We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Luna Bruno. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Luna below.

Hi Luna, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The mission behind Vital Force is to provide the utmost support for women to perform their best — in sports and in life.

My journey began with me looking to move past multiple traumas. My childhood trauma is its own story. But I started off my twenties being assaulted at Burning Man by a random guy out of his mind on drugs, and having to fight for my life while also protecting my friends. I ended my twenties finding myself as a single mom in a foreign country with no resources or support network. Instead of giving up or leaning into bad habits, I got resilient and channeled my energy into getting stronger. I chose to start lifting seriously.

Before long, I was recognized in the gym for my strength abilities and was offered some free personal training.  It was just enough support to start me on my powerlifting journey. Serious training made me realize that my body was meant for more and even more importantly, that I was no longer going to keep myself small.

The euphoria of feeling strong and using my body in a way that it had never been used before kicked off a speedy journey toward the top of my sport. Within a year, I was an Elite-class Powerlifter; after two years, I graduated to International Elite. Three years in now, and I’m a National Champion aiming for Pro status. I still have a ways to go but I’m for sure on the right track.

Even better, I’ve connected with so many strong women who continue to inspire me to dig deeper and aim higher.

Along my way, I’ve found that the athletic wear available to women just doesn’t provide enough support for serious strength training and elite performance. A lot of our disadvantages and challenges as women in sports are linked to poorly made apparel, I feel.

One specific fix we need is the gusset area in tights and shorts.  One in four women experience some sort of incontinence, especially during serious strength training or strenuous sports activity. It’s a huge issue, but no-one talks about it!

Menstrual cycles are another big challenge in all active sports.

Lastly, women are built differently than men and need clothing seams that work comfortably with our bodies — not in a way that’s distracting from athletic performance.

I created Vital Force while looking for solutions to my own needs, but our technology should help women in sports worldwide. Nearly 20 million American women and up to 150 million women worldwide suffer from some sort of urinary incontinence – at last, there’s a sports-apparel brand to meet their needs!

Luna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I first got into this industry by being a multi-sport athlete. I played water polo, softball, and volleyball into college. I also did various forms of yoga for a decade as well as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I only started lifting weights intensely when my daughter was eleven months old. My consistency and discipline led me to becoming a National Champion in Powerlifting by the time she turned four. My goals are to be a World Champion and turn Pro in the next five years.

Within a year of starting powerlifting, I had a vision of developing better apparel for training and competition alike. My long-term goal is to build a brand, focused on elite athletic performance, that resonates with fellow female athletes and women worldwide.

We’re starting with athletic apparel. We as female athletes have been neglected too long by the major brands.  Eventually, I’d like Vital Force to expand into strength and wellness coaching, healing retreats, and a global women’s forum to serve female athletes. I envision Vital Force being about so much more than apparel, but this is where we start.

I want to make a brand that will make women feel empowered, strong, and united. When one woman sees another wearing Vital Force gear, I want them to instantly feel connected and ready to support each other. Whether through words of affirmation or a friendly spot on the bench, I want us to build camaraderie as women.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I grew up in a pretty chaotic environment in Riverside, just outside of Los Angeles. You get exposed to a lot of violence, crime, drug abuse at a young age. From grade school onwards, I was focused on becoming great and moving past all the challenges around me.  I got offered a lot of academic and athletic scholarships to college, which gave me a leg up.

But even as a young adult, I still endured unexpected traumas, like so many of us do – a violent assault, a broken marriage, and all the challenges that come with being a single mom.

Through it all, I really focused on keeping my head up, never quitting, and avoiding destructive behavior at all costs.

Instead, I worked crazy-hard to better myself so I’d be more prepared for unforeseen life situations.  I’ve never stopped working on my physical, mental, and spiritual resilience.  You never know when you’re going to need to draw on it!

Today, I’m fully determined to be an inspiring mother and fierce role model to female athletes and women worldwide who want to be strong.  Each one of us has a journey that’s unique and bound to be full of challenges.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I was in the early stages of developing Vital Force but kinda stuck. I didn’t yet know how to navigate the complexities of the fashion world, of starting a business, and of figuring out how to market it.

I met my business partner Sheena through a mutual college mentor. We’ve got so much in common! We instantly recognized a passion in each other for strength and personal growth.

We come from really similar backgrounds – she even lived in Riverside as a kid! – and evolved into adults with intense hyper independence. (It’s something we both ironically recognize now as a trauma response.)

Our shared passion for social responsibility and supporting women led us to championing this brand together, and to start building something we both deeply believe in.

While I see myself as the face and creative spirit of the Vital Force brand, Sheena comes in with strategic knowledge of high-level marketing, senior corporate performance, and all the nuances of branding. Together, we’re an amazing team who complement each other’s strengths.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vitalforceusa.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitalforceusa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vitalforceusa/