Growing up I was always competing. If i wasn’t at a practice or a game then I was most likely at school racing anyone and everyone. I always wanted to run faster, jump higher and be better. Throughout my life sports fueled me but one in particular took my heart. Soccer was it for me I would eat sleep and breath it. After high school I played college then semi pro. Giving up my dream of playing soccer professionally was one of the hardest things I ever had to do but I had to find a new passion. I found weight training, I found the gym I found my groove again. At the start of my fitness journey I saw a lot of gyms and I worked at a lot of gyms but something was still missing. I envisioned something bigger something better, something with women empowerment, and a community. When you can’t find it the the next best thing is to dream it and make it a reality and that’s what Veronica and myself did. PowHerhouse is not just a fitness studio it’s much more then that. It’s blood, sweat and tears. It’s women from all different places in their own journey coming together to be better each day and I am eternally grateful for it! If I’m not at the studio you can catch me chasing my very high energy kids around usually with a spicy margarita in the other hand.

Outside of the studio, you can find me working my daytime job as a Mental Health Care Advocate, eating nut butters, spending time with my boyfriend (Sean), going for walks, enjoying nature, and rolling with my side kick (dog, Cody). I have an overactive imagination and a lot of quirks, also you will probably never see my socks match 😊

Hello ladies! My name is Danielle and I have been a fitness instructor for just over a year now. I have been dancing since I was age 3 and I have been teaching dance classes for 8 years now! My specialty (and favorite) is ballet and I continue to perform as a dance company member at Picture Us Different. Through dance I discovered my passion of health & wellness. I love the feeling I get after a good sweat and how it can clear my mind before or after a stressful day. When I got the opportunity to start teaching fitness I fell in love with it! I love a challenging, strength Power class but I also loves how strong and accomplished I feel after a Pulse style class. I love using my ballet background when I teach Pulse. Outside of the studio, you can find me teaching, currently at a therapy special education day school and pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy. I am so excited to be a part of the Powherhouse Team!

Hiiiiii! My name is Laura and I’m a newcomer to Park Ridge. I’ve been a group fitness instructor for 6 years and prior to that, a collegiate dance team coach and dancer. Collectively, these experiences have shaped my fitness philosophy that it’s just as much mental as it is physical. I want you to be strong in BOTH. Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than leaving my workout sweaty, buzzed with endorphins and a sense of pride that I couldn’t have given more. I love pushing my clients to get to that point too and seeing them make progress however they define it. When not teaching, I’m at my day job (in marketing communications), tackling house projects, meal preppin’ and spending time with my family and friends.

Hiiii! My name is Alex (a.k.a Ponder) and I am so excited to be an instructor at PowHerhouse! My love for fitness is rooted in my two decades of dance experience. After college when my dancing days came to an end, PowHerhouse became my home away from home. I fell in love with PowHerhouse for the same reasons as I did with dance. Dance classes were a place where I could push myself and see how much I could grow when I put mind over matter and persevere through a challenge (hellllooo pointe shoes). There’s no greater feeling than watching yourself become stronger, and I’m so excited to be your biggest cheerleader and help all of you to not only meet but overcome those challenges! When I’m not at PowHerhouse, you can find me at my day job (I work for a member of Congress!), buying (too many) plants for my Lakeview apartment, and forever wishing Chicago’s picnic by the lake season was a year round possibility.

Hi Ladies! My name is Mandy I have had a love for fitness starting at a young age of 8 when I started competitively swimming. From there I tried every sport and fitness studio I could find. Being a massage therapist for 14 years I have always been fascinated with the human body and all that it can do. After having my two kids I realized I had lost touch with my body and had some large goals for myself that were unfulfilled. That was until I discovered powHerhouse. I fell in love from the first class and knew I wanted to become and instructor. I love chasing the “burn” and feeling of pride when you pick up heavier weights than you could the week before. Outside the studio I live in Park Ridge with my husband kids and dog. I am a stay at home Mom (that does Massage during my free time at PowHerHouse) so you can usually find me with Easton and Aria at a local park or at the library in our free time.

Newest member of the PH team here and wildly excited to join this incredible group of women. I have been a lover of all things fitness for as long as I can remember, started dancing when I was 3 and didn’t stop until the end of college.  In my adult life dancing has taken a backseat to all other forms of fitness including lifting, kickboxing, yoga, running, cycling and pretty much anything that can make you sweat.  I recently moved to the Park Ridge area and was scared I wouldn’t find a gym that fit my need for variety. I knew the moment I stepped under the pink lights I had found my second home.  Outside of the studio, you can find me working my day job (chemical sales), hanging with my two pit bulls (Kane & Hazel) or meal prepping.  As a high energy morning person, you’ll catch me at all the early morning classes and whether I’m instructing or working out alongside you I can’t wait to help support you in meeting your goals! 

I discovered yoga at the young age of 14 and instantly fell in love. Daily practice and self teaching for almost 10 years lead me to formal teacher training at Core Power Yoga in 2014. Yoga has benefited me physically AND mentally- which is what I love sharing most in my classes. I am also a music junkie. I put a lot of thought into sequencing my classes with music that moves your body & activates your mind. Though I may be a “yogi”, I love all forms of fitness-especially swimming. I also find that kickboxing (Punch) is a great compliment to my yoga practice.
If you don’t catch me on my mat chances are you’ll find me with a dog… or if I’m lucky, at a concert!”