Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Granetz.
Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up as an athlete, but without a real sport outside of running cross-country. I went to private school where we played field hockey and lacrosse. It was just a part of your school day. At boarding school, I played field hockey and running (during high school). It was a huge part of how I dealt with stress and frustration but also teenage angst.
Through college, running remained a strong piece of my mental health care and also acted as a social activity.
Once I graduated and moved back to New York City, working in fashion, it became disordered and I eventually had professional treatment for an eating disorder.
When I was getting healthy again, I started to incorporate more running. I met my husband in Manhattan and things progressed quickly. On a trip to visit his family in England, I sprained my ankle extremely badly and was told I could not run for six weeks, which felt like a death sentence. I literally did not know what to do with myself, and that’s when I started lifting weights with the SWEAT app in his apartment.
That injury led me to creating a multimillion dollar business with my husband and growing a brand that I’m really proud of (Strong by Sarah). What started as literally documenting my body decomposition journey with Instagram pictures became so much more.
I would post pictures of my body changing in the way that I always thought running would. I got on the bodybuilding side of the algorithm, and I even worked with a bodybuilding coach to learn how to recomp and how to track macros. Unlike a lot of women, tracking my food is what truly sent me free because I was able to see how eating more of the right things changed my body for the better.
I never competed in bodybuilding, but I did compete in powerlifting. I had state records in Connecticut, and I almost qualified for nationals. Sadly, I herniated a disc which turned my competition prep on its head and ultimately did lead me to stop competing and stop training like a powerlifter.
Throughout that journey, I worked with a variety of coaches and learned more about the space. I got my MBA, and I got certified in sports nutrition. I realized that I could be a great coach if I continued educating myself.
My platform on social media grew, and when my side hustle turned more lucrative than my fashion day job, I knew it was time for a change. My husband and I went full-time in the business in 2024 the year we got married. In fashion, I worked in corporate communications, editorial styling, personal shopping and analytics. My true passion has always been helping women gain more confidence to live their best lives (first with clothes and now with fitness) like I did.
Ever since then, we’ve grown the business to a team of almost 20. We have hundreds of women inside the coaching program, and I’ve had thousands of women in my apps (Strong by Sarah and Goals).
The journey has not only reinforced my own path of eating more and lifting weights, but it’s also allow me to help women outside of my personal niche now that I’ve been educated; I’m getting my doctorate in sports nutrition and exercise science. I’ve assembled a dream team of women to help my program truly be holistic health coaching with qualified and credentialed experts available for all women inside.
We are currently an all female team, and some of my coaches are even former clients!
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?
It is absolutely not been a smooth road. Getting professional treatment for an eating disorder when you’re 25 is very jarring. I was fired from a few of my jobs before starting the recovery program, which was frankly humiliating.
Ultimately, the pain of these past memories does make me fight for everything that I have and everything that I want even more deeply.
Even if we put that to the side, building a business is not easy, and building one with your spouse is of course a blessing but also a true test. I am grateful for all of it, but it is absolutely not for the faint of heart.
When something breaks, you’re responsible. When a client is upset, that’s on you. When social media is down, that threatens your brand. There’s so many pieces that go into running a business, and running a business essentially using social media as the primary marketing source is extremely dynamic – emotional resilience and managing stress are so important.
The upside, of course, is immense and has presented me with opportunities outside of what the world of fashion could. But with that comes great responsibility.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Strong by Sarah?
Strong by Sarah is a holistic health coaching company. We specialize in working with women 35 to 55 who are successful and busy but struggle to put the pieces together for their health and wellness – this can include nutrition practices the right workouts, and also doing the mindset work to achieve their goals and live at the high standards that they maintain in other areas of their lives. The woman in my program are disciplined, motivated and high achieving, but they don’t necessarily have the tools or the time to do everything on their own, and they know that there is a strength and outsourcing to qualified professionals. They want a partner on their journey. And they know that the right partner can change everything.
In a sea of coaches, in a sea of influencers, we lead with data and science. My doctorate is not a vanity title. It is incredibly taxing and time-consuming – in a good way. It has educated me more so I can be a better coach, be a better manager and be a better business owner. I do not need to get a doctorate to be a coach, but I know it makes me a better resource. Building the best coaching program to serve women in the way that they deserve is our mission. And I know that we cannot do that guessing or estimating.
What also set us apart is my team takes the time to zoom every week with each client one on one. We don’t just use email or messenger – we actually want to sit down and get to know you to work through your struggles, celebrate your wins and discuss the opportunities for the week. We truly want to form a strong relationship with you so we can help you in the way that you deserve. Most other programs won’t do this. Partly because of the time commitment, but also because of the level of expertise required for a coach to sit across from a client and be able to have a meaningful, intelligent conversation.
Not every woman will want this level of attention or care and not every woman will be able to meet the standards – my program is not for everyone, but it is for the right women who are truly dedicated to getting superior results long-term. We don’t do 16 week challenges. We don’t do month-to-month coaching. We do longer commitments for serious women who are truly dedicated to their success in their health and understanding what they need to do to maintain it long-term without feeling restricted or like they have to compromise.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
There is strength in numbers, and no one can do this alone. Asking for support whether from business coaches, life coaches, health coaches, a spouse or partner is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength.
And until I fully accepted that, I was stuck!
Pricing:
- Lean & Liberated 1:1 Coaching is a fully customized experience so pricing is dependent on program duration the level of coach that is appropriate and more.
- If one on one, Coaching is outside of someone’s budget. I do have the Goals app which is a lower monthly subscription.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://coaching.strong-by-sarah.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strong.by.sarah
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahelysegranetz
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgranetz
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@strong-by-sarah
