Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monica Pineda. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Monica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

At Avance, we’ve deliberately chosen to diverge from the traditional mental health and wellness industry standard in a significant way: we believe mental fitness should be as accessible and normalized as physical fitness, which is why we’ve pioneered the concept of mental health workouts.

While most mental health services focus on crisis intervention or therapy, we’ve created a proactive, strength-building approach that integrates mind-body awareness. The impact of this difference is best illustrated through the experience of one of our members:

‘Mindful awareness has been very helpful. I’m learning to notice my thoughts, how my thoughts are connected to my feelings/anxiety, and how to reframe thoughts. Additionally, the breathing exercises provide time where I can calm my nervous system and really hear what I’ve been telling myself. Body scanning allows me to feel where I’m storing my stress and feelings in my body. I’ve noticed when I’m having negative thoughts or distorted thinking, I’m becoming more aware of when it’s occurring. When I’m feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or any other disturbing emotions, I can ask myself, “what does my body need right now”. It’s that element of self care that I really have neglected most of the time (sleep, food, water, entertainment, a break, movement).’

This testimony perfectly captures how our approach differs from industry standards. Instead of treating mental health as something to address only in crisis, we’re not only teaching but actually practicing in real time (a mental health workout) the practical, everyday tools that build self-awareness and emotional resilience. We’re helping people develop a new relationship with their mental health – one that’s proactive, empowering, and deeply connected to their body. This integration of mind-body awareness and practical strategies represents a fundamental shift from traditional mental health services to a more holistic, welcoming, intuitive approach.

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’m Monica Pineda, founder of Avance, and my journey into mental fitness was shaped by both professional expertise and personal experience. As a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 14 years in mental healthcare and behavioral health integration, I’ve witnessed firsthand how our traditional approaches to mental health often fall short of meeting people’s needs.

My path to creating Avance was deeply influenced by my experience providing integrated services in different healthcare settings. I saw a critical gap: while we have normalized going to the gym to maintain physical health, we don’t have an equivalent for mental health. People are often either in crisis seeking therapy, or not as easily doing anything proactive for mental wellness. I knew there had to be a better way to help people jump “into practice” before they need it.
Avance was born from this realization. We’ve pioneered the concept of mental health workouts – structured, practical exercises that build emotional resilience and mental fitness. Think of it as a gym membership for your mind. Our approach combines evidence-based techniques from behavioral health with facilitating the actual practice of these exercises and strategies.

I’m most proud of how we’re transforming the way people think about, talk about, and respond to their mental health. Our members learn to recognize thought patterns, manage stress proactively, and build a new relationship to their emotions and feeling states.

The main thing I want potential members to know is that mental fitness is a skill that can be developed, just like physical fitness. You don’t have to wait until you’re struggling to start working on your mental health. At Avance, we provide the structure, support, and tools you need to build and maintain your mental wellness, helping you become more resilient and emotionally agile in all aspects of your life.

As a leader in this space, I’m committed to continuing to innovate and expand access to mental wellbeing tools. My vision is to make mental health workouts as common and accessible as physical workouts, creating a world where everyone has the tools they need to maintain their mental well-being.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most significant lessons I had to unlearn was the traditional diagnostic, problem-focused approach to mental health that I was trained in throughout my career in the mental health field. The conventional healthcare system taught me to look for what’s wrong, to diagnose problems, and to treat them. This approach, while still valuable and necessary, isn’t serving the broader population who could benefit from proactive mental wellness support.

The unlearning began during my years providing mental health services. I noticed that by focusing primarily on diagnoses and problems, we were inadvertently creating barriers for people who could simply benefit from working and focusing on mental wellbeing. We were sending an unintended message that you need to first be ‘broken’ or ‘struggling’ to deserve mental health support. Even today, people share with me that they don’t know if their problem is “bad enough” to seek support.

This realization led me to completely shift my approach. Instead of asking ‘What’s wrong?’ I started asking ‘What could be stronger?’ Instead of waiting for problems to emerge, I began developing a proactive approach to mental health. This shift from a diagnostic to an intuitive, strength-building approach welcomes the general population into a new relationship with their mental wellbeing.

It’s like the difference between only seeing a doctor when you’re sick versus regularly going to the gym to stay healthy. We don’t wait until we’re physically ill to start exercising, so why should we wait until we’re struggling to work on our mind, feelings, thoughts, behaviors?

This unlearning journey ultimately led to the creation of Avance and our mental health workout approach. Now, instead of focusing on diagnoses and problems, we create welcoming spaces where people can build their mental fitness proactively, just as they would their physical fitness. This shift opens doors for so many people who might never have sought traditional mental health services but are eager to work on their mental wellness in a positive, proactive “workout” mode.

The lesson wasn’t just about unlearning a professional approach – it was about reimagining what mental health support could look like when we lead with strength and possibility rather than diagnosis and disorder.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I began by developing the concept of mental health workouts while still working in integrated behavioral health. The initial framework was built leveraging my clinical experience and understanding of what people seemed to need for sustainable mental wellness. Instead of seeking outside funding, I chose to start small and organically, allowing me to stay true to my vision of making mental fitness accessible and practical.

The most significant initial investments have been:
Time spent developing and refining the mental health workout methodology
Creating foundational content and exercises
Building relationships with early adopters who believe in the vision
Learning the technical aspects of delivering multi-modal mental health workouts

Rather than taking on debt or seeking investors in early stage development, the bootstrap approach has actually become one of Avance’s strengths – it keeps us deeply focused on delivering real value to our members rather than chasing rapid growth metrics or external pressures.

Starting lean has taught me valuable lessons about efficiency and prioritization. Every decision is strategic since resources are limited. This constraint helps shape Avance into an organization focused on genuine impact rather than rapid scale. My journey with Avance is a true bootstrap story that started with intellectual capital rather than financial capital. As an Licensed Professional Counselor with over 14 years of experience in mental healthcare systems, my initial investment was my expertise and time rather than substantial monetary resources. While this approach means slower initial growth than if Avance had major funding, it allows Avance to refine the approach based on real member feedback and build something truly sustainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://avancehub.co