Nana Al Haleq had not done push-ups for almost three years due to a shoulder and elbow injury. When her trainer included it in her programme, she was cautious but gamed to try it. To her surprise, she completed what would seem like a gruelling regimen to many.
“Looking at the form, it was not the best. But I will look at it as small progress because this journey is my own journey – I do it so I can be better. I do it because I love the sport, and most importantly, I do it not to please anyone but myself,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post.
Nana’s straddling of frank vulnerability, and poised confidence makes her a compelling fitness influencer (also known as a key opinion leader, or KOL) to watch. Her passion for building up physical strength and resilience is palpable. She admits that “the more intense the workout, the more zen” she is, because – ironically – it is a time that she feels most like herself.
Since she started posting her fitness journey on social media in 2016, Nana’s popularity has exploded. The down-to-earth 36-year-old has a following of over 220,000 on Instagram. A certified coach with credentials from Australian Strength Performance, Nana is the brand ambassador for Under Armour Southeast Asia and Apple. Her career has transcended social media to TV hosting and corporate wellness coaching. All in all, Nana sees about a 20% increase in revenue every year, according to her talent management company, Suppagood.
Nana speaks to Asia Connects about her journey. What goes on behind the scenes of a fitness KOL business?
Asia Connects: What got you into fitness and eventually to focus on strength and bodybuilding?
Nana: It started when I was in primary school. My mum introduced my sister and me to sports like netball, cycling and running. It turned out I was good at track and field and long jumps, just like my mum when she was young. Under her training, I went on to represent the Selangor state and tried for Sukan Malaysia. However, at 16, I decided to quit track and field to focus on my studies.
Fast forward to when I became an adult. I started earning my own money and could join a gym. The original intention was to train to look good, like getting glutes. After three to four months, I managed to achieve what I wanted!
I love learning about and doing anything that helps my body perform better. That gave me the drive to keep pushing myself physically. I started training like the athlete I was, eventually hiring a mentor in Australia who could help me further with nutrition and workout protocols. That’s how I started my fitness journey.
AC: How did you begin sharing your fitness story on social media, and at what point did you realise it could be a viable career?
Nana: I started my Instagram account in 2016 when I entered fitness. The account would be like a fitness diary for me. But somehow, the follower count blew up.
In less than a year, I got over 20,000 followers. I started to feel a sense of responsibility for what I share, so I attended seminars and did more reading to expand my knowledge. I wanted to ensure that what I post is information that truly helps others. That’s how my account transitioned from merely keeping myself accountable to becoming more educational.
I had no idea I was considered an influencer, even though brand sponsorship and jobs have started to flow in. I eventually engaged a talent manager, Sarah, who looked at my rates and said, “Nana, you are ruining the market!” I was undercharging everyone. Sarah taught me how much to charge for different jobs and the strategies for every other aspect of being an influencer. She helped me tremendously to grow my brand into a career and showed me how to branch out from social media to be a fitness and health speaker, host, coach, and more.
AC: Having been in the KOL business for several years, what are some of the challenges that you still face?
Nana: Well, with a wide following in the Malay community, I still need to brush up on my bahasa pasar (colloquial Bahasa Melayu) and learn all the latest lingo – to be more down-to-earth with the way I speak so that my community can resonate with me more.
Right now, I’m taking an online course and pursuing a certification in holistic nutrition. Hopefully, I will complete it by this year, and in ten years, my goal is to be a holistic doctor. I’m also trying to stay updated with new fitness, health, and nutrition findings to post accurate information.
For years, I’ve also been talking about starting a YouTube channel. Besides having Suppagood to manage the business side of my brand, I’m a one-woman show in content creation – I direct and shoot my videos and edit them. I tried hiring freelancers, but it did not go well. Many of them did not know how to shoot fitness videos because it requires certain angles or some amount of physical fitness – when I’m doing squats, the videographer may also have to squat. So, I may put the YouTube channel dream on hold until I find the right talent to support me.
AC: While you emphasise authenticity in your social media post, as an influencer, you are also a brand and business. How does that play into what you portray online?
Nana: When working on branded content, I would need to adhere to the parameters set by the brand, like the editing, wardrobe, or music. It is sometimes a negotiation between who I am and what direction the brand wants. There are non-negotiables – like I usually politely decline brand engagements that have to do with slimming products or slimming clinics because I don’t personally believe in that.
As for my content, I have more freedom. Like, I can do anything I like. I try to stay as true to myself as possible in my posts. I share my limitations, injuries, and things I cannot do.
AC: People are fluid and change according to circumstances and age. But is it difficult for you as an influencer to change your direction, given that you have followers and brand partners to answer to?
Nana: I believe that fitness is vast. Change is part of growth. I’m 36 this year, and there are workouts that I can no longer do. I’m also shifting from bodybuilding to focusing more on rehabilitation, pilates, yoga and a holistic regimen to help my body heal from past injuries. So, my workout now is tailored towards strengthening particular muscles, improving flexibility and mobility and toning the body. These all still fall under the fitness and health umbrella.
Sure, changing direction means I may lose some followers. But other followers are ageing with me and may find my shift relevant. And one day, those followers that I lost may come back because they are at a similar stage in their lives. And if brands want me to do something that I’m now incapable of doing, I will communicate with them, and we’ll try to meet each other halfway.
The bottom line is to be honest about the changes with your audience and welcome them to go along the journey with you.
AC: How has the Malaysian fitness scene evolved since you started in this area?
Nana: Throughout my fitness career, I’ve had to deal with criticisms that women should not do workouts like strength training because we would end up looking like men. The level of acceptance for this has improved with more women in urban areas taking up CrossFit, weight lifting, and bodybuilding competitions.
But generally, the mentality in Malaysia regarding fitness is still lagging. There is still a perception of what a woman in fitness should or should not look like or do. You see women on social media being ridiculed or chastised when they post videos of themselves working out. People still cannot differentiate between showing off and fitness. In fitness, we do it for our mobility and body.
So, I believe women fitness KOLs will still face this issue in the next ten years. To that, I say, gear up! We are doing this for ourselves. We cannot make everybody happy, so you don’t have to succumb to what others expect you to be.
