Meet Katelyn Darkangelo

We were lucky to catch up with Katelyn Darkangelo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katelyn, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Finding my purpose for helping new and expecting moms confidently navigate their workouts throughout pregnancy and postpartum stemmed from leaning into my strengths, curiosities and interests, while simultaneously always being open to opportunity.

My professional fitness career started back in college while I was attending the University of Michigan, and at the time I wasn’t exactly sure what field I wanted to go into after graduation. All I knew was that I loved fitness as a hobby and on that basis alone decided to major in Exercise Science / Movement Science. Following this decision, in my sophomore year, I saw a virtual posting to start my own online fitness coaching business, and without a second thought I signed up on the spot. After working within that company for 2 years, I knew I was definitely in the right industry, but I also knew I wanted to branch away from that company and start my own business some day. It was also that original coaching experience that helped me discover that I loved the business management side of things as much as I loved the fitness side!

Building on this newfound interest, I then decided to further my education in business and earn my Master of Management from Duke University following graduation of my undergraduate degree. While at Duke, I constantly had friends asking me to write them workouts, to help them at the gym and asking for my opinion on different health-related topics, and that’s when my gears really started turning. What if I charged someone for a month of workouts? As nerve-wracking as that felt at the time, I did it anyways, and it worked. From there, I decided to write out an entire strength program, ran a test group on it, and launched it on Jan 1, 2018. Fast forward 3 years later, we (my husband and I) had built a workout app, opened a gym, and were coaching hundreds of clients both online and in-person through our formally-built company, FIGR.

All this was seemingly to lay the foundation for the day I would become pregnant in 2021. I loved fitness, had a deep history and education in the field, coached hundreds of clients through our own business, yet when I saw that positive pregnancy test I realized I had no idea how to approach fitness in this new phase of life. And not only did I feel lost and confused, it also seemed that there was no education, coaching or guidance in the field yet either. I took this new opportunity, curiosity and interest upon myself to learn everything I could about pregnancy and postpartum training so I could help not just myself, but hundreds and thousands of moms in the years to come. I ended up getting dual-certified in pregnancy and postpartum coaching, and created my FIGR:Pregnancy and FIGR:Postpartum app programs, so that I could coach this population both in-person and online, wherever my moms might need me.

I now coach daily women’s functional fitness classes, run Postpartum Return To Fitness classes, host in-person and virtual pelvic floor and deep core workshops, and collaborate with other gyms, nutritionists, doulas, chiropractors and practitioners around my area to help bring more health-based guidance to moms and moms-to-be.

In the end, it wasn’t necessarily me knowing I would find my purpose in pregnancy and postpartum training, but moreso deciding to follow where my interests and strengths led me, and to capitalize on every opportunity and spark of curiosity. One piece led into the next throughout the last 11 years to get me to where I am today, and I’m thankful for every stepping stone along the way!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

There is nothing more exciting to me than being able to coach pregnant and postpartum moms as they go through these pivotal stages of life. Many moms I work with l0ve their pre-pregnancy activities, yet become so conflicted and fearful about what is “safe” or “un-safe” when they become pregnant, and are equally unsure of how to return to those activities postpartum.

What makes my job so rewarding is that I get to give these moms confidence, strength, and a peace of mind while training throughout their pregnancy, help them stack the deck in their favor for labor and delivery, and give them a game plan to return to everything it is that they love postpartum safely and effectively. Helping moms keep that part of themselves that makes them feel whole can be absolutely everything as they see their body, lifestyle, routines and energy changing drastically through pregnancy and motherhood.

There are a few ways I work with this population! First are my in-person offerings. I coach a daily women’s functional fitness class at our own FIGR gym, run 6 Week Postpartum Return To Fitness classes, coach private sessions, and even host monthly mom & baby workout classes where you use your baby as your “dumbbell”! And secondly for my online offerings, I have two workout programs – FIGR:Pregnancy and FIGR:Postpartum – for the exact day-by-day workouts and recovery sessions for these seasons of life, as well as a Pregnancy and Postpartum Core Lab video course.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I really value the “skill” of taking things at the pace and timing that is appropriate and best for you. I often see people get so excited about something and try to skyrocket to success as quick as they can, yet find themselves burnt out and not enjoying what they loved so much in the first place. Throughout my journey, I’ve tried to stay true to a pace that still promotes growth, yet something that I can sustain for my lifestyle and still gives me joy. In other words, just staying in your lane for the long haul.

Another skill that has been my #1 from the beginning is organization. Staying organized with my lists, calendars, communications, etc. has helped keep my head on straight and helped me avoid loads of frustration along the way. And when you’re less stress and frustrated, you bet you’re going to see that pay off in the quality and quantity of your work.

And third, doing what you want to do. No matter what industry you’re in, others will have their ideas of what you should do, what you could do to increase revenues, other avenues you could get into, but if you start just doing what everyone else tells you do to, you lose sight of the vision you have for your own company.

A way to develop these skills is simply staying grounded in who you are along the journey, and “getting your feet wet” yourself. You have to take steps forward and really be in the game to help guide you to where you ultimately want to go.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

In the last year, I’ve started reaching out in my local community to companies and brands that are collaborative to my own work in the pregnancy and postpartum space. This not only has connected me with amazing business owners, but also has created an amazing referral network for my services, and for my clients! I think we can forget how helpful and important it is to be connected with your local community. Having massage therapists, doulas, nutritionists, chiropractic care, holistic care and more to work with helps my clients get the well-rounded care they deserve, and also helps establish my own brand more broadly and professionally!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fitisgettingreal.com
• Instagram: @katedarkofit

Image Credits

Josh Hayword @nvzn.fit