Hey there - I’m Meredyth El-Amine.

I’m so happy you’re here.

My gym-life started way back when I was 15. A friend’s brother taught my girlfriends and I to use the equipment in his gym and I’ve been weight training ever since. My professional life was completely separate and started in the elementary classroom.

As a substitute teacher, seeing if the field was “right” for me, I was introduced to a 5 year old with autism. Within days I accepted a full time position to be this kid’s teacher. With no verbal language, still not potty trained, and a whole mess of aggressive, destructive behaviors, he opened my world to the field of behavior analysis. If you’ve never heard of applied behavior analysis, you’re not alone. I’ll spare you the lengthy dissertation. Just know that it’s a natural science with broad application for changing human behavior. It was through those early years in behavior analysis that I awakened to my gift of helping others change in ways that not only increase their own joy in life but also the lives around them.

I always felt so lucky to get so much meaning out of my work. I went full steam ahead in both continuing education and career moves for nine years all the while slinging weights after work. Then, after starting a small behavior analysis practice I stumbled on a CrossFit gym. If you’ve never been to a CrossFit gym GO. Actually, go to mine. I own one now. My husband and I own and operate Brazen Fitness in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia.

Not long after falling in love with the group training atmosphere of our gym I started a deep dive into all things movement and coaching. Again, I felt incredible joy sharing CrossFit with people of all levels in athleticism. I mean, I got to be a part of transformation after transformation. People seemed to be shy and unsure on day one but almost always shifted into confident and empowered humans within a years time. This was still the part that excited me the most. Real, meaningful, positive change.

In both fields of study and work I was guiding that change process. So, eventually I went from coach and behavior analyst to only coach. This was not easy for me. If you’ve ever left a career after a lot of field specific study and certification you know it can be a bit of an identity crisis. The catalyst was my first pregnancy (of 3!). Then juggling parenthood and gym ownership, it became more and more clear. I really wanted to press pause on behavior analysis. I could not stay at home with my kids, be a great coach and run my behavior analysis practice. I was too splintered.

I decided to lean into coaching and parenthood. Both of which kept my interest and work with human behavior going! Then, one day I decided to bring nutrition coaching to the members at Brazen. What started out as purely a business decision, quickly became my obsession. And I found myself, yet again, inspired, and driven to learn and grow my skills helping people make real, meaningful, positive changes through re-creating their lives with holistic nutrition practices.

And with the profound sense of joy came undeniable responsibility. Specifically the responsibility to dismantle diet culture in the lives of my clients. People were, and still are, suffocating from messages that their bodies were not good enough. The prevention of eating disorders and yo-yo dieting became clear targets for me as a coach. I realized you can’t be a nutrition coach and ignore the things that get in the way of someone living a deep health lifestyle. Today my work-life is full of joy, raising kids, coaching CrossFit and running Inner Strength Coaching. I get to draw on and grow in my life’s work as well as help others achieve meaningful, lasting change. The kind of change that affects generations. How cool is that?!