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

Hi Kara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

Oh the ever-changing world of fitness and nutrition. What was GREAT last year seems to be not-so-great this year, right? There always seems to be a better way, a faster way, and of course a more expensive (trendier?) way to get fit. HOw does anyone make a decision with so MANY choices?

Unfortunately, this makes an already cluttered space even MORE complicated! Should I run or should I walk? Is yoga better or Pilates? Should I lift weights or use resistance bands? Is 30 minutes long enough or do I need to workout for an hour? The good thing is, there is certainly something to appeal to everyone’s taste. The bad thing is, HOW do you decide what is best for YOU? It’s become such a challenging decision- and an EXPENSIVE one! Investing in the latest equipment, or jumping into a gym contract can have a pretty big impact on your wallet, and even your mental health. What if you don’t like the trainer? What if you don’t see results? What if the equipment you bought breaks or is no longer enjoyable? Working out shouldn’t come with a side of stress, right?

With FitKraft Training being a teeny tiny fish in this HUGE ocean of mega-gyms, endless training styles, fancy flashing lights and high tech equipment, I had to develop my business to appeal to people who were looking to improve their current fitness level and maintain a healthy lifestyle without a lot of bells and whistles.

Fitness isn’t just about getting the most gains or being able to run the farthest distance. Fitness is vital for existing day-to-day, for living longer, and for living BETTER.

So, what is the best fitness program for you? It’s the fitness program that you enjoy, that you look forward to attending, and the one that that prepares your body for everyday tasks instead of just one type of exercise or movement.

What excites me most – is that FINALLY, more people, women especially, are picking up strength training, realizing it’s crucial to build muscle, especially as you age.

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.

A long long time ago (lol) I was a high school athlete. I actually grew up playing multiple sports, but truthfully, I fell in love with the training more than the sport. I dabbled in coaching during my college years, younger athletes, and it definitely sparked a little something in me then, but I NEVER thought I could make a career out of my love for training and coaching.

So I did the ‘normal’ thing- I got a full-time career in Public Health along with a part-time gig as a bartender and then ya know, the fact that I had to be a great wife and mom along with all of that. I stayed active as a runner, dabbled in weightlifting and CrossFit, and made my way around the local boot-camp options for a few years. But again, never did I think of fitness as a career.

I’ll fast forward a bit -20 years forward! I was 45 years old before someone presented an opportunity that ended up changing my life. Making the decision to become a Certified Personal Trainer was not an easy one. I had a kid in college, and to think of ‘starting over’ in a new career – from scratch was pretty scary!

HOLY COW it was hard! But it felt RIGHT. When you step back and do what is right for you, you attract what is right for you.

Every day since then, I realize that I have a purpose, I affect hundreds of peoples lives every week. I get the opportunity to wake up every day before the sun comes up and then challenge and push people in ways that they didn’t think were possible. I help people become healthier and stronger.

Yes, I promise having my alarm go off at 3-dark-AM every morning is incredibly tough. But knowing that I will be seeing the faces of people counting on me to give them the workout that is going to challenge them, and ultimately change them, keeps me going each and every day! I am literally in love with my career!

Full disclosure – I work hard! But not a minute of what I do feels like ‘work’. I make a living making a difference in hundreds of people’s lives every week, and every minute I put in is worth it.

Helping people believe in themselves to do hard things (like even a sit-up, pushup, or burpee) that they never thought they would be able to do is absolutely incredible. I know that it helps people translate the skills and confidence they can use daily.

I want to help educate people that being “fit” or being “healthy” is not about the number on the scale, but how much energy they will have to play with their kids, their grandkids, their pets, or to be able to get up off of the floor, to feel like they can get through a whole day of work without needing a nap.

I’m here to help guide people through the myths and ‘get-fit-fast’ garbage and find a relationship with yourself, your fitness and your nutrition that is balanced and sustainiable.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Oh Community partnerships for sure. It’s all about being connected. I have really worked hard to be a reputable partner in the community I operate in. Taking time to build relationships is probably the most important thing I invested my time in. Networking is essential, and it takes time to build the trust and reputation needed to utilize the partnerships to their fullest potential. The greatest gift I can receive is the gift of a referral from another business!

Because I operate in the community I live in, I always have to be ‘on’…when I’m in the grocery store, the gas station, eating in a restaurant, I’m bound to run into a client, a former client or another business owner I’ve networked with before. I tend to live in my branded clothing – I’m proud to have established myself as a trusted and respected professional!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has been kinda the bane of my existence. I love it and I hate it at the same time. For the most part – everyone accesses it at some point, but truthfully, I’ve started to see an increase of folks taking a ‘break’. I was getting warned/flagged even shut down pretty often on IG and FB– because I was including links in my early posts…but that’s a no-no, especially if you aren’t paying for placement!

It’s super important to have brand awareness, especially as a small business. And that is really hard to do without spending a ton of money on ads and marketing items. Social media has actually been pretty helpful in getting my name, logo, face, mission — out in the community, but I think because I had a little secret weapon! It helps that I already had some generated followers because I have a pretty cute dog. I post a lot with him, and the algorithms tend to like dogs more then they like small businesses. So I used the power of my puppy! Posts of him at my workouts, including him in my meal planning posts and videos, and even taking a break from “business posts’ and only making dog posts for a couple of days tends to increase my visibility because more people click on his cute little face!

I’m still pretty inexperienced in the social media world. But I’m getting better for sure! I have a new found love for making reels (maybe a little late to the game..lol) and it’s been fun to see how creative I can get there!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fitkrafttraining.com/home/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitkrafttraining/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaraKraftTrainer/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kara-kraft-cpt-ces-nutritionist-0a941084

Image Credits
Katelyn Guild Photography