We recently connected with Katrina Yniguez and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katrina, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
In 2017, I was struggling with the feeling I wasn’t living up to my God-given purpose, and I said a simple prayer that completely shifted the trajectory of my life. I told God He could stretch and grow me however He saw fit, and I would be obedient. Regardless of any fears, insecurities, self-doubts. Even if it was outside my comfort zone or I did not want to do what He asked, I said I would give Him my yes. So, the journey began with obedience over fear and living outside my comfort zone. It hasn’t always been easy. Many times, it was challenging. I argued with where God was leading and was terrified to take the steps into the unknown and in a direction I did not want to go.
My goal in my journey is to argue less and say yes faster. Though I do not believe I will be perfect at this, I am sure I will respond more quickly to where God leads without arguing as much. When everything God asks you to do is outside your comfort zone, taking action is difficult. That said, over the years, as I have argued less and responded with my yes faster, it has become easier to move in the direction He has been leading me in, even when I do not feel like it.
He did not reveal His purpose for me immediately after I said that prayer. As I responded in obedience, He would give me glimpses of more He was calling me to. All my life, I have told people I wasn’t a writer or a speaker; the thought of it all scared me, and English was my least favorite subject in school. I was terrified when God gave me a vision of being introduced on stage as an author, speaker, and singer, traveling worldwide and sharing my story! So I immediately told some of my closest friends to hold me accountable to where He was leading and to keep pushing me forward even when I was too scared to do so. Surrounding myself with individuals who saw my value, worth, and talents well before I ever believed in myself was crucial in helping me take those steps of faith and one thing I recommend everyone to have.
It wasn’t until 2022 that I discovered my purpose in where God was calling me. I had believed for many years that my purpose was all about helping people live a life outside their comfort zone. However, while in a conversation with a friend, I realized it was because of my obedience to say yes despite my fears and insecurities that I was living a life outside my comfort zone and my purpose and message God was asking me to take to the world was to help His people live a life of obedience despite their fears and insecurities. My mission now is to inspire and help Christian men and women walk in obedience to their God-given daily assignments despite their fears and insecurities. To break free from fear, shame, and doubts that hold them back from walking out the fullness of Christ, living in them, and experiencing living in complete joy, peace, and confidence in their identity in Christ.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I wear many hats; first and foremost, I am a child of God, a wife, mother, and grandmother. At my core, I am driven by my unwavering commitment to God, which transforms every interaction I have with clients seeking to better themselves personally and professionally.
Professionally, I began my journey into the fitness world as a spin instructor in 2001, which led me down the path to personal training, nutritional coaching, and the creation of TrueFitness by Katrina. 20 years later, while my job description has changed, my passion for authentic integrative fitness has not. I have since rebranded and expanded my business to YKatrina LLC, devoting my time to areas beyond coaching.
Through my business expansion, I have launched a course, written a book, am writing a Bible study for my book, and continue to coach clients through my 6 Pillar approach and educate clients on how to activate their bodies holistically and live a proactive life. I am passionate about growing my business and services to serve my clients in their areas of need.
I am dedicated to transforming the lives of my clients through my “6 Pillar” approach; I am also very passionate about disrupting an industry that adheres to the status quo and lumps individuals into a one-size-fits-all model. I work diligently to transform the lives of those I interact with through a unique and individualized integrative approach to meet my client’s needs and goals. My success results from slowing down, listening to the Lord, and following my calling even when the road seems outside my comfort zone and terrifies me.
Despite my busy schedule running two businesses in the health and wellness space, serving in ministry holds a very special place in my heart. It brings me great joy to serve on our church’s prayer and worship teams and help where I can in various other ministries.
Recently, God has been placing me on bigger and bigger stages to speak and share my story and the message of being obedient to His call, helping people break free from fear holding them back to giving Him their yes.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My unwavering faith and ability to trust God even when I couldn’t see a way, my ability to say yes and take action even when scared, all while relying on God’s strength and praying through it, and my perseverance to keep moving forward even when I felt like nothing was happening as quickly as I thought God would have things happen.
Get an accountability partner that will help hold you accountable to give God your yes and not let you back down even when you are terrified or don’t have all the answers. Dive deep into God’s promises and trust what He has said. Do it scared; we only grow in confidence and develop a mindset of obedience over fear when we take action for what we feel called to do. Listen and respond to those small subtle promptings that may not make any sense. This is often God guiding and directing you on the plans He has for you.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Aside from the Bible, one of the books that had the most significant impact on me was “The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst. I used to struggle with being a people pleaser, and because I controlled my schedule, I always said yes when someone would ask me to do something. Then, I would struggle to find how to fit everything into my life, often leaving me feeling overwhelmed and like I had so many plates spinning all at once.
I have learned to say no at first and then go and look to see if I can fit it in around all that I have going on that is leading me down the path that fulfills my purpose. If it does not, the answer remains no; if I can, I let people know I can say yes to what they are asking me to do.
I would also say where I got free from the overwhelm and the feeling of too many plates spinning at one time, just waiting to drop one, was the course God gave me when I felt like He was asking more of me and adding more to my plate. Like “The Best Yes,” I told God that if He wanted me to do more, He would have to give me a system to do all He was asking without taking any more quality time away from family, and He did just that! He gave me a 6 step framework that allowed me to know when to say yes and no and become very intentional with my time, which has allowed me to accomplish more than I have ever been able to achieve in the past. It also allowed me to have more intentional quality time with family where I could be fully present in the moment and not think about all the plates spinning and if I was going to drop one or have them all come crashing down.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.YKatrina.life
- Instagram: @TruFitByKatrina
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/ykatrina
- Other: A New Instagram account I am in the process of setting up is @YKatrinaLLC but there are currently no posts on it.
Image Credits
Kevin Curbe LLC for the professional shots
