We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zaria Francis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Zaria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
i started guided fit mama out of a very real need i lived through myself.
after a tough pregnancy with hyperemesis and preeclampsia, i came out of the fourth trimester feeling like the typical “bounce back” advice just didn’t fit. i knew moms needed a different roadmap, one that honored healing, strength and real life. not the ‘clean’ aesthetic plastered all over social media. the type that’s working out in your pajamas with your babies crawling over you or going on a stroller walk with coffee in hand and a milk stained shirt.
the early days were messy but exciting. i was serving in the national guard, training clients, and using nap times to write workouts and film content. i filed my LLC from my parent’s kitchen table, learned the legal and tax basics from google and early morning calls with my cpa, and reinvested every extra dollar into app development and product samples. there wasn’t a big investor, it was sweat equity, consistency and a lot of faith.
the biggest challenges were building trust without a huge marketing budget and figuring out tech. from app glitches to sourcing postpartum shorts, every step took longer than i thought. what helped was staying clear on my mission: meet moms where they are, from day one postpartum to years later.
looking back, i’d remind myself to delegate earlier. i tried to do every graphic, email and backend task myself, which slowed growth and stole creative energy. today i have a very small team and systems that let me stay in my zone of coaching and content.
for anyone thinking about starting their own practice:
start before it feels perfect, build a community around your “why,” and give yourself permission to grow in phases. small consistent actions compound—whether that’s ten minutes of breathwork or ten minutes of business admin every day.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
i’m zaria, better known online as coach z and the founder of guided fit mama, a pre- and post-natal strength and wellness brand built from my own pregnancy and postpartum journey. after experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum, a loss due to inadequate medical care and preeclampsia, i came out of pregnancy feeling like the “bounce-back” fitness advice simply didn’t fit the real needs of moms. i wanted a program that honored healing and strength without extremes, so i created it.
today guided fit mama is a full ecosystem that helps women from pregnancy through years postpartum.
what we offer:
• a subscription-based fitness app with progressive programs like power in pregnancy, power in postpartum, heal & seal tummy restore, and seasonal challenges like 75 & heal and core & curves.
• a growing line of physical products—postpartum compression shorts, a printed power in postpartum planner, and upcoming supplements—designed to support recovery and everyday strength.
• in-person services through our new houston-area holistic women’s strength & wellness studio, where moms can train, attend events, and build community.
our approach is different because it meets women exactly where they are. workouts are evidence-based and diastasis/pelvic-floor friendly, nutrition is realistic (80/20 whole-food focus), and every program is backed by community coaching so no mom feels alone.
i’m most proud that guided fit mama has become a place where women can feel strong and cared for at the same time. whether it’s through a 10-minute breathwork session in the app or an in-person bootcamp at our studio, the goal is the same: help moms heal, build lasting strength, and remember that their health matters, too.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Other than training and knowledge, I think being relatable is so helpful for succeeding in my field. You can have all of the knowledge in the world, but do you know how to empathize with a mother who is sleep deprived, going through a sleep regression, weaning her baby from breastfeeding, and fell off of her training regimen? Or are you going to tell her to just “push through and train hard!”
Moms don’t need a coach who tells them to “push through and train harder” maybe sometimes, but more than anything they need someone who understands those seasons and can guide them with compassion, flexibility and practical solutions.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I didn’t start my business in the ideal situation. I was posting on social media while going through a break up with my child’s father. I lived at my parents house and would sit at their kitchen table studying for certs, learning how to build a business, what makes a business “legal,” learning social media practices to help get noticed. I was still in the military at this time but I did not have a passion for it anymore and I knew I wanted to be at home with my daughter.
When you’re living with your parents, with a newborn, a broken relationship, a loss of passion for your current job; things can look really down. However, I kept a good mindset. I was grateful to have parents who took me in no matter the circumstances and I was determined to build something off what I loved.
I went from my parents house to buying my own house within a year and a half. I believe I was able to do this from hard work, consistency, and the grace of God. I showed up for my business every. single, day. I posted every single day. I learned something new about business or coaching every. single. day. Eventually, I became one of the “go-to” people for pre/postnatal fitness. I owe so much of that to my parents, God, and simply not getting down on my situation.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: guidedfitmama
- Facebook: Guided Fit Mama
- Youtube: Guidedfitmama
