Meet Briana Cooper | Personal Trainer & YouTuber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Briana Cooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Briana, how do you think about risk?

Ever since I moved to Miami, taking risk is one of the biggest things I applaud myself on. Moving from the small town of Cleveland, Tennessee to a city that would literally SWALLOW my hometown – was risky and terrifying. When I quit my job in the middle of a pandemic because my mental health was at stake – that was a risk. When I decided to choose entrepreneurship over finding another job – that was a risk.

I think when we talk about risk we must also talk about the fear that we’ve had to overcome…

Whether it be the fear of failing, fear of rejection, or simply just fear of the unknown. But if you really stop to think about it…What is fear? It’s all made up if we’re being honest. A child is only afraid of the dark because of their inability to see around them. We put off asking that person out, we hold out on applying for that job, we neglect living out our dreams all because of …fear.

But what happens when we risk the impossible and ditch all our fears?

I’ve found myself so intrigued with flowers growing through the sidewalk lately. It’s so poetic to me how they manage to break through all those layers of concrete, yet stretch their petals high to the sky as if they’ve never known a struggle. Below the concrete is darkness, warmth, a place of security. This will often be surroundings you have adapted to or a situation you have grown comfortable in. Whereas, the concrete represents all the hurdles and barriers you have to overcome in life.

But just above the surface, when you finally emerge, is light, new beginnings, and adventure.

If you let fear dictate your life then you will be satisfied with staying below the concrete, stuck in the same place with nowhere to grow. But if you branch out and take that life-changing risk, you might find yourself in a new light embarking on a completely different journey.

So that’s what I did …

I moved to Miami, no friends or family within 700 miles, only $500 in my bank account, and an airbnb booked for one month.

Four years later …

I quit my job to become an entrepreneur and open my own business, Built by Bri Fitness – dedicated to helping women drop extra weight off their mind and bodies.

Bet on yourself and take that risk, I promise God won’t let you fail.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Well, first you should know that it initially didn’t start as a business – it actually started as a hobby. Back in 2015, I started my fitness journey in college and it slowly progressed into an Instagram page (@BuiltbyBriFit). On my account, I shared my fitness journey which included – workouts, recipes, and encouragement for other women. It wasn’t until 2019, that I decided to start helping other women who were beginning their fitness journey.

One of the biggest things I pride myself on is meeting women right where they are on their fitness journey.

Going to the gym and working out can be intimidating. Oftentimes whenever I went to the gym, I would see the majority of the women there cooped up in a corner with one set of dumbbells or machine hopping with no direction or purpose.

That’s when I knew that I wanted to help other women build their ideal bodies.

I officially started my business in February 2020 …yep, right before life as we knew it would change forever.

With that being said, my journey has not been easy in the slightest.

Once gyms shut down due to the pandemic – I had to find a way to shift. I then started selling eBooks so that women could workout from the comfort of their own homes, but that wasn’t bringing in NEARLY as much profit as I had hoped …so I had to shift again. I started offering Personal Training and this was the most amazing thing I could have done. Almost two years later and here I am – still standing.

I now host 6 weeks fitness challenges to help women drop extra weight off their bodies AND minds.

This has been my biggest shift.

Learning how to shift my business to keep up with our ever-changing world has definitely been the biggest lesson. However, I’ve learned that if you are open to feedback and listen when others are talking – then you will know exactly where you need to meet them and how you can adapt.

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.

Oh, I’ve got you boo! That’s funny you ask because this is actually one of my most popular questions I get from my Turo guest. Everyone is always looking for a dope spot to kick it or cute Instagrammable spots throughout the city.

If you’re like me and only go on vacation to try new food you definitely want to check out Coyo Taco or 1-800-Lucky for some delicious and affordable food. Or if you’re feeling fancy head to NOBU or KOMODO for dinner. A few Instagrammable spots to visit would be Wynwood or Lincoln Road.

My final suggestion that I give to absolutely EVERYONE that visits the beautiful city of Miami is to catch one sunrise and one sunset. You must go to the beach to see one of the most life-changing sunrises you will ever see, and if you go to the Mondrian on South Beach there you will see the most incredible views as the sun sets behind the view of Downtown Miami. I promise, you won’t regret it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My parents definitely deserve credit in my story. Without their constant support and endless love that they show me each and every step of my journey I wouldn’t be where I am today.

So for that …

Thank you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for always being there when I fall down. Thank you for encouraging me to pick myself back up. Thank you for being my biggest fans in every aspect of life. Thank you for listening. For all the times that you encouraged me to step outside of my boundaries, I appreciate you. Thank you for giving me the tools to succeed and allowing me to find my own way. I love you both, forever!

Website: builtbybrifitness.com

Instagram: instagram.com/builtbybrifit

Twitter: twitter.com/builtbybrifit

Facebook: facebook.com/builtbybrifit

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk7Tp-f9SNZh156gi-5xv0w/featured

Other: instagram.com/breology101 twitter.com/breology101 https://www.tiktok.com/@breology101 https://www.tiktok.com/@builtbybrifit