December 10, 2019

Meet Trailblazer Leah Recania

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Recania.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Last summer, I took a huge faith step to relaunched my personal training business. This was a critical time for me because I was coming out of a few months of unemployment coupled with depression. Little did I know that was a life changing decision. My reach as a fitness professional quickly grew from one-on-ones to much larger groups. After a few months in to my new and improved business, Strong Babes was born in the most organic way possible. I had no plans prior to be the founder of a fitness event that would soon progress into a community of women all over the Bay Area. The idea was created one day simply from an Instagram post stating that I was hosting a bootcamp for anyone who was unable to train with one-on-one but still wanted to workout with me.

The very first event was sold out within two weeks. That was crazy. The response showed me that there was a need for fitness that is accessible and inclusive for women. As the journey continued, Strong BABES turned into a powerful acronym: S.trong B.old A.nd B.eautiful E.verday – something tangible that goes beyond attending the events. Adopting the acronym as a mindset helps you live out your life every single day as a woman who finds her beauty and strength from the inside out and uses that to empower those around her. Being a part of Strong BABES means being a part of something that is bigger than yourself; something that is inclusive to all women, makes fitness accessible no matter your level, and builds a type of community where women are meeting some of their best friends!

Fast forward to now, an entire year later, we just celebrated our first year anniversary with a completely packed out venue full of 50+ empowered women and men (oh hey, strong bros!) working out, giving each other high fives, laughing and cultivating community. It was the most amazing time and quite the birthday party. Having been all over San Francisco and the general Bay Area, I’ve recently moved to LA where I reside in the valley. Consequently, Strong BABES has now expanded to virtual training where the same bootcamps the babes enjoy in person are now accessible online. I am excited to announce that our very first LA event will be launching next month as well as more exciting things to come in 2020!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road to starting, growing and maintaining this community has been anything but smooth. The journey has been just that, a journey. Rather than it becoming easier, you learn to recommit yourself each month to the greater purpose which is beyond yourself. I look back and I see women feeling included, loved, seen, having fun, making friends with other women. When I want to shrink back, when thoughts of being incapable occur, and when the work to prepare for these events seems to be too much on my own, I remember that it’s not about me and to push through with faith that the hard things are worth it because of the beautiful things being created out of this community. Growing Strong BABES has been messy, but creating and building simply anything is messy. If I have learned one thing, it’s that success is never linear. Success is choosing the right thing, the selfless thing, over and over again despite adversity. Earlier this year, I was driving to our third event with a car full of all the event necessities (swag bags, boxes full of refreshments, sound equipment etc.). Within the last 10 minutes of my drive, I got in a car accident. Thankfully, no major damage was done and everyone involved was safe, but I was completely shaken up and upset that it even happened. However, I knew the show had to go on. 30+ people were expecting to fully experience the event and something internally told me they needed the event for reasons beyond myself. There wasn’t a lot of time left before the start of the event so I made the decision to push through no matter what had happened to me prior. Being fully committed despite obstacles is so important to me because in showing up for these women, I get to help them find something that they might have not had before; all the things Strong BABES represents: inner strength and beauty, community, fitness that is related and accessible, empowerment.

We’d love to hear more about your work.

I am a fitness professional of six years specializing in women’s health. Helping women feel and look good while showing them that it starts from the inside out is my passion. As a NASM certified personal trainer, I offer a few ways people can work with me from private one-on-one training, to online virtual private and group training. Over the last 6 years, I’ve had to opportunity to help 100’s of women transform their bodies and minds to become a better healthier version of themselves. Strong BABES is a women empowerment community and is an extension of my services for those that want to train in a larger group setting that actually feels like a community. Not only do we work out together, but we have a ton of fun doing it. Out of all the things I’ve ever done, I’m most proud to be a part of the Strong BABE community. All I did was create the name, but it has been the women who decide to show up each event that has made me feel like I am truly a part of something greater than myself. The core of what Strong BABE stands for is really something that I believe all of us women search and long for – to feel strong and beautiful from the inside out, to empower those around us, and to simply be included. Along with the community aspect, every attendee gets to enjoy a swag bag full of sponsored goodies from the top health, fitness and beauty brands – just a physical token to celebrate each time we get together.

Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
My advice for finding the right connections whether it be a mentor or networking with others is to be open and brave. Put yourself out there, have faith and pray. Sometimes we don’t know what the next step is, what we need or even who we need. With action steps forward coupled with faith and prayer, I’ve found that what I need is always provided at the right time. Some tangible action steps I recommend is to actually go to other events, meet other people and don’t be fraid to ask for help. Additionally, I constantly believe in the grace and power of God over my life. He always provides everything and everyone I need to continue to move forward in my journey.

Pricing:

Private Virtual Training $750/5 weeks
Private One-on-One in Person Training $1000/5 weeks
Strong BABES Membership (includes events) tbd

Contact Info:

Website: https://heystrongbabe.squarespace.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/leahrecania or instagram.com/heystrongbabe

Image Credit:
IG: @hencray

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.