The definition of influencing is, ‘to affect or change someone or something in an indirect, but usually important way.’ That is exactly how fitness and wellness entrepreneur and the Founder of Trove Wellness, Juanita Khumalo, began her career in fitness influencing before turning her love for fitness into a business.
A career in fitness influencing
Juanita’s plan wasn’t to be a fitness influencer, however, fitness saved her life! ‘My journey with fitness started when I was going through a rough patch in life. Like many people, I self-medicated with food and was an emotional eater. I started my journey with exercise and with time, I saw the physical benefits of exercise, but most importantly the mental health benefits of exercise,’ she says. Juanita then adopted a holistic approach to wellness, which entails taking care of her body, mind, spirit and soul. It’s through this transformative journey that she realised that her purpose in life is to help change women’s lives by applying some of the learnings from her own journey. ‘My social media platforms were merely an extension of me and not an opportunity to recreate a version that’s not myself. My audience started growing, made up of like-minded women, and brands gravitated to my page, which has now birthed my fitness and wellness business Trove Wellness,’ she says.
Building trust is paramount
In order to be an influencer, you must build trust with your audience. Juanita says that if your community cannot trust you, they won’t take your advice and they will question your motives. People are smart and have an overload of information. ‘One of the jobs of a fitness influencer is to make the audience’s lives easier, and being transparent and ethical will help you build trust,’ she says.
Is a fitness qualification important?
‘A deep understanding and knowledge of the subject is necessary. Getting qualified will add more weight and allow you to foster the trust relationship. You can do without it, but it would be advantageous to have it,’ says Juanita.
Developing a content strategy
Juanita says a strategy is critical in every facet of your life, as it allows you a way to map out what your objectives, goals and priorities are. A content strategy allows you to plan and gives you more direction for your brand and business. ‘As an influencer, what you do requires great intentionality. Have a yearly plan where you outline key activities and the themes and focus of your content plan and strategy. Everything I do is planned a few months in advance,’ she says. Juanita also stresses the urgency of having the right brand partnerships. ‘Strategic thinking and aligning your strategy with those of your partners helps. You need to see yourself as a brand and treat yourself how you would treat any brand or project at work,’ she says.
The challenges of being a fitness influencer
Not everything is what it looks like on social media. Cracking it in the fitness influencer industry comes with its own set of challenges. ‘Not everybody who is fit and active desires to have the conventional fitness body projected by society, namely rock-hard abs, a body-fat percentage lower than 16%, and more. Our bodies are different, our goals are different, our circumstances are different. This doesn’t make you any less fit and healthy,’ says Juanita. She adds that there is pressure and expectations of perfectionism. ‘Most influencers don’t feel safe enough to show up authentically. Fitness and wellness is a lifetime journey and lifestyle. As with anything in life, it has different seasons and comes with its own challenges, but it’s okay to have off seasons – it’s a part of life. Nobody has it together 24/7.
Words of advice
‘Find what you are passionate about and then establish yourself as a voice of authority in your respective field. Find your niche. Be authentic. Engage with your audience. Share content that is relevant to your audience. Focus on creating and not being a consumer. Humble yourself enough to understand that the journey isn’t about you, but rather being of service,’ concludes Juanita.
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