Today we’d like to introduce you to Montel Hardin.

It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?

I started picking up an interest in health & fitness my freshman year of college, which was 7 years ago. I was 150 pounds soaking wet, and just looked like a little boy on campus! I wanted to do something to not only remain active, but start to develop some confidence in myself as well.

I started hitting the gym, not knowing what I was doing & not making any progress.

So after awhile, I decided to start researching the best methods to build muscle, what to eat & more.

I finally started to see progress & put on 20lbs of muscle in my first year of training, and from there I was hooked.

The confidence boost & the energy I gained was amazing. I used the knowledge that I’d acquired to start training some of my friends that were in basketball, and then my then-girlfriend, now wife. I helped her get ready for a pageant by dropping 6lbs & fitting seamlessly into her dress! After that, I realized I had a gift for helping people hit their fitness goals.

So I worked a few odd jobs but continued to study, eventually got certified & once I did, I took my first training gig at Planet Fitness in 2017! After a successful year there, I branched off on my own & started Hardins Fitness, and the rest; as they say, is history.

Now, my wife ,Tash Hardin & I, coach men & women all over the world!

I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?

There were TONS of challenges. Owning a fitness business in the south is NOT as easy as you’d think. A lot of people are reluctant to really put in the work to get healthier, so I’ve devoted the last 5 years to TEACHING proper training, nutrition & mindset around getting healthier. Because knowledge is power. Once you know better, you do better, so we transitioned our coaching program from instructing to teaching. I want every client that joins our program to leave with as much knowledge as possible so they can sustain their progress for the rest of their lives.

Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?

We help people that struggle with their health & fitness, create healthy habits that fit their busy lives & schedules. We teach men & women how to strength train properly, how to implement a well balanced diet, and probably most importantly, how to THINK like the person they want to be.

The reason we get such amazing results in comparison to other coaches & other trainers, is that we focus on the mental aspect as well.

Before you can get off the couch & go to the gym, or get out of the drive through & start eating cleaner , your mind has to be in the right place.

Our thoughts affect so many of our decisions. If you tell yourself that eating healthy doesn’t work for you, then you’ll shy away from it. If you don’t feel you’re deserving of the body you want, you’ll sabotage yourself.

When we fix minds, fixing bodies is easy. We make fitness fun, simple & most of all effective for every client that’s willing to put in the work.

What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?

My best piece of advice if you want success not only in your health & fitness, but life in general, is to always be a leaner. Don’t be rigid & unwilling to change. A lot of times , growth is on the other side of uncomfortableness.

As adults we get so used to what we like, and what we don’t & we just never try to do or learn anything new. The best thing we did for ourselves as people & as a business, was drop the ego, find help & learn as much as we possibly could.

Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?

Success to me is being fully confident in yourself, and having the freedom to do what you truly want to do in your life. It’s that simple.

What’s next for you?

We’ve got a 5 year plan to make The HustleFit Academy a 1,000 client community, with a team of 5-10 coaches that are changing lives every single day!

Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more.

If you want to connect with me, social media is the best place!

On Instagram, Twitter, TikTok & Facebook, I’m @coachmontel.

On LinkedIn, Montel Hardin!!