Justine Switalla is on a mission to positively impact and empower women around the globe and believes that with the right support, attitude and tools, anyone can overcome what it is that is holding them back and achieve their goals. Having struggled to adjust to motherhood when her first son was born, she found herself lonely and isolated. She embarked on a huge healing journey and knew she wanted to help other mums reclaim their identities and overall health and wellbeing. At Fit Healthy Mums, she helps transform women from a place of self-loathing, unhappiness and overwhelm to self-love and confidence, totally overhauling their mindset through nutrition, exercise and support from like-minded mums. Here, Justine talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her business, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I have always had a passion for health & fitness and was a Personal Trainer for 10 years before I fell pregnant with my first son. While I was pregnant, I saw that there was a huge gap in the market to support mums and mum-to-be. I felt like there was either way too much information available (info overload), or the wrong types of information that led mums to making poor choices when it came to their health goals. New mums weren’t aware of the damage they could do to their bodies post baby by embarking on the wrong type of training, so I set out to create workout routines that were safe and effective, on top of a healthy eating plan that was safe for breastfeeding, and family friendly.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I created Fit Healthy Mums when I was a new mum, so I literally mapped the whole program out in my living room with a baby pretty much attached to me 24/7. It took me 6 months to put it all together. I went above and beyond and invested a lot of time, money and energy into the website. It is more than just a website; it is a hub of information for mums. I worked with a physiotherapist and a nutritionist to make sure that all of the information was 100% accurate and backed by experts. I already had a large following of mums on my social media, and women were watching my every move when it came to my post baby transformation. The launch was a huge success, and to this day, I have seen thousands of women join my Fit Healthy Mums community. Nothing makes me happier than to empower women with the right tools and support to conquer their goals in a sustainable and healthy way.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
It is so empowering as a woman and a mum to be able to fulfil your hopes and dreams. I feel like a lot of women today hold themselves back, or don’t reach their true potential due to fear of failure, or judgement from others. Being a mum is the most amazing yet challenging job in the world, and I feel a lot of women lose sight of who they really are or their purpose once they become a mum. This can cause resentment and lead women to feeling alone and isolated. Being able to create a platform and a community where women can put themselves first means the world to me. It is not selfish to put your needs first, it is a necessity. When you are happy, and feel healthy and empowered, it makes all of the mundane parts of mum-life a lot more bearable. Witnessing these transformations has been huge: women supporting women – there really is no better job in the world!
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I have really had to manage this. It is so hard when you work for yourself to not be able to switch off. Social media becomes very addictive, and you feel like you have to give so much of yourself on the daily, and that in itself becomes exhausting. I have had to set clear boundaries with my clients, and with myself. I am lucky that my partner isn’t a fan of social media, and he is big on quality time, so he reminds me of what is really important. We have family day every Sunday, and I make sure that I am accessible when the boys need me. I try to get the most part of my work done during the day while they are at school. I have also learnt to protect my energy. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so I take time out when I need it. I am not one to falsify my life; my social media is NOT my highlight reel. I always keep things real and try to show people that just because I post pretty pictures doesn’t mean that my life is perfect, or that I don’t have my own personal struggles.
