Meet Courtney Babilya | Women’s Fitness Nurse

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

Hi Courtney, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work-life balance always has its challenges, and those challenges have just shifted over time. When I was working as an ER nurse, I struggled with mom guilt because I was leaving my children for long shifts. Now, as an entrepreneur and mom of two, I am juggling meeting the ever-changing needs of my toddlers with the demands of running an online business. I’ve realized that strict schedules don’t suit me well, so I’ve implemented simple systems for my work flow to be more efficient. My old perfectionistic tendencies no longer serve my lifestyle, so embracing simplicity and flexibility has been essential. Coming from a health background, I also make sure that my self-care needs are met before I dive into serving others. It’s easy to have a mindset of, “I don’t have time to exercise or prepare meals because I have so much to do,” but a re-frame that I’ve embraced is “I will be able to tackle my to-do list more effectively if I fill my cup first.” When my body and mind are taken care of, then everyone wins: my self, my family, and my business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My work as a women’s fitness nurse is the perfect culmination of my experience as an athlete, nurse, personal trainer, and the personal health struggles I’ve encountered along the way.

I created a fitness app for women who want to beat burnout and thrive despite the challenges we may face as women. Through quick and home-friendly workouts, my clients are able to use movement as a tool to heal instead of feeling worse every time they leave the gym.

As a fitness-oriented practice, people often expect to hear the “no pain, no gain” narrative – but that’s where I do things a little differently. First and foremost, I see the PERSON and not a physique. The women I serve have real-life battles such as autoimmunity, menstrual symptoms, neurodivergence, burnout, or are overcoming a lifetime of believing that being skinny is synonymous with worthiness. Movement is so much more than performance or weight loss, and at Keeping Balance, movement is the gateway to self-love. Part of that is learning how to work with our hormonal shifts so that movement serves us throughout each season of our cycle and our lives.

I am tremendously proud of the community I’ve fostered and the fact that my app, Keeping Balance Method, is becoming a household name. The biggest challenge with that was learning how to be ALL of the roles – as a solo-prenuer, you’re not just teaching your craft – you’re also a marketer, graphic designer, content creator, copywriter, podcast editor, PR agency, and so much more. I quickly learned that if I was going to succeed at this online business thing, I needed help from the experts. I worked closely with a business mentor, Emily Cincotta, and and a systems-management mentor, Carla Berger. I also bonded closely with a group of other businesswomen to lean on for support and collaborate with. They have truly kept my head above water when it felt like I was drowning with overwhelm.

While my industry is heavily reliant on scientific literature (both the medical side and fitness side), I want women to know that they carry the most important dataset with them every day: their own bodies. While research helps guide us, your lived experience outranks journal articles. Above all, I want women to know that change is both okay and inevitable. Our bodies, goals, and priorities will evolve, but movement can come with us wherever we go.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
No trip with friends is complete without movement and good food. I’d take my bestie to the famous Pizzeria Bianco, grab coffee in Scottsdale, hike South Mountain to see the view of the entire Valley, and stroll through the Botanical Gardens. Although, nothing beats a long heart-felt talk in your living room over a charcuterie board and mocktails.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I also want to thank my parents, who showed me from the beginning how to carve my own path and challenge the status quo.

I owe so much gratitude to my children, Murphy and Kellan. Before them, my dreams were just that – dreams! My decision to stay home with them during their early years forced me to realize that I could create a movement from my phone and have the best of both worlds: making memories and making my dreams a reality.

Website: https://courtneykeepingbalance.com

Instagram: @courtneykeepingbalance

Other: App: Keeping Balance Method (available for Apple and Google)

Image Credits
D. Phillips Photography, Larry Babilya