We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Heilman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

After overcoming anxiety, depression and disordered eating, plus losing 65 pounds through improved diet and exercise, I became a certified personal trainer, and nutrition and health coach. A friend who owned a private personal training studio was becoming overwhelmingly busy and brought me onto the team as a trainer. I could relate to a lot of the weight loss clientele, and helped them navigate the ups and downs of their health journey with training, as well as nutritional guidance.

Sara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got my start in the industry after having success on my own health journey. I was labeled clinically obese, suffered from depression and anxiety, plus disordered eating. At rock bottom, I asked for help… I connected with professionals in the health industry – from a personal trainer to therapists and nutritionists – to get me started on my journey. I eventually lost 65 pounds and became a certified personal trainer, and nutrition and health coach.

I initially worked as a personal trainer at a private personal training facility. In my experience, I recognized clients would hit their fitness and wellness goals, then leave the facility to maintain their health on their own. They would eventually return to training months/years later because they couldn’t maintain their progress.

That was the start of my business Strong.Bold.Healthy. After 5 years of training clients, I decided to open Strong.Bold.Healthy to help clients focus on nutrition, mindset and movement through coaching. These are the same three components that helped me be successful and maintain my success for over 12 years and counting.

Through private and group coaching, as well as virtual personal training, I empower my clients to step off the sidelines of their own life. I do this by helping them to improve their relationship with food through nutrition education, creating a positive self-image and recognizing/changing their thoughts, habits and behaviors. I also ensure they maintain a custom fitness routine that is realistic with their life’s pace, plus conquer and maintain their overall health goals through each season of life.

I’m most proud of my clients and the wins they share with me each and every week; I love learning how our work together leaves a positive impact on their lives or their families’ lives. I’m proud of the private Strong.Bold.Healthy Community I have created in which all SBH members continue to empower and encourage one another on their journey. I’m also proud to say that I was named Best Nutritionist of 2020 and Best Holistic Health Coach of 2023 by What’s Up Media Annapolis!

What sets me apart from other personal trainers, nutritionists and health coaches is that I know what it’s like to be on “the other side” – meaning that I know the mental, physical and emotional toll a health journey can take on oneself. And because I know the struggle, I can better relate to my clients and provide them with the tools they need to be successful long term.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the midst of my own health journey and prior to entering the health field, I decided to sign-up for my first official organized race – a 10k. The race was something I was uncomfortable doing because that meant I had to be bold and put myself out there. At the time, I was de-conditioned and honestly, didn’t know how I was going to cross the finish line. I found a Couch to 10k training program in a fitness magazine and decided to use it. Staying committed to the training was hard and irregular. I showed up on race day and nearly talked myself out of participating. Fortunately, I had a good support system and was encouraged to “just do it.”

The race was the hardest thing I ever had to do; as people cheered from the sidelines, muscle cramps and lack of air had me stopping and going the whole time. I walked more than I ran – wanting to pass out along the way and give up with every turn I took – but I eventually crossed the finish line at 1 hr and 20 minutes. The sheer will and mental fortitude it took to cross the finish line made me realize that I could do anything!

That’s why I made it a goal to improve my time the following year for the same race… and I crossed the finish line at 54 minutes!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy in growing my clientele is sharing my story and being my authentic self. I show up in my social media posts, my business newsletters, blogs, etc and share what I’m growing through. I don’t hold back in telling my story, where I’m currently at on my journey and how I am seeing myself through. In doing this, I connect with others on a deeper level and they get to know me as someone who is just like them. Therefore, I don’t have to sell them on what I offer… they see the value in it.

Client referrals have also been extremely beneficial in growing my business. When one person has a positive experience, they want to share it with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.strongboldhealthy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strong.bold.healthy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strong.bold.healthy

Image Credits
Maureen Porto