I believe the core of who you are, your true essence, lives underneath everything you’ve been asked to be.
Hi, I’m Talia.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with connecting with people.
I’m always saying hi, offering a smile, talking to strangers while standing in line, connecting people with others, or being a resource. I love to listen, hear a person’s story, and understand them deeply. Humans are amazing, and I’m endlessly interested in:
How we move through the world.
How we communicate.
What makes us feel alive.
What happens when we stop listening to ourselves.
And what becomes possible when we finally start listening again.
That curiosity has taken me through a lot of different chapters: acting, teaching, entrepreneurship, motherhood, loss, starting over, and a whole lot of figuring things out along the way.
And somehow, all of it has led me here.
I know what it feels like to not recognize yourself.
A little backstory: My parents are the founders of My Gym Children’s Fitness Center. My mom was pregnant with me when they opened their first gym in 1983 (yes, I know, I just aged myself), so I was literally born into a family business. Growing up in an entrepreneurial household and around a business became a huge part of my identity and our lives.
Being the child of founders shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. I grew up watching my parents build something from the ground up, take risks, create opportunities, and pour themselves into their work. I also learned early how complicated it can be when your identity, work, relationships, and sense of purpose become intertwined.
Then I became a mom myself.
Becoming a mother was a dream come true for me, but I wasn’t prepared for how much it would rock my sense of identity to its core. Not once, but twice.
Don’t get me wrong: I love being a mama. Motherhood transformed me in beautiful ways, but I also know how inevitably everything shifts. As if overnight, I subconsciously shoved myself to the bottom of my priority list as I became consumed by the needs, schedules, and mental load of my family (along with all of my other everyday adulting responsibilities pre-kiddos). Honestly, just thinking about listing them all here feels draining!
And as much as I wish I could claim that I’m completely content with the day-to-day tasks of motherhood, managing a household, taking care of pets, and everything else that comes with it... I’m not.
I found myself navigating the tension between being deeply grateful for the life I had created and still wanting things that were mine. My own dreams. My own creativity. My own sense of purpose and identity outside of who I was supposed to be for others.
Then a couple years ago, I experienced a loss that forced me to confront that question head-on: I had a falling out with my then-business partner. We had built something beautiful together, and then suddenly, it was no longer mine.
The business.
The friendship.
The community.
All of it.
I spent the next two years searching for what I was supposed to do next.
There were plenty of moments when I felt frustrated, untethered, and unsure of myself. I didn’t have a clear answer. I just knew that the thing I had been doing wasn’t where I was meant to stay. Slowly, I started finding my way back to myself. (Cue the tiny violin!)
But all jokes aside, I share this story because I know what it feels like.
I know what it feels like to look at your life and think, I know I’m meant for something more, but I don’t know what that is. I know what it feels like to be disconnected from your own voice. I know how it feels to start from scratch again and again after pouring your heart into something.
And I know how incredible it feels to arrive.. when you finally start hearing yourself and feeling empowered and aligned with who you are and what you’re meant to be doing again.
I always wanted to be an actress, but that’s not the path my parents envisioned for me. Whoops!
I earned my BA in Art History from UC Berkeley and went on to complete the two-year Meisner program at Baron Brown Studio, followed by extensive teacher training in the Meisner Technique.
Acting taught me something that has stayed with me far beyond the stage:
When you stop trying so hard to be something and start actually being present, something shifts.
You listen differently. You respond differently. You become more aware of yourself and the people around you. You get out of your head and into the moment.
And eventually, you become much more comfortable telling the truth about what you actually think and feel.
I’ve seen this happen with actors I’ve had the privilege of teaching, like Hunter Doohan, Henderson Wade, Vanessa Giselle, Kirby Johnson, Hopper Penn, and Emma Raimi.
They became more connected, confident, and comfortable in their own skin. Now they trust themselves more. They’re more aware of their feelings and opinions. They listen to their intuition. And you can literally see it.
There’s a light in their eyes that wasn’t there before.
That’s the part of this work I can’t get enough of.
If you're ready to reignite your spark, reach out.
You don’t need to have your next chapter figured out before you begin. You just need to be willing to get curious about yourself again.
I’d love to help you find your way back.