ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Nicole.
You know how life sends you through crazy shit sometimes? I'm a firm believer that that shit happens for a reason and it's all a part of your story. This is mine.​
Nice to meet you.
Even though I'm into fitness today, that's not where my transformation took place in my life and that's not why I do what I do today. That might sound odd, but let me start from the beginning. I'm a California Girl. Born and raised in a small town, I grew up knowing and loving the feeling of a close-knit community. I also grew up with my toes in the sand and sunshine lighting up my life every single day, even in the winter.
My life was flipped on its head when I was diagnosed with cancer. My seven-year-old mind didn't get it. And then I really didn't get it when my doctors told me I had a brain infection that would require surgery to remove. It just didn't make sense-- I ate my fruits and veggies, I didn't eat candy, I was an active kid, I never had any artificial food-coloring, and everything in my cabinets were organic. How this happened to the kid who had a hyperaware healthy nurse for a mother made zero sense. We often learn through our early years that "life's not fair" from Mom, Dad, and any other authoritative figure who is trying to shut down a temper tantrum, but I was taught by life over night that life's not fair. But life doesn't have to be fair for it to still be amazing.
I lived my best life during treatment. I truly lived like I was dying and that's because I was. Everything in my childhood had been compromised by cancer in some way, shape, or form, but there was no way I was going to let cancer compromise my happiness and that was a conscious choice. Because happiness is a choice. I know this for a fact because I lived my days as Eeyore after I was cured of cancer. You'd think I'd be celebrating life, but nope. The sunshine faded and the days got dark. I asked "Why me?!" an embarrassing amount of times. I pointed fingers at everyone and everything. And I cursed life for the hand I was dealt. I was so far lost down the deep, dark rabbit hole that I couldn't even recognize that I needed to take a good hard look in the mirror for the answers on how to climb my way out and back into the sunshine. But then, I did something that I didn't know would change my life: I asked for a gym membership for Christmas. I had no idea how to workout at the age of 15, I just knew that I hated what I saw in the mirror and wanted to do something about it. So every Friday my dear grandma would pick me up from high school and drop me off at the gym where I'd run on the treadmill for 3 hours or until I burned 1,000 calories-- whichever came first. Pretty soon, I was burnt out from my unhealthy way of living and the treadmill had been nicknamed "the DREADmill" for obvious reasons. I knew there had to be a better way.
I found that better way when I walked past this big room at my gym packed with people who were exercising by doing some sort of flashmob dance with punches and kicks. It looked so fun, but as the only person in my high school who did not make the beginners dance team with my two left feet, I knew I'd just be making a fool of myself. My emaciated body watched from the DREADmill every single day at the gym until I finally mustered up the courage to try this crazy class. And yes, I did make a fool of myself. And yes, both left feet were present. And I had no idea what I was doing, but the lady next to me said "give it 5 classes before you judge." And 5 classes later, I was hooked on this crazy exercise class. And this exercise class was my first step to climbing out of that dark rabbit hole and finding my way back into my world of sunshine.
It's been over 12 years since I made that simple, yet life-changing decision just to try something new and not quit at it. But that decision led to both a physical and mental transformation in my life. It also ignited my passion for serving others who are looking to find their best selves through fitness. To date, I've taught thousands of fitness classes as a group exercise instructor and fitness coach, traveled the country as a competitive bodybuilder, and even become an expert in the fitness industry as both a coach and entrepreneur. All because I took baby steps that added up to big ones that ultimately, changed my life and gave me a sense of purpose in this world.
With me, transformation is not about burning fat and building muscle. It's about burning self-doubt and building confidence.
I really don't care about how big your biceps are or how flat your stomach is-- I care about how you feel and if you are happy with the you that you see in the mirror every day. And if you want to transform into an even better version of you, then guess what? I'm here to tell you that the power to do so lies with you. Just decide to start. And if you need a helping hand, a cheerleader, a workout bestie, or just someone to tell you that you butt looks cute in your yoga pants (because it does!), then I'm your girl and you, my dear, are in the right place. Your adventure begins here and I'd love to be a part of it.