Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Strampel.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey started as a 15-year track runner. Like most high school athletes, nutrition and training was a major concern for me, to be the best athlete possible. Unfortunately, this spiraled into what’s known as orthorexia nervosa: obsessive-compulsive tendencies that lead to extremely restrictive and clean eating and over-exercise.
I was stripped of my ability to train and this was my rock bottom. I sat in my disorder for two whole years before finding a beautiful community of women on Instagram thats uplifted me and propelled me into recovery.
With the support of the community, friends, family, and resilience, I recovered from my eating disorder by age 17. This was a blessing in disguise because my disorder is what gave me a passion for nutrition and fitness. A friend of mine introduced me into body build/weight lifting and I knew w=that this was going to be my path. From here, I pursued several certifications the day I turned 18, so I could pursue personal training and help other women grow and get strong, rather than be fixated on a small physique and poor relationship with food.
This same year, I enrolled into a local community college- I was unable to go away to school at the fear of relapsing from my family, which was also just another blessing because I later dropped out of college. When I realized my major would only allow me to go as far as personal training, which I was already pursuing, I dropped out. At this time, I created my own Instagram account to simply share my fitness/recovery journey as my own accountability. Little did I know, I would women all over the world reaching out to me for inspiration, knowledge, and programming.
This was the birth of my online coaching business came from in 2016, at age 18. I started taking on one on one online coaching clients for DIRT cheap. All I wanted was to empower women and help them retire a positive relationship with food, educate them and encourage them to become undeniably strong and powerful. At the same time, I moved down to Orlando Florida, where my sister lived and also got a job at a local personal training gym. I told my parents “Mom, Dad, I’m going to go work in Florida for the summer, if things don’t work out, I’ll come back home and return to the fall set.” This was another massive contribution to my educational foundation in regards to training, nutrition, and sales for training. I took everything I learned and applied it to my online business, and just continued to share my journey on Instagram.
Before I knew it, I had daily inquiries for one on one coaching. I knew to make this full time I had to quit my personal training job at the gym. That is exactly what I did, and along with it, made the decision I would not return to school in the fall. My online business continued to expand, I was meeting new friends from online, and then took an even bigger leap. I followed my dreams and moved to San Diego California. Here, I was surrounded by like-minded people, pursuing the same things I was. This expanded my knowledge, confidence and helped me create such a positive energy flow.
I now Run FearsToFit LLC with two amazing young women working alongside me. We have worked with over 700 women in the past three years and continue to grow. I now mentor other online health and fitness coaches around the world, so we can continue to change the lives of people everywhere. I am pursuing my passion and with that came so much personal development and growth.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
By no means has my road been smooth. I have faced many adversities, and believe it or not as a 21-year-old, I’m almost sure I’ve already gone through an identity crisis, haha.
Not only did I start with a struggle with body image and my relationship with food, but I’ve also dealt with things such as ageism, comparison, and self-doubt. With being a youth pursuing a business seemed near impossible, there will always be haters, and it will always be easy to compare yourself to others, as they are on their journey.
My advice is to STAY IN YO LANE GIRLFRIEND. If you are so so selfish, that’s amazing. The growth that stems from selfishness allows for so much more selflessness in the future. The growth that comes from a time period where you allow to find yourself ENABLES you.
If you are just starting your journey, do NOT look for instant gratification. Every process and journey takes time. Enjoy the walk on the path you’re, life isn’t a race.
Please tell us about FearsToFit LLC.
My Job is by far the most fulfilling line of work in the world. I get to serve women who become close to me, become immersed in FTF culture and are essentially part of my family. My main objective is to help women perform and look their best while still eating foods they love and balancing a social life.
I’m most proud of the transformations me and my team have created together. As a community, we are so close and I take so much pride in the family culture I have with my teammates as well as all of our clients.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I have invested in several mentors throughout my journey as a business owner as well as my journey to be the strongest yet most balanced women I can be. I am an avid podcast listener and I love the science of success. I listen to many podcasts that help keep me educated on gut and digestive health as well as programming for training.
Jen Sincero is by far my favorite author and much of her work has created a badass, can-do attitude for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: kstrampsfitness@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/fearstofit
- Twitter: twitter.com/fearstofit
Image Credit:
@clarkfit
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