We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Jordan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lisa, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
You know, my purpose didn’t come quietly. It came through a storm I didn’t see coming and one I tried to control for far too long. For a long time, I lived in a kind of survival mode, trying to hold everything together. I was losing myself in the process; working overtime to keep the peace, to keep things looking “fine,” while silently unraveling on the inside. My days were consumed by trying to make everything feel okay… for everyone but me.
What I eventually learned was this: healing didn’t begin when everything around me got better. It began when I finally took ownership of my life. When I let go of trying to fix what wasn’t mine to fix and instead focused on the one thing I could control — me.
Fitness had been in my life but it became my outlet. My therapy. My quiet revolution and as I got stronger physically, I started to reconnect to who I really was. My healing turned into a fire, and that fire turned into purpose… to become the best version of me: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
That calling led me to become serious about the world of competitive bodybuilding – a dream I had put on hold while I was trying to keep afloat in life. At first, I didn’t feel worthy of that space because I knew I had so much growing still to do in all aspects of my life. The women on stage, the lights, the discipline — it felt bigger than me.
But the moment I stopped playing small, stopped waiting to “deserve” a seat at the table… and started focusing on ME, I found that the stage was exactly where I belonged. Because it wasn’t just about muscle. It was about reclaiming myself. And I did!
As I stood more firmly in my truth, something incredible happened: My family did too. We became a healthier unit, together. We let go of the things that no longer served us, the habits and vices that once dulled our light. There’s peace now. Not perfection, but purpose. And that changed everything. That purpose now drives everything WE do because I’m not longer an individual finding herself – I’m part of the strongest unit – with my husband. And together we are changing our world and maybe THE world someday.
But, for now, in our world, at our gym, CrossFit Bonnie & Clyde, we didn’t just build a gym — we built a sanctuary.
It’s a safe space for people to get strong, to fall apart, to start again. And through The Hero Health Project, we give Veterans a year of free access to that sanctuary funded through each home my husband sells. Because I know how much one person’s healing can impact others around them.
But my mission goes beyond barbells.
Through “Lifting with Lisa”, I coach from a place of functional wellness and integrative health. It’s not just about lifting weights — it’s about lifting lives. I teach through the 7 Pillars of Functional Health — gut, mindset, movement, sleep, stress, relationships, and environment — because real transformation doesn’t start with workouts. It starts in the gut. It starts in the mind.
That’s how I was guided. My coach, Kenneth Almond, opened my eyes to a way of healing that was simple yet powerful — and I couldn’t keep it to myself. The shifts I experienced mentally, physically, and emotionally were so impactful… I had to share it.
We’re not missing some magic fix; we’re missing the fundamentals.
And once you reclaim your health from the inside out, you realize: it was never about perfection.
It was always about function. Peace, Power, and Purpose.
And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
What I do is so much more than fitness; it’s freedom work.
I am a bodybuilding competitor, integrative health coach, gym owner, and founder of “Lifting with Lisa,” where I guide clients through the 7 pillars of Functional Health. It’s not just personal training; it’s personalized transformation (and yes, I work with people all over the country! – We do NOT have to be local to each other :). I help people reconnect with their bodies and minds through root-cause healing, showing them that the change they’re chasing isn’t found in another crash diet or brutal cardio cycle… it starts in the gut, and in the mindset.
What excites me most is witnessing people come back to themselves. That moment when their inflammation fades, their energy returns, their brain fog lifts, and they realize that they’ve been living below their potential… and that they don’t have to anymore. That kind of empowerment is everything.
In our gym, CrossFit Bonnie & Clyde, we’ve created more than a training space; we’ve built a sanctuary. Our members don’t just get strong here… they heal here. We see trauma turn into triumph, every day and one of the most meaningful parts of our mission is The Hero Health Project, which we fund through my husband’s military real estate company. Every home he sells helps provide a Veteran with a full year of free gym membership, so they can begin their healing journey too — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
And we’ve expanding two major parts of our brand this year:
Functional Bodybuilding Coaching through Lifting with Lisa, where I don’t just coach aesthetically from the outside in but better yet employ guided protocols for gut health, inflammation, and metabolic healing in athletes.
Peptide Coaching, where I offer personalized peptide protocols for natural, functional growth and healing. I’m certified in 9 different peptides and ship directly to clients who are ready to take their healing deeper, smarter, and more holistically.
I want people to know is this:
I didn’t get here by chasing aesthetics. I got here by chasing alignment. And now I help others do the same… guiding them toward a life that functions, a body that performs, and a mindset that no longer tolerates “just getting by.”
We don’t grind ourselves into the ground here.
We lift, we rise — relentlessly!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey were:
1. Resilience Rooted in Purpose
My path wasn’t linear, it started in the shadows of personal chaos, when I was trying to hold everything together for someone else and losing myself in the process. The moment I let go of what wasn’t mine to fix, I finally stepped into what was mine to build. That resilience; paired with the clarity of a new purpose, became the fuel for everything I do now.
Advice: Stop waiting to be ready. Get quiet, get honest, and then move with intention. Purpose doesn’t wait for perfection.
2. Functional Wellness Knowledge
Understanding that healing starts in the gut and in the mind; from the inside out, NOT THE OUTSIDE IN; completely shifted how I approached health. Through my own transformation and education, I learned to help others not just “get fit,” but actually get WELL.
Advice: Learn beyond the surface. Dig into what your body is trying to say. Symptoms are signals; not stop signs. The deeper your understanding, the more effective your impact.
3. Authentic Connection & Leadership
Whether through the Hero Health Project, Lifting with Lisa, or coaching competitors, I’ve always led with the intention to truly lift people. Not just in lifts, but in life. I’ve built spaces where people feel safe, seen, and empowered to reclaim their health and purpose.
Advice: Be real. Don’t try to fit into a mold; create your own. When you lead from authenticity, the right people find you, and transformation becomes contagious.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
If I knew I only had a decade left, I would spend it doing exactly what I’m doing now but with even more intention, deeper presence, and louder love.
I’d keep lifting others; physically, emotionally, and spiritually; because I truly believe that helping people reclaim their health is helping them reclaim their lives. I’d find unlimited funding and pour myself into Lifting with Lisa and the Hero Health Project, expanding our reach to impact thousands of families who need a hand getting back on track; not just in the gym, but in their homes, their hearts, and their healing.
I would travel with my husband, watching him continue to rise in his mission to serve Veterans through real estate and wellness, and I’d make space for laughter, quiet mornings, full tables, and time with our children and the people I love.
I’d mentor fiercely. I’d coach unapologetically. I’d speak on stages about the power of the gut, the brain, and the barbell. I’d make sure that everything I’ve lived through; especially the hard stuff, became fuel for someone else’s breakthrough.
And when my decade ended, I’d want my legacy to be simple: she didn’t waste her pain, and she never stopped lifting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liftwithlisas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisamarie_ifbb_figure_pro/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.estabrookvazquez
- Other: https://www.crossfitbonnieandclyde.com
Image Credits
Kacey Cole
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