Building an Non-traditional Wellness Business featuring Tiffany Culbertson
In this episode, we talk to Tiffany Culbertson about building an untraditional wellness business.
She’s a wife and mother to three children and has a fitness and nutrition coaching business based on an alternative view to wellness
We discuss:
– Weight Gain Associated With Pregnancy
– Unhealthy Mental Thoughts Attached To Food
– Perception Of Weight And Health
– What Works For Others May Not Work For You
…and more!
Listen to the full episode here:
Here are some highlights:
Tiffany Culbertson’s Journey Through Weight Gain And Loss
“So I was always fit through high school. I was very active in sports, just smaller in nature,” Tiffany said. “But you know, after high school when you become an adult, things get real, really quick. I was working and trying to go to college. My grandmother had just passed away. There was a lot going on then, and I worked at a restaurant where we got free food. So needless to say, less movement, more stress. I started to gain some weight, then I got married and I got pregnant basically right after I got married. I gained a lot of weight during that and was on bed rest. Since then I have had this yoyo journey of trying to lose weight. Then you get pregnant again and gain the weight back.”
Dealing With Anxiety And Depression
“I have anxiety and depression, and I’ve had it for several years. And so it got worse,” Culbertson said. “Obviously, I thought there was something wrong with me. Why am I failing? So beginning of 2019, when I couldn’t find someone that I felt like understood and related that could help me, I got tired of searching. I thought, ‘Why can’t I create that for someone?’ So I started my schooling to become a personal trainer and I got my nutrition coaching certification. I also got my senior fitness certification because I have a love for Seniors. I love it, and I decided to branch out and show people that fitness doesn’t mean booty shorts and tiny sports bras.”
Thoughts On Mental Health And Weight With Lindsey
“The weight doesn’t matter, what matters is that for me, I just feel better in this body. I care so much less about what I eat and the number on the scale. What I try to do is help people understand the mental energy it takes to obsess about your food, to obsess about your body, and to try to fix all these things that don’t really need fixing,” Lindsey said. “The mental energy takes up every ounce you possibly could have, and when I didn’t have that so much anymore, I was like, ‘Wow, I can think about building a business.’ I can do all these other cool things, like I have space in my head now.”
Comparing Your Body To Instagramers
“It is very hard to want to be skinnier or to always want your body to change,” Tiffany said. “And I think the hardest part was following people on Instagram who had this ‘goal body’ or ideal fitness body, and they’re eating donuts, cupcakes and waffles. Eating all this fun stuff, and I’m probably running more than they ever could run and I’m doing all the things, but my body is never going to look like that.”
Happiness Nor Health Is Solely Based On Weight
“When I realized that wasn’t really the case, losing weight wasn’t gonna make my dreams come true and I started meeting people who were small and extremely unhealthy, I thought, ‘Wait… That doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t follow the formula,” Lindsey said. “And so if that could be true, that a skinny person could be unhealthy, it had to dawn on me that a plus size body could be very healthy. I was talking to a client yesterday, a coaching client that I’ve known for almost my entire career, and when I say that this woman has tried everything she has and I have coached her through so many things. Even the doctors said to her, some bodies aren’t going to be small bodies, they’re just not. You’re extremely healthy, your blood markers are remarkable, you’re just not gonna be a small body. I said to her, ‘Isn’t it funny that we think that everybody is unique, but we think everybody should be small. Just the simple idea that there are billions of people in this world, and we know that everybody is different. Different eye color, different hair color, different, whatever, and yet we still have this idea that everyone should be small!”
The Energy It Takes To Become Super Fit
“I think the struggle with the plus sized community is, especially the ones that have been overweight and inactive for so long, is that they like the idea that they can have sixpack abs and be that small. They’ve never been that way in their entire life,” said Tiffany. “A couple of the clients that I’ve worked with have been overweight for a long time, or since childhood. The realization is, you are not going to be able to continue to have the lifestyle you have now and look that way, because the amount of time, effort and mental energy it takes to look like that? These people do it for a living. You don’t.”
Perception Of Weight And Fitness Coaches
“I didn’t think of it as people were going to hesitate to hire me. I’ve had a great following since I was doing Keto. We are always talking about how great it was to see someone in a bigger body, not ashamed of it, but soon it became very apparent that liking someone in a bigger body and actually hiring them was two different things. So that has been a bit of a struggle,” Culbertson said. “I’m a completely blunt and honest person. So there have been many times where I’ve told my husband, I guarantee you, if I lost probably 40 pounds, people would be at my door wanting to know how I did it.”
Culbertson’s Attempt At Going Vegan For Kidney Health
“I tried a vegan diet for my kidney health at the insistence of my neurologist, and I tried tracking to make sure I had enough protein. I instantly felt like I wasn’t doing it right. And I wasn’t doing it enough. Am I eating the right things? And what should I do organic?” said Tiffany. “So it was difficult. I’ve never wanted to be vegan. Never on my radar, but it was one of those things that my doctor recommended, so I tried it. And then some things just don’t work, and then you told me realistically, I could be vegan and still get kidney stones. I think just the expectations that we have, that if we track our food, we’re going to lose weight. There’s so much more that plays into losing weight and looking in the mirror and being happy with yourself.”
Running Shoes For Women’s Plus Size Feet
“A few companies are starting to have a little bit more of wide varieties. But I get my running shoes at a running company. I was there during Covid, and the guy looked at me and told me ‘we don’t really have anything for your foot pattern. I have like two shoes, or you can buy a men’s shoe.’ Pink is my favorite color, I’m not buying a men’s shoe,” Tiffany said.
How To Get Brand Attention
“Contacting them. Sending them information. It’s that idea of… should I aim that high? I can’t work with a national brand.All of that is mind trash. My favorite phrase, ‘mind trash,’ that we feed ourselves and especially in business.” Lindsey said.
Showcasing Your Client’s Progress
“I wasn’t sure what to do other than my face on Instagram, which I mean, my clients have amazing success. But my clients are also very private people,” Culbertson said. “So I’m not putting them on blast all over social media. I’m okay with that. I don’t share their stuff without asking them. And that’s okay with me. I don’t need to show an extreme before and after photo.”
Tiffany Culbertson’s Advice To New Fitness Business Owners
“Your morals are not for sale,” Tiffany said. “Sorry, but I am not going to sell my butt. I’m just not. It is super profitable right now, but I won’t do it.”
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Ready to find your next client? My simple guide will lead you through 3 simple strategies (and yes – I promise they are simple) to getting the word out about what you do and bring in new clients.
Check out Tiffany’s free ‘Plus Size Runners Guide’ by clicking here.
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