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

Hi Molly, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

The fitness industry standard is quick fixes, transformation challenges, fad diets, and an all-or-nothing approach. This comes from decades of being taught that being healthy looks exactly the same for everyone and that there are no exceptions. Because of this, so many people see fitness as a way to lose weight and change the shape of your body. I want to change that narrative.

More importantly, I’d really love to see us get to a place where BMI and weight are not part of the conversation around fitness, nutrition or athletics. Coming from a point of thin privilege, I know that my experiences do not even begin to compare to others but as a fitness professional, I am determined to educate those who have not experienced the stigma around BMI and weight. The BMI is not helpful or accurate and is harmful to so many individuals. And for that matter, weight, size and body type are poor indicators of health and athleticism.

Fitness should be about adding to your life, rather than subtracting. This is why I work to help athletes GAIN strength and speed and show up on race day with confidence. This can look as complex as becoming stronger mentally and physically and improving your athletic performance or simply as a way to have more energy, bring joy to your life and feel more confident.

Molly, 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?

As a personal trainer and coach, I help endurance athletes gain strength & speed and show up on race day with confidence. At any level, there is a lot that goes into being an athlete so whether you are preparing for your first race or looking to improve your time and performance, I will help you build a training plan.

With a holistic approach, I also educate clients on nutrition, recovery practices and so much more. I want my athletes to see an improved performance while finding balance between training and daily life because ultimately, fitness should be fun. Whether you are a runner or sprint triathlete, I have thoughtfully designed training programs that are delivered straight to your phone and 1:1 coaching programs that will educate you, keep you accountable and help you make the most out of your training plan.

Because of my own experiences, I have turned my passion for fitness into a career helping others on their fitness journey. My early fitness experience revolved around depriving myself of calories, developing chronic pain and so much more. Once I finally worked with a personal trainer in 2017, I realized that fitness was about gaining strength, challenging your body and mind and finding balance in your daily life. That mindset gave me the energy I needed to work towards a goal that had always felt impossible, completing a sprint triathlon.

From the moment I started my training plan, I was hooked. I rediscovered my love for swimming, found enjoyment in running and got back on a bike for the first time in 6 years. In the triathlon world, I was also reminded of how important food is for fuel and that depriving myself of food would hurt me in the long run. As I became an endurance athlete, I knew my fitness career was calling me to help other athletes like myself. I’m determined to help my clients and athletes avoid the mistakes I made, get the most out of their fitness and nutrition and have fun at the same time.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

My fitness journey really got started in college, during a time where restrictive eating was commonplace amongst women of all ages. Working at the gym on campus and lifting two hours a day, I fell in love with strength training and thought I was learning the dos and don’ts of the gym and lifting. However, I was under-eating, depriving myself of carbs, developing chronic pain and so much more. Without realizing it, I became consumed by my fitness routine in unhealthy ways.

It wasn’t until I got into triathlons in 2018 that I really began to unlearn these bad habits. Now, I eat way more than 2000 calories a day, keep my strength training workouts to about 30 minutes, and plan my fuel for long runs and swims. Unlearning these eating behaviors will continue to be a battle but as I become more educated for myself and my clients, I will keep teaching myself and others the importance of sleep and nutrition in their fitness routine.

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

The best source of new clients for me has been making connections and building up referrals. When I first started my business and was searching for new clients, I was consistently being told that referrals were going to be the best source of business. As a new entrepreneur, it was frustrating to hear this. I wondered how I could begin to have referrals if I didn’t have any clients. So, I focused on making deep connections with the few clients that helped me start my business. I was lucky enough to have one dear client who referred me to multiple friends and that was just the boost I needed to get things rolling. In client-based industries like fitness, there will always be a lot of ups and downs but the most important thing I’ve learned is to never stop making connections with new people. At the end of the day, not everyone will be your client but you won’t be able to build relationships if you only talk to the same people.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coachmollyfitness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachmollyfitness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachmollyfitness
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachmollyfitness/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachmollyfit
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coachmollyfitness

Image Credits
Tara Shupe Photography (running finish photo) https://tarashupe.passgallery.com/-rokc5k/gallery