Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kalene Parker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kalene, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken on my journey as a small business owner was quitting my full time job in Q4 of 2020 to pursue my goals full time. Now I know that may seem scary to some….trust me it was scary to me as well. The reason I knew I had to make that leap was because I was unhappy, over worked, and underpaid at my 9-5.

I was exhausted ALL the time. I could rarely use PTO because we were short staffed and never had reliable coverage, and I lived 30 min away and had an hour commute every day to work which was starting to become unsafe as I would be falling asleep going home on days where I would have a long shift. Needless to say…it was time!

Now I am in a relationship and I had to run it by my fiancé. He was very supportive of the idea and assured me that he would support us 100% while I got my business up and running. I had no back up plan, no savings, and no business plan, but I had a vision and I allowed God to lead me in the direction I needed to go. In the summer of 2021 I took another risk and invested all the money I had into a business coaching program for fitness professionals because I was struggling with operating a business and implementing systems.

That was the BEST decision I could have made! It was a 12 week program with a money back guarantee if the systems they taught did not work so I was comfortable making the investment. I began generating more gross income than I ever have working a corporate 9-5 and began getting referrals and maintaining client retention.

I am the happiest I have been since graduating college and entering into the workforce and I know that I have so much more in store for my business growth.

Here is a timeline to show some numbers and growth:

(2019-2020) This was the time where I had unofficially launched my brand/business. I didn’t have an LLC or anything but I was doing freelance work while working corporate jobs and testing the waters with that I wanted to do with the business. Gross income was about $5,000 total for the year

(2021)- This was the year I was 100% self employed and had become an LLC. I had some feel of what I was doing but still needed lots of help. I did okay in Q1 and Q2, but lost ALL my revenue streams in Q3 and had to find a 9-5 (that I got fired from after 2 weeks). From there I knew I had to refocus and pour everything into my business because I was not going to be happy in any other position. After making the investment for a Fit Pro Business Coaching Course, I had generated about $8,000 in gross revenue that year.

(2022)- This year has been my most fruitful year. With set systems in place, more professional development, and a clear plan, I have now grossed $31K in revenue and it’s not even the end of the year. And that is just from my training business. I have also recent stepped into paid content creation so that has been another stream of income as well. That is a 400% increase from year 1- present day.

That is huge for any small business owner. I did not think it was possible. I will always be an advocate for stepping out on faith and promoting yourself and giving it your all. Did I expect to have a 6 figure year? Nope. All I wanted was growth and to see that I could do it if I set my mind to it.

Do I think everyone is called to be an entrepreneur? Absolutely not, but if you have something that you can scale and are passionate about it, GO FOR IT!!

What is meant to be will be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Kalene and I am the founder and owner of Kut X Kay Fitness LLC. I am a personal training service based business that provides training for 25-65 year old women who are busy professionals, parents, or graduate level students that struggle with weight loss, weight gain, desire to be stronger, lack consistency, and need coaching to keep them on a structured program to be successful with their fitness goals. What sets me apart from other trainers in the industry is my authenticity and my level of care. I want my clients to know that I am here for them no matter what. For those that are current or those that were clients in the past, they know they can call me for anything. I am not only provided coaching for physical fitness, but I am a friend and mentor.

I provide in person training in Charleston, SC and online that can be done from any where in the world!

I got into the fitness business about 6 months post college because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I got my degree in sports and health science but wasn’t sure if I would use it. It wasn’t until I had internships and part time jobs within fitness that I realized I really enjoyed coaching and training. Fitness also helped be keep a routine the year I was unemployed after college because I was unable to secure a job. I decided to further my education and become certified and the rest is history!

Along with private training, I have a merch line that features my training mantra “Fix Your Attitude, Change Your Outcome” on t-shirts, hoodies, joggers, and accessories. This merch line is not only my training mantra, but my mantra for life. You can’t always control your circumstances but you can control how you respond to them. This merch line is one thing I am most proud of because it’s so unique to who I am and how I coach. When people wear my pieces, they always start conversations with strangers because the message is inspiring.

For those that aren’t ready to commit to private training, I lead an 8 week challenge 4 times per year on the 1st Phorm training platform and anyone can join from anywhere.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I built my social media audience by being my self 100%. We often see people with these full on productions when creating content and while that is great for them, the average person does not need that. Being relatable, inspiring, informative, and authentic has helped me grow.

I also post content that makes me feel great! If I love my IG Reel, TikTok, or photo before I click “share” then that’s all that matters. Usually when I love the content I created, it shows in the engagement I receive. My audience can tell it was created with intention and they can see the value in it.

I started off with 2 accounts: one for personal use and one for business/branding. I recently merged the 2 and operate from one account and that was a game changer for me. Merging my lifestyle and personal content with my brand helps people connect with me beyond fitness and that builds community.

Be. Yourself. Always.

Just .Start.

You do not have to have a huge following or thousands of likes and comments to be impactful. Someone is going to find value in what you have to offer.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me has been a combination of social media and referrals (word of mouth).

Social media is like your resume for the public to see and word of mouth are usually shared experiences that intrigue the interest of strangers from a trusted source.

Both have been valuable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kutxkayfitness.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kut.x.kay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kutbykay
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalene-parker-a0482ba8/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNx7WmBZgerPxvUzmVVTg0Q
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kutxkay

Image Credits
Main Photo by Alex Kitchens (_alexandermurphy_) on Instagram