Exploring Life & Business with Tiffany Harlan of Tiffany Nguyen Fitness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Harlan.

Hi Tiffany, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up doing gymnastics for about 5 years. Entering middle school, my school had a cheerleading team and I was very interested in trying out since my older sister was a cheerleader. I ended up trying out for my middle school team and made the team. I instantly fell in love with the sport! I was a cheerleader for 8 years and cheered at the collegiate level at Wichita State University. After multiple concussions, I decided to take a step back and focus on academics which led me to find my passion in health and fitness and helping others.

During my sophomore year of college, I decided to change my major to Exercise Science and applied for a fitness internship on campus, and interned under my friend Andy. I learned so much and ended up getting certified as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I personally trained on campus and taught F45 group fitness classes.

In 2015, bodybuilding shows had become popular and that had always interested me. I had a few friends that competed in local shows. In 2016, I decided to compete in my first bodybuilding show. Unfortunately, I did not place. But that did not make me give up on competing. From there, I took a few months off to work on building more muscle mass. I brought a better package for my next 3 shows and placed 1st. I became nationally qualified to compete at the national level. I eventually got burned out after my last show and had multiple injuries and decided not to compete at a national show. I took a step back to really focus on recovering, enjoying working out again, and not being in a calorie deficit.

I graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor’s in Sports & Exercise Science in 2017. After college, I focused on building my business and brand. I started offering online personal training and took on more in-person clients. I developed an app for online personal training which made it easier for my clients to access their workouts and weekly check-ins. After 4 years of training, I decided to take a break from training in person and grew my fitness career at Orangetheory Fitness and learned a lot about the business side of things. I started out as a sales associate and then got promoted to an assistant manager and eventually promoted to a studio manager while continuing to build my online training business.

After 2 years at Orangetheory, I decided that I wanted to do more and I missed being on the other side of things and training.  I have found my passion in prepping athletes with my past experience as an athlete. I also recently just had my son in May, which led me to pursue a certification as a Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness Specialist. I offer a baby & me class called “Strong as a Motha'” and will be offering a prenatal class starting December called “Bump Fit”.

Working with mamas and mamas-to-be is my new jam! Getting to be a part of someone else’s fitness journey and seeing their transformations is so rewarding.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been. I’ve learned a lot as a business owner! Starting out my main focus was just trying to build my client base. It took a few years for me to build up my business and I have made some mistakes along the way. It was hard to find a consistent client base that would want to train and meet every week.

I think it’s important to not compare yourself to what other people are doing because having more or less work doesn’t make something better. The biggest struggle is getting trapped in comparison or thinking that my business should look like someone else’s who is offering something similar.

Right now, I am still working as a full-time Physical Education teacher while training, opening an online boutique, and being a mom. It’s hard work and there have been many late nights and working over the weekends I even got to a point where I was just burnt out.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tiffany Nguyen Fitness?
I offer online personal training and in-person personal training along with group fitness classes. I offer a women’s weights class every Tuesday/Thursday from 5:15-6:00 PM and Wednesdays from 5:00 – 5:45 PM. I also offer a baby and me class every Saturday from 9:00 – 9:45 AM and will be offering a prenatal class starting December every Saturday from 8:15 – 9:00 AM.

I specialize in helping women feel more confident in the weight room and teaching them the basics of technique and routine. I also specialize in helping moms and moms to be in learning how to exercise safely during pregnancy and after giving birth.

I am most proud of my ability to serve a diverse set of clientele with a single set of services by simply finding what speaks to a brand’s audience.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The fitness industry is always changing. The trends are always different and the “look” of what you think you should look like is constantly changing.

Pricing:

• $15/session – Women’s Only Weights Class
• $15/session – Strong as a Motha’ Baby & Me Class
• $15/session – Bump Fit Prenatal Class

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tiffany-nguyen-fitness.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyharlan_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanynguyenfitness 

Image Credits
Katelynn Rena Photography and Doug Jantz