Feature by Voyage ATL, written by Dianne Lopez
Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Forte’.
Tiffany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been a fan of the fitness industry for years, but often felt out of place in classes or at the gym. I wanted to create a fun, judgement free community of women to not only encourage a healthier lifestyle, but wanted the women who are in my program to feel empowered. My mission is for you to leave my class, training session, or events feeling strong, motivated, and happy. There are too many superficial ideas of what a “fit woman” should look like, and personally as a woman of color, I don’t see enough of myself reflected in the fitness industry. No more are the days that a size 2 is considered fit and a size 10 is considered to be out of shape. I want the women in my program to be “healthy” and that isn’t necessarily based on one’s pant size. I also preach positive self-talk in my program. We don’t speak negatively about our bodies or about what our bodies can and cannot do! Fit and Female Active, formally Fit and Female, has been around since 2017 and we have grown leaps and bounds. Be on the lookout for a dope fitness apparel line that will be dropping post COVID-19!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not! The road to entrepreneurship is never “smooth.” My brand has gone through several changes from branding to mission statement, to overall brand vision! I have stopped and started, and stopped and started, and felt defeated at some point; but I am so incredibly proud of what I have created thus far! I can proudly say, my brand is strong and is growing!
Fit and Female Active – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Fit and Female Active is an inclusive collective of women who enjoy movement and activity! We are a judgement free community who want to inspire others to become more active as well! Through-out our season, you will experience fitness events, collaborations, workshops, panel discussions, and have an incredible network of fitness outlets to keep you on track with your fitness goals. This is the place to be Sis! Under our umbrella, we are working on the following post COVID-19: Sweat the City, fitness events that rock various urban cities around the country; Tuesday’s with Tiff, a weekly fitness class, LIVE via Zoom; Fit. Female. & of COLOR, our social activism group designed to uplift the Black Community through activation and fundraising; our Fitness Professional & Ambassador Program to support our female trainers nationwide; and finally, Fit and Female Active Apparel our official lifestyle and workout clothing line.
Get used to seeing our unique logo design that represents our three feels: Strong, Motivated, Happy, & our “A “which represents our foundation of Activity. WE ARE redefining women’s fitness culture… join our movement….
MISSION:
To encourage all women, regardless of fitness level or modality, to lead a healthy active lifestyle.
VISION:
We stand for inclusion. No longer are we standing for the stereotypical ideals of what a fit woman should look like. How you choose to “fitness” is just perfect!
BELIEFS:
We believe that after every Fit and Female Active fitness experience, you should leave feeling STONG.MOTIVATED. & HAPPY and strive to make every experience incredible and ensure that it is led by a professional fitness instructor who is knowledgeable and prioritizes your safety and fitness goals.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
For fitness YES! Although Atlanta is saturated with some of the best fitness brands and trainers, I think that the demand is there! Atlanta has a great reputation for supporting black owned businesses.