Bree Mitchell’s journey through the fitness industry spans nearly 25 years of continuous evolution and adaptation. Beginning as a dancer and athlete who transformed her passion into a profession at 17, she has crafted a remarkable career that includes on camera and consulting work for large brands, running her fitness app, consulting with new instructors, and balancing family life. Her story exemplifies how dedication, flexibility, and an entrepreneurial spirit create lasting career success. 

With a career that has touched almost every facet of the fitness world, from group instruction to corporate leadership, Bree exemplifies how fitness professionals can build fulfilling, sustainable careers through constant growth. Her path shows how embracing opportunities and taking calculated risks can lead to professional satisfaction and personal freedom. 

A Multifaceted Career Path

Bree’s career began during her time at San Diego State University. A lifelong athlete and dancer, she frequented fitness classes at the campus recreation center until her talent caught the eye of the center director. “She said to me, ‘Why are you not teaching? You know the choreography so well—if I forget, I look at you,” Bree recalls. This observation prompted her to switch her major to kinesiology, get certified, and begin teaching group fitness classes at just 17 years old. 

The initial step launched a career that would span multiple roles and locations. After college, Bree moved to San Francisco and joined The Bay Club Company, where she progressed through various positions, including Group Exercise Instructor, Personal trainer, program director, Pilates director, Sales director, and SVP of Group Fitness. Her versatility and drive eventually led to a recruitment opportunity with a fitness startup in Palo Alto, where she served as head of training and choreography, creating programs for children and adults, and traveling around the world to teach and certify instructors. 

Throughout her career, Bree maintained her passion for teaching, never missing a week of instruction in nearly 25 years (not to mention spanning a pregnancy). This consistency and her natural performance abilities opened doors to on-camera coaching opportunities with Beachbody — appearing in P90X,Turbo Kick, and Country Heat instructor videos, Bowflex, and the FitOn app – which she currently is an active coach for. 

Pivoting During the Pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Bree’s extensive experience positioned her to adapt to the “new normal”. While many fitness professionals struggled with the sudden transition to virtual training, Bree leveraged her knowledge to help the Bay Club take their 24 locations online. 

Simultaneously, she witnessed explosive growth as a Coach with the FitOn app, and her own online teaching presence during the pandemic. Recognizing the opportunity, Bree took a leap of faith and launched her virtual fitness platform.

“I really love teaching and creating choreography, and I’m an entrepreneur at heart,” she shared. “So I just decided to take a leap of faith and follow my passion!” Starting with a basic desktop platform, she built her own app in 2023 and has maintained a loyal member base, some of whom have been with her for five years since the early days of virtual training. 

The shift to virtual instruction also led to another business opportunity. As fellow instructors sought her advice on cameras, lighting, platforms, and technical setup, Bree offers consulting services to help other fitness professionals develop their online presence. 

For coaches and trainers looking to build sustainable careers, Bree’s primary advice is refreshingly straightforward: “Don’t wait for the right time—just start! You don’t want to get lost in decision fatigue or perfectionism, you can always pivot, but you need to start somewhere!” 

Final Thoughts

Bree’s fitness career showcases the power of saying yes to opportunities while staying true to your passion. From teaching college students to building her digital platform, Bree has continually adapted her skills to meet changing industry demands while maintaining her love for movement and instruction. Her career spans multiple roles, companies, and platforms, yet remains grounded in her consistent commitment to teaching every week for nearly two and a half decades.

Her journey reflects a stark truth: the path forward and to your dreams is rarely straightforward and takes an open mind and open heart. By remaining open to new challenges and building on her foundation of expertise, Bree has created a career that offers stability and flexibility. For fitness professionals seeking to write their own stories, her example demonstrates that taking action, even without perfect preparation, may lead you exactly where you need to be.

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.