Today we’d like to introduce you to Fiona Judd.
Hi Fiona, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My love for fitness started in dance. I studied dance as a child, all the way through college. I trained mostly in classical ballet, jazz, and ballroom, but also studied many other forms of dance and participated in the drill team in high school.
After having my first baby in 2007, I was looking for something to help “lose the baby weight” (this is a term I hate, but that’s what my main motivation was at the time). I had taken a few adult dance classes at a local studio but weren’t very consistent.
At about the same time, my husband’s company started doing discounted gym memberships for all employees and their immediate families. We signed up. I was walking on the treadmill one morning, bored out of my mind, and looked up to see a bunch of people dancing in the group fitness room. They looked like they were having so much fun, so I decided to find out what class it was and go on my next trip to the gym. It was Zumba.
I was a loyal front-row participant in Zumba classes for the next 10 years. I had 4 more babies. During each of my pregnancies, I’d do Zumba until about 34-35 weeks and then water aerobics until delivery. Then, I’d be back in Zumba class maybe 3-4 weeks postpartum. I did Zumba 3-4 times per week.
I tried lifting weights off and on but was very unsure of my form and didn’t know what exercises to do or when to do them. My last 2 babies came 15 months apart, so I didn’t have much chance to get fit again between them. After my last baby, I tried to take my time to recover slowly. I was patient with my body. I was at my heaviest weight but tried not to let it bother me too much. When my youngest was about six months and starting solids, I felt yucky. I wasn’t sleeping enough, moving enough, or eating well. I wanted to feel like myself again.
My husband and I signed up to work with a personal trainer we met through his work. We worked with her together for about 4 months, and both lost around 30 pounds. She also gave us meal plans and help with our nutrition. As I worked with her, I fell in love with strength training. I was working with body weight, dumbbells, and bands at home and getting stronger. I watched my body transform slowly. I had never had a lot of muscle before, so it was cool to see that start to develop.
A few months later, a friend messaged me. She was a Zumba instructor. She had a discount code for the Zumba certification coming up in our area. She told me she thought I’d be a really good Zumba instructor. I had thought about it a few times, but I was too afraid that I’d be bad at it! How do you stand up in front of people and confidently lead them through a class? How do you not mix up your right and your left (yes, this was one of my biggest concerns)?
I pushed through the fear and signed up.
I had also been toying with the idea of getting my personal training certification. I loved the results of working with a trainer myself and thought it would be a great part-time gig while I raised my kids. I went on AFAA’s website and there was a discount for the Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Fitness Trainer certifications, so I bought them both. I worked on those courses at home over the next few months.
I also decided to take a Barre certification through Barre Above. By the next spring, I was subbing classes at a couple of different locations. In the summer, I started picking up classes of my own. I felt like group fitness was something I was meant to do. It combined my love of music, movement, and community. I couldn’t get enough!
At my Barre certification, the presenter mentioned that they were looking for a Master Trainer in Utah to train other instructors. Even though I was BRAND NEW to teaching fitness, I wanted that gig. After I had been teaching Barre for 6 months (the minimum requirement to apply), I sent in a video application and was brought onto the Barre Above Master Trainer team.
In 2019, I started training in small groups in my home gym. When Covid hit in 2020, I stopped all in-person training and started my move into the virtual world. I had an Instagram account already and started sharing more home workouts. Since we were all at home, lots of people were looking for that kind of content, and my IG account started to grow.
I was also brought on as a trainer on an App for a supplement company. The app started small, but quickly grew as the company decided to include it with every ambassador’s annual subscription. We ran challenges, filmed tons of workouts for the app, and helped our clients improve their lives through fitness and nutrition. I was partnered with this app until very recently, and it helped me gain more experience as a virtual personal trainer.
In the spring of 2021, I hit 5K followers. Then 10K in the fall. The following Spring, 100K. By January of this year, I had over 200K and hit 300K in March. I have never paid for a single follower. As I have refined my niche and my content, I’ve seen incredible organic growth on Instagram. Now that I have this huge audience, I’m ready to make the move to start my app. I’m in the process of setting everything up and filming all of my content this summer and will be ready to launch hopefully this fall!
My fitness career came much later in my life but has been incredibly successful in a very short amount of time. I feel that this is due to two things: Hard work and passion. With both of those things, I think anything is possible and I can’t wait to see where things go from here!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Never! I’ve fought through many struggles along the way. I’ve had some family struggles. I’ve lost sleep over my Instagram account, trying to figure out why my growth will suddenly come to a halt for months (spoiler alert: I still haven’t figured it out). I’ve dealt with imposter syndrome and comparison, as well as body image struggles. Fitness as a career can be very cutthroat, and it’s hard not to feel pressure to look a certain way.
I often feel that people are judging my body and my food choices. I’ve also learned a lot about what NOT to do when negotiating with brands. I’m still trying to learn that my time has value and what to appropriately charge for that time. I think one of the biggest things I have struggled with, and still struggle with, is finding a balance between work, family, and personal time. I don’t work in an office 9-5. It’s very difficult for me to draw boundaries, but I’m getting there!
We’ve been impressed with FitFionaJ, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
FitFionaJ is an online fitness business with two main products: a virtual studio of workouts for those who are looking for something to do from home to improve their physical fitness, and an app with full fitness and nutrition coaching and programs for those who have specific health and fitness goals.
I specialize in strength training, barre, and Pilates/core workouts for women. I believe that as women age, strength training becomes more important and cardio less important. I want to see women of all ages lifting weights and feeling strong. I believe that women should move their bodies to feel good, function well, and LIVE. We need to stop working out to look a certain way. I do believe that it’s healthy to want to lose weight if you are at an unhealthy weight, and I have the knowledge and tools to help with that.
I also believe in having a healthy relationship with food and fitness and will coach my clients to develop that healthy relationship that will truly last a lifetime. For me, I am the healthiest and happiest when I practice moderation and intuitive eating. I know that calorie counting and macro tracking can be important tools to learn healthy eating habits, but can also be abused.
My goal is to show women how to use these tools to accomplish their goals and then find a healthy balance for lifelong health and vitality.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking.
Risk-taking can be so scary. I tend to shy away from big risks, but the older I get, the more I realize that living my life in fear will not serve me. I am taking more risks with my career because I see the potential reward.
I think it’s healthy and important to weigh risks (cost vs. benefit) and discuss them with your partner or another trusted friend. I find a great deal of clarity comes when I discuss the pros and cons with my husband or a friend before making a decision.
Then, I make that decision more confidently and move forward with greater determination to succeed.
Pricing:
- Website subscription (workouts only) $14.99/month
- Fitness and Nutrition 3-month package $450 ($150/month)
- Fitness and Nutrition 6-month package $828 ($138/month)
- Fitness and Nutrition 12-month package$1500 ($125/month)
Contact Info:
- Website: fitfionaj.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitfionaj/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitFionaJ/
Image Credits
Annie Hurst and Aaron Thompson
