who we are

danielle

Founder, Director of education, lead performance coach

Born in Boston, no accent to show for it, but she wears Timberlands with the tags on and curses like a townie when she’s coaching. Tattoos up and down her left arm because she was trying really hard to figure herself out during her twenties. Graduated from USC with an English degree, a deactivation from her sorority, and a bit of an eating disorder and a drug problem. Perfectionism is hard to maintain without some maladaptive coping mechanisms. Can’t let anyone know you’re struggling or you won’t be trusted right? She moved to a horse ranch in Arizona where she considered remaining forever, smoking cigarettes and sipping whiskey around bonfires. Afternoon horseback riding and early morning sunrise runs, what’s not to love? But her deeper dream of becoming a teacher kept nagging at her insides. She got her masters in education from UC Berkeley and taught high school English for three years. Dreams are supposed to feel really good, aren’t they? There was a gaping hole she couldn’t comprehend and she just kept pouring liquor into it to silence the sound of something missing. She got fired because depression kept her in bed for too long. Couldn’t get up, wouldn’t get up. She ended up in rehab in 2016. Her first of 3. She failed a lot at sobriety. Got married, got drunk, got divorced. Found fitness but lost all her jobs in it because she kept relapsing. She finally got it to stick. Committed to a year in a sober living to make sure of it. Started coaching. Saved her own life, one day at a time. Yoga and cycling, primarily. Bootcamps and personal training if you want it. Got her masters in Sport and Exercise Performance Psychology at CSULB. Found her husband at a GritCycle studio. Found her best friend there too. Had a baby, started a business. Now here we are. Brick by brick, baby, you gotta be the one to build it. Do the thing. Start when you’re ready. Good thing ready is not a feeling, but an action. So start now, yeah? Welcome to your daily practice. 

kate

Founder, creative director

Kate grew up oceanside in San Diego. She’s bright like sunshine, but she’s got a dark side. A lot of people told her she would be just like her mom and struggle with her mental health too. Doctors get away with throwing prescriptions at that. She believed them for a while. Took pills to solve a problem that didn’t exist. Numbed out the childhood trauma and then ran from it. She loves music and worked for a concert promoter. Obsessed with the behind-the-scenes production component, but ended up on stage with Stevie Nicks once for fun. Greenday popped her into a music video too. Catch her twirling her baton. Started her own company, promoted clothing brands in action sports, and modeled for a bit. That’s why our outfits are so good. Got married, had a daughter, then had twins. Three girls and only in her twenties, she made it work because she’s a boss like that. A barista at Starbucks, she's the queen of caffeine. Helps when you have to drive to and from water polo tournaments for years on end. Lost herself a little in motherhood but found her way back home again through fitness. She realized how far away she had traveled from her own sense of self. Movement guided her back to strength. She might not be here without it, honestly. Stopped drinking in 2022 when she realized it didn’t do a damn good thing for her. Got off the meds too, they were making her depressed. Sometimes you have to take the reins on your own life. Take an internal inventory. Bandaids don’t cover bullet holes. Self-awareness into action? That will do the trick.