We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Montpetit-Huynh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I had my first daughter, almost 21 years ago, I said to myself “I really have to love what I am doing to keep me away from my child and I don’t”.

I loved fitness and a colleague of mine suggested that I do it full time and I didn’t take her seriously (or even consider it) until after my daughter was born.

She was the catalyst,

What should our readers know about your business?
I began my self employment journey when my daughter was an infant, almost 21 years ago.

I started the first of it’s kind, in home personal training company that brought fitness, massage therapy and nutrition to pregnant and new mothers across Toronto and the GTA.

Over the years, I grew, received a lot of media attention and became a well known expert in my field, dispelling alot of myths about exercise in pregnancy and the importance of core and pelvic health during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.

After almost 15 years, I was tired of trading my time for money and brought my business online. This was about 1.5 yhears before the pandemic and yes, I was SCARED.

I knew this was something that would allow me to scale my business, but I had no idea where to start.

But through devine intervention (and FB messenger), I hired my first coach that helped personal trainers build businesses online. Was it scary? Yep. I had never spent that kind of money before.

But was it worth it? Absolutely!

That was the beginning and I never heard back.

My business grew way beyond my biggest dreams and I have since had 3 other coaches. I truly believe that what got you where you are currently (now), will not get you to the next level.

My biggest growth was understanding that value of investing – in both my business and my own personal development.

I now help women do just that. I have pivoted far from the typical fitness message that weight loss = fitness or vice versa, and now help women 40+ understand that health and fitness comes in all shapes and sizes but they are the ones that have to take 100% responsbility for their life so they can make the best choices going forward.

My passion is to help women navigate menopause and midlife and be an advocate for their health so fight against the stigma that is associated with aging and kick-ass during the second stage of life!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ha! I wish I knew lol. Kidding. I am a victim of not enjoying all that my amazing city offers.

In Toronto, I would probably make reservations for dinner at the CN Tower.

Long walks along tghe boardwalk in the beaches and dim-sum in China Town.

I would take them for cool thrift shopping in Kensington Market and most definitely, wake up early one morning and have an infamous pemeal bacon sandwich at St. Lawrence Market.

And hopefully we could catch a Blue Jays game at the open dome and then a Toronto Raptors game that night.

After that, grab a drink along one of the many cool patios along King St W to end the night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The only thing I can think of is the Ontario Self Employment Benefit Program. This was a government run program that paid participants minimum wage to go back to school full time and learn how to start your own business, from the ground up.

It was an incentive to get people off of unemployment and get them back into the work force.

My daughter was a baby at the time and I honestly don’t believe that I would have a business if it wasn’t for this program.

So I quit my job and went all in.

Website: samcoretrainer.com

Instagram: @samcoretrainer

Linkedin: @samcoretrainer

Twitter: @samcoretrainer

Facebook: @samcoretrainer

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.