Meet Kristin And Her Mission

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My name is Kristin Zammit Lay. Uh, my business is Ashburn Fit Body Boot Camp, and we serve adults who are looking to regain strength, confidence, um, and overall improve their health. Awesome. I can't wait to hear a little bit more. Yeah. So your journey into fitness started with a completely different career path. Can you take us through that journey and what led you to open Ashburn Fit Body Boot Camp? Yeah. It has been a wild journey that I, to be honest, never thought I would be in a business owner position. I went to Roanoke College, and I was studying health and physical education. Um, and you know, when you're getting into your degree, they want you to go out into the school for real-life practice, and I swear I took one step into the school, and

Quitting The School Track Fast

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I saw all these first and second graders running around- and I was like, "I have to control that?" And they said, "Yeah." And I looked, I looked at them, I looked at the kids, and I turned right back around, and I said, "This is not for me." So did not even finish the first day. Went back to my advisor crying 'cause I was going into my senior year. I had no idea what I wanted to do at that point, and they said, "Stick it out." Um, because at Roanoke, studying health and physical education, you also had a degree in science, and so that could have opened up going to physical therapy school. That could have opened up just more schooling down the line to do anything in the health industry. And I was like, "Okay, let's stick this out." And that summer, I was at the pool, the community pool, and I saw this blonde woman over there studying her NASM CPT book, and this is the National Associ- National Association of Sports Medicine, and it's basically what personal trainers go study for to train clients one-on-one. And I had played volleyball in college. I had played sp- played sports growing up, and I was like, "You know what?

The Poolside Chat That Changed Everything

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Let me just go ask her what she's doing and how she's doing it." So I sparked a conversation with her. She ended up telling me that she was opening Blacksburg Fit Body Boot Camp, which is hour- 30-minute strength and conditioning workouts. It's group fitness. It's a boutique fitness shop, and it intrigued me so much. Um, she invited me to come explore a workout see what it was all about, and that one conversation, one thing led to the next, and now I'm owning my own. Yeah. And so that opened up the door for me to become a coach in the fitness in- industry, and I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with helping people. Um, I had already a passion for fitness and movement and just being- active. And that really opened the door to set me up, like, wow, I can turn this into a career. And so I started as a part-time coach, finished up my degree at Roanoke, moved to Blacksburg to be a full-time coach, and then went through all the different positions that you could imagine in a boutique fitness studio. Nutrition coach, studio manager full-time coach, you know. And then you're going into more of, like, the operational side of things. And, uh, the Stahls, they are my business mentors now. They are who I used to work for. They really took me under their wing to set me up for being a business owner and that type of success. And of course, I did not listen to my dad when he told me to take a business course in college, and I was like, "I'm not gonna own my business, i- my own business. You know? Like, what are the chances?" And eight years ago, uh, that happened, so here we are today. Wow. What a journey. And opened up Ashburn Fit Body. Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy how one conversation, like, kinda changed the whole trajectory of your career. Yeah. Yeah. The theme of my life. Yeah. But I'm glad you were able to recognize that, you know, the original path wasn't something that you wanted to do- Yeah before you kinda dove into it, and then that opened up so many more doors for you. And I feel like having that confidence, like, being so sure in that moment that was not what I wanted to do allowed me to take extreme action in another way, and it opened up other opportunities. You know, when you close the one door and you are for sure you're, you wanna be done with that one, it's crazy what other doors open because your eyes are now wandering for those other opportunities too. Exactly, yeah. And looking back on that journey, what are some of the most, or what are some of the biggest lessons that you learned about, you know, taking risks and trusting yourself when the path forward wasn't completely clear? Your gut feeling is typically correct and my mom told me this when I moved up to this area was no matter what step you take, always know you can go back if it's not right for you 'cause I had... I'm an only child and so moving away from home was a big deal for me as it was it was my home, it was my safe space, it was my security, it was, you know, that support and the community you had. And so moving away from that, I wasn't sure where life was going to take me, but having those words of, "You can always go back if you don't end up liking it," was

Trusting Your Gut When Unsure

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really reassuring where it allowed me to kinda step into taking those risks. And yeah, so I would say it w- what was the question again? It was W- what are the biggest lessons you learned about taking risks? Okay, yeah. Yeah. I would say that would be one of the biggest lessons- Okay is that no matter what happens, like when you make a decision, lean into that more and more, and no matter if it works out or if it doesn't, you do find an answer either way. Yeah. And I think that's good for a lot of people to hear, 'cause I feel like a lot of times people will make a decision and feel like they have to stick to it, yeah. They don't think that they can change their mind, and they're like, "Oh, I'll just keep doing it even if it's something that I don't like." Yeah. And when you don't take action, then you just feel stuck- Exactly in that one spot, and then you start to dwell on things, and then the what-ifs come into play. Yeah. And it's like even if it's messy action, even if it's uncertain action, that action is going to lead to a particular answer- Yeah whether you like it or you don't, but it does help you get to that next step. Exactly. And for someone who hasn't experienced Fit Body Boot Camp before, what makes your approach to fitness, accountability, and community different from a traditional gym? Oh my gosh, everything. The second you pull into our parking lot, our coaches, w- we, w- our mission and our, I would say, goal, we show up like every day is game day. And so no matter what we are feeling, outside of those four walls, the workout itself, it's not about us. It'll never be about us. It is always

Why Boot Camp Beats A Gym

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about who's walking through those doors. So going above and beyond as far as holding the door open. Our typical avatar, we, um, we brand them as the Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones is typically walking in through our door. She's got one kid hanging off of one side, the other one on the other, bags off of each, each shoulder, trying to just get settled so she can focus on herself for 30 minutes. And so holding the door open for Mrs. Jones, kind of allowing her to walk through, and letting her know, "We got you from here." And so the high-five culture, the culture, the community. Things do typically move fast in our 30-minute workouts, so it's not one of those environments where people are constantly looking around and being like, "Oh, what's Kristen doing?" Like, things move too fast for that. But working next to like-minded individuals where everybody's there for their own goals, it's very encouraging and supportive. So as far as, like, the culture, the community, but then the knowledgeable coaches. There are- Too many people. The internet is so saturated with people who just because they work out, they think that they're qualified enough to be giving particular advice for success. And without having, let's say, the prior background or the training and the knowledge for that, it could be a safety issue. And so with our knowledgeable coaches, we ask them first and foremost, are there any health concerns that we need to know about? Do you have any restrictions, limitations? If it's somebody new coming in, we will preview the workout with them before we even get started, 'cause we want them to feel comfortable. We want them to feel that they can do anything that they set their mind to, and that they're in the best hands. Yeah. I love that, and I think it's really important for clients to feel comfortable, especially when walking into a new space. Yeah. So I think that's awesome that you're able to provide that type of environment for your clients. And then kind of tying into, um, people that- enjoy fitness, um, and think that makes them qualified to coach other people. Um, what qualities should people look for when choosing a fitness coach or a fitness program? Yeah. That's a great question. Um, it's gonna be application. So application as far as the results within their clients for one, but also, you know, a lot of credentials that come behind it, like we were talking about the NASM CPT, um, what kind of studies that they do in college. But a lot of the time as well, I'll be fully transparent, I didn't start with a NASM CPT certification.

How To Choose A Real Coach

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I just asked the woman and she thought I had a great personality and was like, "Let's give this a go." So it's the, it's always wanting to be learning in this environment, 'cause in the fitness industry, things are ever-changing. As far as nutrition, like you have this diet and that diet, and y- understanding like the basics for the nutrition piece, for the fitness piece, and knowing what the core values are of that and not straying absurdly away from them. Like whenever we hear hot phrases like, um, like keto diet, right? Or lose 20 pounds in, in three weeks, it makes us like pump the brakes for a second because lasting results are not meant to be so drastic, right? So beyond the application, one thing that, or besides the application, it's a great coach is going to be somebody who allows people to feel safe in the environment that they're coaching in. Not only just safe, but they feel comfortable there. It allows them to step outside of their comfort zone. It's a space where clients can ask questions. It's the coach seeing the members for where they are in their fitness journey right now and who they are as people Yeah, and I think it's so easy to fall into misinformation when you have so many different people saying so many different things, and you're not sure, you know, who's qualified to be, you know, giving you this type of advice, so. Yeah. Yeah. Um, how do you help members stay focused on their own progress instead of comparing themselves to the people around them? It's very individualized 'cause we can have, we have an array of clients that come in through the door. Some clients come in just looking for consistency and structure and prioritizing their own time, and then we do have clients who are looking to lose 20, 25 pounds. And so there are different types of goals that members come

Tracking Progress Without Comparison

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to us that are more objective and more that are very data-driven, right? And when it's data-driven, it's, we do wanna be checking in with them. We have what's called an InBody scan. We check their body fat percentage. We check their muscle mass. We check, um, yes, their body weight. The body weight is not always the best indicator for tracking progress, which is why we like to track how much muscle are we growing, how much body fat are we losing. But we're not gonna use that same approach for somebody who's just looking to gain structure throughout their day, right? Um, 'cause their workout can set them up for success for the rest of their day. And so the way that we track that, it's very, it's a very individual approach. I love that. And I feel like fitness is, it's not like a one size fits all. Yeah. So it's nice that you're able to personalize things for each of your clients. Um, so your annual Murph event- has become a major community gathering. Can you tell us about that event and why creating experiences like that is important to you? Totally. So the Murph event is in honor of Michael Murphy. He was a veteran that unfortunately lost his life in the battle with Afghanistan. And this Murph event was, or in honor of him, was put on, and it starts with a mile run, then you have 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and then another mile run. Wow. And all

The Murph Event And Meaning

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of this is with a v- a weighted vest, too. Wow. Yeah. And so when we first opened and the first year that we were doing this, you know, we're explaining to members this challenge, and they are all looking at us like, "Are you kidding me?" Like, "Uh, you want me to do that? I can do maybe five pushups total." And what really brings us together as a community is doing hard things together, proving to yourself that the goal isn't about how fast, how fast you can do it. The goal is just to get to the finish line in that, in that case. And when you think about the purpose of the Murph event, it's, we do it during Memorial Day weekend. It's in honor of fallen soldiers. And when you think about that concept of those that are overseas sacrificing their lives for us, for our freedom, it makes the pushups suck a little less. It makes that one-mile run not hurt as much. And it really, when we all remind ourselves of that impact, when we come together as a whole, and to see our community fighting through those reps together, it is like no other. It is such a fun time. Yeah. And it's awesome that it's a community event because then, you know, you feel like you have a buddy doing it with you, and you're not just- Yeah struggling alone. Yeah. Uh, one of your biggest, uh, personal messages is that a single conversation can change your life. Why do you think that so many people avoid difficult conversations, and what have you learned from leaning into them instead? It's the uncomfortable feeling. It's the unknown. Personally, I do not like confrontation myself. Um, it is not the best feeling in the world, and I think people avoid it because we are so scared of what others are going to think. We, personally

Why Hard Conversations Matter

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being a self-proclaimed people pleaser, being in the service industry and the people industry myself, I hate getting negative reactions from others. I never wanna make somebody feel less, hurt, not empowered, or anything in that category. And sometimes when disagreements happen, people can perceive it as, "Oh, well, that person doesn't like me," or, "They're being disrespe- disrespectful or mean." And so that's why I think people don't initially have the conversation. But- You are holding yourself back if you do not have it. And the one thing I have told myself since the day I talked to Mary Catherine, which opened up this whole new pathway for me, was what's the worst they can say? No? What's the worst that can happen? They just kind of push you away? Okay, then that wasn't your door, and they're probably missing out on you as a person, so. Yeah, exactly. And I feel like rejection is kind of just redirection, so it gives you an opportunity to find something else- Yeah that, you know, you can explore. Totally. And then you mentioned that no supplement, peptide, or shortcut can replace discipline. Why do you think that message is so important or is more important than ever for people to hear today? We live in such a weight loss focused and saturated world right now, but truly it's because we're living in an obesity epidemic. Every other person that you look at, the rate is truly approaching that 50% mark right now, that every other person is classified as obese. Not even just

Discipline Over Shortcuts And GLP-1s

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overweight, it is obese, and that's where everybody wants that quick fix. Nobody, again, likes to be in discomfort. Nobody likes pain, and everybody wants to see the results tomorrow, overnight. Um, the one thing I will say, what's so beautiful about having a goal is that it is your work. It is about your efforts. It is about what you are doing, and nobody else can take that away from you. So when you are pushing for the six, eight-week timeframe, and then at, at the end to see your results, it's only you, right? You are that person that put in the early mornings and late nights and the four to five time a week workouts or drinking a gallon of water. Nobody is coming to eat the protein for you. It is all on you. So, and that's the beautiful thing about having a goal. Yeah, so holding yourself accountable to- Yeah you know, actually reach your goal. And you learn so much about yourself, your own discipline, and I truly believe when you do something hard throughout the year, when you have a goal and you strive to go and succeed that, it sets you up for more success greater than the easy way out. Taking the easy way out, no lessons are learned. You're just doing, following the directions and what that peptide's telling you to do, and that's it. And then it's like, okay, let's see what happens from this, where when you have to put in the effort, you are, you're actually learning the process for sustainability down the line. The biggest thing with these peptides and GLP-1s, who is teaching you how to sustain your result afterwards without the shot, right? What are you gonna do when shots run out? What are you gonna do when they're not accessible anymore, right? It's, oh, did your doctor teach you how to eat, um, 100 grams of protein? Did your doctor teach you what a balanced plate was? And so this is where I think with proper advanced coaching can go hand in hand with those types of supplementations. Awesome. So finding the right person and then also training yourself to be able to Have those long-term results. Yeah. Awesome. And then for anyone interested in learning more about Ashburn Fit Body Boot Camp, trying the complimentary seven-day jumpstart, or connecting with you, where can they find you? Can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Ashburn Fit Body Boot Camp. Um, and you can send us a message there or you can go to the national f- If you go into Google, Fit Body Boot Camp, you'll select the Ashburn location, and we'll get you started. Awesome. So a bunch of different places to find you. Yes. And as we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't touched on

Where To Find Ashburn Fit Body

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today? Don't be scared to have the conversation. Really wanna put emphasis on that one. Yeah. Have it. The worst thing that can happen is truly somebody saying no. And whenever you are in a situation or at a crossroads, um, where a big life decision has to be made, I kinda like to play this game, like, what is the worst thing that can happen? It's funny, my aunt actually asked me this when we were thinking about opening Fit Body. She's like, "What's the worst that can happen? You go bankrupt? Okay, then you start over," right? So it's like if you can handle whatever the worst case scenario is, then it's a great sign that you should go ahead and do it. Yeah. I think that's amazing advice. Thank you so much, Kristen, for joining me on the podcast- Yes and sharing your knowledge, passion, and inspiring story with us. I wish you the very best in all that comes your way in the future. Thank you so much for having me. This was fun.