Today we’d like to introduce you to Douglas Chironno Aka “DougFit”.
Hi Douglas, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path has always lived at the intersection of fitness, nutrition, fashion, and entrepreneurship even before I had language for it.
I originally became a personal trainer to pay my way through my nutrition education. What began as a side job to support my master’s degree quickly took on a life of its own. My personal training business took off in Manhattan, where I had the opportunity to work with high-level professionals who became both clients and mentors. At the time, fitness was booming, and while nutrition played a role in helping clients reach their goals, my formal nutrition career was temporarily delayed by the success of my training practice.
During this period, I also competed nationally in both bodybuilding and powerlifting, gaining firsthand experience in performance, discipline, and the extremes of physique-driven culture. Ultimately the irregularities of personal training business and completing my M.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Science pushed me out of the sport and on to something new..
As my work evolved, I moved deeper into New York City’s business and fashion districts and launched Haute Sculpt, a model-focused workout class that blended fitness, movement, and fashion. The classes became collaborative experiences with the backing of some major activewear and fashion brands. While the momentum was exciting, it also came with significant challenges.
One pivotal moment came when I helped identify and address a series of health issues for a client. Afterward, that client gave me golden advice that changed everything: “You already have a business—you just don’t realize it. You know everything about health and fitness, but nothing about how to run a business.” That realization sparked a commitment to learning entrepreneurship daily.
Things began to align: adversity pushed me out of the gym and into a new fitness class for professionals on Fifth Avenue, model bootcamp classes in the fashion district and a thriving private practice, this was the early foundations of multiple brands— and then COVID hit and wiped everything out overnight.
I pivoted quickly, moved my training online, and took a one-way flight to Miami, which had long been a second home. There, I rebuilt from the ground up—training clients on the beach, working with high-level creatives, and helping produce fashion shows and photo shoots. It was during this period, one night under the stars, that the decision to pursue Haut-Ties® was born: the world’s first wearable resistance band.
After countless broken machines and trial-and-error, I eventually found an unexpected mentor—a sewing mechanic in Miami. I spent six months training under him, learning industrial sewing and manufacturing firsthand. I later returned to New York to complete my registered dietitian credential, traveling back and forth.
Along the way, I should mention a side passion for press photography led me to cover New York Fashion Week and Miami Swim Week. While searching for photography classes, I discovered Miami Dade College’s entrepreneurship program an accidental but defining turn that gave me a formal foundation in business.
Today, I’m a registered dietitian, continue to work with personal training clients, travel regularly between New York and Miami, and am focused on bringing Haut-Ties® into the world through fashion shows, pop-ups, and direct-to-consumer sales with the goal of expanding into retail. Every chapter has built on the last, reinforcing the same core principle: discipline, learning and adaptability.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Plenty of bumps. Im in an optimistic state so ill keep these short but there is plenty more than listed below
Early on, I made several attempts to go professional in bodybuilding, which taught me discipline and work ethic but also my limits.
As Haute Sculpt was gaining momentum, it nearly disappeared overnight due to management and corporate changes at our first client which was completely outside of our control. We had plans to bring the class to trade shows across the country – and then it all changed. We kept the classes going and landed a monthly class at a popular pop up shop in Soho Manhattan – until their corporate said no. We finally found a great brand to represent – taught a great class at their 5th avenue flagship location and then.. Covid. I learned a valuable lesson : nothing guarantees stability.
COVID hit. Like many in fitness, I lost everything almost instantly and had to start over from scratch. That forced a pivot to moving online, relocating temporarily, and building new networks and online systems rather than relying on just physical space.
With Haut-Ties®, the challenge shifted from physical training to physical production. Turning an idea into a real, manufacturable product came with constant doubt—especially stepping outside the traditional mold of what a personal trainer “should” do. Learning sourcing, sewing, materials, and logistics from the ground IS HARD. Even now, challenges persist, from discontinued fabrics in New York’s fashion district to paying hundreds in shipping costs for materials that cost only a few dollars – its really trial and error, and learning from the school of hard knocks.
I almost forgot to mention a manufacture pulled a fast one on me and gave me the wrong fabric on a repeat order early on. Again nothing guarantees stability – I had to find a new source.
At the same time, earning my registered dietitian credential required a ten-month, full-time clinical internship across settings ranging from law firms to level 1 trauma centers. By any reasonable standard, I shouldn’t have been running businesses during that period let alone multiple ones but I did, and somehow, everything held together.
I believe in the power of turning a negative into a positive. More than setbacks, these problems all became the training ground for everything I’m working on now.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
DougFit is a premium personal training and nutrition coaching brand founded by Douglas Chironno, a New York City–based personal trainer and registered dietitian. The brand focuses on helping high-performing professionals achieve sustainable, aesthetic, and functional results through intelligent training, evidence-based nutrition, and long-term lifestyle design.
What sets DougFit apart is the integration of clinical nutrition expertise with elite-level personal training. In addition to private coaching, Douglas provides professional nutrition services and community-based education through his registered dietitian practice, which includes teaching wellness and nutrition classes at recreation centers and community organizations across New York City.
Beyond one-on-one work, Douglas has built complementary brands including Haute Sculpt, a model-focused fitness platform, and Haut-Ties, an innovative wearable resistance band designed to merge fashion and function.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
DougFit.com, which serves as the central hub for private personal training, customized programs, and integrated nutrition coaching.
For those interested in supporting or collaborating on product, fashion, or fitness innovation, they can explore Hautties.com, home of Haut-Ties, my wearable resistance band brand.
I also share training insights, behind-the-scenes work, and ongoing projects on Instagram under @DougFit, where I connect with clients, creatives, and collaborators.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dougfit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougfit?igsh=MWh3ZzlhdWViY2wyZA==
- Other: https://www.hautties.com
Image Credits
DougFit
