work schedule and make a decent living for myself.

But then….I failed that test too.

Which led me to believe…maybe I’m not stupid….maybe I just need new study techniques.

So I came back to the drawing board in the field I was passionate about. I got a tutor for the board exam, studied as if it were my full time job, and passed my test on the second go-round.

I think (as an entrepreneur), you are required to know how to pivot to some degree. If a business model doesn’t work, an employee doesn’t fit into your team, or you don’t make what you thought you would this month. And I don’t regret my time testing out a different field. If anything – that pivot helped me understand that dietetics is TRULY what I’m meant to be doing, and I’m glad I was able to pivot back to the field after all.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started my Instagram in 2017 when I was a competitive bodybuilder. Back then, it was mostly shameless photos of my abs and talking about how hungry I was all the time. (Yikes!)

As the years passed, I posted inconsistently here and there. Maybe three times a week, max. I grew a slow and steady following and had about 3,000 followers in 2020 when I finally started to take posting seriously during Covid. I mean, what better things did I have to do than post voice-over reels in my living room!?

With my consistency in posting, my followers started to grow more and more quickly. I hit 10k followers by the beginning of 2021, and have since doubled to 22k in 2023.

The biggest advice I can give you is to stay consistent. Even when the algorithm makes you want to pull your hair out – keep posting. And have a bigger “why” than just receiving likes. That can be really discouraging when engagement is down. But, if you know you’re posting to truly help people…the 100 likes or views you might get mean that much more.

Also, stay authentically true to who you are. I’ve tried to show up on social media as many different people. But at the end of the day – I like to be funny, chaotic, and certainly not your run-of-the-mill dietitian. And that’s what my followers like. So be who you are to your core, and know your people will find you if you have important information to share.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kcal-fitness.teachable.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcal.rd/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/507075564770963
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleigh-kellner-rd-9415b7147

Image Credits
Jasmine Randall Photography (wedding photo)