For this executive spotlight, we sat down with Carolyn Fetters, the founder and CEO of Balanced Habits to talk about her experiences in the fitness industry:
How did you get your start in the health and fitness industry?
CF: What set my career path into motion was being raised by an obese and inactive parent. I decided to do sports. I was a collegiate athlete at UCLA and learned my way around a weight room. I went on to receive my B.S. in adaptive fitness with a minor in nutrition. I then met my husband, who was a professional bodybuilder and personal trainer. He introduced me to the industry. I became an in-home personal trainer for several years. However, nutrition became my focus after losing two of my three siblings in their mid-50s to obesity-related diseases. I needed to do something to educate people how to better care for themselves.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
CF: Learning how to work with many people at once. When my husband and I opened our fitness clubs, we were known for creating exceptional nutrition programming mainly for professional athletes. However, while gaining momentum in the nutrition side of our business, hand-writing diet plans had major limitations. We devised a strategy to scale and build upon the success. After much research and development, Balanced Habits opened for business in 2013. Our team developed a Nutrition Certification accredited by NASM and began partnering with other fitness businesses. We essentially built a “nutrition business in a box,” making it easier for clubs to expand and profit from what we refined by addressing all aspects of offering a proven system of nutrition.
What are the keys to your company’s success?
CF: Because Balanced Habits was developed from within a fitness setting, we have an insider’s perspective. We know what fitness clubs need from all aspects of their business. We’re continuously updating and developing the business tools, systems and marketing for our company partners. Our intention is to discover new ways of doing things by being flexible in a fluid industry. We’re one step ahead, ensuring we’re never perceived as a trend and more of the “authority” consumers and businesses alike can trust.
How does your company differentiate from competitors?
CF: We pride ourselves on the relationships and experience we provide, our communication and willingness to listen. Also, the way we prepare our Food Coaches to put their education into actual practice. It’s important everyone involved feels valued and that his or her best interests are addressed. We’re very results driven.
What is the vision for your company’s future?
CF: We’re working to prepare our partners to become compliant for the inevitability of the healthcare industry sending their customers to the fitness industry for help. Fitness and nutrition are intertwined and by understanding this, clubs will benefit from the healthcare customer being incentivized to get healthy. We began working on this years ago, knowing this was where healthcare was moving.
For more information, call 657.231.6779, email carolyn@balancedhabits.com or visit meetbh.com.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
