We were lucky to catch up with Danielle Petze recently and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I’m going to bullet-point a lot of this for the sake of space.

Background:
Troubled childhood
Left home early
Moved to LA for modeling, but was homeless
Did a lot of photo shoots and events for pretty big companies
Went to the Playboy Mansion for a lot of celebrity events
Played in the Lingerie Bowl
Went from homeless to buying a condo on the beach, a Mercedes, Street Bike… at 19 years old
Got hit by a semi truck while riding my motorcycle and ended up in a wheelchair
Got into drugs, really bad
Multiple arrests and overdoses
A group of gang members raided my house, stole everything, and totaled my car
Lost everything
Had one last arrest for a warrant (how I know Chris Gowen, who referred you to me)
Left LA for San Diego to go to rehab
Grandma died
Went to Junior College with a major in mathematics and a minor in computer science
I got diagnosed with thyroid cancer
Got accepted into university, but decided to not go after orientation due to cancer diagnosis
Changed my life path.. again
Got into social media marketing and podcasting
Got certified as a personal trainer and nutrition coach
Started training others, but gained a lot of weight at the start of COVID, then did my first bodybuilding competition in September of 2021 (3rd place)
Did another show June 2022 (2nd place)
Did one more local show on June 2023 and won 1st overall
Went to Nationals in Vegas in July 2023 and won 1st overall, giving me my IFBB Pro Card
Did first Pro Show in Aug 2023

Honestly, the whole thing has been a dream I never thought would come true. I was a poor kid. Then I was a drug addict. To hold the title of IFBB Pro is truly surreal to me. Before the cancer diagnosis, I spent about two years paying off debt and clearing my criminal history (I had something like 13 misdemeanors for drug possession). I’ve had multiple overdoses after my crazy motorcycle accident… that’s what got me hooked on opiates. I felt completely worthless. Although the modeling industry was NOT healthy, it gave me a purpose… but everything was gone after that last arrest. It took an insane amount of will-power and faith to get me to change.

Now, I focus my life on helping others. I’m a trainer, a coach and a Realtor. After years of work and thousands of dollars and multiple trips up to LA, I was able to reopen my charges and have them dropped from my record. I’m also a certified firearms trainer in San Diego, which meant EVERYTHING had to be off of my record.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started doing standard personal training in 2021. I worked with regular people with fat-loss goals. After I started competing, I found such a passion in helping competitors, I decided to add that to my skillset. Competitors are much different to work with than lifestyle clients, but I still service both. I found a passion in this because I enjoyed my own experience and wanted to help others. I started realizing how much people don’t know about weight loss, due to the immense amount of misinformation online.

My coaching includes weekly check-ins, meal plans, gym workouts, and really are tailored to each specific client.

As for real estate, I service the San Diego area, but my license is good for all of California.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Listening to others and relating to them. Everyone’s got a story, and people don’t just wake up overweight… something happened, and that pain can be used as a driving force for them to make changes. Also, chances are, whatever they’ve been through I’ve either been through myself, or know someone who has.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Staying honest and caring more about people than money.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifbbpro_daniellepetze/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniellePetze/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellepetze/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/danielle-petze-exp-realty-san-diego-2