Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Gena Bradshaw Vitale of Merrick

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Gena Bradshaw Vitale . Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Gena , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I am recently a new mother and this has been one of the most joyful times in my life. All of the things I have learned and integrated into my life brought me to this moment of having a daughter, being able to show up for her as my best. Being able to pass along these healthy habits and lifestyle along to her because I am not just showing up for myself but for her,

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Gena Bradshaw Vitale, and I’m an author, speaker, spiritual healer, coach and entrepreneur. I’m the host of Holistic Human Performance Podcast, Co-Founder of Fearless Founders Network Community and the Founder of Holistic Human Performance. HHP is a brand and community rooted in the belief that true transformation begins when we integrate mind, body, energy, and spirit. My journey into this work has been deeply personal. After navigating my own health challenges being a two time cancer survivor and spiritual awakening, I felt called to create a platform that bridges ancient wisdom with modern practices, making holistic healing, energy medicine, and conscious living accessible in today’s fast-paced world. What makes HHP unique is that we don’t just focus on one piece of the puzzle. We guide people in understanding themselves at every level, through practices like energy healing, meditation, astrology, and body-based methods, so they can heal, grow, and step into their fullest potential. It’s about transformation that lasts, because it happens from the inside out. Right now, I’m especially excited about the HHP App, where we offer digital courses, guided meditations, energy practices, astrology readings, and transformative workbooks. It’s like having a health and spiritual wellness toolkit in your pocket, designed to help you raise your frequency, release what no longer serves you, and live with more clarity, peace, and alignment. At the heart of everything I do is a passion for helping others reconnect with their inner power, heal ancestral patterns, and embody their highest self, not just for themselves, but for future generations.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The birth of my daughter had completely reshaped my life and how I view myself. The process of pregnancy, labor and birth cracked me open from the inside out, a complete rebirth. This also validated how I live my life, the tools and practices that I have integrated on a daily basis like meditation, movement, breathwork, eating nourishing foods, energetic exercises and enjoying life through the lens of love and peace showed me how powerful they are. My birth experience was the complete opposite of what I desired, it was long and traumatic, it ended with an emergency c-section. My daughter and I are both healthy and doing very well, however this experience taught me major surrender, patience, and the ultimate trust. I had to fully surrender to what was happening and of course chose what was best for my daughter. A c-section is an extremely intense and painful surgery, I have been through some major health adversities but this was a really tough recovery plus having to take care of a newborn. Throughout this challenging process I have never been so proud of my body and what it was capable of. My recovery was quick and my body bounced back because I knew that taking care of myself from a mind, body, soul perspective before, during and after pregnancy would be pivotal not just for me but my family and future family. It deepened my passion and purpose here on earth and gave me the strength to keep going even when life throws you curve balls.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has brought me to the depths of my emotional resilience and always creates a wiser version of myself after the storm. It taught me perseverance, grit, sharpened my skills, leaned into faith, enhanced my intuition, strengthened my belief in God and sparked creativity. The lessons I have learned in these drop to your knees moments are undeniable and got me to where I am today. When you go through adversity you learn, when you learn, you develop experience when you combine that with knowledge you gain wisdom. When there is suffering say thank you, be grateful for whatever the circumstance is because that is getting you on the path of what your soul needs.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie would be that the answer is outside of yourself. Each of us have the innate wisdom within us to heal our body and our lives, the choice is yours. It is your responsibility to care for yourself, so that you can follow what your soul came here to do. The way to do that is from within, as your guiding light. The vessel to the soul (the body) is the vehicle to get you there, which means we must care for it. The way to do that is through foundational acts of self love and healthy habits like movement, meditation, breath, nature, nourishing foods, and faith in something greater than yourself. You don’t need 100 supplements, an hour at the gym everyday, and stressing out about that piece of cake you ate. At the end of the day, everything comes down to energy, energetically what are your beliefs about yourself, health, wealth, relationships. the way you care for yourself, and your why behind it. How bad do you want to feel good? How bad do you want to live out a fulfilling purposeful happy life? You get to choose.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
My dream is that I added value to people’s lives and it helped them to become the healthiest, happiest, most aligned version of themselves. That I shined so bright that I gave others permission to shine their light too.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we

Highlighter Series
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we

Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than