Community Highlights: Meet Brandi Harrington of Benevolent Heart Fit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Harrington.

Hi Brandi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In the beginning, Benevolent Heart Fit, LLC (BH Fit) was created to promote my fitness classes and a healthy lifestyle. It soon developed to include my personal journey to becoming a Health Coach and starting my Health Coaching business.

The foundation of BH Fit is that your best life begins and ends with kindness; being kind to yourself on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The BH Fit motto is: Benefit from a Healthy Lifestyle and Flourish. I feel like that’s what I’ve done to a certain degree (I’m always striving for more). Here is my story, or at least part of my story, how I got to where I am today. I’m originally from Kansas City, MO but moved to the Baltimore, MD area in 2015 when my husband was stationed here. Not long after the move, he was deployed for nine months. I spent time looking for work and going to the gym to keep myself busy. I went to my first Zumba class (I’d only done the video game) and fell in love.

As a super social person, it turned out to be a great way to meet new people in a new city. Also, as a trained dancer and former professional cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs, this was the perfect way to keep moving and shaking. I got to know the instructor pretty well and she suggested that I go to Zumba Instructor Training. I received my Zumba license and obtained a Group Fitness Instructor Certification and I was off to the races. Little did I know that becoming a Zumba Instructor would be the catalyst for how my life would change.

After about a year of living in Baltimore, I FINALLY got a job. Real talk, I didn’t want that job, but I needed that job (and income!). I worked during the day and taught Zumba and Cardio Dance classes in the evenings. Eventually, I expanded my fitness classes to include Barre Above Instructor. Over a period of time, various factors contributed to making work extremely stressful. I would come home crying, or cry because I just didn’t want to go; it was that bad. It impacted my moods and quite frankly my overall health. My classes were my happy place and it was a struggle to bring joy to classes after being in a stressful environment. I knew I was ready for a change and wanted to be in the business of helping people with their fitness and health goals.

While talking with a close friend about my situation, she told me about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching Program and thought it would be a good fit for me. After some research, I was ready to sign up. I knew the program would help me and in turn, I would be able to help others. This was it, I was going to be a Health Coach! I enrolled and started the curriculum as things at my job got progressively worse. I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to get out so I could focus on my studies and creating my business. I understand everyone is different, but I would never quit a job without having another job. However, I decided if I had to get another job it would be in the industry that I wanted to work in.

Long story short, I was offered a job I wanted. It was going to be a big pay cut, but I felt like my overall quality of life would be better and was worth more than any pay I’d be missing. Plus, my goal was to start my Health Coaching business to bring in supplemental income. It was not an easy decision. I was scared. There were so many things to consider. I had never quit a job before. I remember sitting in the parking lot not knowing if I was really going to give my two weeks.

Today as I type this, I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been working in a healthy, happy, supportive environment for a few years now. I was able to complete my Health Coaching program and get my Personal Training Certification. I wanted to improve the quality of my life and live a healthier lifestyle and I have the space to do that. Even better, I get to help others do the same through my personal business, Benevolent Heart Fit.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When you love and believe in something so much, you want to invest all of your time, energy, effort, and creativity into it. I had a job that was draining me of those things and It was sometimes a struggle to concentrate on my building my business. That’s why it was important for me to find another job that was in alignment with my ultimate goal. Additionally, I ended up collaborating with a friend who had stepped out of corporate and was on her own entrepreneurial path.

She helped with website, marketing, branding, social media, and more. We are essentially supporting each other’s ventures and still working together now. Imposter syndrome likes to creep up and rear its ugly head sometimes. The fitness, health, and wellness industry are huge and it’s easy to worry about so many other people doing what I do. However, I remember because the fitness, health, and wellness industry is huge means there is plenty of room for me and BH Fit.

From building clientele, gaining a social media audience, and getting a return on investment, building a business can be a very slow burn. I always try to keep in mind, fast results are good, but quality results are great.

As you know, we’re big fans of Benevolent Heart Fit. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m a Health Coach practicing a holistic approach to health and wellness. This means I look at how all areas of your life are connected and how all parts of your life affect your health as a whole and more. I want to equip clients with the self-awareness to make the best decisions for themselves in any given circumstance.

I’m a Certified Personal Trainer. My focus is designing safe, effective, creative workouts while providing support, encouragement, and motivation to help clients achieve objectives. Additionally, I’m a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, a certified Barre Above® instructor, and licensed to teach Zumba®, Zumba Gold®, and STRONG Nation™. I also teach circuit and boot camp-style classes and Cardio Dance.

Overall, when working with clients I’m their Personal Cheerleader. I meet people where they are and remind them to be kind to themselves and give themselves grace. Celebrate the small victories and be proud of themselves every step of the way, whatever the journey.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I found that joining a women’s entrepreneurship Facebook group was helpful even if just looking for inspiration. Finding someone to collaborate with or someone who does something that you need help with.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@benevolentheartfit.com
• Website: benevolentheartfit.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/benevolentheartfit
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/benevolentheartfit