Speaking to Brie Turner on a video call from her home in Italy, it’s clear that she has an understanding of who she is and the image she wants to project. Her companies, her family, her athletic pursuits—she approaches them all with the belief that following her heart, and her passions, will lead her to her greater purpose.
But it can be hard to believe that the woman dressed in casual attire on the other end of the screen once worked for high-end designers like Louis Vuitton and Salvatore Ferragamo, back when she began her communications and fashion career in Paris and New York City, before settling in Italy. In this moment, she appears comfortable and fuss-free, with her hair tossed into a high bun and her body language relaxed. Then again, perhaps it’s this ability to shape-shift that has led to her achievements both in the boardroom and on the gym floor.
“I realized you are not selling a product; you are selling a feeling, a dream, a fantasy that the product represents,” she shares about her experience working with luxury products—and discerning clients. “People don’t want something anyone can have—they want to feel special, and if anyone can have it, then it’s not luxury anymore. The human body is one of a kind, and the ultimate luxury is the beauty and power of muscle, which displays an inner strength, discipline, and respect that cannot be purchased.”
Before you start thinking Brie exists in a privileged world of opulence and glamour that most can only dream of, know that a long road marked by many challenges brought her to this stage of life. And with her dear friend and confidante, Nayara, accompanying her to the STRONG cover shoot (as well as her daughter, Nina), it’s clear that Brie nurtures and safeguards her relationships with the same intention that she brings to her business pursuits. After all, being a stranger in a strange land means that cultivating deep, lasting bonds can be tough but necessary for survival.
“It all starts with how you feel physically—from there, the rest of your life will magnify that energy.”
Crucial Lessons
Back in 2010, Brie had just started on her fitness competition career, a leap she took after being spellbound by the “balance and elegance” she saw displayed in professional Figure competitors. Soon enough, she earned her IFBB Pro Card and was able to count herself among the superstars she had once looked up to. “I was always athletic and competitive and had been raised with the mentality that you could achieve anything you set your mind to—it just takes time and figuring out the steps to get there,” she explains.
Things weren’t all sunshine and roses, however. The constant negative scrutiny and health sacrifices of competing didn’t sit well with her, and although she had already accomplished everything she had set her mind to when first training for the stage, the purpose of it all felt incomplete when it came to the business side of things. In 2016, she stepped away from the stage and developed her own method and philosophy about how to help women look and feel their best, especially mothers crippled by guilt for taking time for themselves. To this day, even though she trains women from around the world virtually, she tends to steer clear of those looking to compete, as it no longer aligns with her vision.
“I tend to attract women my age and older who are going through a shift or change and rediscovering themselves, as well as those approaching or navigating menopause,” says Brie. “In a way, I really think that as a mom you lose your self-belief—you think the body you once knew is gone and that it’s too late to look and feel your best, when in fact it can be even better.” As a new mother, Brie felt like this herself (“It was heartbreakingly painful,” she shares), which is why she gravitates toward those who know what it means to rise through mental and physical change.
Nayara, for example, falls into this “mom working toward her best self” category. The two met by chance at a holiday party in 2022 and immediately clicked. Since then, they have traveled together and often work out side by side, with Brie taking her friend through some of her signature exercises.
“You know, every day is different—I’ve never done the same workout with her twice!” exclaims Nayara, an Aussie mom of four who now also calls Italy home, and who just rang in her fiftieth birthday. “She’s a tough taskmaster, which I love!”
“Bespoke hourglass body detailing” is Brie’s forte, combining full-body, lengthening Pilates, stretches, and functional moves with her bodybuilding foundation of weights. The result: a feminine, lean yet strong aesthetic unique to each client’s body. For clients like Nayara, she programs both their training and nutrition, depending on their short- and long-term goals. Their time together in the gym is sacred, as it’s where they can truly bond while enjoying a laugh or two.
“We both have unwavering self-discipline,” Nayara shares. “I’ve not found many people who have that grit, but Brie is one of them! We always have an absolute blast together, whether it’s her pushing me to do five more reps, or us both laughing hysterically on the sofa at something one of our kids said. It’s not business all the time!”
The feeling is mutual for Brie, who speaks highly of Nayara and the unwavering support that she has in turn extended to her.
“She has been an incredible safe space for me that I have not found since the passing of my mother in 2016, and in one of my darkest moments she ‘saw me’ and it changed my life, reminding me of my true purpose on this earth,” Brie explains with immense vulnerability. “And her unmatched ability to train regardless of anything and everything other than a migraine is an inspiration.” It’s all one can hope for in a supportive, reciprocal friendship—and witnessing the two interact together, it’s clear they have found a lasting sisterhood in each other.
Even after a long journey from Italy to Toronto, Canada, Brie, Nayara (left), and Nina (right) were all smiles, whether cheering each other on in front of the camera or while relaxing between looks.
Fashionably on Trend
Naturally, Brie’s other business, Just B Leggings, marries the two biggest parts of her life: fitness and fashion. Her paneled, corset-inspired bottoms, designed with her training philosophy in mind, accentuate the hourglass shape that she was initially drawn to in Figure competitors. Plus, they come in signature black, a nod to the classic timelessness of the little black dress in every woman’s closet. Brie, Nayara, and even Brie’s five-year-old daughter, Nina, all wore versions of the staple for this very shoot—and in a first for her brand, the two women also modeled a bra prototype that Brie hopes to be released to market later this year.
“After I became a mom, I was always in leggings; they became my uniform,” admits Brie. “I wanted to make them effortlessly edgy and flattering, especially for moms. They truly make you feel like your best self.”
It’s not simply the style and technical fit that Brie had to get just right—the quality of the material was just as important. Longevity is rare in fashion, especially in leisure wear, but no expenses were spared in the leggings’ design. The end result? A product that Brie is proud to put her name behind.
“I love that you can wear them with anything or anywhere,” she says. “They pair with sneakers and a hoodie for the gym, or heels and a blazer for a five-star dinner out. Most leggings aren’t flattering, but with these, I get the craziest compliments from every body type.”
Focusing on What Matters
Over the years, Brie has learned to keep true friends close, to be present, and to trust that every challenge brings an exceptional lesson. Shortly after the passing of her mother, who she was exceptionally close with, Brie stepped away from the fitness stage to reorganize her priorities. And once she welcomed Nina into her life, everything made sense. The pride with which she speaks of her daughter and all of her accomplishments—including a growing commercial modeling portfolio and her talent on the basketball court—says everything you need to know about her main priority. Growing up, Brie admired her father’s work ethic and sense of responsibility, and also counts her brother as another stabilizing force in her life, speaking enthusiastically about his achievements in the art and fashion world. And if it weren’t for him introducing her to the gym when she was just eighteen, she may have taken a very different path altogether.
But now, aside from her family ties and ride-or-die friendships, she is looking forward to scaling both of her businesses, without sacrificing her ideals. For Just B Leggings, that means reaching more women and improving their body confidence, and eventually expanding into other high-quality staple products. On the coaching side of things, Brie is looking to inspire more women to never give up on themselves and realize all they’re capable of.
To wit, when asked what her favorite part of being a personal trainer entails, Brie doesn’t hesitate: “Making women feel amazing in [their] own skin, giving them their power back, and opening their eyes to what they are capable of when they’re feeling like their best self,” adding that “it all starts with how you feel physically—from there, the rest of your life will magnify that energy.”
Whether or not you believe in emotional frequencies, Brie’s ability to build a life, and a career, from the ground up is an inspiring attribute. To those who want to follow in her footsteps, she has this to say: “To be strong is to be able to examine your greatest fears, weaknesses, and insecurities, then face them, take responsibility, and embrace them. Use
your mistakes and failures as a source of strength, to help others also find their strength.” With time, you’ll look back on your journey with satisfaction and a greater understanding of all you’ve overcome, and why—just as Brie does.
Written by Rachel Debling, Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Paul Buceta
