#070 - In this episode of the Townrootz Podcast, hosts Anthony Wilson and Vincent Hayes sit down with Gloria Kamil, the founder of Total Fitness Transformation. Gloria shares her journey of building a thriving fitness business in Oakland, her unique approach to weight management and body image, and how her work helps clients achieve long-term health and emotional balance. Gloria’s expertise as a personal trainer, mat Pilates instructor, weight management and behavior specialist, and mind and body eating coach gives her a holistic approach to helping her clients feel strong, healthy, and confident.

Total Fitness Transformation is a boutique-style fitness studio in Oakland, California, that focuses on empowering women through a combination of personal training, group fitness classes, and mind-body coaching. Gloria's program goes beyond traditional fitness – she helps clients with emotional eating, body image challenges, and sustainable health habits. With over 23 years in the industry, Gloria provides a supportive, safe environment where clients can build strength, release weight (not just lose it), and develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies.

Gloria opens up about how the pandemic motivated her to deepen her work, particularly in supporting the health of the Black and Brown communities. Hear how Gloria reframes “weight loss” as “weight release” – and why that shift matters. Discover the key to sustaining fitness results and why quick fixes don’t work. Learn why body image is a big challenge for women – and how Gloria helps her clients feel strong and confident.

#069 - In this powerful episode, Anthony and Vincent sit down with Breezy & Bobbi, the inspiring sister duo behind *We Heal Different*, a dance studio and healing space in Richmond, CA. Breezy & Bobbi share their incredible journey of creating a community-centered space focused on dance, sisterhood, and healing. They discuss how their studio empowers women to reconnect with their bodies and reclaim their sensuality through movement, pole, and twerk classes — all grounded in the principles of self-love, empowerment, and healing.

We Heal Different provides a range of movement-based classes, including pole dancing, twerking, belly dance fusion, and stretch sessions, all designed to help women reconnect with their bodies and heal through movement. They also offer holistic experiences such as sister circles, trauma release ceremonies, and community events to foster emotional healing and support. In addition to dance, the studio provides massage therapy, Pilates (coming soon), and birth justice work, creating a safe and sacred space for women to reclaim their sensuality and strength in a supportive, community-driven environment.

A takeaway for us was how Breezy & Bobbi emphasize that healing is not a linear process — it’s relational and deeply connected to community and movement. They highlight that many women carry trauma and disconnection from their bodies due to societal pressures, past experiences, and internalized shame. Through their classes and sister circles, Breezy & Bobbi create a space where women can feel safe to release emotional tension, reconnect with their sensuality, and build authentic relationships with others. Their approach challenges the idea that healing happens in isolation, instead showing that true healing comes through shared experiences, trust, and collective support.

#068 - Our discussion with Arturto was so inspiring and really went in 2 directions. In episode 67, he talks about his journey of starting Centro and we brought in a Centro entrepreneur, Annie Wang from Little Moon Bakehouse. In this episode, Arturo shares his journey as a social entrepreneur, providing wisdom from his experiences founding Centro, and writing his book *In Pursuit of a Noble Cause*. Arturo’s work centers on uplifting low-income and marginalized communities through innovative tools and social impact initiatives.

Arturo Noriega penned “In Pursuit of a Noble Cause” to support social entrepreneurs looking to start a social enterprise. It will also resonate with professors who teach principles of social entrepreneurship.

“I have read several books on nonprofit management, nonprofit leadership, and some tools, but they didn't necessarily hit home for me. I think what was missing is really the pain of starting a nonprofit or a social enterprise. It requires a lot of perseverance. It's a book really written about waking people up to our industry, the economic development industry, the struggle of women entrepreneurs in particular, and people of color, and my personal struggles.”

Arturo highlighted the rapid growth in the number of people of color leading nonprofit organizations. He emphasized that these leaders require support due to their unique leadership styles, which are often rooted in their cultural norms and understanding. Implicit bias can be a significant barrier to success for leaders of color, and it can negatively impact both their direction and overall achievements.

Arturo discussed the challenges with writing the book as a new author and while recovering from long COVID and also having dyslexia.

It’s a lot so we split it into 2 episodes.