about me

Ela Jean, she/her.

I’m a NASM-certified personal trainer and GGS-certified Women’s Coaching Specialist working in Santa Rosa, California. I regularly skipped gym class in high school, and now I nerd out on exercise science. Things change!

After over 20 years in the restaurant industry—once believed to be my forever home—I became disillusioned by its exploitative nature and growing exclusivity. Burned out and trying to escape the negative feedback loop of self-medication, I found unexpected relief in the gym. I needed an outlet for the tension I was holding in my body, and I never saw it coming, but lifting some heavy shit just worked. It gave me clarity and confidence, and empowered me to make much-needed changes in my life. This transformation inspired me to help others find a movement practice - especially those who’ve felt unease about the gym, or like fitness isn’t for them.

So, I shifted into the fitness world, a realm whose toxicity is glaring even to the untrained eye! A gatekeepy AF industry riddled with toxic masculinity, bogus beauty standards, exclusionary pseudoscience, and straight-up bullying, bigotry, and harassment! Oops.

It’s my mission to dismantle all that by promoting a different vision of fitness—one that’s safe and accessible for all, that celebrates individuality, diversity, and finding joy in movement.

When I’m not coaching, you’ll find me off-grid in the Sierras, traveling when I can, cooking, creating, and recharging—because fitness is part of my life, not my whole identity.