Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Coppola.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Samantha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m originally from Jersey but have been in NYC for the past eight years and just recently moved out here to LA in May. I came out to visit a friend in February and realized instantaneously that this is where I belong; and with that, found an apartment, dumped my boyfriend, quit my job and packed up my things three months later, leaving all my friends and family on the East Coast.
Upon arriving in LA, I hit the ground running immediately, looking for work, reaching out to agents, etc… Within a month, I got myself an agent, started in acting classes and started coaching group fitness! I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that you make your own way in life, hard work and persistence will always win over luck or natural talent.
I am an actress and a personal trainer and I LOVE both of my professions! Life is too short to do something you hate, so I’ve chosen to put my energy into things that set my soul on fire. Acting allows me to express my individuality and creativity in several outlets while being able to impact those around me, ideally inspiring them to take risks, live life to its fullest, be vulnerable and courageous and to spread kindness. On the other hand, fitness allows me to challenge individuals both physically and mentally. I am able to establish a trusting relationship with each client, helping him/her achieve their fitness and health goals while also testing their will power. The passion I have for helping others achieve their greatness is unparalleled, whether that be through creating art or by training them!
The fact that I took that leap to leave everything in New York and restart across the country has been the scariest but best decision I have ever made. I’m thankful to have trusted my gut and can truly say that I have built and am living a life that I absolutely love!
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?
I don’t think anything worth having is easy to attain. So no, the road has not been the smoothest, to say the least, haha. I have to say I think self-love and respect has been and still is the most difficult aspect of life.
The self-image issue started in high school. I never worried about my weight or how my body looked because I was living my best life and certainly loved a good brownie a la mode; but once I started dating my first boyfriend, I became self-aware very quickly. Unfortunately, like most young teenage girls, I suffered from an eating disorder and played the comparison game on the regular. This continued until college when I started adapting healthier outlets like working out for my anxiety and self-hatred. Although I played softball and soccer in high school, finding your own fitness routine and sticking to it really gives you a feeling of control and fulfillment. That being said, I hit a plateau about three years ago, I was killing myself at the gym for two hours a day and STILL felt like my body wasn’t where I wanted it to be, which was extremely frustrating even though my body had changed a lot and friends started asking me what I was doing differently. Committing yourself to something without fully reaping all the benefits is a really sucky feeling, as I’m sure most people an relate.
I then decided to take control, doing something about my frustrations and signed up to get my personal training certification. I wanted to take myself and my education more seriously/what better way than to learn as much as I can about the human body and how to train it properly so that I could continue working on myself while helping others reach their goals! I’m still learning every day and am currently in the process of getting my corrective exercise and nutrition certifications as to better serve my clients! I am on the journey of loving myself, not just what my physical body represents but what I have to offer as Samantha Grace Coppola. I tend to be WAY too hard on myself and what some might consider, even cruel to myself. The perfectionist standards at which I hold myself cause me anxiety and leave me feeling powerless and without control oftentimes. I recognize this desire to control everything (even though life is the complete opposite of control and is constantly throwing you curve balls), so I implement “self-respecting” tools to help me cope when that anxiety hits hard. I find it helpful to write down three small goals at night that I’d like to achieve the next day, making sure those goals align with the bigger picture goals but are bite-sized attainable and do-able things that I can feel accomplished with. I’m certainly learning to go with the flow and giving myself permission to have a day off. I find it extremely difficult to relax, it makes me uneasy and spikes my anxiety when I’m not actually doing something productive. But I understand that relaxing is just as important in maintaining a healthy and balanced life!
I have to say… moving to LA wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Granted it was scary as hell, don’t get me wrong. But the sense of peace and true happiness I felt upon visiting felt so right and really opened my eyes to the fact that I wasn’t as happy as I could be in New York. After my February visit and returning home to NYC, I was a disaster… crying twice a day, starting fights with my boyfriend, insecure, confused… all the good stuff. For someone who loves control, my life had been abruptly flipped upside down and that wasn’t a part of the plan! Thankfully, my boyfriend at the time ended up doing some shady shit and lying about it, so I dumped him about two months before I made the move. As much as I wanted my best friend to support me in this life-changing event, I choose self-respect over what was comfortable which allowed me to do the move completely on my own and actually spend my remaining time with the people I loved! While starting over was terrifying, especially for not having a job lined up or having a support system out here, It made me love the courageous and daring young woman that I’ve grown into, even more… I have to say if you had asked me at the beginning of this year what my plans were, my answer would’ve been vague and comfortable. I’m more driven and focused than ever and I have to say… I’m really digging this woman that knows what she wants and goes after it!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a personal trainer, currently in the midst of developing a website! Exciting! I offer in-person and online training at the moment in addition to coaching several group fitness classes!
With so many fitness outlets and “personal trainer” out there, I know I go above and beyond to offer great service. I’m constantly reading about and studying fitness-related articles to increase my knowledge of the most relevant topics, I really take the time to get to know my clients being sure to pinpoint their fitness goals, plus I offer nutritional guidance and extra workouts they can do on their own. For me, it’s not about the money or the joys of waking up at 5 am five days a week, haha, but it really is about helping individuals! Guiding them along their fitness journey to set goals, make their health a priority, gain self-confidence feeling good in their own skin, feeling strong, feeling secure walking around a gym and knowing what to do and how to actually train themselves! Seeing a client hit a goal weight, nail a performance goal they’ve set or accomplished something they know thought they’d get through, really is the most gratifying feeling!
What were you like growing up?
Let’s just say that by third grade, my teachers were telling my mom I couldn’t stop talking and that I should be a lawyer! I’ve always been super outgoing, I say what I feel and I speak my truth! My family could care less about ego or your feelings and gives it to you straight, we’re savages some might say, haha, but honestly, because of that, I have thick skin and can handle the hard truth. In turn, that makes me somewhat aggressive because I also am blunt with people and hit them with the facts which people either love or hate. I don’t really have a filter, have a bad mouth and am dramatic which people tend to find funny even though most of the time I’m being completely serious.
Because of how I was raised, I’ve been taught to always look for the good in others, never to judge a book by its cover, be a decent human being, be kind and generous, give to those who are less fortunate, and to always respect your elders.
Growing up, I loved playing sports and music, I played the clarinet for nine years, was in marching band all throughout high school and became Drum Major my senior year! I was always the overachiever, joining lots of school clubs in hopes of building my resume to someday attend a great college, I participated in community college and of course, was on the debate team, haha. I actually loved school and looked forward to studying (weird I know), gave me a sense of accomplishment.
Pricing:
- in-person training $95/hr (based on proximity)
- online training $50/month
- small group training (2 or more) $40/per person
Contact Info:
- Address: 3205 Los Feliz Boulevard, LA, CA 90039
- Phone: 2016745471
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthaaa_grace/
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