Meet Liz Headley

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

Hi Liz, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up, I was always an athlete—I played everything from soccer and basketball to gymnastics and cheerleading, eventually becoming a D1 cheerleader. My experience as a collegiate athlete was incredible, but it was also eye-opening. I saw firsthand how easily sports—especially for women—can shift from being about performance to being about body image.

After graduating, I lost that structure and sense of purpose athletics gave me. I gained weight, was working at a job I disliked, and felt completely stuck. The gym became my escape, and eventually, I started training clients at a local gym after my 9-to-5. It was during this time that I rediscovered myself through strength training and mindset work, and I realized my true passion: helping others unlock their own confidence and strength while I continued to push my own limits.

The first pivotal moment in my business journey began when a woman came to me wanting to get stronger so she could care for her husband who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I’ll never forget watching the staff focus only on selling her a package instead of truly listening to her story. In that moment, I realized how transactional the fitness industry had become—and I knew I wanted to create something different.

The second moment was with a retired college soccer player who came to me after losing herself once her playing days were over. She felt stuck and unsure of who she was without sports. It wasn’t just about the 40 pounds she lost; it was about everything she gained along the way—her strength, her identity, and the belief that she was capable of so much more than she ever imagined. Seeing her transformation reminded me how powerful this work could be and how deeply it could change someone’s life.

The final moment came when my mom had a heart attack. Sitting by her side in the hospital, it hit me: health is everything. Helping her rebuild her strength brought everything full circle. It gave me absolute clarity that this wasn’t just a job—it was my calling.

That’s when I went all in. During the height of the pandemic, I quit my 9-to-5 and left the local gym to build Headley Performance out of my one-car garage. What started with just a few pieces of equipment and a handful of clients has since evolved into a thriving business.

Today, Headley Performance offers private training, group classes, sports performance coaching, and a virtual training platform that connects me with clients all over the world. Most importantly, it has become a community of strong, like-minded women and athletes, all committed to becoming the healthiest, strongest versions of themselves.

What began as my personal journey to find strength and confidence has now grown into my life’s work—helping others unlock that same power within themselves.

What should our readers know about your business?
Headley Performance was built from the ground up—literally. I started it in my one-car garage during the middle of a pandemic, with just a few pieces of equipment and a handful of clients who believed in me. Today, it has grown into a thriving strength and nutrition coaching business, offering both in-person training and a digital platform that allows me to impact clients all over the world through my app.

What truly sets Headley Performance apart is connection, care, and attention to detail. So much of the fitness industry has become transactional—people just paying for another session or cookie-cutter program without any real impact or change. From the very beginning, my mission has been to create something different.

Here, every client is seen as a whole person, not just a number. I take the time to build out every nutrition and training program specifically for that individual. The process begins with a detailed questionnaire that digs into their lifestyle, goals, challenges, and health history. From there, I do extensive research to ensure every detail is dialed in. This is never a one-size-fits-all approach—the small details matter, and I pour myself into making sure each program truly serves the person it was built for.

If you’re not doing my custom coaching, the Headley Performance training app provides another way to train with me. It offers several programs, circuits, standalone workouts, and my full warm-up/cool-down routines to choose from. While these aren’t fully custom, they are still thoughtfully designed with long-term change and sustainable results in mind, giving you access to high-quality training no matter where you are starting from.

I work with a wide range of clients—from women who are brand-new to fitness and want to feel confident and strong, to competitive athletes striving to perform at their highest level. What ties them all together is a commitment to growth and a desire to unlock their full potential.

One of the things I am most proud of is the community we’ve built. Watching women and athletes support each other, push each other, and celebrate one another’s wins—both inside and outside the gym—has been incredible. It’s more than fitness; it’s a movement.

But getting here wasn’t easy. Starting a business in the middle of a global shutdown came with its challenges. There were late nights, early mornings, and countless moments of doubt. There were times I questioned if I was capable, if I was ready, or if this dream would work. But I’ve learned that success comes down to one thing: showing up, especially on the hard days.

I’ve faced setbacks, like transitioning from a stable 9-to-5 to running a business full-time, navigating financial risk, and building a brand completely from scratch. I overcame those challenges by leaning on my support system, staying true to my mission, and refusing to quit when things got tough. My husband’s unwavering belief in me, along with the values instilled in me by mentors like Andy Frisella and the 1st Phorm community, gave me the strength to keep pushing forward.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way:
• Consistency beats motivation. You won’t always feel like it, but you have to keep showing up.
• Your why matters. When you know why you started, you’ll find a way through every challenge.
• Community is everything. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and push you to grow.

What I want the world to know about Headley Performance is this: I’m here to change lives, and I won’t stop until we rewrite what fitness means—until it’s no longer about quick fixes, but about strength, longevity, and truly living.

It’s not just about workouts or nutrition plans—it’s about creating lasting transformation. Whether it’s helping a mom get strong so she can chase her kids around, coaching an athlete to reach their next level, or guiding someone to rebuild their confidence after losing themselves, my mission is always the same: to build stronger humans, inside and out.

At the heart of it all, Headley Performance isn’t just my business. It’s my life’s work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d want to give them the perfect mix of what I love most—fitness, food, adventure, and connection.
We’d kick things off with my Saturday Sweat class so they can experience the energy of my community firsthand and get a taste of what hard work feels like. After class, we’d refuel with my favorite protein coffee blend (1 scoop of Salted Caramel Collagen & ½ scoop of PSL Protein)—because workouts and good coffee are non-negotiable.

From there, we’d spend the day soaking up everything Colorado has to offer. In the summer, that means hiking in Breckenridge or exploring scenic trails nearby. Lunch would be somewhere local and laid-back, like a spot in Morrison or Golden, where the views are just as good as the food.

One day would definitely be dedicated to shopping—because anyone who knows me knows I love my clothes and shoes. Let’s be real, 99% of my closet is athletic apparel, and in my book, you can never have too much.

Evenings would be a mix of relaxing at home with my dogs, Penelope (Nellie) and Maple, a homecooked dinner or going all in on the ultimate game night—Settlers of Catan style. I’m competitive, so it always gets intense and hilarious.

The week would wrap up with a final sunrise walk or hike, a big breakfast, and a moment to just slow down and soak it all in. Colorado has this beautiful balance of adventure and calm, and I’d want my best friend to leave feeling recharged, inspired, and like they got a true taste of everything—fitness, food, nature, and connection.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I have to give credit to my husband—the person who has been in my corner through it all. He is the type of man whose strength inspires everyone around him. His work ethic, his drive, and his resilience are unmatched. He has faced challenges that most will never know, yet he continues to rise and lead by example.

On my hardest days, he’s the one telling me, “You’ve got this—get back up.” Without his support and belief in me, I wouldn’t have had the courage to chase this dream. He pushed me to do things I never thought I was capable of, and because he believed in me so fiercely, I began to believe in myself. His impact on my life and my business speaks volumes, and I feel incredibly blessed to walk through this life and this journey with him by my side.

I also have to credit 1st Phorm and Andy Frisella, who have had a tremendous influence on both my professional and personal growth. From day one, their mission and message resonated deeply with me—not just about building a business, but about building yourself. Andy’s teachings on discipline, grit, and doing the hard work when no one is watching completely transformed my mindset.

The culture and mentorship I’ve found through 1st Phorm have helped shape the very foundation of Headley Performance. The values of community, authenticity, and truly caring for people are things I’ve watched them model over and over again, and they’ve deeply influenced how I lead my clients and my business.

Headley Performance wouldn’t exist without these influences. They’ve both shaped not just the business I’ve built, but the person I’ve become along the way.

Website: https://headleyperformance.com/

Instagram: @headleyperformance

Image Credits
Stephanie Parsley