Behavior-centered Fitness Coach
A first generation Jamaican-American and native New Yorker from Jamaica, Queens, T’Nisha Symone is an expert when it comes to transforming the holistic wellbeing of her clients through behavior centered coaching consisting of fitness, nutrition and daily recovery. Her scientifically sound and emotionally intelligent coaching helps clients to consistently meet themselves where they are in order to arrive somewhere greater.
After earning her degree in Exercise Physiology & Kinesiology, she trained at each of the two leading luxury fitness clubs in the world. Her knowledge, years of experience and commitment to excellence led to her earning the accolade of a top level trainer at both fitness clubs. After about 10 years in the fitness industry, experiencing success in transforming the lives of her clients, T’Nisha felt compelled to offer the same life-changing services that her clients at high-end fitness clubs received to the people in her own community - the Black community.
She had grown up experiencing a shortage of resources in her own neighborhood, and saw first hand how that impacted her community. Her success in helping clients individually, led her to consider the impact of helping Black people at scale and using her expertise to transform the fitness, wellness and quality of life of her community.
When we are our best individually, we can be our best collectively.
My Story
the beginning
From the age of 6, I was the only Black girl in my school. My parents sent me to that school because the schools in my Black neighborhood were failing. This was my first introduction to a long line of experiences that reinforced the upsetting notion that in order to find opportunity and value, I needed to leave the Black community behind.
My dark complexion and hair texture brought on all kinds of questions and comments from my young peers. I had access to a better quality school system, but not a sense of belonging.
the middle
After graduating from college, I pursued a career in fitness and began Training at the top luxury fitness club in the country to learn from the gold standard of the industry. I was 1 of 2 Black people on our team of over 30 trainers.
After 4 years there, I recognized and acknowledged that the club simply wasn’t designed to serve Black communities and that, at best, we’d have to make due with being grateful to patronize this establishment who’s products, locations and ads demonstrated that we were not their target audience.
I felt a huge disconnect between where I worked and who I am.
Even the 1.5 hour commute between where I lived and where I worked was a daily reminder of the prerequisite to distance myself from my roots to make a living in the Fitness Industry.
And why? When there was so much need right outside my front door? There was nowhere to work with real upward mobility in the fitness industry that served Black communities.
BLAQUE - how it began
I had seen my client’s family lives, personal lives and careers improve drastically through making significant changes in their fitness. So, I thought, why not begin to pour my expertise into my community and empower my people with these resources?
I decided to create a luxury fitness club designed with the black community in mind.
Not as an afterthought.
Not as a reactionary way to be inclusive.
But, because excellently serving the Black Community is our why.
This is how BLAQUE Inc. was created.
the process
After about 6 months of research and planning, I left my full-time position to build BLAQUE in March of 2020 - 3 days before the world shut down due to Covid-19.
Despite that setback, that year we raised $60,000 through crowdfunding and the AMEX 100 for 100 grant. It was a huge win and validator for this company, but it was also a very challenging time to be the founder of a Black, brick & mortar, fitness company.
The truth was
I felt lost as a leader. I hadn’t processed my own thoughts in response to the events of 2020, but I was expected to have something to say about it. Fitness Clubs everywhere were having to close down because of the pandemic and here I was starting out in what looked like a dying industry. I didn’t know which way to go.
But under the fire of 2020, my vision of BLAQUE was refined.
I took 40 days off to pray and reassess BLAQUE’s mission and purpose.
I came out of that 40 day sabbatical and returned to the basics - helping people to thrive through optimal fitness and wellness. I invited members of BLAQUE’s waitlist to participate in community based online fitness coaching that we called “wellness cohorts”. This online coaching model became the framework for what would be The BLAQUE Movement App.
the present
As a Fitness Coach, Founder and developing Community Leader, my story is one of adventure, challenges, growth, and learning. As a fitness enthusiast I learned to love lifting weights because the benefits it yielded made it worthwhile. As a Founder I’m learning to love the journey, because the reward of building an ecosystem that benefits the quality of life of Black people through fitness and wellness is beyond worth it!
