We chat to the powerhouse that is Faye Edwards all about intentional fitness, mindset, self-belief and Davina McCall.
FitPro: So, Faye, your brand is Faye’s Intentional Training (F.I.T). Can you tell us what ‘intentional training’ means to you?
Faye Edwards: Intentional training is being conscious and mindful of why we are doing what we are doing – what is our purpose, our reason? It’s all about setting a positive intention to make us feel good, so the intention is about focusing on the feeling. We’re not moving to punish our bodies because we don’t like the way we look and feel, but we’re moving with gratitude for our body – for the things it can do.
I invite people to tap into how they’re feeling, and I connect with each individual and hopefully give them what they need, which is empowerment, confidence to uplift their spirits and to show them what their capabilities are. I want them to value those good aspects of their lives, so they become more confident in their jobs, in their day-to-day lives and they feel good about their body. If you smash your workout and end up on the floor in a puddle of sweat, it’s not about perfection or punishment, it’s about feeling accomplished and energised by the effort. Faye’s Intentional Training ethos is to focus on the feeling.
I want to connect with every single individual when they come into the class. I want to see the people at the back. Why are they there? What are they feeling? I want to put them in positions where they feel included. If I feel the room needs more connection, sometimes I will start in a circle so there’s no one at the back – we’re here together.
FP: Since September 2024, you’ve been full-time self-employed. What inspired that decision and how did you find it in yourself to take the plunge and leave the security of employment? Any top tips?
FE: I was at Third Space as group exercise manager for six years and then master trainer at Johnson Digital Studios, which is a global fitness equipment manufacturer, for two years. I always had my Intentional Training brand and I just got to the point where I wanted to progress it – this is my passion. I had no excuse not to follow my dream, even though I was in love with the jobs I was doing.
One of my top tips for anyone wanting to take the plunge is, firstly, I’m a big believer in having a side hustle. So, if you have a full-time or part-time job, have something on the side where you can really tap into your creativity. I do believe everybody is creative and you can find what you love through a hobby.
My next top tip is self-belief. Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and can help inspire and uplift you, but it does come from believing in yourself. Be sure of what you’re passionate about and be sure it can turn into something great. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re not going to have the ability to make your business thrive.
Lastly, feel the fear and do it anyway! Fear is a feeling we create and sometimes it doesn’t just disappear, but it’s not allowing it to take control over you. You have to take control of it. Yes, I was scared that if I left my well-paid, secure job, how was I going to pay my mortgage? But this was all a narrative I was creating that was going to stop me, so I said to myself that I would be able to do it. That I will find a way. If there’s a month I can’t afford something, I’ll find a way – even if I had to sell my clothes!
“My purpose is to be of service to others and to help improve their wellbeing by being a positive light, showing people we don’t have to stay stuck in boxes. I want to help people who don’t have self-belief, who have been told stories that they’re not enough – if I’ve got these tools, I need to share them.”
FP: You must have encountered a few challenges in the building of your business. How have you overcome them?
FE: I got to a point where I felt like I couldn’t do everything. So, for example, how do I build my brand? How do I make it stand out? How do I keep consistency with my website and my social media? How do I manage my admin work? All of these things!
Investing in my business was my first step to overcoming the things that challenged me and the state of overwhelm I was feeling. For example, I hired a web designer, a social media manager and a business coach. Having a business coach has helped me to manage the structure of my day. It takes a team to work alongside me to help my business thrive.
The times that I’ve had overwhelm, I just do things in bite-sized pieces. I let go of things I find too difficult and seek help with taking the load off.
I listen to a lot of positive affirmation music and it reminds me of my self-worth – of what I’m capable of. I’m so sure of my purpose and my mission in life that there’s no giving up. It’s about accepting there will be days I’m defeated and, if it’s too much, I have a break before going back to my core belief that there’s no stopping me!
To really stand out you need to look at what you’re doing to really engage people – that means being innovative with what you do. Don’t be a carbon copy of anyone else – authenticity is key! We can’t be everyone’s cup of tea, otherwise we’d be a mug – so just a reminder to be to be authentic, to invest in yourself, to ask for help, to collaborate. If there are people who inspire you, who resonate with you, you can create some magic together. Two brains are better than one!
FP: Your self-belief is strong. How have you cultivated that?
FE: I surround myself with a lot of inspirational, uplifting, positive people. Positivity is key. I cut out anything negative – I’m very careful about what I listen to, see and watch. I don’t watch the news; I won’t engage in anything that’s negative. It’s like I’ve got a shield around me that doesn’t accept anything on a low vibration, so that definitely helps with self-belief.
My purpose is to be of service to others and to help improve their wellbeing by being a positive light, showing people we don’t have to stay stuck in boxes. I want to help people who don’t have self-belief, who have been told stories that they’re not enough – if I’ve got these tools, I need to share them. It would be selfish of me to not share this passion and purpose. My business used to be called Faye’s Intense Training but now it’s Faye’s Intentional Training – that says a lot about how I’ve evolved as a person. I’ve learned to do everything in flow and not force.
FP: So how does the mindset work fit into your business? And tell us about what you call the ‘beast mindset’.
FE: The mindset work fits into everything I do, whether it’s a dance class or combat workout – whatever it is. For example, when I start a session, I invite everyone to set some intentions for the session – what is your expectation? What do you want to get out of it? So already they’re becoming present. They’re not thinking about anything else. I want to take them out of their head and into their body. I’ve launched my Mind Fit retreats for this purpose – we go to Zanzibar in September for the first retreat abroad. I have also enrolled on an intuitive psychology course to upskill what I deliver and I’m collaborating with a lot of skilful facilitators and practitioners who are going to help with the mindfulness side, including my mum who is a counsellor and life coach!
I’ve started to do live Zoom calls and I go live on TikTok for Monday’s Mind Fit Motivation, where we talk about overcoming fear, setting intentions, relieving the pressure, self-belief and overcoming fear. Mindset is at the forefront of my business because we can’t do anything without a positive mindset – real health to me is mental wellbeing and your physical wellbeing will improve when the mind is right.
When it comes to building that beast mode, I talk about positive affirmations a lot. I like to empower people to be their authentic self and get rid of any judgement of themselves. If there are things that no longer serve us and we need to let go of, through movement I encourage people to get aggressive in their workouts and turn that pain into power! It helps to build that resilience and it becomes our superpower!
FP: Talk to us about creating a deeper connection with your participants and being intentional in the way you communicate with people – what does the magic look and feel like to you?
FE: I’m a people person. People see who I am because they see I’m authentic. I don’t promote fitness as getting into shape with chiselled abs and all that – that’s shallow to me. I create a connection by paying attention to what people need and being a listener. We all have to make money because we have to live, but money is not my purpose. Creating a business and earning money is my tool, so I can do more to give more.
I want participants to feel pure joy and feel safe to be themselves. I encourage playfulness and lots of laughter and this is how I connect with people. I’ll show parts of my vulnerable side; I’ll show parts of my fun side; I’ll show parts of my silly side – that all helps me build a connection with people.
As instructors, sometimes we have a habit of going into robot mode when we’re coaching. So, when I’m starting a class, I make my best effort to get to know people’s names; I’ll talk to them directly and make eye contact. If music is playing, I’m talking about the lyrics and how that lyric can empower them during the workout. It’s about being observant to what people need. If someone’s feeling challenged by the choreo, I’m going to strip it down and we’re going to go back to basics.
When people understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, they will engage with it better. If we overthink and stay in our heads too much it can take the enjoyment out of what we are doing. This then defeats the purpose, and the purpose in my sessions is to get moving and just have fun!
FP: Tell us about your work with Davina McCall as one of her trainers.
FE: I met Davina at Third Space when I was group exercise manager at the Tower Bridge branch and she was booked to do an event for a fitness wearable. I was absolutely starstruck when I knew she was coming in. I was a big fan. When we met at Third Space, we gravitated towards each other and she followed me on social media that evening. She saw my F.I.T Jam dance movement workouts and it went from there. I did a masterclass at the fitness studio she went to and then she asked me to become a trainer on her platform about six years ago. She’s been a great support to me throughout my fitness journey. She’s always been encouraging.
FP: What does the next year hold for you?
FE: I’m going to focus on my Faye’s Intentional Training app, creating content I hope will engage lots more people. I’m launching a programme called FFS Training (Faye’s First Steps, not the usual acronym you see for FFS!) and my mission is to target people who are totally not into fitness and not motivated to do anything for their health and wellbeing. What about all the people who are not moving at all? Where’s the attention on them? These are the people we need to be reaching, so I’m trying to find innovative ways to reach out.
I’ll be creating bite-sized workouts for them at home, which I’ll film in my living room with no equipment, so they can do it any time, anywhere, and the workouts will be no longer than 30 minutes.
I also want to start doing projects in schools, empowering young people to look after their physical and mental wellbeing, and I also want to do some work in care homes. I’m thinking outside the box on getting non-movers to move. I don’t assume everyone is going to be inspired by me doing 100 burpees on social media!
I’ll also be running more retreats and launching my coaching and consultancy business, where I’m empowering people to create the life they want. Another passion project launching this year with my friend and fellow industry leader, Adrian Lambert, is the Group Ex Mastermind Retreat. This is where instructors, facilitators and coaches will recharge, elevate their skills and connect with a community of elite trainers who will give them inspiration and fire in their belly to take their business to the next level. It’s time to elevate!
“I hope to see much more inclusivity and diversity of people that is authentic and, if I’ve got anything to do with it, I see the future including a lot more diversity of people in fitness marketing.”
FP: And what direction do you see the industry moving in over the next one to five years?
FE: A lot of things are driven by technology and AI, so I feel like it’s going to become much more digitalised and more immersive. I feel like people will be popping out of the TV! I saw on socials the other day a musician who has made a glove that will change the reverbs and the sounds of her voice simply by moving her finger up and down in this glove. Tech is exciting but sometimes it can also be scary because I hope it doesn’t take away human connection, which is what people need.
I feel like there will be a rise in mental wellbeing and people becoming much more conscious, merging fitness and mental health into a wellbeing package.
I hope to see much more inclusivity and diversity of people that is authentic and, if I’ve got anything to do with it, I see the future including a lot more diversity of people in fitness marketing.
FP: And finally, you’re going to be joining us at FitPro LIVE later this year! What will you be sharing with us?
FE: I’m going to be delivering a F.I.T Jam workshop. It’s not a class, it’s an experience, where we focus on the feeling. Then I’ll be giving a talk about how we can create a deeper connection with our classes in an open discussion. It’s not about me telling people what should be done in a class but it’s about us coming together and sharing ideas of how we can elevate our teaching and create a deeper connection, so our participants leave with tools they can transfer into other aspects of their life. It’s about bringing mindfulness and consciousness into the fitness space and being intentional with all that we say and do. It’s about coming from a real place of love and passion when we teach.
Find out more about FitPro LIVE at London’s Excel 18-19th June, and register for early bird tickets
Faye Edwards
Faye Edwards is an internationally recognized fitness presenter, celebrity trainer, and the visionary founder of Faye’s Intentional Training App and Mind Fit Retreats. Renowned for her infectious high-energy approach, Faye is passionate about empowering individuals to embrace the joy of movement and focus on how fitness makes them feel. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry, Faye has excelled in roles such as Group Exercise Manager at the prestigious Third Space club and as a former competitive bodybuilder. As the creator of Mind Fit Retreats, she combines physical fitness with mental wellness, inspiring clients to prioritize their well-being and thrive in every aspect of life. Faye’s mission is simple yet powerful: to make fitness fun, accessible, and a cornerstone for personal growth and happiness.
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