Meet Evelyn Mays | Online Health and Fitness Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evelyn Mays and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evelyn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
To put it plainly, the thought of getting a 9-5 desk job scared me more than the thought of starting a business and working for myself. I was in my senior year of college when I started the business and I had more time at home due to “Zoom University”, so I hired mentors and learned how to start a coaching business in my free time outside of class. I didn’t know how long it would take me to start making money, all I knew was there was no way I was going to start applying for career jobs even being just a few months away from graduating. By removing the option of a safe, salaried job, I absolutely had to make this work.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business provides online health and fitness coaching services – no matter where in the world you are! I create customized training programs, nutrition plans, and have weekly one-n-one check-ins with each client for accountability, encouragement, and feedback. What sets me apart is simply what makes me, me. I am unique as a human, being that there is no other “me” out there, and I have had my own unique experiences in life from which I pull to help my clients who are going through similar situations. I also have personally gone through the entire experience of having little knowledge of nutrition and training, to hiring a coach, to implementing different protocols and learning to be disciplined, to now feeling like I have a solid grasp on these things five years after my very first time in a gym.

Building this business, as it is still a baby and I am very much still in the process of building, has been a challenge. There is no college course for how to build an online coaching business. There is no internship I can get to learn through experience. I had to find online mentors who had built courses for how to do this, find tax advisors who specialize in online coaching businesses, ask countless online friends who had already built businesses how to use different integrations and build the back end of my business. The industry is somewhat young, and while this is to my advantage, it also means there are not many reputable sources for learning. I learned much of what I do on the service side of the business simply by figuring it out as I go and asking lots of questions to anyone who would listen.

I have learned a ton, both about being a business owner and what that looks like, and about myself. Thankfully, I’ve learned that not applying for desk jobs was the right decision. I absolutely love what I do and I cannot see myself working for a big corporation or not providing value and service directly to clients. What I desire to show onlookers from my business is that I am in it for the fact that I get to help people change their lives in huge ways every day, not the money. If I wanted a stable income, I would go search for jobs on GlassDoor. My business is about serving, providing value, and building community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Maryland is a funny state, because you either love it or grow up waiting for the day you can leave it. We have, all within about a 2-3 hour (or less) drive: the beach, the mountains, Washington, DC, and lots of great food being that I live in one of the most diverse county’s in the country. That being said, I would probably take them to DC for some time to visit the museums and monuments and have some great food. After that, I might take them to Sugarloaf Mountain for some hiking and nice views, or if they’re a history buff, visit Gettysburg. If it’s warm out, there are a view beaches that make for fun day trips in both Maryland and Delaware. The possibilities are endless!

Personally, I love sports and one of my favorite things to do is go to a Nationals or Capitals game for a day trip into the city. There are always new spots popping up to eat, ever-changing museum exhibits, or just a nice walk around The Mall at sunset.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many mentors I’ve had over the past nearly two years of my business, without whom I would be nowhere near where I am today. It’s hard to choose just one! However, the group that has had the most influence on me and my decision to start this business has to be Impakt Athletics – the bodybuilding team I was with for about two years and where I learned so much of what I use with my clients today. More specifically, my coach Celeste Barker, who consistently poured into me and helped me grow both as an athlete and a person. Without her, I would not have the confidence or knowledge I have today and likely would not have had the guts to become a coach myself. THANK YOU!!!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/evliftss

Other: evelynmayscoaching@gmail.com