Movers And Shakers: Marsella Reyes

Joe Cardoso: How did a Texas girl end up in California?

Marsella Reyes: All I knew back in TX was partying and making money. I didn’t have aspirations for much, and I was comfortable with where I was at; after all, I had my best friends, a good job, and a beautiful home in Uptown. But it wasn’t enough! I still found myself unsatisfied & unhappy even though I had “everything’, but what I was really missing was passion. I had gotten in trouble with the law quite a bit (multiple DWI’s..I had a serious drinking problem) and was over the lifestyle that was going for me. Thinking to myself one day at work, “I’m so much better than this. I have really big potential that’s not being put to use and I’ll be damned if I do not live to my fullest potential.”

I wasn’t even sure where to go, I just knew I needed change and decided to start saving up. I picked up several side gigs and saved $10k in 2 months. It’s safe to assume I was highly motivated haha. One of the extra gigs I worked had a few individuals from San Diego and they all kept telling me how much I would fit in. Considering I just started my commitment to fitness that year, they told me there’s no better place than SoCal to live the lifestyle I inquired about. When they offered to transfer me to a San Diego location, I didn’t hesitate one bit and sub-leased my apartment almost immediately to get my new life started.

San Diego lasted about 2.5 years and living there got me invested in competitive bodybuilding. I fell in love with the sport and started getting offered sponsorships so I rolled with it! Later on, I began to work the fit expos, which is where I got scouted out by an agent for a Talent Agency located in Hollywood. They offered me a contract for fitness modeling and here I am today fulfilling that and so much more than I expected! Life is good when you believe in yourself.

JC: Those early days of relocating can always be lessons.  At the time, though, they SUCK!  How was it for you?

MR: It was a breeze for me! I wanted a new beginning, for better chapters to come. I literally sold everything to the guy who took over my lease in Dallas (besides my car)! All I could think about was how I wanted to create life on my OWN terms, without the bad influences and without any judgment from my family and friends. The move alone was definitely one of the scariest things I’ve done! I had never even visited California. I just went for it and trusted the process because I knew deep down that was the move I needed to make to really create a life of abundance.

JC: So Fitness, how did you start down the path?

MR: I started as an athlete from ages 5-16, ranging from gymnastics, ballet, soccer, volleyball, basketball, track & field. I dropped out from the basketball team my sophomore year because my school started drug testing, notifying parents and I was smoking weed then. Facing my mother vs. my coach was a rhetorical question for me. I gave up basketball for good, unfortunately. From ages 16-23 I partied really heavily and hardly worked out, but then one of my best friends started doing Beachbody DVDs and another was studying Kinesiology so we all started to venture with the fitness stuff then. I also dated a CSCS (certified strength & conditioning specialist) and they really helped me fine-tune my routine & taught me how to do my own workout programming (Bless their soul).

Finding A New Path

JC: At what point did you know you wanted to make this a career?

MR: Once I became committed to bodybuilding. I knew then this was my drive and I wanted to show others how they too can feel this good and make it a part of their lifestyle.

JC:  I hear you are quite the athlete and played everything growing up. What sport do you miss the most?

MR: Track and field! Hands down. I ran anchor for the 4×1, 4×2, hurdles (100 &300m), and high jump!

JC: Wearing so many hats what does a “normal” week look like for you?

MR: I literally do not even know what “normal” means, ha! I am so OCD and organized with my days usually, but here in LA you never know what to expect! Opportunities come out of nowhere. I can’t complain. The one thing that stays consistent is my faith, my training, and tending to my clients with the most support I can offer.

JC: What do you hope clients walk away with when training with you?

MR: Confidence & the ability to see they are capable of anything…that life isn’t just about looking good, it’s about feeling good and when they put good intention behind their training they reap the benefits of sustainable results.

JC: Don’t let it all out of the bag but what are some things you have lined up for 2021?

MR: Definitely some BIG. Projects coming up! Unfortunately, I cannot spill the beans on one of them just yet, but let’s just say you will be able to access me and my workouts on a bigger & better platform. I will also be working on curating my very first TV series and will be presenting that in the near future. You never know where that will end up! In addition to big gigs with TC1, I am looking forward to working with my new Agency (@FMIagency) on getting involved with more campaigns.

JC: You can take ONE thing out of the fitness industry you hate, what is it and why?

MR: The idea of a quick fix or that results can be achieved in such little time (which they can be) but only to have them last a few weeks due to deprivation.

JC: How have you adapted to COVID and what have you learned about yourself during these times?

MR: One of my biggest goals for 2020 pre-COVID was to transfer most of my business online. I wanted to create a remote position for myself so I could have the comfort of working from home and travel. I already had started my Live BBM Bootcamps back in Nov 2019 and wanted to keep building that community bigger & better. Well, thanks to COVID I had no choice BUT to accomplish just that! I didn’t get to travel obviously, but I managed to stay 200% committed to my business and it turned out to be my most successful year yet. I learned that I ​truly can do anything I set my mind to!

Bonus Questions:

JC: Where can we find you and what are you doing during off days?

MR: You can find me in Hollywood, Los Angeles! Once COVID lifts that will be a different story.  I don’t really have “off” days with an online business.  When I’m not physically working on anything I love going to the Angeles National Park for hikes and doing anything outdoors (go figure hah).

JC: Who is Marsella Reyes?

MR: The next big thing.

Both of us are working kindred spirits.  I want to thank Marsella for taking the time and being so REAL with us. As you can see this is just the start of this adventure for her.  Make sure to keep up with her on social:
Website: www.marsellareyes.com
BootCamp Info: www.Marsellareyes.com/virtual-bootcamp
Instagram: @marsella.reyes

And if you are looking for an online trainer look no further than Marsella Reyes. And for more interviews with the movers and shakers of the sports industry give Nuts and Bolts Sports a follow.