What if everything you've been told about success is wrong?

This week, host Jess West sits down with her longtime friend Santina Philips, founder of URSUS Fitness in Hong Kong, for a raw and honest conversation about redefining success, building authentic community, and the grit it takes to thrive as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

About Santina Philips

Founder & Director of URSUS Fitness in Hong Kong, Santina has spent the last 10 years building a community around strength, grit, and growth. A passionate coach, personal trainer, and programming expert, she's dedicated to helping others fall in love with training and themselves.

A champion of women's health, Santina has led a women's S & C program for over 4 years, advocating for education, empowerment, and barbell confidence. From strongman athlete to business owner, her journey is raw, real, and packed with lessons in resilience, leadership, and showing up with purpose.

Episode Highlights

🎯 From Languages to Lifting

• How Santina went from studying Russian and German (and nearly dying from peritonitis in Siberia!) to founding one of Hong Kong's most beloved fitness communities
• Why she stepped away from her translation career to follow her passion for strength training
• The early days of driving 5-ton trucks around Hong Kong, dragging 300kg tires for functional fitness classes

💪 Competing at World's Strongest Man

• What drove her to become a strongman athlete and compete on the world stage
• How proving herself physically helped establish credibility in a male-dominated industry
• The moment she pulled a truck on camera (that wasn't even meant for her!)

🏋️‍♀️ Breaking Barriers as a Female Gym Owner

• Navigating the fitness industry as a young woman in a male-dominated space
• Why she felt she had to work twice as hard to earn respect
• The challenges of being taken seriously

🌪️ Weathering the Storms

• The breaking point: sitting in a hotel quarantine room, watching sewage flood her gym
• How the pandemic and health scares (including developing celiac disease from stress) forced her to redefine success
• Why she almost walked away—and what kept her going

🔄 Redefining Success

• Her evolution from chasing revenue and expansion to prioritising sustainable happiness
• Why she closed a second location and chose depth over breadth
• How she learned to trust her gut instincts, even when outnumbered in business decisions

👥 Building Community Over Competition

• The transformation from "scary strongman gym" to inclusive strength training community
• Why she pivoted to focus on women's health and functional fitness
• How she created a space where people build friendships for life, not just muscle

Connect with Santina

Personal Instagram: @bamlifts

Business Instagram: @ursusfitness

Online Programming: www.bamsboard.com

Gym: https://www.ursusfitness.com/

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @compasscoaching.co

Website: www.compasscoachingandyoga.com