December, 2021 | Body Conceptions

Yvette is truly one of the most joyful, positive, and energetic people I have ever met! I was so lucky to get to know Yvette through one of our other team members, and I knew immediately that she would be perfect for Body Conceptions.

I love interviewing our new trainers and finding out interesting tidbits about them. In this case, I was delighted to learn that Yvette played the SAME cat I did in the musical, Cats! She and I also share the same guilty pleasures (read below to find out what they are). And there is so much more to learn about her, so keep reading!

I am so happy to welcome Yvette to our team. Denver has been such a fun place to grow our company, and her presence makes it all the better!! Anyone interested in Denver training? Contact us right away before her schedule fills up!

~ Mahri

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Full name: Yvette Johnson Brisley

Where were you born? Norther California

Where did you grow up? Fair Oaks, CA

What’s your biggest passion? Dance…any kind and all of it!

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why? I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life pursuing my dance career pretty full-on, dancing for several dance companies, regional theaters, cruise ship productions and all sorts of gigs in NYC, California and now Colorado! When Covid hit, the demand for the sort of fitness I offered increased tremendously, as dance and theater productions were put on pause. This giant pause in the entertainment industry actually made me realize just how special being a trainer is, and I grew to love it just as much as performing! These days I am back to dancing professionally here in Denver while being a fitness trainer. This combination of dancing and training others is my perfect balance and I am so thankful to be pursuing both!

What do you wish you knew when you were younger? “You are enough!” I heard it my whole life growing up, but I really didn’t know it until a few years into my professional dance career.

What’s your fitness fashion style?

Colors and patterns…all of them!

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? “Listen to your body.”

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Drinking a glass of wine while having an epsom salt bath (and maybe watching the Bachelorette).

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?

Over the years I’ve realized that I have a natural joy for living that I am super
thankful for. Generally I wake up excited for life and I’ve developed a desire to share that joy any way I can.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? At one point in my life I made a living pretending to be a cat dancing and singing in a shiny unitard on a cruise ship in the Caribbean!

Anything else about you that I missed?Basically I am a happy dance/fitness enthusiast who is really interested in guiding other women to live their best lives wherever they’re at! And if you can’t get ahold of me, I’m getting lost deep in the mountains with my hubby!

Asia has a beautiful energy that’s clear from the moment you meet her. She is filed with positivity and warmth, and you know right away how much pride she takes in everything she touches. I was so excited to meet Asia and experience her workouts, and I was also thrilled to get to know more about her life and background.

There are so many things you can’t imagine about a person until you dig deeper! Read below, and find out Asia’s guilty pleasures, her path to fitness and its role in her life during the pandemic, and also find out about her podcast! I love Asia’s many layers, and I am also so excited to get to know her better and better through her work with Body Conceptions.

Make sure you book now if you want to work with Asia — her schedule will fill up quickly! We are so thrilled to have you, Asia!

~ Mahri

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Full name: Asia Inocencia Bonilla

Where were you born? Harbor City, CA

Where did you grow up? Trabuco Canyon, CA

What’s your biggest passion? Dance and fitness!

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why? I went to college for dance because that’s always what I’ve wanted to do, and in college, I discovered the power of cross training. I immediately fell in love with all things fitness, but I didn’t really consider it as a career path until the pandemic when I was forced to take a step back from dance. As much as I love to dance and perform, I also have a passion for teaching people how to correctly move their bodies through exercise. It wasn’t until recently that I truly discovered the power of “and.” I don’t have to choose just one thing because I can be a dancer and a personal trainer, and I am happy to be doing that now.

What do you wish you knew when you were younger? Growing up, I always used to strive for perfection, but now that I’m older I know that true perfection doesn’t exist. Part of what makes us human is our imperfections, so now I strive for excellence.

What’s your fitness fashion style? I love leggings (especially ones with no front seam!) and tops with a built in bra because who has time to put on a bra and shirt!

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? My most helpful dance advice was from one of my instructors in college. When we would go across the floor or do a combination, he would always say “make it happen or make it up,” because we can always trust ourselves to make things work even when we make a mistake.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? I love the Twilight series. I’ve read the books and watched the movies at least 5 times, and I do a reread and rewatch every couple of years. I just love love, and this is my guilty pleasure romance story.

What quality do you really cherish about yourself? I cherish my positivity. I always try to make the best of a situation. I’m definitely a glass half full kind of person.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? I have a podcast with my best friend called Throwback Paperback where we read and reread young adult books from our childhood. I love to read, so this has been a fun way to revisit some of my childhood favorites, such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Percy Jackson. We release new episodes every Monday, and you can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Anything else about you that I missed?

My favorite beverage is water! Got to stay hydrated!

Check out Yvette Johnson, our new Denver trainer!

Asia Bonilla just joined our NYC team! Read all about her here