“Shoot for the Moon because if you fall short you will be amongst
the stars and you will help to light up the universe.”
— Rondalph S. Taylor Sr.
When it comes to fascinating women, I could think of no one better to highlight this month than my longtime friend and colleague Myrna Brady.
As the daughter of immigrant parents whose own story is fascinating and borders on unbelievable, Myrna was taught at a very young age she could do anything she wanted to in life if she put her mind, heart and hard work into it. The above quote came from Myrna’s father and words like that and many others from both parents were the seeds that helped Myrna grow into the woman, wife, mother and the healthy living and life style brand she is today.
Myrna was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and did not speak a word of English for most of her primary years. She recalls her dad telling her to watch the news and weather and speak as they do with a universal accent. She was taught at a very early age the harsh reality of being an Afro-Caribbean Latina in this country. She recalls being the only child of color in her ballet school. People often wanted to touch her hair, want to know why she had an accent and her teachers would ask her to do things with her body that were virtually impossible due to her anatomical structure. Nevertheless, when she would go home and share these stories with her parents she would recall yet another sobering life lesson.
“My father loved baseball and he would always tell me ‘You’re the DH baby girl, so when you get up to bat it’s gotta be a home run.’” This way of thinking allowed Myrna to become the only woman of color Music Education and Performance major at Hofstra University which she entered in 1988. Myrna’s passion for music, art and sports allowed her to sing and perform at some of the most prestigious concert halls and events in the country.
Myrna’s years after college took her through a whirlwind of careers. Myrna has over 24 years of combined music, business and fitness experience. Her eclectic and diversified background has given her opportunities to work in management and or executive positions in each of the following areas: fitness, sales, marketing and human resources management. She has worked for Fortune 500 companies such as Nabisco and Nike, Equinox, Life Time Athletic as well as startup internet ventures. Myrna even spent a season singing with the New City Opera Company and was part of the Tony nominated cast of “Porgy and Bess.”
Myrna now simply calls herself a health living and lifestyle coach. If you were to spend a day in the life of Myrna Brady you will quickly realize this woman does it all. She prides herself on being the heartbeat of her family. She has been married for more than 21 years and is the mother of two young men who are 12 and 15. Myrna and her husband are up at 5 a.m. every day. She said even on the weekends it is a struggle to stay in bed past 6 a.m. From the minute Myrna’s feet hit the ground she is working on her lifestyle brand. She listens to motivational speakers while getting dressed in the morning, creates her playlist during breakfast, works on her social media presence, answers clients emails, gets the boys off to school and rides her Peloton bike all before 7 a.m.
Myrna creates programs for all but really focuses her time and energy on products, programs and events that empower and inspire woman between the ages of 18 to 80-plus.
“Women are often forced to concentrate on everyone else but themselves. We are prepared and groomed for puberty, to be a wife, mother and grandmother. We are encouraged to be supportive of sisters, friends, caregivers, etc. Very rarely are we provided with programs and products that enable us to develop who, what and all we want to be today, tomorrow and in the future.”
As the CEO/founder of her brand Myrna Brady Life Style, Myrna offers proprietary, evidence-based solutions that empower her clients with the ability to be the best versions of themselves. All solutions incorporate fitness, arts and motivational exercises that assist with this process.
Myrna is also an executive district manager for Arbonne and a Cause Entrepreneur for One Hope Wines. Both companies allow her to integrate her services with their products thus providing unique whole lifestyle solutions for her clients. You can also find her teaching group fitness classes at LT Fitness in Harrison and the JCC in Scarsdale.
“I do this to create a world filled with healthy and loving people. It has been proven that people who live healthy and well-balanced lives are more productive in the their daily life and work place. My brand helps to create more productive and profitable workplaces and happy families, thus making the world a better place to exist for all.”
Reach Giovanni on Twitter @GiovanniRoselli and at his website, GiovanniRoselli.com.
