Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Dalton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Carly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to do something related to sports or fitness. I have never had the desire to work a 9-5 or sit at a desk all day. I’m too high energy to feel boxed in. What I didn’t know, is that one day, I’d be my own boss. I went to the University of Houston for kinesiology with the thought that I would be an athletic trainer for a college or pro football team, but the passion to follow through with that career just wasn’t there. I graduated in December of 2014 with really no idea of what I wanted to do beyond school. I was working in a bar because it was good money at the time, but I knew that had to be a short-term job. I started personal training a couple of ladies just as a side hustle and I found myself really enjoying it. I have to give credit to my man, Blue, for being the one to recognize my passion for getting these women to not only start working out to improve their health but also for helping them to build confidence in and out of the gym. He shared his ideas and encouraged me to pursue a career in women’s fitness and I couldn’t be more grateful. I decided to really go for it and started studying for my National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) CPT exam. I continued to train and grow my knowledge of all things fitness. Fast forward to Summer 2016, when I became the official owner of Very Beautiful Women’s Fitness, now commonly referred to as VB Fit Women. It was an amazing feeling to know that I was creating a brand that would stand for ALL women to feel confident, empowered, and of course very beautiful in every way. This summer will be the three-year anniversary of VB, and I am so thankful for the journey, thus far, and all the remarkable women that have come into my life since.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I never really thought that I would run my own business, but I have to say that it has been one of the most rewarding challenges I have taken on. It’s easy to continue education and keep learning and growing in the field you love, but when it comes to running your own, you also have to learn and develop your skills in areas you’re not as strong in or fond of. I could program workouts, train all day, read personal development books in my downtime, and live my best life without complaints. Keeping records, creating marketing content, finding consistency with social media… those are some of the things that stress me out to be real. Even still, I’m thankful that choosing to be my own boss has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and is continually breaking down walls of limitation.
When I first started training, it was secondary to my bartending job. I continued to slowly grow my business and add clients and boot camps to my schedule. After a while, scheduling conflicts became an issue. Getting off work around 3 am and then trying to make it to a morning boot camp at 5:45 am just wasn’t working out very well. I’ve never been a half-ass person, but it was clear to me that I wasn’t giving my best to those clients. That’s when I knew that something was going to have to change if I wanted to fully dedicate myself to VB and my clients. I started coaching at Row Studios in West U to help supplement the transition and about two years ago I finally took that leap of faith and left the bar industry to pursue a life of full-time fitness. I didn’t know exactly how I was going to make it work, but I knew that if I didn’t take that risk, I’d be stuck in an unhappy job. That was scary, but it felt so good to know that everything I was moving towards was to help people live healthier happier lives. I’m currently still coaching at Row because I absolutely love the clients and the workouts. I still have a way to go before VB could be my sole source of income, but over the last year, my VB schedule has increased to over 60% of my time. I am pleased with the growth so far, and I know this is just the beginning.
It’s important to remember that things don’t happen overnight, and they definitely don’t come without hard work. I tell this to my girls all the time. You don’t have to be perfect to have progress, but you do have to consistently do the right things over, and over, and over again to get the results. You have to set yourself up for success, never stop learning, and put in the work to reach your goals. This almost always means making adjustments to your life in one way or another, whether it’s changing your nutrition, arranging your schedule to fit your workout goals, quitting a job, removing toxicity from your life, moving to a new city, whatever it may be, do it! This is your life and you’re in charge of the narrative. Your book is one of a kind and it doesn’t have to fit into a box. Uniqueness is beauty. Take those risks and make those changes. The opportunities that scare you end up being the ones that are the most invigorating, freeing, and life-changing. Write yourself a damn good story, girl!
Please tell us about VB Fit Women (Very Beautiful Women’s Fitness).
At VB, I do one on one training, small group workouts, all women boot camps, and a couple of times a year, I run fitness and health challenges. The fitness challenges are one of my favorite services because not only do I provide the participants with workouts, goal setting, nutrition advice, and a private online support group, but I complete the challenges with them because I want them to know that I’m right there in this journey too. I am specialized in training women in all stages of their life. I’ve trained a few young athletes, clients with weight loss and weight gain goals, a couple of women getting prepared for their weddings, pre/postnatal clients, women going through menopause, and ladies anywhere in between. My goal is for women to not only feel more comfortable in their own bodies but to feel comfortable in any gym like setting. It can be extremely intimidating to walk into a gym and feel like you have no clue what to do. I don’t train women for them to be dependent on me for their workouts forever. I am there for support, knowledge, love, and to help them build confidence. I train women with the mission to teach them how to properly lift weights, use various gym equipment, create a solid plan, and be able to go into any space, own it, and beast out a great workout. It’s also important to me to not only work on the physical body and proper nutrition but to empower women to have progress in their emotional, spiritual, and personal lives as well. I am blessed to be in a career that allows me to connect with so many different people and to have the honor to be a part of their journey.
The girls that really know me, would tell you that I practically live in the gym and wouldn’t have it any other way, my catchphrase is “and that’s one” after showing a crazy combo move, I tend to have a bit of a sailor’s mouth, and as much as I can be light-hearted and fun, I’m really good at cutting through the bullshit. Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies and sometimes you need someone to keep it real with you while also being there to support and lift you up. I am proud to be a brand that stands for ALL women to live up to their full power and feel beautiful in every way. To me, it’s not all about aesthetics or being perfectly on point with meal plans, rather, it’s finding a balance with your health and well-being and living a life that truly makes you happy. I do what I do because I want more women to love and stand up for themselves, to know their worth, and to empower other women to do the same.
Who have you been inspired by?
Three women come to mind easily for this question. The first woman to ever inspire me and who continues to uplift and encourage me every day is my mom. My mom is strong and hardworking, and the most creative woman I know. She has the biggest heart and wears it on her sleeve and she definitely passed that on to me. I am beyond grateful for the thousands of lessons she has taught me throughout my life. I have been training her for a few years consistently now, and it feels really great to be able to give something back to the woman who has given her all for me. The second woman is my celebrity inspiration, Jillian Michaels. I grew up doing all of her workout videos and she always kicked my butt. I love that she is a no-nonsense trainer with passion and love for getting people healthy. She is a powerhouse of a woman and we need more of that in this world! The third woman that has made an incredible impact on my life and business is my mentor and gym mom, Miss Lisa. I met her in my apartment complex gym when I was just starting out. She took me under her wing, shared all she could about fitness and nutrition, and taught me to think outside the box to be creative with workout programming. I love that her passion is undeniable and she always speaks her mind. She invited me to be a co-head trainer with her on a research project at UT Health. It was an amazing experience and it really lit a fire under me to make a bigger impact in the world. I am truly thankful that these women have helped shape the woman and trainer I am today.
Pricing:
- $10 Bootcamps
- $50/hr Personal Training
- Package and Challenge prices vary
Contact Info:
- Phone: (832)690-9493
- Email: carly@vbfitwomen.com
- Instagram: @vb_fitwomen
Image Credit:
Leah Gibson, Hong Chuang, Karen Dalton
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
