Team MightyFIT Spotlight: Tiffany Forte
By: Christine Bean
Meet Tiffany Forte, one of our Team MightyFIT ambassadors and owner of Fit and Female. Learn about how she found her niche in the fitness industry, and why she recommends MightyMeals for her busy clients to take one less thing off their plate.
How did you get your start in the fitness industry?
Tiffany: It all started back in 2011 when I was looking for a personal trainer. I was getting into pageantry and wanted to look my best. I wanted a black female trainer, someone I could identify with, and I couldn’t find one. I ended up working with two trainers who were great, but I felt that I would have done much better with a female trainer and I knew I couldn’t be the only one going through this. So I created a platform, which I called “Healthy is the New Pretty.” I started to hone my craft, training friends and family, and slowly but surely turned it into a business. I saw and recognized the need in my community for black women to get support and guidance in the health and fitness industry, and we just weren’t getting it. I’m not sure if it was lack of info or access, but I knew it was a story that 100% needed to be told. I started to build on that and began working with a fitness company that led me to the DMV area. I worked with several fitness brands in the DMV, met so many people and made important connections; it was such a huge blessing. I then took my brand and revamped it into Fit and Female in 2017. I felt that the name was a strong message and an affirmation that women are putting out into the world. My business is very inclusive. I wanted to give a voice to black female instructors, but also a platform for women who don’t identify with typical fitness norms. You can be a size 14 and still be in incredible shape, or a size 2 and not be able to walk a mile. I created my brand to give a voice to those who feel like they need one in this industry.This brand has led me to become interested in so many avenues of fitness; running, strength training, yoga, HIIT, postnatal care and more. I have been writing about my experiences to help others, and I just launched my own apparel line, Fit and Female Active.
How did COVID impact your business?
Tiffany: Like every fitness professional worldwide, it definitely caused me to stop some things, revamp some things, and pivot. I couldn’t meet with people in person at first, and I felt like I was coming in late to the game in April of 2020 when I started online fitness classes. But, my community was waiting, and when I launched the online classes they were all-in. I hosted one free virtual workout class per week and pivoted my personal training business into a completely virtual one. I then transitioned to meeting in person at parks and tracks, anywhere outside that we could find open space to work-out. So, now I train virtually, in-person, or a combination of the two.
What’s your best nutrition advice?
Tiffany: To plan ahead. People are busier than ever these days, between jobs, kids, pets, trying to stay healthy through COVID, there are so many stressors. The last thing everyone wants to do after a long day’s work is go to the grocery store and cook a full meal for the family. I encourage my clients to always plan ahead, which can look different for everyone. A lot of people have a certain day each week that they grocery shop. I put it on my calendar like it’s a meeting. Plan your meals out and make your list so you aren’t wasting time and you aren’t overspending. Cook what you can ahead of time, or if there is a day per week that you know you have time to wash and chop your veggies then you can just have them ready to go. Order your lunches from MightyMeals, so that’s one less meal that you have to worry about each day. Whatever you choose to do, you have to have a plan. If you don’t, you are reacting, and that’s when you are going to wind-up going through the fast food drive-thru or eating ramen noodles for dinner as a result of lack of time and lack of preparation.
How did you discover MightyMeals?
Tiffany: I was working for a fitness company in the DMV as their community marketing manager, and I was always going to different fitness-related events meeting like-minded people. At one of these events, years ago when MightyMeals was up-and-coming, I met MightyMeals co-founder, Dan Graziano. He explained what MightyMeals is all about and I loved the idea. We’ve had a great business relationship ever since, and I am incredibly grateful for the support!
What do you love about MightyMeals?
Tiffany: MightyMeals is hands-down the best option for no prep, healthy, convenient meals. A lot of my clients are busy women who are always on-the-go, so MightyMeals is frequently my number one recommendation for them. Time is always a factor when it comes to our health! I was so busy between 2018-2020, so if I could at least have one meal taken care of it made life so much easier. MightyMeals is personally my go-to for lunch. It couldn’t be easier; you pop the container into the microwave and you instantly have a nutritious, filling, and delicious meal.
What’s your favorite MightyMeals dish?
Tiffany: I love seafood and rice, so the Hoison Glazed Salmon is definitely one of my favorites.
About Tiffany
Tiffany Forte is a personal trainer and founder of Fit and Female Fitness Program, LLC, The Fit and Female Expo, and Fit and Female Activewear. She created the Fit and Female brand to motivate black women, women of color, and any woman who doesn’t feel like she fits the stereotypical idea of what “fit” is to get active. The brand is about so much more than just getting fit; it’s an uprising of women of color who are committed to working to achieve their goals and striving to achieve the body and confidence they want – not what society pushes on them.
While being an Arkansan girl at heart, Tiffany has traveled the country as an entrepreneur to learn how to start and grow a business, attract her ideal clientele, and build a healthy fitness brand. Her work in the fitness industry has afforded her the opportunity to work with brands like Athleta, Nike, and ASICS and she has been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, byGeorge, Voyage ATL, and Hello Beautiful to name a few.Become a Team MightyFIT Ambassador!
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