Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisa Daglio.
Virgin Island born Alisa Daglio’s “take the bull by the horns” approach is confirmed by her stellar background in both fitness ad film. Out of thousands of international candidates, the award-winning director was one of three selected to showcase for the television show “Making It Big” (music video director edition) in Vancouver.
Moreover, Daglio received top honors in 2009 as the youngest and only American director ever selected to judge the acclaimed Universal Studios subsidized “Eserciti E Popoi International Film Festival“ held in Bracciano Italy. Daglio’s own international film festival work has been featured internationally in Madrid, St. Tropez, and India. In the United States, her projects screened in Hollywood, Chicago, New Orleans, and garnered top honors in both 2014 and 2015 at The Other Venice Film festival, taking home the award for “Best Music Video” for two consecutive years. In July 2019, Daglio’s footage for her new musical documentary was utilized by NBC news in promotion for the punk rock 40th Anniversary Show for the band Flipper in San Francisco. Daglio’s Flipper Documentary chronicles the band’s history and musical influence with new interviews with famed legendary artists such as Shepard Fairey, Mike Watt (Minutemen), Nirvana, Mike Patton (Faith No More), Keith Morris (Black Flag), Dead Kennedys, Henry Rollins, The Melvins, and More.
Dubbed by Oxygen Magazine as “The Future of Fitness,” this Congressional award-winning trainer simultaneously remains on the cutting edge of customized nutrition and advanced body-sculpting techniques. The former trainer on the hit ABC television show Extreme Makeover, has taken her physique to triple crown champion heights by winning the Master’s Bikini Division at the Lauren Powers Fitness Classic in 2013, the famed international 4th of July Mr. And Mrs. Muscle Beach Bodybuilding Competition Bikini Masters in 2014, and the Lauren Powers World Qualifier Bikini Masters division in 2017. Daglio has shared her fit techniques as the Co-Star of the 6 Week Body Makeover and Body-type Workout DVD series, fitness chapter contributor to the 2011 book entitled “Heal Your Skin” with Extreme Makeover Dr. Ava Shamban, and CEO of Santa Monica’s premier customized nutrition and body-sculpting getaway “Designer Body Retreat.”
After graduating with honors from The University of California at San Diego, the former aerobics instructor promptly cultivated a passion for alternative extreme sports around the globe. Not long after jumping off of the highest bungee bridge in the world in New Zealand, she was recruited by CBS news to be the first woman to bungee jump from the highest man made gravity tower in North America. Subsequently, the former Miss Pacific Beach USA turned in her crown in exchange for a “touchdown” when she attempted a career with Los Angeles’ first full-contact professional woman’s football team the LA Breakers W.P.F.L. Alisa Daglio’s additional outdoor adventures include traveling to 43 countries around the world, skydiving, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, scaling Mount Wina Piccu through the Incan ruins of Peru, climbing 19,340 feet to the top of the roof of Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro) in 2008, and a great white shark cage dive in South Africa in 2017.
Alisa Daglio’s physique and commentary have appeared on NBC’s EXTRA, CBS KFMB Channel 8 News, KTLA, ESPN, PAX TV, Extreme Makeover, The Michael Thurmond Body sculpting DVD series, and have been featured in such press outlets as The Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union Tribune, Oxygen Magazine, the cover of The Beach and Bay Press, the cover of Beach Magazine, and Marie Claire Magazine.
Career and Personal Highlight Overview
1. Receiving Awards from Congress and the Mayor of Montebello for helping Spearhead a Summer long Inner City Childhood Obesity program
2. Becoming a Triple Crown Award-Winning Masters Bodybuilding Champion
3. Climbing to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania Africa
4. Published Author
5. Traveled to 43 different countries
6. Miss Pacific Beach USA qualifier for Miss California
7. Great White Shark cage dive in South Africa
8. Showcased film work in over ten film festivals from Hollywood to St Tropez
9. The first female in history to bungee jump of off the highest man made bungee platform in North America for CBS News
10. Being named as “The Future of Fitness” in a write-up for OXYGEN MAGAZINE
11. Bungee Jumping from the highest bungee bridge in the world in New Zealand
12. Being the CEO of a Company that helps people get healthy and lose weight
13. Being selected out of thousands of International applicants to showcase music video work on the Canadian Television Show “Making It Big”
14. Helping a Maasai Warrior all-girls school on a charity mission to Tanzania Africa with my Mom and her church. On the mission we donated fitness equipment/materials and I taught an instructional nutrition and fitness class to the girls
15. Winning Best Music video for two consecutive years at The Other Venice Film Festival
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been many struggles and life lessons to learn along the way. Here are a few…My family was not a fan of me participating in Bodybuilding or any Miss California related pageants. I’ve always trusted my own vision and when opposed I feel like those are the voices of others who are unable to see the future. “No one wants to read a book about my journey to second place and no one wants to take advice from someone who isn’t a proven champion or authority.” These were my thoughts and I wanted to turn my dreams into reality so that I could help others do the same. I definitely have always seen the future and my main battles lie in trying to bring others along with me in business and otherwise. When I purchased my company from my mentor and friend (fitness legend) Michael Thurmond I had been urging him for years to contract our team of trainers to other countries. CEO’s around the world were constantly telling us that they could not come to America for our program and they would love to have people help them in their own countries. Michael was dead set against it and when I became CEO, I immediately took our company to the international level. In 2008, the recession devastated many luxury businesses such as ours and it was because of the international executive clientele that we stayed alive and continued to operate.
When bikini bodybuilding first became a sport I created a line of workout DVD’s for our company. The entity who was our distribution partner insisted that I take myself off of the cover. “Your look is too intense and unachievable for the Average American. Most women do not want to look like you or believe that they can,” said the company. I knew that they were wrong and that women in the future would be excited to transform their bodies and take their physiques to new heights. Today, we see housewives in their 40’s on the cover of People Magazine displaying their performance in these bikini bodybuilding shows. I was replaced by a blank faceless torso on all five of my own workout DVD’s. I was early to the market with my vision trying to drag others along into the future.
I created a TV Show around my company and had the pilot optioned and produced by one of the top agencies in Hollywood. Once I saw the pilot, I was horrified. Instead of the inspirational scripted reality show I had written and created…My Company’s clientele was made to look like a circus of fat people flopping around being ridiculous. My title “Destination Weight Loss” was replaced with the title “Big and Rich.” With potentially millions of dollars on the line I killed the deal and waited years for the option to run out. My life and company are about helping people and not about making fun of them.
I created a food delivery line for our company back when no one else was doing it. I called the line “Extreme Makeover Meals.” I filed for the trademark with the government and got received an angry letter from ABC TV stating that they owned the trademark “Extreme Makeover” and that I needed to abandon my application immediately. I hid the letters from my partner (knowing his tendency to freak out) and thought “Let the government decide.” The letters became increasingly angrier. One letter had a small novel attached detailing all of the other companies who tried and failed/ abandoned their trademark application using the name Extreme Makeover (Doggy Extreme Makeover, Makeup Extreme Makeover, etc.). I literally could care less. What did any of these other companies have to do with me? None of these other companies were on the show! My company was the one who wrote all of the diets, supplied the food and the training for the actual show Extreme Makeover. I forged ahead and ultimately won the trademark from the government.
Unfortunately…Disney who owns ABC came after me with their set of lawyers. It was time to tell my partner what was going on. He flipped out (as I expected). He thought what everyone else in the world except me thought “Disney is going to CRUSH US!!!” I fought with him extensively over this and the team of Disney Lawyers for over a year. It was so hard to fight both my own team and the opposing team-but I saw the future. “You are not a lawyer Alisa! We can’t afford to fight a titan, screamed my partner!” Until we have a court date we are not in court I told him. Until that day, this is a game of chicken. We legally have a right to use that name. If Disney wants the name they are going to have to pay us for it. It is cheaper for them to pay us then it is for them to go to court.
Just because they are screaming at us over the phone every week with their lawyers does not mean that they are right. I will not be bullied. I will be paid. I brought up a legal precedent to everyone. The case of the Playboy Playmate who was at conventions signing autographs etc. as former Playboy Playmate of the Year. Playboy came after her and said we own the name Playboy and you can’t make money using our name. She said, “but I was Playboy Playmate of the Year!” Playboy lost that case and she won. I brought this up to Disney and told them that in my mind, this was the exact same thing. There was dead silence over the phone. Checkmate! I was paid the amount that I wanted for the trademark. I defeated the titan without hiring a lawyer or ever stepping into court.
Along my way I lost my Dad (Cancer) and my mentor Michael Thurmond (car accident). My two biggest supporters and friends never got to see me win at sports or business. I feel so grateful to have had these people in my life that I could not let these losses devastate me. I owe it to their memories and to the world to make it a better place based on their amazing teachings!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I believe in doing many things well! No one needs to limit themselves. No one tells Jennifer Lopez that she can’t have her own clothing line, act in movies, make hit records, and have her own products (fragrances, etc.). As a director of Music Videos and documentary film I like to specialize in making memorable work. As an athlete, I specialize in being a champion. As the CEO of my company “Designer Body Retreat,” I specialize in changing lives for the better through customized diet and exercise.
Designer Body Retreat is the ultimate healthy weight loss vacation! Our Santa Monica beachfront retreat offers guests a proven world-class weight loss and body shaping solution. Clients relax and recalibrate as the experts from ABC’s EXTREME MAKEOVER streamline customized weight loss results that are scientifically proven to eliminate fat and transform the shape of even the most stubborn of figures. This is plastic surgery without the surgery! Our clients learn once and for all how to eat more, exercise less, and perform only the workout moves that are correct for their unique body-type. We believe in utilizing body chemistry and eating natural food. Our program is not a boot camp! Everyone gets their own specialized nutrition and exercise regime. Regardless of size, age, and fitness level, everyone can create rapid healthy changes in their body today!
We recreate our program for clients all over the world. Our company has been outsourced internationally to countries such as Nigeria, Canada, India, Mexico, Italy, Dubai and more. Our clientele consist mainly of CEO’s, celebrities, athletes, and people who need to get fit and healthy! We are most proud of teaching people how to reclaim their lost health, save clients from morbid obesity, and ultimately get off of medications (high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.).
I am personally proud of our Charity work in Africa where we taught school of Maasi Warrior girls in Tanzania how to eat properly and exercise for wellness. We also donated books and equipment so that we could leave them with empowering tools to shape their future! This is so important because these girls only recently were even allowed to go to school! Normal life for them in the past might include being sold in exchange for cows! In addition, I am also very proud of our awards from Congress and the Mayor of Montebello for our inner-city summer long childhood obesity program. We are known for our work on the Extreme Makeover TV show, but I feel that our greatest fame lies behind the happiness projected through the eyes of our successful clients!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is the perfect location for both of my careers in film and fitness! I think that anyone can make anything happen in America! I believe that success lies within the individual and not in the location. There are probably thousands of individuals and companies who specialize in health and weight loss in Los Angeles. What separates you from other people is your talent, work ethic, business acumen, and end result that you provide to your clients! The same is true of Directors in Los Angeles. Your talent and final product will determine your success. Other people are “making it here” and you can too!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alisadaglio.com and www.designerbodyretreat.com
- Phone: 310 617 3243
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Photo By Anabel DFlux www.deliquesceflux.com IG: AnabelDFlux
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