Meet Kai Leathers of Move With Kai

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kai Leathers.

Hi Kai, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
In 2016, I was feeling pretty aimless and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. After getting a personal training certification, I began working as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at the YWCA of Asheville. After a couple of years of working with personal training clients, I realized I needed to enhance my knowledge of the injury and rehab process because almost all of my clients had some underlying limitation due to a previous injury. While still employed at the YWCA, I began working toward a license as a physical therapist assistant. 

During my second semester of PTA school, the COVID-19 lockdowns happened, and I was furloughed from my position at the YWCA and slowly started to build a private personal training clientele, training people in public parks or out of their home. I graduated from school, earning a PTA license, and began working in acute care and outpatient settings, but my personal training business began to grow faster than I anticipated. I found myself sacrificing time to train clients in order to work as a PTA, and I decided to take a chance and focus solely on my business. 

Although I was no longer working as a PTA, I knew that I wanted to still be able to help my clients work through musculoskeletal pain and to recover from workouts. My favorite part of physical therapy was always the hands-on work of massage and joint mobilizations, so I decided to become a licensed massage therapist as well. This allowed me to work completely independently and offer a more well-rounded service to my clients instead of only exercise instruction. 

Almost seven years after starting my journey as a personal trainer, I am a proud small business owner and feel like I have found my true calling. My ultimate goal is to build a large network of local healthcare practitioners and become their trusted source of education for those who want to develop strength and find relief from musculoskeletal pain. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say the hardest part of this entire journey has been the amount of time I have spent in school and then building my business in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had the vision fairly early of working independently, but it took a long time to earn all of the licenses and certifications that now allow me to do what I want. It was hard to be patient and deal with financial instability along the way, but fortunately, I have had an amazing support group in my family, friends, teachers, and mentors. 

I feel very grateful to have seen some early success, but I feel like I have a long way to go. It is both scary and exciting to be at this step, and I am hopeful that my business will consistently grow over the next few years. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I offer one-on-one personal training and massage therapy specializing in helping people gain strength and mobility. My exercise programs teach people body awareness and safe technique so that they can avoid injury and mitigate old injuries. What sets me apart from other personal trainers is my knowledge of the physical rehab process and how to work around old injuries. If one of my clients has a mobility restriction, I can schedule a massage session in order to provide soft-tissue work that will open up a new range of motion for them. On the other side of the coin, if one of my massage clients has an area of weakness, they can follow up with me for a strength training session. This creates a very well-rounded experience for them, and in the process, they learn a great deal about their own bodies too. 

I also offer online exercise programming using the True Coach app. This allows me to share instructional videos with clients who do not live in my area. This includes weekly check-in calls and individualized workout plans, as opposed to just a one-size-fits-all program someone could randomly find online. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.movewithkaillc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/move.with.kai/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movewithkai
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithkai