Michael Mark Bonella, Coach|Owner

Life is a series of choices, and at 17, I made my first big one: leaving home for Oakland, California. I graduated high school early, put myself through certified nursing assistant school, and used that diploma as my ticket out of a town I felt stuck in for far too long. My first job was in a long-term care facility, where I got a front-row seat to the realities of neglected health—mental and physical. Even the "good" scenarios were rough, and this was considered a "nice" facility.  The reality was sobering. I remember thinking, “This cannot be where my story ends...”

That moment sparked a fire in me—an insatiable curiosity about physical fitness, mental health, nutrition and how they have the ability to dictate our fate. I began desperately searching for a road map that lead me to an ending better that the one In front of me. What began as a personal interest evolved into a passion and eventually a career dedicated to helping others rewrite their own stories through health and wellness. Over the past ten years, I’ve climbed the ranks in the fitness industry, from Personal Trainer to Master Instructor, Private Wellness Manager, Regional Fitness Director, and most recently, Director of Fitness Programming. Along the way, I was even given the privilege of teaching those working to become certified trainers themselves. This made me... the trainer of trainers? Teaching them how to be the best fitness professionals they can be has been thus far the most rewarding part of my story. .

Unlike many of my peers, I do not have an impressive wall decorated with college degrees. What sets me apart is my relentless determination to learn more, try harder, and do better. I’ve helped dozens of men, women, and teens smash through their limits to achieve fitness, lifestyle, and even career goals. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t pretend to be—I’m just the guy who’s passionate about teaching you how to avoid needing one by investing in your health and well-being.

So, ask yourself: How did you get here? And more importantly, where do you want to go next?