Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Wilson.
Hi Marissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into fitness actually started with my own health struggles.
I was an overweight child growing up in an immigrant family. Like many immigrant families, my parents were focused on building the American Dream and providing opportunities for their children. Health, nutrition, and fitness simply weren’t things we knew much about.
As an adult, I gained nearly 80 pounds during my first pregnancy. After giving birth, I had no idea how to lose the weight. I knew I wanted to feel better, but I didn’t know where to start.
That journey led me to fitness.
I first discovered Mat Pilates, but after becoming pregnant again, I found myself struggling with weight and health once more. I eventually started running, which helped me lose some weight, but it was hard on my body. From there, I found Bikram Yoga, and it completely changed my life. It helped me mentally and physically, and I lost a significant amount of weight.
But I still felt like something was missing.
I remember telling a friend that while I was running, I didn’t feel strong or toned. She suggested I try Pure Barre. I signed up for an unlimited membership without really knowing what I was getting into. I nearly died in my first class. I remember looking at the instructor like she was crazy. Everything was shaking, I was sweating like crazy, and I couldn’t believe how challenging it was. That experience completely changed my perspective on fitness and introduced me to the power of high-energy, low-impact group classes.
It was my first introduction to boutique fitness.
I fell in love with the intensity, the challenge, the community, and most importantly, the results. For the first time, I found something I could consistently do and genuinely love. I attended classes five days a week and eventually started working the front desk. From there, I became an instructor and later spent nearly fifteen years as a Master Teacher, helping train and mentor instructors throughout the system(community, industry, nationally).
In 2013, while pregnant with my youngest daughter, I discovered Lagree.
I immediately fell in love with the method. It was the strongest, healthiest pregnancy and recovery of my three pregnancies. The results were incredible. I remember being at a photoshoot shortly after and having the photographer ask me how many days a week I went to the gym. I smiled and replied with one word: “Lagree.”
What I loved most about Lagree was seeing everyone challenged equally—men, women, couples, athletes, beginners. It wasn’t just about aesthetics. It was about strength, health, and performance.
My ex-husband’s first job after law school brought our family to Bakersfield. During that time, my career evolved, and I expanded my education in Pilates, movement science, and nutrition. I was fortunate to work alongside incredible mentors who taught me that fitness is about much more than burning calories. Pilates transformed the way I taught movement and helped me become a far better instructor.
When I eventually moved to the Central Coast, I quickly realized there weren’t many of the fitness options I had grown to love. At the time, the boutique fitness scene was still developing, and I felt isolated professionally.
I found a Pilates studio in Arroyo Grande and commuted to teach because I loved the work and the community. During that time, I went through one of the most difficult periods of my life; a divorce and my departure from the LDS church.
I vividly remember my Bishop telling me, “Good luck being a single mom. No more nice houses, cars, or the life you had.”
Instead of breaking me, those words fueled me.
They reminded me that I was educated, capable, and responsible for creating my own future.
I began teaching classes out of a garage, building a clientele one person at a time. I later helped a couple open a studio in Santa Maria, and that experience gave me the confidence to believe I could build something of my own.
Soon after, I met my partner, Troy, and moved to Avila Beach. He encouraged me to dream bigger than I ever had before. Even through the challenges and uncertainty of entrepreneurship, he consistently believed in me when I doubted myself.
In 2020, I opened my first studio in Nipomo.
In 2024, we opened our San Luis Obispo location.
As the business grew, I made the difficult decision to close the Nipomo location in 2025. It wasn’t the right demographic for the long-term vision I had for the brand. By focusing on our SLO Ranch location, we were able to more than double our capacity, reach more people, elevate the client experience, and educate the community about the benefits of Pilates and Lagree.
Today, Powerhouse Fitness SLO is more than a fitness studio. It’s a community built around strength, confidence, resilience, and connection and it is the only licensed Lagree studio in San Luis Obispo County.
What began as a personal struggle with health and weight has evolved into a mission to help others discover what they’re capable of physically, mentally, and emotionally.
And we’re just getting started.
I’m excited to share that we’ll be opening our second location this fall, bringing even more Lagree and movement opportunities to the Central Coast community.
If there’s one thing my journey has taught me, it’s that our greatest challenges often become the foundation for our greatest successes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. It has been anything but a smooth road.
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that once you open the doors, you’ve made it. In reality, that’s when the real work begins.
There have been countless nights where I’ve laid awake worrying about payroll, rent, equipment payments, marketing expenses, and whether there would be enough members walking through the door to cover it all. As a business owner, the responsibility doesn’t stop. Your employees depend on you. Your clients depend on you. Your landlords and vendors depend on you. That weight can feel overwhelming at times.
There have absolutely been moments where I’ve questioned whether it was worth it.
People often see the finished product—the beautiful studio, the classes, the community—but they don’t see the sacrifices behind the scenes. They don’t see the weekends spent working instead of relaxing, the personal financial risks, the stress of making difficult decisions, or the fear that comes with signing a lease and hoping your vision works.
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that there is no perfect system.
As a fitness professional, I spent years mastering movement, teaching, and coaching. Owning a business is completely different. Suddenly, you’re learning marketing, sales, finance, leadership, operations, technology, customer service, and human resources—all at the same time.
I’ve spent years trying to build systems that create a great experience for both clients and staff. Every time I think I’ve figured it out, the business grows and requires a new solution. Entrepreneurship is really a constant process of solving problems and adapting.
Closing my Nipomo location was another difficult moment. As entrepreneurs, we’re often taught that success means never stepping backward. But sometimes the hardest and smartest thing you can do is pivot. Closing that location wasn’t a failure—it was a strategic decision that allowed us to focus on a bigger vision and build something stronger in San Luis Obispo.
There have also been personal struggles. Going through a divorce, rebuilding my life, raising children, and trying to build a business simultaneously tested me in ways I never expected. On top of that, my partner and I have navigated tumultuous court proceedings involving his ex, which brought its own layer of stress, uncertainty, and emotional strain. Blending families is not easy under the best circumstances, and dealing with the jealousy and conflict that can arise from an ex has presented challenges we never anticipated. There were moments where I felt completely alone.
But those experiences taught me resilience.
What keeps me going are the people. It’s the client who tells me they’re no longer in pain. It’s the member who gained confidence after years of struggling with their health. It’s seeing friendships form in our studio. It’s watching someone accomplish something they never thought they could do.
Those moments remind me why I started.
Entrepreneurship isn’t glamorous most of the time. It’s messy, stressful, and full of uncertainty. But it’s also incredibly rewarding because every challenge forces you to grow.
I’ve learned that success isn’t about avoiding hardship. It’s about continuing to move forward despite it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Powerhouse Fitness ?
Powerhouse Fitness SLO is a boutique fitness studio specializing in Pilates and Lagree. But what we’re really known for is creating an environment where people feel challenged, supported, and empowered.
There are a lot of places where people can go to work out. What sets us apart is that we focus on both results and relationships.
Our mission is to elevate the way people move, feel, and connect. Every decision we make; from our programming and instructor education to the design of our studios, is centered around creating an exceptional experience for our members.
One thing that makes us unique is that we offer both classical Pilates and Lagree under one roof. While the methods are different, they complement each other beautifully. Pilates focuses on movement quality, alignment, mobility, and longevity, while Lagree delivers an intense, full-body strength and endurance workout that is incredibly effective and efficient.
Together, they create a balanced fitness experience that helps people move better, get stronger, and stay healthy for the long term.
I’m also incredibly proud of the level of education our instructors bring to the studio. Having spent years training and mentoring instructors, I believe great coaching matters. Education and knowledge matter just as much. Our instructors spend hundreds of hours continuing their education through advanced trainings, workshops, and mentorship opportunities, often traveling to other cities to learn from industry leaders and expand their expertise. We don’t just count reps or lead workouts. We teach movement, provide hands-on corrections when appropriate, and help clients understand how to move safely and effectively. Proper form is the most important thing we focus on because it not only maximizes results but also helps prevent injury and supports long-term health. Our goal is to create a safe environment where people can grow, gain confidence, and move better in their everyday lives.
What I think surprises people most about our community is how diverse it is. We have members in their twenties and members in their seventies. We have athletes, busy professionals, retirees, parents, couples, and people recovering from injuries. Everyone is welcomed and challenged at their own level.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built.
When I first started, my goal wasn’t simply to open a fitness studio. My goal was to create a place where people felt they belonged. Over the years, I’ve watched friendships form, businesses collaborate, families work out together, and clients gain confidence that extends far beyond the studio walls.
Those relationships mean more to me than any business milestone.
I also believe we’ve helped elevate the fitness landscape on the Central Coast. When I moved here, many of the boutique fitness concepts I loved simply didn’t exist in the area. Today, we’re helping introduce people to world-class Pilates and Lagree training without them having to leave the Central Coast.
As we continue to grow and prepare to open our second location, our vision remains the same: to build a brand that delivers exceptional fitness experiences, creates meaningful community connections, and helps people discover just how strong they really are.
What I want readers to know is that Powerhouse Fitness is for everyone. You don’t need to be fit to start. You don’t need experience. You don’t need to look a certain way.
You simply need to walk through the door.
We’ll help you build the rest.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is helping people live healthier, longer lives.
Growing up in an immigrant family, health and nutrition weren’t priorities, not because my parents didn’t care, but because they were focused on survival, opportunity, and creating a better life for their children. Like many families, we didn’t fully understand the long-term impact of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle habits.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve watched family members, friends, and clients struggle with preventable health issues. I’ve seen how poor habits compound over time and how difficult it can be to regain your health once it’s gone.
That’s why I’m so passionate about consistency.
I truly believe the earlier you develop healthy habits, the less you’ll have to worry about later in life. People often look for quick fixes, but the reality is that health is built through small, consistent actions repeated over years.
It’s not about being perfect.
It’s about moving your body regularly, fueling yourself well, managing stress, and creating habits you can sustain for decades.
I often tell clients that we’re not just training for next summer or the next vacation. We’re training for the next 30 or 40 years of our lives.
I want people to be able to play with their grandchildren, travel, hike, garden, carry groceries, get up off the floor, and maintain their independence as they age. To me, that’s what fitness is really about.
I also care deeply about the quality of movement.
One of the things Pilates taught me is that movement matters just as much as exercise. We live in a culture that often celebrates intensity, but intensity without proper movement patterns can lead to injury and pain.
I want people to move well before they move more.
When you improve the way your body moves, everything gets better; your strength, your balance, your posture, your athletic performance, and your overall quality of life.
At the end of the day, my mission isn’t just to help people lose weight or fit into a certain size.
It’s to help people build a body that supports the life they want to live.
That’s what matters most to me.
Pricing:
- $199/Month Unlimited (Intro Offer)
- 5 classes/ $99 (Intro Offer)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.phfitstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phfitstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phfitstudio/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@phfitstudio
Image Credits
Kelli Avila Photography, Sabrina Chavez Photography
