We recently connected with Victoria Fonseca and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Deciding to Pursue my passion was a culmination of risks that completely changed the trajectory of my life. Starting with leaving the security of a corporate carer for a part-time position as a group trainer a year after graduating college with massive debt from school loans, no certification or experience in personal training yet. I felt so separated from myself it became unbearable, I knew I couldn’t continue living that way. I placed how I felt above my career because I value my passion more then money, it fulfilled me in a way material couldn’t. I do value money, I just had faith that eventually it would come and was willing to experience temporary discomfort if the outcome was living my dream. COVID hit shortly after which inspired VFIT, I knew it was time to leave NY to continue the pursuit of my dream, so I relocated to Miami to begin my new chapter. It was my first time moving to a new city without any friends or family which was a shock and adjustment. I worked at a local gym for 3 moths before I quitting to grow VFIT. I wasnt ready financially or operationally but I ended up working in another environment I wasn’t happy, I took the risk. The risks I’ve taken brought me into closer alignment with my true self, regardless of how challenging the situation was. Each risk I took taught me valuable lessons, made me more confident in myself, trust myself more and ultimately has led me to living a more fulfilling life.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I originally got into the fitness industry because I wanted to share with women how transformative exercise and nutrition can be for your mind and body. Growing up I struggled with my confidence and self-image, I only saw my flaws and tore myself apart for them. I was so dissatisfied and critical of myself. The media’s beauty standard plays a significant role in women’s negative self-image. I can remember feeling that pressure as early as grade school trying numerous fad diets, wore colored contacts, push up bras and prayed for a thigh gap. I was so uncomfortable in my skin I would cry catching a glimpse of my body in the mirror. In 5th grade I went as far as wrapping my body in masking tape to look skinnier. I was so uncomfortable laying in bed I couldn’t sleep that night and the next day every movement made crunching sounds. I didn’t know how capable to change I was because I spent so long resisting it. Fitness helped me discover that the power to change lies within and that I significantly underestimated my capability, which opened the doors to a life journey of personal growth and development. I was determined to improve my life in every aspect possible so I started researching, taking courses, reading books, etc. and with every new skill I learned or habit I implemented, I felt better. I realized wellness is so much more than just exercise and nutrition, there are so many factors that play a role in our well-being. That’s when I discovered Holistic health – a multidimensional approach that takes into account an individual’s physical, nutritional, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and environmental health. I use this approach with my clients to address each individual as a whole because if one aspect is off balance, it can effect every other aspect. Our services include customized and personalized fitness programs, 1:1 sessions, holistic meal plans, as well as mind, body & soul alignment, in-person or virtually. VFIT’s goal is to meet women where they’re at and assist and support them on their journey to achieving a more balanced state of well-being.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Moving to Miami was a piviotal moment in my life and career. My lease was ending and I was ready for a warmer climate. I started making arrangements to move from New York to California, I always dreamed of living in LA. But moving across country to an unfamiliar place with isn’t easy in the midst of a pandemic. I had 2 weeks to arrange an out of state move and decided moving across country wasn’t in my best interest, so I decided Miami was the 2nd best option. I flew out, found a place and didnt even think about how drastic a move it was until I settled in. I had no job, no friends or family and no plan. Making the decision to leave everything I knew behind me was hard but I was so lit up passion fear didn’t sand a chance, I didn’t entertain the imposter syndrome or negative self talk that crept in, I believed in myself and was committed to building that faith. Choosing to embrace fear and change and commiting myself to my bigger vision allowed me to overcome those obstacles placed on my path which improved my self-confidence and fulfilment.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started with TikTok, I was posting health and fitness content regularly when one of my workout videos gained over 200k views. I went from 37 followers to 40k and that inspired even more consistent content creation and posting. I found the easiest way for me to create consistent content was to film what I was doing in my daily life. Workouts, recipes, self-care projects, etc. I think the authenticity of my content is what brought attention so much attention to it. My posts are relatable, I talk about my client’s and myself experiences, I provide tons of free value, and constantly engage with my comminty. I think the most important aspect of growing a social media following is that it is something you are genuinely passionate about because it takes a lot of work and you can only stay inspired to do so about something you have authentic interest in. You cant be concerned about views or likes, my videos had 0-7 likes for months, It did get to me at times but you have to start somewhere to grow. I took these same methods to instagram and a video went viral, receiving 30+M views growing my community from 500 to 155,000. With passion, intentional action and consistency you can achieve anything, ignore the noise and focus on yourself and vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.VFIT4.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vfit.4/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vfit4/T
- Twitter: witter: https://twitter.com/vfit_4