When you hear the words “lifestyle” and “wellness,” I’m sure your mind goes to visions of people doing yoga, deep breathing, and calm winds. With the whirlwind of chaos that COVID-19 brought to the world in 2020, many people now realize how important it is to look inward and care for themselves physically, emotionally, and mentally. However, many of your favorite wellness enthusiasts didn’t have the tranquil and loving upbringing you may expect. Style Bell, one of the world’s top lifestyle and wellness coaches, has a story that inspires his followers to never give up and find healthy ways to cope with life’s trauma.
Off To A Rough Start
Style Bell is an Oakland native whose love of wellness and fitness began as an escape from the inconsistent nature of his home life. Starting from very humble beginnings, he decided early on that his past would not define him and that he would become the best version of himself no matter what it took. After losing his mother to substance abuse at nine years old, Bell ended up in the foster care system. He struggled to find his way, facing physical and emotional abuse from the very people put in place to care for him. Despite his circumstances, he persevered, and when he reached adulthood, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling.
Molded By The City of Dreams
Although an adult in the world’s eyes, Bell was still young and trying to figure out who he was and should be during his first few years in LA. Without any support and guidance, he did his best to keep his head above water on his own, working 100-hour weeks on a cruise ship, while trying to break into the industry as an actor and a model. Bell was homeless and living out of his car when he realized that the instability he experienced in his childhood had followed him. He longed for authentic support and community.
In 2011 he decided that who he wanted to be was a source of security and encouragement for others, exactly what he had always wanted for himself. He began reaching out to strangers on Facebook, inquiring about potential workout partners and people who were looking to connect with other like-minded individuals passionate about fitness. He knew he didn’t want to be a personal trainer but wanted to get others moving since fitness was the only thing that kept him going during the hardest times of his own life. What started as a workout with one person grew week over week until he had a consistent group of 60 people showing up to connect, work out, and support each other. During workouts, Bell would ask people about their mindset and where they were going. He made an effort every week to figure out what people needed and give them that to the best of his ability, even if it was something as simple as a motivating mantra for them to carry on through their week.
Style the Wellness Coach
Over the last 11 years, Bell has created a vast fitness community that allows people to join together to breathe, heal, and strive for a better life. Before the pandemic, he could expect a crowd of close to 500 people at his weekly public workouts. Even when he no longer had a car and the police would shut down their gatherings, Bell made it a mission to stay consistent and be someone his community could count on, showing up rain or shine and finding new locations when needed. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Bell refused to let his group down and took his weekly “Thank God it’s Monday” workouts virtually, expanding his reach by the thousands in countries worldwide, including Africa and Italy. Today, people come from all parts of Los Angeles, from your favorite celebrities to your everyday mom, to participate in his in-person “Win it Wednesday” workouts and wellness movement.
After losing his mother early in life, he remembers meeting a woman who explained how a healthy lifestyle helped her turn her life around. Since that day, he has made it his mission to give others a chance at a better life through fitness, a healthy diet, and community support they can rely on, no matter what.
Redefining Philanthropy
Bell has made a name for himself as an advocate for change on a mission to redefine the meaning of philanthropy. Over the last 11 years, his work has impacted the lives of over one million in person attendees worldwide. Bell has led wellness discussions, workouts, and speeches in six continents and over 45 countries. He is the youngest Black 1% earner within his company and uses his time and home to give back to the homeless of Los Angeles in every way he can, including inviting people to bring food and clothing to his weekly workouts for him to distribute.
As a humanitarian, he has helped provide thousands of meals for those in need and is a former recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year for North America award. He has also been honored with The Black African American History Day Community Service Award. He believes that these accolades are small steps in the right direction toward a bigger mission. Looking ahead, Bell hopes to bring about even more positive changes on a global scale beyond monetary donations.
Bell understands that he does not have everything, but what he does have, he is on a mission to give from his heart without expectations or attachments.
Follow Styles Social media journey here
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