We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Koury Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Koury below.

Alright, Koury thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The mission for my fitness company, SWEATbody Lab, is simple: To make women stronger and feel badass in their beautiful skin.

As a woman – a black woman at that – I love having the opportunity to show women how strong they really are. There are still a lot of women who are conditioned to believe they only need cardio and dieting to stay healthy and look great when in fact it’s the complete opposite. And unfortunately, there’s still a large segment of women who believe lifting heavy makes you “bulky” and “masculine” when in reality, progressive overload builds lean muscle. So in many ways, my role also serves as an educator. 

According to a 2020 study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in the United States, “Overall, Hispanics had the highest prevalence of physical inactivity (31.7%), followed by non-Hispanic blacks (30.3%) and non-Hispanic whites (23.4%).” 

If you were to dissect these statistics by gender, you will find the percentages are significantly higher among black and Hispanic women.

 There’s still stigma in communities of color about the importance of fitness, especially when highlighting its mental health benefits. Historically, gyms and athletic programs weren’t always accessible to these communities. My own father was the fifth black man allowed to play football for the University of Virginia… in 1971. While times have indeed changed, we also aren’t far removed from it either.

I know people who look like me are not uncommon in the fitness space – however, it’s also not uncommon where we are the only black trainers in a gym or studio – and I take that seriously. Diversity matters. And when women of color see someone who “looks like them,” there is a natural camaraderie, community and comfort that tends to grow followed by an openness to explore. 

That said, I don’t solely work with women. In fact, one of my first clients is a man who never worked out a day in his life aside from P.E. in grade school. He was ready for change. The following months, I watched him put in the work and get stronger. It became his passion and now he’s a certified trainer himself! 

In October 2022, he was named Ohio’s Strongest Man in a powerlifting competition. I couldn’t have been any prouder. He’s come so far in just a few years.

My coaching methodology aims to help clients feel they’re part of an experience – a lifestyle change, not another chore to add to their day. Through this the coach and client need to reach a certain level of professional vulnerability . Transparency and honesty is paramount to build a relationship establishing mutual trust in each other and the process.

Those foundations are essential to keep clients engaged and motivated to do work. And that’s when you see results. 

One of my current clients suffered from an iron deficiency causing her to lose  strength and stamina. She received the proper medical treatment and her numbers are now stable, but she needed help feeling like herself again. She came to me with the goal to become stronger and gain weight. I created a customized program and walked her through the exercises and provided nutritional guidance.

I’ve been working with her for three months now and she recently sent me a text excited that she progressed from 5 to 15 pound dumbbells and, “…loves [her newfound] strength and curves.”

“You’re literally changing my life.” 

That right there is exactly what this is all about.

Koury, 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 began my career in public relations a decade ago and recently established my own public relations company, Power+Press Communications, as a solo practitioner around the same time as SWEATbody Lab. Two different industries, yet I grew both careers simultaneously so it’s difficult to separate at times.

During undergrad at Virginia Commonwealth University studying at the School of Mass Communications (now the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture), I began working part-time as a front desk associate at the YMCA. The job was relatively simple, paid well, and provided an opportunity to build report with everyone who walked through the door. One of the members was an IFBB professional bodybuilder who kindly took an evening and showed me how to use all of the machines, the importance of time over tension, and steps to build my own program. I owe him a great deal of gratitude. 

When I started weight training I had no interest making it a career until I walked into a spin studio five years later and immediately fell in love with the classes. Within a year I was leading my own spin classes and two years later exploring additional fitness formats.

I was doing this all while working full-time in public affairs at the Richmond Police Department in Virginia so it wasn’t unusual to get called out to a crime scene at midnight, head home for a quick nap and turn back around to teach a 6:30 a.m. class. It was a grind, but it teaches you discipline and tests your passion. 

Even as I moved on to public relations agencies, working with notable global clients building communications strategies, conducting media trainings, providing guidance and pitching media – and a brief stint as an adjunct professor at Virginia Union University – I always stressed the importance of my “other career “and made room to accommodate it all.

Professional life aside, the importance of health significantly impacted my childhood growing up with a mother who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when I was 3 years old. She died six years later following a two year battle with breast cancer.In 2019, 19 years after my mother, my father passed away from kidney cancer.

 As their only child, I can’t help but wonder – what will happen to me? 

As you can imagine, this has made health a priority in my own life – and I know I’m not alone. Many health issues can be prevented by eating a little better and moving a little more each day. And if I can become a resource or be a cheerleader of accountability to do so, I want to be that person. Everyone deserves an opportunity to live their best, healthiest life.

To have the privilege to watch hundreds of fitness clients take a class or work with me one-on-one and watch them progressively get better, stronger and more confident is truly special.

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

When COVID hit, there were a lot of changes in my personal life. At 32 years old, I finished settling my father’s estate after his passing and I was navigating what really motivated and drove my passion. I’ve always enjoyed working in public relations, but there was always a nagging feeling to continue exploring fitness which can be difficult while simultaneously working full-time.

I was one of many across my company who received news we would be furloughed. It wasn’t ideal, but being furloughed during the pandemic – in the midst of a two month quarantine – was one of two of the best things that happened to me. 

I took the time to study for my personal training certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and doubled down on my Precision Nutrition certification as well. Shortly after passing both exams, after quarantine was lifted I began working at a gym in Richmond, VA and fell in love with the work.

Five months later when I was back with my full-time job, I negotiated with the company to cut my hours 20 percent which increased my time at the gym to train clients. The goal was to build a larger clientele and eventually work a 50/50 split between the two.

However only two months into this arrangement, I received a call that one of the giant global communications firms wanted to hire me – allowing me to move to New York City, a long dream of mine, so I hopped toward the opportunity which meant sacrificing my flexibility. 

And while I absolutely loved working for my new NYC agency – and still miss my lovely colleagues, 15 months later another global firm approached me with a pretty attractive offer and unique opportunity to work with an internationally known super brand. I was conflicted about the change but pursued it because the it seemed promising with a lot of professional growth.

Unfortunately, to put it mildly – outside of my involvement with DEI at the company, it wasn’t a positive experience. Thus leaving the company was the second best thing to happen to me. 

That said, on my way out I was given the best insight: If there’s anything you gain from this, let this inform the leader you want to be – or rather don’t want to be.

I took some down time explore what my next phase looks like. I reconnected with former colleagues, senior leaders, and mentors who were encouraging, offered resources and insight.

Ultimately, how I’ve structured my career today is similar to how I aimed to build my career before leaving Virginia. It’s a less predictable route which  can feel uncomfortable at times but I’m the happiest – and busiest – I’ve been in a long time and now I can truly call it my own.

I feel empowered again. I feel joy in my work again. And I’ve learned more than I ever could in the bubble of a siloed corporate position. 

My story is still evolving. I’m still exploring. I’m still pivoting with exciting things to come. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I listen to a lot of business and career podcasts in the gym or in my car. Right now I have a steady list of pods.

– The Boss Babe Podcast: This is female-centric and great resource to building brands, understanding the nuances of entrepreneurship and features great interviews with business leaders across the country. It’s an inspiring, supportive and fresh take on ways to stay current and improve your business and leadership development.
– The Fit Biz Podcast: One of my favorites on building a fitness brand and business. Hosts discuss different fitness resources, tools, and methods to managing a growing business and clients.
– The Key Nutrition Podcast: I love this podcast because while the hosts discuss nutrition, fitness and business, he dedicates many of his episodes to addressing mindset and self-care and how they ultimately help your endeavors.
– Bikini Diaries: I’m working to get on stage for my first physique competition this year so this has a lot of great interviews with bikini division competitors, many of whom are fitness coaches who discuss work-life balance, juggling multiple careers and training clients.

Reading wise, “I Am My Brand” by Kubi Springer is a great refresher on personal branding and she does an amazing job breaking down its many different elements. I’m also diving into some more generic reference books, many by the Harvard Business Review, on entrepreneurship and finance because I feel there’s still much more to learn as a new business owner. Next on the list is The Entrepreneurs Playbook by Leonard C. Green. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kourywilson.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kouryinnyc
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kourywilson
• Other: www.powerpresscommunications.com

Image Credits
All photos by Will Foster of Will Foster Photography (IG: wfphoto_nyc)