#22 - BEST Fitness

#22 - BEST Fitness

“BESTIMONIALS: Why BEST Fitness Is Built Different” At Best Fitness Clubs, “big-box” doesn’t mean impersonal — it means big community. Their mission is simple: The Best People. The Best Options. The Best Results. For the 2025 finale of Built Different, I sat down with four of the Best — Taylor Hill, Rachel Meachem, Ryan Taylor, and Toni Werner — long-time coaches, trainers, and leaders who’ve helped shape the culture from the inside out. They shared why they believe Best Fitness isn’t just a gym… but a community where people become their strongest, sharpest, and most confident selves. These are their Bestimonials — and this is why the Best is yet to come.

#21 - Nora Matthew

BUILT DIFFERENT x HER STRENGTH Founder Nora Matthew fell in love with strength training during her college athletics career — but her real transformation began when she became a mom. Expecting her first son in 2012, she realized how little guidance existed around safe, effective strength training during pregnancy and postpartum. That discovery sparked a mission — and soon after, Pregna-Fit was born: a signature program empowering women to stay strong through every season of motherhood. What began as a small prenatal community grew into Her Strength Studio, which Nora opened in 2018 — a space built by women, for women. Five years later, it expanded into a larger home in the heart of Latham, where it continues to inspire connection, confidence, and courage. In this episode, we talk about faith, family, and the power of purpose — including Nora’s made-for-Hallmark love story of how she met her husband and built both a business and a beautiful family of five boys. Because real strength isn’t just physical — it’s spiritual, emotional, and generational.

#20 - Capital Region DWTS: Casey Bortnick & Giuliana Bruno

🎥 BUILT DIFFERENT: Dancing With the Stars – The Anchorman & The Anchorwoman Edition 💃🕺 I’m joined by two of my co-stars lighting up both the newsroom and the dance floor — Casey Bortnick, Anchor for Spectrum News, and Giuliana Bruno, Anchor for News10 ABC. In this special Capital Region Dancing With The Stars episode, we dive deep into: 🗞️ Their careers in journalism — what drives their storytelling and why local media still matters. 💪 Their fitness journeys and how the Orangetheory Fitness community has helped them stay grounded, connected, and strong. ❤️ The why behind their performances — the causes closest to their hearts: • Giuliana is dancing in honor of her brother Anthony, raising funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  • Casey is honoring his dog Remington (Remi) by supporting Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization that provides guide dogs to those with vision loss. We talk life, struggle, laughter, and the power of movement — on stage, in the gym, and in the community.

#19 BARE Blends (Jess Fuller & Annie Berdar)

Founded in 2018 by Jess Fuller and Annie Berdar, BARE Blends began as a movement toward healthier living and environmental sustainability — rooted in whole, plant-based ingredients with no added sugars, flavor enhancers, or artificial additives.What started as one small shop in Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany, NY, has grown into a brand with locations in multiple states and a loyal following of people who care about what they put into their bodies and the planet we share.In this episode, I sit down with Jess and Annie to reflect on their seven-year journey — the lessons learned, the mindset behind building a mission-driven business, and the community they’ve cultivated along the way.Jess also shares her deeply personal story of fighting breast cancer, opening up about how that experience reshaped her priorities around health, family, and entrepreneurship.This conversation is about more than smoothies — it’s about resilience, purpose, and building a life and brand that’s truly Bare at its best.🎙️ Listen now on Built Different — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

#17 - Michael Kurkowski

Michael Kurkowski hosts The Strength Connection Podcast and Inspire Saratoga, where he brings together some of the most insightful minds in fitness, business, and personal development. We connected through the 518 Kettlebell Club and sat down for a Built Different conversation about what it means to grow into the best version of yourself—with strength as the starting point.Stay tuned. This one’s for the storytellers, the seekers, and the strong.