Inspiring Conversations with Aaliyah Cook of Feel Good Fitness Club

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaliyah Cook.

Hi Aaliyah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
So, Feel Good Fitness Club came to fruition in February 2022. I have known that I want to help people through sports/fitness. So I started coaching immediately out of high school in 2014. I coached club volleyball. I did private sessions for track and field athletes, and post-graduation, I got my first job at a gym as a personal training director. I wasn’t a fan of being behind the scenes and watching others train. So I reached out to my alum school, Grand Canyon University, and did some volunteer coaching there for 1 year for the track and field program, which led me to be the head Jumps Coach at Mesa Community College from 2019-2022. While I coached at Mesa Community College full-time, I was a trainer at a gym in Chandler, AZ, from 2019-2022.

I was at extreme crossroads; being a college coach and a full-time personal trainer can be a lot. Especially how much time and care I put into each individual. So I had to choose which one I wanted to pursue full-time. I chose personal training because I could make a bigger impact and create a lifting community I couldn’t find for myself. Fitness has always made me feel good physically, but as I age, fitness becomes more emotional and spiritual. Fitness was like words of affirmation, comfort, and healthy activity I could invest in before, during, and after COVID.

January 2021, I quickly resolved to be a small business owner. I knew this would be my career for the rest of my life, and I wanted to make an impact via weightlifting. It was the only thing on my list because I knew in my heart I had to give this my all. From January 2021 to February 2022, Feel Good Fitness Club was intentionally created. Today, April 2023, Feel Good Fitness Club continues to grow, and I couldn’t be more thankful for my clients and the community I’ve built and will continue to nurture.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a small business owner has ups and downs. The fitness industry has a high turnover in general. The biggest challenge has been keeping the number of clientele I’d like. It’s a success when you can get someone to their goal, but once their goal is reached, there is little obligation to stick around. I would benefit from piquing the interest of prospective clients more often!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Feel Good Fitness Club?
“Feel Good Fitness Club” is exactly what it sounds like. My mission in the fitness industry is to help people move pain-free inside and outside the gym. This will be accomplished by enhancing movement patterns, building confidence, increasing knowledge, and maintaining results. When people train with me, I want them to feel good when they leave the gym.

1. I specialize in functional training, which trains movement patterns such as Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, and Brace. If we increase the quality of these movement patterns, we can improve the quality of everyday life! Training functionally, you can lose weight, gain muscle and increase mobility!
2. I’m most known for small group training. It can host up to 5 clients. My training community is so supportive and welcoming! With the small group training, I can build community by putting together people with similar or like-minded goals/ work ethics.
3. My consistency, accountability, and will learn set me apart from other trainers. Im always on time for my clients and provide them with the ability to build a consistent schedule that works for them. When my clients tell me their goals, I check in with those goals weekly. I am also always looking for continuing education to ensure I am delivering the most up-to-date, reliable information.
4. Brand-wise, I’m proud that my clients know it’s not all about aesthetics. I genuinely care about how they feel. I have more people come to me post break up or post a very emotional period in their life because my current clients have referred them to me and let them know that Feel Good Fitness Club is a great place to start feeling better emotionally. We all want to love our appearance, but I love that physical results are a plus and not the whole grade.
5. I offer semi-private and 1 on 1 training, all 1-hour sessions. I also offer online training as well for those who are not local. This is fitness that makes you feel good, not just look good!

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Resilience: I have had some discouraging moments while building my business. But each time, I’ve come back with the attitude of how I can grow from this situation when I could easily give up and apply for a corporate job. I’ve gained more mental toughness this past year than I ever imagined!

Pricing:

• First Session Free! Semi-Private or 1 on 1!

Contact Info:

• Website: FeelGoodFC.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feelgoodfitnessclub_/ 

Image Credits
Clarity Film & Meida, Owner- Adam Turner