Life and Work with Kayla Balserak

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Balserak.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always had a way with words and I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember! I excelled in my English classes during my school years and now I am a few months away from graduating with a Bachelor’s in English and Professional Writing. My love for fitness and health didn’t come until a bit later in life; I was a naturally gifted athlete when I was younger, but after I nearly died from sepsis, I had to rebuild my strength and athleticism from ground zero. I ended up really falling in love with the process of seeing progress and becoming a better version of myself.

When I first started blogging, I actually just started a cute little fitness blog on Tumblr. It was simply a hobby at that point since I was in college and working full time. I got to know other bloggers and I shared my story about surviving sepsis. Someone suggested that I should look into becoming a Certified Personal Trainer. I honestly had no clue that an occupation like that existed, but after I did my research I enrolled in NASM’s CPT program and became a Certified Personal Trainer shortly after!

I got my first job in a gym. I wish I could say my initial experience was awesome, but it actually wasn’t! I was essentially thrown into a “sink or swim” situation by my boss at the time. I didn’t have many clients at first and I didn’t make much either, but I decided to stick with it. I am so thankful that I did! Eventually, a new fitness director came in and things improved drastically for me. I ended up getting tons of new clients and because I was doing so well, I started earning bonuses and raises from being on my company’s “Top Trainer Report.” It really made me feel like I was doing something I was meant for! The best part was developing those personal relationships with my clients and watching them improve. Knowing that I helped someone prevent a disease or condition by educating them and motivating them, or that I just made an impact on their lives in some other way, is simply the best feeling.

I truthfully could have stayed at that job for forever, but life happened and we briefly had to move to Texas for my husband’s job. There, things were challenging to say the least. The town we lived in did not have much of a need for personal trainers because it was small and people there were not very health conscious. I was able to have a few independent clients and I taught group HIIT classes and spin classes. I didn’t get as much joy from those as I did with my one-on-one training. I became an independent distributor with Herbalife, which helped me supplement my income and also gave me some more clients to help!

While in Texas, I had a sudden epiphany. I’m a writer and I am a CPT with two specializations… why don’t I start a blog? Not a blog on Tumblr; an actual blog with a custom domain that I can eventually monetize. This is how The Fit Writer was born!

Through The Fit Writer, I have been able to educate people- not just about fitness, but about holistic health. I am a mental health advocate on top of all of this! I also blog often about everyday life and I review a bunch of different things.

I’ve learned it is definitely not easy being a blogger, but it is so much fun. I don’t have a large following, but the following I DO have is amazing and so supportive! I recently started a podcast (lovingly named The Fit Writer) and I plan to publish my first e-book in the next year. Blogging professionally has taught me so much about self-discipline, time management, planning ahead, and it has really allowed me to be creative while doing what I love: educating as many people as I can about health.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, it most definitely has not been a smooth road!

I struggled a lot when we moved to Texas (thankfully, we are back in Arizona now) and I even sought out mental health services because I was struggling with the fact that I was not at the gym with my clients. I felt like I had lost my identity and not helping people took a toll on me.

Blogging comes with its own struggles, especially because it is pretty slow going at first! Blogs don’t just go viral overnight. I truthfully don’t think people understand the effort bloggers put into their work. We don’t just write posts and hit the publish button! It is a lot of writing, creating graphics, sharing and marketing, networking, and consistently thinking about how to improve. I know I have personally struggled with coming up with post ideas and also ways to set me apart from other fitness bloggers.

My advice to any women who want to be a personal trainer is to go for it! Study hard because the test is NOT easy. Apply for any job you can because you need to get your foot in the door before anything else. It is a tough industry to break into and then do well in, but the key is to stick to it, show up even when you don’t want to, and never, ever stop learning.

My advice to anyone who wants to start a blog is also to just go for it! Do your research, figure out your niche, and start producing content. Don’t get discouraged when it is slow at first- consistency is key with blogging. Keep posting, keep doing research about how to get your posts to read (SEO is amazing- definitely read about it), and make sure you are always in love with it. The moment you stop being passionate about blogging is when your writing is going to change in tone, and your audience will notice. Always keep in mind that some posts won’t be as popular as others, but don’t take it down or get upset about it. Track your blog statistics and use what you learn from those to make changes for the future!

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of
I am a Certified Personal Trainer and I am specialized in Fitness Nutrition and Weight Loss! Around the gym I worked at, I was known as being tiny but mighty. I stand at 5 feet 3.5 inches tall, but I am also lean so I guess I appear to be small. I have had quite a few past clients say things about my petite-ness and how I probably couldn’t give them a good workout. Most of these clients ended up eating their words! It was even written in my trainer biography to not let my kind and sweet demeanor fool anyone because I can pretty much kick anyone’s butt! I’d say I’ve really always been known for that and I still am on my blog and social media.
Currently, I am most proud of how I have evolved throughout my career. I am always looking for ways to be better.

I think what sets me apart from others is my transparency and my style. I am brutally honest on my social media, my blog, and my podcast. I do not sugar coat things and I am also honest about my own struggles with my physical and mental health. I don’t pretend to be perfect. I don’t like being the typical fitness Instagrammer who just posts photos of my body because what is that honestly doing for anyone? I would rather post content that has a purpose, so I post original quotes that I come up with, my workouts, my animals, my husband, food I eat, and just everyday life type things. I keep it real, as the saying goes!

Who have you been inspired by?
My grandma was a huge inspiration to me because she was so kind, gentle, classy, and ladylike, but she could also be very sassy and strong. I have always been proud of the fact that I am exactly like her in that way. Kindness is so hard to come by these days and many people mistake it for weakness but women like my grandma prove that it is not a weakness and it is a terrible idea to underestimate someone who is kind.

I meet inspiring women all the time, whether it is in real life or social media, honestly. So many of my female clients have inspired me in some way and I have learned a lot from them! I follow a lot of the “real deal” fitness gals on social media and they inspire me to keep doing what I am doing!

Contact Info:

• Website: thefitwriter.blog
• Email: thefitwriter@outlook.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/the.fit.writer
• Facebook: facebook.com/fitwriter
• Other: pinterest.com/kaylathefitwriter

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.