About Jennifer 

THINK Holistic Fitness Coach and Owner

Hi! I’m Jennifer, and I’m a certified personal trainer, a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, future Clinical Mental Health Counselor and owner of THINK Holistic Fitness in Holly Springs, NC and I will be turning 50 years YOUNG this year.  I cannot believe it.  I remember my 35 year old trainer self - and the lens I look through today is very different than the one I look through at 35.

That's my daughter, Angelina.  I tell her all the time that she is my favorite person in the whole world!  She is an amazing person inside and out.  I am very proud of her and who she is developing into as an adult.  She is an aero-space and robotics major at Georgia Tech.  

I have the training and experience to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

My personal story

From a young age, I always loved to cook and bake. I also loved to eat. Before long, I realized I couldn't keep eating all the good food I was making without gaining weight.  

So I started to train at age 24 – and  I fell in love with weight training at a time when it just wasn't very popular for women. Most of the time, I was the only female in the "serious" weight training area of the gym.

Fortunately I began to learn how to lift weights because a car accident in my late 20's left me in chronic pain in my neck and back.  The solution was always pain meds, but that was not an acceptable option for long term care.  My focus turned to kinesiology, Postural Restoration and weight training. Slowly, over time, I overcame my chronic pain.

Although I was able to get fit, I still had food issues. Compulsive/binge eating followed by long periods of restricting food intake. Usually restriction happened during stressful times in my life. When the stress resolved and I was in a happy place, I would overeat.

I went through this cycle many, many times in my life and was always trying to "control the scale".  Long story short, I took time to understand my emotions and my nervous system.  I was able to learn to self-regulate and become mindful.  I was and still am an emotional eater, but with a lot of work, self-education, therapy and kindness toward myself, I’ve managed to straighten things out.

Add in several years of Al-Anon (a 12-step program for spouses and children of alcoholics) and a sound education in functional wellness, and you can see how I personally know and understand the many factors and dynamics that affect weight and overall health.  

My enthusiasm for training and wellness led me to what I consider my calling – inspiring and training other people.  I started out as part of a team at a large facility, but I soon found myself drawn to women who were struggling but who also refused to give up. I shared in their joy when they reached their goals, I encouraged and supported them when they cried tears of frustration … and that’s when I knew I had to start my own business doing just that.  I fell in love with coaching.

One converted garage plus lots of barbells and dumbbells and some 60 clients later, I ran out of space in my home-based studio and moved THINK to a spacious new location with 150+ members and an amazing training staff.

Now I’m helping more women than ever, and I can honestly say I love what I do. 

Some Silly Facts About Me

1. I am seriously addicted to personal development ANYTHING!
2. I don't like kitchen gadgets and using many utensils - I do most everything in the kitchen with a fork.
3. I HATE scary movies - why do I want to make myself so stressed out?
4. My favorite movies are "Eat, Pray. Love", "Fried Green Tomatoes", "Steel Magnolias" and "Pretty Woman" and "Under the Tuscan Sun".  Cheesy....I know....but they make me happy!
5. I declared Sunday and "Sunday Selfish Day" in my home.  It's my only day off and I make it all about me.
6. One of my favorite quotes is "Knowledge isn't power.  Application of knowledge is power."
7. I truly believe that we can transform our life, our body and our future to anything our heart desires.  I love teaching women that they can turn their life around when they desire.  They just need to believe, commit, work hard and FOCUS and they can meet ANY goal with the support of some good women around them.

Qualifications at a glance

• Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (degree candidate anticipated completion December 2024), University of the Cumberlands, Kentucky 
• B.A. in Education and Performance, 1997, City University of New York, New York
• Gastonia College, 2013 - Completed 36 credits towards a degree in Nutrition
• Functional Diagnostic Practitioner, Certification
• Precision Nutrition Certification 
• Advanced Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis, Certification
• Full Time Wellness Coach, 2012-2014, KRAFT YMCA
• Owner, THINK Holistic Fitness