MEET YOUR TEAM
hey there!
We're Jess & Melissa
We’re sisters & best friends on a mission to help women finally escape the seemingly endless cycle of yo-yo dieting.
After years of jumping from one fad diet to the next, we finally discovered the path to creating lasting results without extreme restriction or endless hours of cardio.
But our transformation was more than just physical. It up-leveled our health, our relationships, our careers, and even our finances. We felt strong, and capable of achieving anything. We felt confident and ready to take on the world.
Our transformation was so fundamentally life-changing that we made it our responsibility to share our knowledge with as many women as possible and give them the tools and education they need to create a healthy, powerful life.
Since then, we have helped thousands of women lose fat, create a better relationship with food, regain their confidence, and form a new identity they never thought possible.
And now, we want to help you too!
When you join Legacy, we’ll be with you every step of the way on your journey. You’ll also get full access to our entire team of coaches and community support members.
Meet our amazing team below!
Coach Leslie
Hey, I'm Leslie! I have lived in Weatherford, OK my whole life. I am happily married, and have 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. All of my kids have been very active in sports growing up, and I spend a lot of my time at football games, basketball gyms, or at a baseball or softball field. And I wouldn’t change that for anything! My family is very important to me.
That’s how I became so involved in fitness and coaching. After having kids, I learned real quick that baby weight doesn’t just magically disappear! I started learning and researching different techniques, and programs to incorporate to lose weight and become fit. Plus, I wanted to be able to keep up with all my kids!
After trying every restrictive diet fad invented, and doing hours and hours of cardio, I finally figured out that I was just spinning my wheels. I finally learned how to properly eat, strength train several times a week, and stay active without tons of cardio.
I love all things fitness and nutrition and want to share my passion with other women to learn how to feel good without being so restrictive.
After years of working in an accounting business, I left the corporate office and pursued fitness coaching. I have level 1& 2 nutrition certifications from NCI, as well as certifications in hormonal health, and mindset training.
I am so happy to be part of this team that is helping women change their lives, feel better, and look better. I love coaching because I get to see women completely transform their lives!!
For a fun fact - my favorite food is peanut butter (it has to be crunchy… and I will fight you on this)... followed by coffee (coffee can pretty much be considered a food, right?).
Coach Taylor
Hey! My name is Taylor and I am a Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer from Michigan!
I have been coaching for about four years and have fallen in love with watching people transform their lives through fitness and nutrition.
I love coaching because not only do I get to help create a process that works specifically for you, but I get to be your #1 supporter and help you navigate how to make this work long term, as both your coach and friend.
With so much overwhelming information out there, my goal is to make this process as straightforward and simple for you as possible while still making it FUN.
Coach Dorota
Hi! My name is Dorota, and I am a certified trainer and health coach. I am originally from Poland but I’ve been living in the USA since 2009, currently in Jersey City, NJ.
My journey began in 2013 when I fell in love with all things fitness and decided to help others create a more active lifestyle. Throughout the years, I struggled with finding balance in my life that works for me. I was caught up in constant dieting and excessive exercising. And even when I was in a "good" place, and I might have looked fit on the outside… my mind was not. I was constantly beating myself up for not being good enough.
In 2019 I fully committed to my own journey of self-development. I went through an internal shift that caused an external shift. I lost weight, but the most important thing is that I finally started to feel comfortable in my body for the first time in my life.
My mission is to help women create powerful relationships with their body so they can feel comfortable in their own skin. My approach to weight loss is different because I believe that life lasting transformation starts in your mind. I work hard to deliver the best results to my clients.
I am proudly certified: Personal Trainer through NSCA, Master Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition Level 1 & 2, Pre and Post Natal Coach through Girls Gone Strong, Online Trainer through Online Trainer Academy.
Michelle
Client Success Manager & Mindset Specialist
Hi there! I’m Michelle and I am the Client Success Manager here at JM Strength Academy. I live in Connecticut where I attended Fairfield University and earned my degree in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience.
I began my health and fitness journey with JM Strength Academy about two years ago. I grew up training pre-professionally in ballet, so I was always very thin, but had a strained and unhealthy relationship with food.
When I gave up dancing and entered college, I started putting weight which negatively affected me mentally and emotionally. Eventually, I decided that although it was normal for me to gain some weight as I matured into adulthood, I still had the ability to achieve the physique I had always wanted.
Working with JM Strength Academy helped me to change my relationship with food, and create a body that I feel confident in, happy with, and empowered in. I also made a huge positive shift in my mindset, which was something I had especially struggled with. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the JMSA team and play a role in helping others find the same success and personal growth that I did.
I love being the Client Success Manager for our JMSA team because it truly lights me up to be able to connect with clients, provide them with any additional support or resources that they need to be successful, and ultimately watch them evolve and thrive. Playing a small part in helping women transform into the best, most elevated version of themselves is truly the most special and rewarding experience to me!
As for a few fun facts about me: I am absolutely fascinated by psychology and mental health, and hope to one day become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. In my free time, I love traveling and exploring new cities, skiing, and all things chocolate (I have THE biggest sweet tooth!!).
Kristen
Community Success Manager
I’m a wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls, ages 5 and 3. We live right in the center of Lancaster PA, amidst all of the Amish people. If you know anything about the Amish, they don’t just drive horses and buggies everywhere and live without electricity, they are also amazing bakers. You haven’t lived until you’ve had an Amish donut made with real lard, Shoo-fly pie, Whoopie pie and all the other delicious foods that are my daily temptations.
My husband, Ryan and I have been married for 10 years and we enjoy pretty much every outdoor activity there is- hiking, biking, camping, hunting, and canoeing. Whenever we have a free minute we are away at our family cabins.
My weight loss journey is similar to a lot of people. After having my children, I found myself 75lbs heavier than I’ve ever been and unable to keep up with the active lifestyle that my family enjoys. I wanted to be able to keep up with them and enjoy every moment of my children growing up, not sitting on the sidelines watching them play. I also used to be able to keep up with my husband on all his adventures, however I found myself missing out on those times as well. I found myself moody and miserable and taking it out on everyone around me.
I tried a number of different yo-yo diets trying to lose the weight that had been continuing to pile on year after year. I was about ready to just give up and stay like this forever. One day I stumbled upon Jess and Melissa’s page and I reached out to them. That was my turning point.
I trusted them. Period. I signed up as a client in March 2021, and my life hasn’t been the same since! Melissa has been my 1:1 coach and I couldn’t be more thankful for her advice and guidance in my journey! She is the reason that I’ve decided it's time to start paying it forward. I have a passion to help people who are struggling with the damaging cycle of yo-yo dieting the way I did for so long. I love my job working with Jess & Melissa, and the entire team, because it gives me the opportunity to impact others in their journey.
I believe so strongly in what we are doing! The fact that we are helping other people find food freedom and become stronger than they ever thought was possible is very fulfilling to me. I know that it’s achievable because I’ve seen it happen with me, and I want to make that difference in someone else’s life as well!
