Today we’d like to introduce you to LaTonqua (Tanya) Franklin.
LaTonqua, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up playing all kinds of sports, from running track to basketball to even playing women football. So needless to say, I was always physically fit. Unfortunately, life seems to slap you hard and one day you look in the mirror and you’re 100% unhappy with the person looking back at you.
Little do you know that because you’re unhappy with your life (draining relationship) you find every excuse not to change the person in the mirror. I was in a rut and for some reason, I couldn’t push myself out of it. Until one day, my only son cried because he said I was always too tired to go outside and play with him. Carrying around such excess weight really took away my energy. But his tears changed me inside and once I worked on my inside, I became extremely focused at working my outside (body).
I ran into many obstacles on the way. My significant other at that time started off saying he was proud of me for trying to get physically fit, but then he began to question why I was going to the gym so much. His questioning almost made me stop working on myself, but I stood my ground and kept pushing. I met like-minded workout partners and after years of training, changing our eating, and getting mentally and physically fit, I pitched the idea of starting a workout group called Fit Harmoni. The name was derived from not just getting Fit but doing it in Harmoni together. We all bought into this idea of getting fit together and although we are still getting our business off the ground, we are so excited because we have already helped so many people get more physically and mentally fit. And needless to say, after years of training my body and mind, I have NO problem picking up a basketball and playing a game with my (now) 22-year-old son.
Great, 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?
Breaking into the fitness business has NOT been easy. There are so many men and women that are in the fitness business and getting clients have been a struggle. I had to earn a potential client’s trust. In addition, time constraints have also been one of our biggest problems. As a full-time employee for the City of Los Angeles, and a full-time Mom that has an active son, it has been a struggle making time for Fit Harmoni. Fortunately, time has changed that and with my son being 22 years old, and me having more time on my hands, I’m able to dedicate more time to Fit Harmoni. Although Fit Harmoni is just now breaking ground, I believe the foundation that we built on is very solid and I can see the business flourishing in the near future.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Fit Harmoni is a fitness company that strives on encouraging people of all ages to get fit mentally and physically. And I do mean all ages. I just turned 50 years old and my goal has been and will continue to be to show the seasoned (older men/women) that it is not too late to get fit.
I can honestly say that Fit Harmoni specializes in encouraging individuals to make a commitment to changing their lives by becoming more mentally and physically fit regardless of their age. We are known for being great motivators, hard workers, and positive trainers that focuses on each individual.
I’m most proud of our comradery! I can honestly say that what sets us apart from other fitness guru’s is our teamwork, togetherness, and our bubbly personalities.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Although I thought that when my track coach signed me up and made me do the decathlon (even though I was a 100 and 200-yard sprinter) it turned out to be one of my favorite memories from my childhood. Not because I ended up winning the decathlon, but because I got out of my comfort zone and pushed myself to learn other track and field events, which turned out to be a success not only then, but throughout my life. I realized I did not have to set boundaries on myself and/or my abilities.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 3108744214
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Fit_Harmoni
- Facebook: LaTonqua Franklin
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