We were lucky to catch up with Kendra Nicole recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kendra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It all started with a walk and tearful screaming conversation with GOD, I had just experienced one of the worst emotional breakdowns that at the time I didn’t see a way out. When I say I was upset and wondering what was next in my life, what steps did I need to take to feel like myself again, I was mentally going through it.

As I continued on my walk, praying, questioning and crying it almost came to me like a dream. I heard the words “you are not alone”. I started to think of all my friends, family and women I had small bathroom conversations with and realized we are not alone. We have all experienced a form of a breakdown, some of us vocalize it, others keep it silent, but either way we have all faced challenges.
I went to the gym and met my then workout partner, who I confided in about my breakup and the feeling of abyss. We spoke life over each other as she was experiencing her own challenges within her marriage. I shared with her my aspirations of posting my workouts and helping other women work through trauma and how they viewed themselves, her immediate response was “Go for it!!!”

So I did, I brainstormed ideas and IG handles…I wanted something that represented my body type, my mindset and fitness. After several changes, I landed with ThinkThiccFitness.
Think- for the mindset shift it takes to unlearn behaviors, routines, years of thinking to become successful within your lifestyle change.
Thicc- for just being a curvy female. Embrace those hips, thighs, breast and all. Naturally loving what we are born with and even if a woman may not have curve still love the body type you’re in.
Fitness- working out of course!!! Whether that’s a walk, HIIT, or yoga its about adding years to your life!!!

I had no idea my thoughts and ideas would flourish the way that they did. OMG, because ya girl was sooo apprehensive about showing up on social media, especially with the trolls and their negativity. Deep down I knew it was bigger than me.

I wanted to show up for woman who had been stuck in depression from stressors at the work place and home life, a bad break up, a divorce, having kids and losing yourself, having a miscarriage, or not even being able to carry. Just all the life concerns that effect woman daily. From my experience when a woman looks good, whether is a new dress, nails, hair, able to walk up a flight of stairs and not get winded or what have you we feel amazing!!! “Look Good, Feel Good” as my mentor says!!

That’s why my approach to wellness is different than what else is out there, I workout the mind and spirit first. Healing starts with the heart. Understanding what your triggers are, your fears and self doubts, in opinion, help become successful with the physical aspect.
Like the old saying “you cant out work a bad diet”.. to me a bad diet starts with the mindset. Once the mindset has been tapped into the process is easier to be successful with the exercise.
My exercise program is called Sweat n Smile. I enjoy smiling while I am working out especially because a smile is contagious and I am doing something great for my body, it’s like a great reward. I make sure my clients are having fun with their workouts, while motivating them to show up, become stronger and have a better self worth. Hence how I got the nickname Master Motivator!!!

All of this alone excites me to be the best version of myself for these woman who are like myself. That way we are breaking generational curses and stigmas that women of color don’t like to workout. That is a NEGATIVE MYTH because we are here, and embracing our curves, stretch marks and all and loving ourselves fully through movement and a peaceful mindset!!!

Kendra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the product of two Grady babies, I am an ATLien. I was raised on the WestSide of Atlanta, Etheridge Court to be exact, to North, South, and finally my heart East Atlanta. My parents divorced at the age of 5, my father off to serve our country, and my mother back in Atlanta with me by her side.

Having southern roots, I watched my grandmother clean and cook chitlins preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. I learned how to snap green beans, shuck corn, and season chicken in my mama’s kitchen. Watching them prepare meals that made my belly full and happy was satisfying for me as a kid, it was comforting. I would help my mama bring in the groceries after a Sunday service at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church.

My mama always found ways to keep me active. Whether we’d race to the car, go for walks around the neighborhood, or allowing me to ride my bike with friends. Little did she know the seeds she was planting inside of me would grow into a life changing

During my adolescence, was the time that I noticed my body was different from the other girls in my classes. Certain clothes I couldn’t wear, because they fit too tight and hugged the wrong places. This was the first time I can remember being called “cute but CHUNKY”.

Those words followed me well into high school. Being curvy and wearing clothing from the misses department while friends were in juniors was a struggle internally. I joined a sport to stay active but I still heard those words of “Cute but CHUNKY” loud and clear. So food became my friend, in public and in private. Thus began my great debate with weight.

For years, I struggled with my weight. Gain and then lose, to gain again and lose again only to gain double and lose half. I tried Weight Watcher, quick fads, intermittent fasting, you name it I’m sure I tried it. Twice. It wasn’t until 2017 when I truly took a glance at where I was headed and I didn’t want to prematurely die, my grandmother had to have an emergency triple bypass heart surgery. I was shocked and scared and evaluated things in my life.
I went to the doctor to find out I was pre-diabetic! I immediately joined the gym at my job and got a personal trainer. I lost weight but I allowed life to happen to me instead of me happening to life.

4 years later, I heard my true calling. Body Image. If someone would have told me I’d be a certified personal trainer 6 years ago, I would have laughed. But here I am! Owner of ThinkThiccFitness. Master Motivator of my at-home workout program Sweat and Smile. I took the words “Cute but CHUNKY” to coach and motivate women who look like me to love themselves no matter what shape or size.
Struggling with body image and weight for years growing up, but NEVER finding someone who understood that, I have been able to use that as the foundation of my business. I am not just a number on a scale or defined by how you believe I should look. I LOVE EACH CURVE and coach the women who work with me to do the same. That is what I am most proud of and what stands out from what women and young girls are seeing on social media. I call my community of women sunflowers because like a sunflower we stand tall, face the sun no matter what, we are beautiful and strong in our own right.

What I want people to know and learn about me is that I am just like them, I have similar struggles as them, fears and reservations as them, I question things often a but I also have several ways to cope through the times when I am my worst critic. I am a strong woman and surprise myself a lot on most days at how much I have evolved as a woman and know I am capable of so much more with God and patience.

I am the owner of ThinkThiccFitness and founder of the Sweat and Smile Fitness Program. I enjoy watching the women I serve change the way they view fitness and most importantly themselves. I get super excited seeing how my clients first engages with me in a session versus their 8th session, it’s like a totally different woman. I smile and thank the Lord for blessing me to be able to serve out my passion and purpose. When I see that extra pep in a woman’s step or strut in her walk because she’s full of confidence, clarity and peace after working with me and she’s able to carry that with her as tools to
further thrive in her life, that’s it for me!!! It’s priceless!!!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

No business owner ever wants to really wants to admit when it’s time to pivot. It’s a hard pill to swallow in my opinion, at least it was for me…

The last 6 months of 2022 was my reality check, I began to feel extremely overwhelmed in my life. I felt myself being stressed to show up more on social media for my beauties and then I began to feel like all my efforts were being overlooked or not reaching the platforms and woman I had envisioned myself reaching. That caused a major domino effect in my mind along with all other avenues of my life and I couldn’t figure a way out of the hole.

I then had to admit it was time get back to the basic of things and pivot. Reexplore my why, my need and my purpose again…what was that burning fire that I once needed for myself before I even started my business and what was needed of me for the woman I served.
Not just chasing “finding clients”, but to naturally let the order of things flow as that had before. The thing was I had NO IDEA how to do that again…my mind was clouded. Life was still moving, just lifing along the way and I went back to work full time (which I felt was complete failure), I got back into therapy to sort through the noise, and I brain dumped new ideas for my ThinkThiccFitness Beauties.

Fast forward to present day, I realized the way to go was and has always been “consistency”. Realizing showing up can look different in so many ways and my life journey is still being written by myself and me alone. I have taken the much needed time to sort through personal life situations, that way I can fully show up for my S.A.S Beauties in the best way that way I am without suffering from burn out. I pivoted in the ways to better coach woman throughout their wellness journey by using affirmations, quick 30 mins or less effective workouts for the occupied woman, along with a few other adjustments within the ThinkThiccFitness empire.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source for me is social media!!! TikTok, SnapChat, Pintrest, you name. I also network while at work or anywhere I may have a conversation with someone. I mean you just NEVER KNOW!!!

I mean we live in a tech world so me getting back to be being super consistence is vital in a world of social media. Posting reels, stories, going live is always the best way to catch someone’s attention.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ThinkThiccFitness

Image Credits
Photos; Petre McSwain