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

Hi Kendra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Online personal training like most people came to me during covid, but I wasn’t doing much of it. A little here and there, then gyms opened back up and I was back to the gym. This idea of a whole wellness approach really spoke to me when I had my son and we had to move, PCS (permanently change of duty station) my husband is in the Air Force. We move, I build my brand all over again, then we move. A cycle I pretty much have gotten used to. It wasn’t all that hard; I would brand myself again in the gyms and the military has a big fitness focus so no big deal. Well, this time was completely different I had a 9-month-old baby to also move and what I thought would be easy was almost impossible. Daycare was non-existent. Most places had a one year wait so I had to think of something else. How can I continue to help people and do what I love while also adjusting to this new life here.

In the meantime, I had clients in UK, where I was prior, asking if I could train through email and I thought there has to be a better way. So, I downloaded an app called Trainerize, and the online training game changed and personal training in whole changed for me! I was able to record myself doing exercises and put my own personal plans together for each client, set each client with their own specific nutrition goals, healthy habit goals and it was a complete game changer! I could check in on clients any time of day from my phone.

So that is it, at that time my son was taking 3 naps a day so I used that time to set up my website, record hundreds and hundreds of exercise videos and I began creating my own programs that anyone could buy, and then also taking on one on one personal clients whose programs were built directly for them!

I knew this would work because normally when training clients I see them 3x a week at most for 60 min sessions. That is not enough time to go through a great workout plus discuss training plans, habits, food choices and let alone keep track of them the other days a week! This way I can assign daily tasks and every single day I can hold people accountable of what they are doing. Anything they input in the app gets sent directly to me, once a week I look through their workouts and properly progress them when need be! They also have access to direct message me on the app and send me form videos. Honestly, my son and my passion to continue training made me find this way of doing it.

It is very hard when you are a one woman show recording my own videos for the app, keeping my social media relevant and sharing as much as I can for free because that is the goal, to help as many people live a sustainable and healthy life without crazy fad diets!

While also trying to market myself and continue to grow as a coach myself, but it is worth it knowing I have the ability to help so many more people from my home while also being there for my son and the fear of leaving all my clients behind when my husband got a new base was over!!
My approach to fitness is not something new that no one has thought of yet, but it is the most personal online training I have yet to encounter. It is always me on the other end, I take the time to make your adjustments every week and I am there to hop on a call if you need the extra push. So, although no it isn’t 100% unique the attention, I put into each of my clients is unique!

I hope I can touch and reach as many people as possible and help them reach their potential and hit their health and wellness goals. While also pursing my own goals along the way!
XoXo
Kendra @Presidential_fitness1

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Health and wellness have helped me in so many ways in my personal life, and professional life. It gave me direction when I had no idea where my life was going, and it has given me the confidence I needed to get through life so far. Through exercise and health, I have been able to put my life into my own hands and it has also gotten me out of a lot of dark places. Health and wellness have taught me discipline, control, patience, and self-worth. Which is why I believe in it so much; I know what a good healthy lifestyle can do for you.

I grew up running in high school and got into lifting weights right after high school as an outlet aside from running. Fell in love with weightlifting how getting stronger not only made me look but made me feel, was doing that for a while then realized I was missing the nutrition portion of it all. Got certified as a nutrition coach and that’s when things really took off.

I started really getting into what exercise does and the science behind nutrition and how they work hand in hand and studying and experimenting on my own body and really was able to learn so much along the way. Essentially, I got into this career for myself, but soon realized there is so much misleading information out there and most people make it way harder than it needs to be. I sought out to try and help as many people as possible. Helping people realize what they are truly capable and seeing that look on their face when they reach their goals is the reason, I continue to do this 11 years later.

I take a very personal approach and I never give anyone a meal plan about what they should specifically be eating, I show people and empower them as they learn to do this on their own. That is honestly what I am most proud about what I do. When people decide they are ready to take their health journeys on their own, they leave feeling confident they know what they are doing but most importantly why they are doing it!

I offer many different programs for specific needs, strength and conditioning programs, glute programs, chin up programs, upper body and lower body guides, plus several others these are all do on your own guides. I give you everything you need to be successful. One on one coaching is tailored to the client their time limits their equipment needs, healthy habits coaching, specific macros and calories and weekly check ins.

I have worked very hard on all of these programs, and really feel they are all an amazing place to start.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Being authentic and sharing my failures and the reality of how hard losing weight and gaining muscle can be with everyone. Not making it look one way when in reality it is completely different. Also trying to help as much as possible when I share content, I share it to help you learn something about fitness not to show off what I can do. I either share nutrition tips, exercise tutorials, complete workouts or something to motivate you.

Honestly, I think being authentic and your real self is the best thing you can do. People can relate to you and see themselves in you!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I got an idea to start a small group training program in my app. I even had people asking me about it and sign up for the prelaunch I was so excited I had maybe 6 people in my pre-launch group. I worked so hard on everything the marketing the workouts, the materials, everything they would need. Well, when I finally launched not one person signed up, not even the people who did the prelaunch!!

I was so bummed I couldn’t figure it out, it was like my personal training but in a group format, so I was offering it at a much lesser rate. It was pretty upsetting, but I keep pushing it and keep showing people what it was like to be inside the group training and eventually monthssss lol later people started to sign up.

If I would have given up like I wanted to, when NO one signed up that would have been a complete waste of time but instead I kept going and now I have a great system in place that is more affordable and gives people the opportunity to do on demand training with me!

Contact Info:

• Website: presidentialfitness1.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presidential_fitness1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083317178135
• Youtube: Kendra Washington – YouTube