Movement is a way of life for Carmen James.

The owner of Fit Bella Vei and a 2021 recipient of a $5,000 Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grant, James started her personal training business in 2012 to help others find their own happiness in health.

“My motivation for starting my business was based on adversities that I’ve faced in my life,” James said. “A lot of that drive comes from not just all of my kids but one specifically – my oldest, Amara, who had cerebral palsy. She passed away in 2013, and throughout the duration of her life, she had lots of challenges because of the cerebral palsy. What I found was my faith and movement were the only things that many times sustained me.

“I knew the power in movement and how it made me feel, and so I wanted to create a business based on helping to inspire other people to take ownership in their health and in their happiness.”

James is one of 90 Kalamazoo business owners who together received a total of $450,000 in KMEG funds during 2021 through a partnership between United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region and the City of Kalamazoo with support from the city’s Foundation For Excellence.

James works full time as a Strategic Engagement Manager for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan, and turns her attention to running Fit Bella Vei in the hours before and after. She trains clients primarily in the evenings through small group classes or one-on-one training at her home in Kalamazoo, partners with a local chef to provide meal plans to clients, and teaches cardio kickboxing at the Kalamazoo YMCA Maple Street location. Fit Belle Vei, along with Armond Rashad, also powers Run This Town Kalamazoo.

She has used the KMEG funds to begin renovating her garage to create a more ideal space in which to train clients.

“What I love most about my work (with Fit Bella Vei) is seeing the transformation,” she said. “Not the physical transformation – I mean don’t get me wrong, the physical transformation that happens from people making choices that are beneficial to their body is really dope – but what’s even more dope is seeing the mental and emotional transformation, and the bond that a lot of my clients end up having with each other, and the friendships that blossom from that. Seeing people happier and healthier and making healthier choices is ultimately the most rewarding gift in what I do.”

James had heard about the grant program in 2020 from contacts with Black Wall Street Kalamazoo, but missed the deadline. This year she was ready, with friend Regina Miller on board to help execute the grant submission. United Way staff helped them navigate a small issue with a document upload, a personal touch that was much appreciated, James said.

“I’ve had a wonderful experience with the United Way,” she said. “I thought that was really dope to see that someone was that invested in making sure that I was given the opportunity and given the support to follow through on the entire process. Because it’s not something we do every day, and being a business owner, a mom, working full time and then trying to maintain your own sanity, those little pieces mean so much.”

Q&A

Where do you find support as a small business owner?

“I find a lot of support in a lot of the relationships that I’ve built. I come from an extremely awesome and supportive family, specifically my mother, and I have a wonderful group of ladies that have been clients that are now my friends that continue to support me. I also have a very close best friend – Regina Miller – who is very detail-oriented. I’m more of the doer, and so she helps kind of keep me on track and does a lot of the administrative part of my business, just because she loves me with no expectation. So that’s the support I have, and now the United Way grant of course has added to that – the financial support.”

What’s your biggest challenge as a business owner?

“The challenges that I face as a business owner really come down to financial challenges. There’s so many dreams and other things that I really want to sink my teeth into, and add to my business. I’m still learning how to utilize the resources that I do have.”

Goals for the future?

“I want to have a sustainable business. What that looks like exactly I don’t know, but I would like to be in a position to train trainers and continue to inspire other people to help folks live a happier and healthier lifestyle.”

Any advice for other business owners?

“One thing that I’m still learning is that everything does not have to be perfect for you to execute. You can dream big, you can still take those steps to pursue your dreams. It does not always have to be perfectly in place. Do the best with what you have, and utilize your resources.”