Today we’d like to introduce you to Charmi Ramchandani.
Hi Charmi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the founder and head coach at Cimply Fit, a virtual nutrition coaching company that caters to the mature woman struggling with stubborn weight loss that comes with the changing hormones in her peri or menopausal years.
After a 10-year stint as a stay-at-home, I decided to return to the workforce in a part-time capacity. Two years in, it was clear to me that my heart lay in fitness and in running my own business. So, I got certified as a personal trainer with National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and launched C Fit, which later was rechristened to Cimply Fit. I was just a few months shy of turning 40 when I launched my business, so this was a REINVENTION of sorts for me.
I initially started out as an in-home personal trainer in August 2015 to coach women in their strength goals in the privacy of their homes. It was the most rewarding experience to teach women the importance of weight training and to watch them lose their fear of lifting weights. In January 2017, I completed a Nutrition Coaching certificate through Precision Nutrition.
I gradually started transitioning my business online after discovering the world on virtual coaching. By 2019, I was a coaching clients virtually all over the world.
My primary niche has been the South Asian community. This niche “found me” owing to my unique background. I was born in India, raised in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and have lived in Texas for over 20 years. Both my kids are Austin-ites, and I met my husband at UT Austin.
With clients spanning across the world, I have successfully coached women from all backgrounds towards regaining control of their waistline without losing their mind. I strongly believe that for a client to experience long-term, sustainable results, she (the client) should be educated on ways to maintain control of her health without extreme workouts and crazy diets.
As a woman in her mid-40s, who always had the thin privilege struggling with stubborn weight gain over the lockdown, I appreciate the importance of reinventing one’s lifestyle to match one’s changing body.
I am a novice Bikini competitor. I competed in 2019 at the age of 44 with NPC.
I am a mom to a 17- & 20-year-old and a fur baby, and wife to my college sweetheart for 23 years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My learning curve was perhaps steeper than most owing to manage a young family and a fledgeling business that I knew nothing about.
I was much older when I started and did not look like a trainer. The investment I made in starting it out was under $100 with the idea that if the business failed, I wouldn’t have suffered heavy losses.
The main struggle was learning to shift my mindset from helping people to running a business while helping people. The process of forecasting expenses while ensuring a constant intake of leads is and will always be a challenge.
I also realized that a lot of people in my industry struggle with “imposter syndrome,” and I am no exception. I suppose it stems from the deep desire to see your client succeed and taking it personally when you see them struggle and feel helpless to make it better for them.
As you know, we’re big fans of Cimply Fit. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
The cornerstone of Cimply Fit programs are that habits create success and that a healthy relationship with food is the greatest catalyst towards weight loss. Clients on the program never have to sacrifice their cultural foods to lose weight. A healthy relationship with food is of extreme importance on all the programs. I always like to remind my clients that, “There is always room for balance, but never guilt on your plate!”
The fact that almost all the clients retain the lessons they learn on the program for life is the ultimate endorsement of Cimply Fit’s programs and philosophy.
What do you think about luck?
I have been lucky that fitness was introduced to me at a very young age by my dad. This was a progressive move in my community during the 80s. Most girls were not encouraged to pursue physical fitness. My Dad took deep interest in my sister’s and my physical well-being. He encouraged us to take up a variety of sports and compete in them. The concept of “consistency,” which is all the buzzword now, was part of my vocabulary back in my teens. I consider myself extremely lucky to have parents that were so pragmatic.
Another huge stroke of luck is that I did not have to pressure to provide for the family since my husband took up a chunk of that responsibility. This allowed me the opportunity to really try and test different things for my business until I was able to lock down the programs I want to offer. I am very grateful to him for allowing me the time and space I needed to grow my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cimplyfit.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/trainercfit
- Other: www.facebook.com/groups/cimplyfitinnercircle
Image Credits
Dia Ramchandani
