Kim Abbage Hart is a certified personal trainer and fitness, nutrition specialist. She’s also a self-proclaimed meal prep pro. She’s an Atlanta-based Health and Wellness advocate with a primary focus on healthy recipe development, teaching people basic nutrition, and how to meal prep. On my IG & Youtube, she shares recipes that are an updated healthy take on classics, meal prep tips, tricks, and hacks.

What inspired you to start your business? 

My husband inspired me to start my business. We had just gotten married in February 2020 and in March of 2020 I got furloughed. It was not the way we expected to start our marriage, but since I was going to have more time on my hands, he pushed me into sharing my passion for healthy eating and meal prep hacks and tips on my IG page. He figured since I was already doing those things anyway why not film them and put them online. I started hesitantly at first and was extremely self-conscious but slowly became more comfortable with my sharing my knowledge. 

Where is your business based?

My business is based out of Atlanta GA. However, I work with clients virtually from all over the US. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The first step I took was to apply for my LLC. I did that through the local GA government department. Once I had my LLC approved, I hired a graphic designer to design my logo. Once those were complete, I started mapping out all of my business and content idea on paper so that I had more organization to my thoughts. That was the most helpful thing I did as it helped me focus on where potential revenue streams lie and what was missing in the marketplace.  

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

The most effective way has been through social media. I’m most active on IG however I also started a YouTube page (again with the encouragement of my husband and his sisters) for longer-form video content I could share. I’ve also done some local Tampa TV appearances and interviews that have raised awareness about my business and blog as well. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Honestly, self-doubt or imposter syndrome has been my biggest challenge. The healthy eating space is so saturated that I started doubting me, my abilities and started thinking, well why even start when [fill in the blank] already has a lock on that market. What helped me overcome it is I heard on a podcast that when you go to a grocery store and see all of the different bread options, those other brands didn’t say “well hey, this brand is already doing it, so we can’t do it either”. No, that’s not the mentality to have. It’s more about what different perspectives are you bringing to the space and what void are you trying to fill? Also hearing that people will sometimes just want the information from YOU vs. someone else was also helpful in squashing those negative thoughts. All of those truly helped me overcome my self-doubt. 

How do you stay focused?

Staying focused has always been one of my “superpowers” as my husband calls it. Once I’m locked in on something, I can work away at it until the job is complete and truly zone out everything else. Given this is something I truly am passionate about, it’s very easy to stay focused on what I’m trying to achieve and accomplish. 

 How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Through my perspective on healthy eating and meal prep. Most people that have worked with either trainer that provide meal plans or nutritionists etc. get overwhelmed because they don’t understand what a meal plan is and how to interpret it. When I work with clients or through my SM channels, my goal is to break down meal plans into its most simplest form, show how they can be reimagined. I also show hacks someone can use to meal prep successfully and not feel overwhelmed by it all. Lastly I definitely teach that no food or food group is off limits and all have a natural place in any balanced diet and that “eating healthy” does not equate to plain boring meals.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Not sure if it’s a marketing strategy, but by sharing my meal preps - what I actually cook and eat in a day/week etc. - through my social media channels. That has proven to be the best marketing strategy for my business. 

 What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Well, there are a few tidbits I’ll offer. The first is to know what it is you’re passionate about. If you’re trying to start a business around something you feel lukewarm about, that’s the quickest way to get to burnout. As the saying goes, you want to wake up every day, and work feels more like fun. I’m sure I butchered that, but I’m paraphrasing. Second, I would study other people in your niche and understand why they have become successful or what things have made them become successful and determine if some of those things you’re able to incorporate into your own business. 

 What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Hands down, The Big Leap. That book helped change my perspective quite a lot and also helped me understand why certain things were challenging for me. It breaks down the different zones that people operate in and ultimately how everyone should be operating in their zone of genius. It also helped me realize that I needed to remove some of the other zone(s) that I was just “ok” in so that I could have the freedom to truly operate in my zone of genius. I highly suggest anyone that who is taking the big leap into entrepreneurship, read that book.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

LinkedIn Learning is my favorite business tool at the moment. I’m constantly wanting to learn and grow in all aspects of my business and they have so many online classes that are very niche specific that are extremely helpful. I recently just finished an online SEO course to understand more about SEO and driving traffic to my website that was extremely helpful.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Kevin Curry aka FitmenCook. Not only do we have the same alma mater but seeing a “regular” person become a successful entrepreneur who also happens to be of the same race as me, lets me know that anything is possible and the sky's the limit!

 How do you balance work and life?

I feel like this has become a lot easier during the pandemic at least for me. The pandemic has brought into focus what’s important and how to prioritize my time. It’s also helped that even prior to the world shifting to remote work life, I’ve been working from home for the past 15+ years so I’ve always had to strike that balance between work and life and try not to let the two blend. 

 What’s your favorite way to decompress?

A good workout session is always a good way for me to decompress. I love being active and pushing weight around. 

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I’m still in growth mode right now so what I have planned are more TV appearances, I’m working on an IG few collaborations and have a ton more content to be filmed. As an entrepreneur, there is always something that can be done!

How can our readers connect with you? 

Via my social media channels: 

Instagram: @kimabbagehart

Youtube: #Cookingwithkim

Blog: www.kimabbagehart.com