This month, we're thrilled to introduce you to Katelyn’s inspiring founder story from fitness enthusiast to global business leader. Alongside her story, we’re sharing lead-generation strategies to help you grow your wellness business. Inside, you’ll find:

1. Katelyn’s inspiring founder story

2. Effective strategies to attract your ideal clients

3. Premium support to grow your wellness business

Know another wellness founder who could use a little inspiration and guidance? Share this newsletter, and let’s uplift and support each other on this journey! Together, we can reach our goal of launching 100 wellness businesses. 🙏

FOUNDER FEATURE

Fit Is Getting Real with Katelyn’s Business, FIGR

🌍From selling fitness programs to building a global wellness community

Meet Katelyn Darkangelo, a passionate fitness expert and founder of FIGR (Fit Is Getting Real). Katelyn’s journey into the world of fitness began with a personal passion that transformed into a business after her degree in Exercise Science from the University of Michigan in 2017, followed by a Master of Management from Duke University. FIGR launched in 2018, starting with workout programs sold as physical books and has since grown into a full-time career for Katelyn and her husband, Anthony. Together, they’ve impacted over 1,000 clients through their FIGR gym, in-person training, app, workshops and more.

🤰How motherhood shaped her mission

When Katelyn became pregnant in 2021, she pivoted into pregnancy and postpartum fitness, earning dual certifications as a pregnancy and postpartum fitness trainer. Her personal and professional experiences led to the creation of FIGR:Pregnancy and FIGR:Postpartum programs, in-person classes, and workshops that support mothers at every stage of their wellness journey.

🫶Community sets FIGR apart

FIGR stands out by staying true to its values of authenticity and community in an industry full of quick-fix solutions. Katelyn and Anthony truly want their clients to learn a lifelong love fitness rather than just complete a program. To help foster this, every FIGR member receives direct access to Katelyn and Anthony for feedback, form cues, and modifications—at no additional cost.

📲 Follow FIGR on Instagram

Katelyn’s business thrives community support! Consider referring clients to her app programs for clients worldwide, and in-person clients located in Brighton, MI. Or, follow her on social media (@fitisgettingreal and @katedarkofit), to help grow the FIGR community and support her mission in pregnancy, postpartum, and functional fitness.

📋Lessons from Katelyn’s Founder Journey

• Turn Personal Experiences into Business Strengths: Katelyn’s pregnancy helped her specialize in a fitness niche that resonates deeply with clients.

• Prioritize Authenticity Over Quick Fixes: Her “real” approach to fitness builds long-term loyalty and sustainable results.

• Leverage Community and Connections
  FIGR’s growth is rooted in word of mouth, helping Katelyn with inbound referrals and to stand out in the crowded fitness industry.

WELLNESS BUSINESS TIPS

Grow Your Wellness Impact: Three Steps to Attract and Nurture Leads

For wellness founders like you, building meaningful connections with clients is at the heart of sustainable growth. This guide shares strategies to help you attract clients who resonate with your vision of health and wellness.

1️⃣Align marketing strategies with sales goals

• Define Clear Objectives: Consider contacting local wellness influencers or mental health advocates for a collaborative event, creating visibility among people who share your values. For additional tactics on defining marketing objectives and go-to-market strategies, see our Headspace case study.

• Unified Customer Journey: Map the entire customer journey from awareness to purchase. Ex. ClassPass generated leads through a deep understanding of the customer journey. After several business pivots, the company generated leads through promotion on fitness blogs and retained early users with $100 Lululemon gift cards if they stayed on for 6 months.

• Leverage Data: Use tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot to track how marketing drives sales outcomes. Fitness tracking apps, like MyFitnessPal, rely heavily on data insights, focusing on the ones that reach the most active and engaged users.

2️⃣Inbound vs. outbound marketing tactics

Inbound Marketing: Attract customers through content, SEO, and social media.

• Content Marketing: Write a blog post or educational content about how wellness has impacted your life, sharing tips for others who might benefit from your insights on mental health and wellness. Thrive Global, for example, leverages industry thought leaders and contributors to position itself as a trusted wellness authority.

• SEO: Optimize your site with relevant keywords. SaaS companies in particular benefit from investment in SEO for lead generation. Wellness platforms like GloFox use SEO optimization to generate business leads for their customers.

  Social Media: Engage authentically through sharing personal journeys and engaging followers through personal outreach and questions about their journey. For example, Peloton highlighted real users’ stories, workouts, and goals to foster a connected community.

Outbound Marketing: Proactively reach out to potential customers.

• Email Campaigns: Personalize emails based on wellness goals and include mindfulness or wellness tips in drip campaigns.

• Events and Free Trials: Train your sales team to promote community pop-ups or free trials, to connect with your community. For example SoulCycle gained traction by hosting pop-up events to attract a local following.

• Paid Ads: Invest in targeted ads for fast results, like Noom does through its affiliate links and paid ads to acquire customers. Note that paid ads are more effective for startups that have already gained product market fit.

 3️⃣Lead nurturing and qualification methods

Generating leads is just the start; nurturing and qualifying them is what turns customer interest into lasting loyalty. This is especially important in the wellness space where it might take 8 touchpoints or more with a customer before conversion. Here’s how to create a lead nurture strategy for your wellness clients without getting too overwhelmed by the process:

Lead Nurturing:

• Email Drip Campaigns: Automate personalized emails that gradually introduce leads to your product. Happyfeed uses personalized emails to keep subscribers engaged and encourage them to try new sessions.

• Retargeting Ads: Re-engage leads who haven't yet converted, a strategy used often in e-commerce to nudge customers to recover abandoned carts. This can be very effective for fitness classes or personalized booking sessions.

• Personalization: Tailor messaging based on a lead's stage in the journey for better engagement as Aaptiv does by suggesting workout programs based on user goals and preferences.

Lead Qualification:

• Lead Scoring: Prioritize leads who engage with your wellness-related content or sign up for community-focused events.

• Sales and Marketing Alignment: Ensure there’s a clear definition of what constitutes a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) and Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). Regularly review and adjust these criteria to improve lead qualification accuracy.

• Use CRM Tools: Leverage CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho to track lead interactions and nurture them through the sales funnel.

NEXT STEPS

Ready to Take Action? Upgrade to Premium to Start Growing Your Wellness Business Today.

No one can build a business alone. That’s why we’re here to help! Access our Premium Membership for 1:1 business coaching, in-depth worksheets and business templates to help grow your business.

💡We can walk you through next steps:

• ✅ Step 1: Align your marketing and sales goals

• ✅ Step 2: Combine inbound and outbound marketing tactics

• ✅ Step 3: Implement lead nurturing and qualification methods to convert prospects into paying customers.

CONTACT US

Ready to take your wellness business to the next level? Reach out today! We’re on a mission to help 100 entrepreneurs thrive – and you could be next.