The Story Behind Cleo Studio LA
If you had told me a few years ago that I would turn my garage into a women-only strength and nutrition studio in Los Angeles, I probably would not have believed you.
For over 20 years, I worked in marketing across Paris, Melbourne, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. On paper, everything made sense. I built brands, launched campaigns, worked with incredible teams. But at some point, it didn’t feel aligned anymore. I was using all my creativity and energy for industries that did not truly excite me, and I kept asking myself if this was really how I wanted to spend my days.
My life has always been a bit international. We moved from France to Australia, then to Las Vegas with my husband and our two young daughters. No French school, full American immersion. It was a big shift, not just culturally but in how we lived, ate, and raised our kids. I remember going to the grocery store in the U.S. and feeling completely overwhelmed. Everything looked healthy, everything was perfectly marketed, but I had no idea what was actually good for us. That question stayed with me.
Like many women, I went through cycles. Pregnancies, weight gain, restrictive diets, “healthy” trends, frustration, and starting over again. I tried everything, and the more I tried, the more confused I became. The wellness industry is powerful, and the marketing is even stronger. It’s very easy to get lost between what sounds good and what actually works. So I decided to stop guessing.
I went back to school to understand nutrition properly. I studied integrative nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, learning a holistic, science-based approach that goes far beyond food, including sleep, stress, lifestyle, and hormones. Then I became a certified personal trainer with NASM and specialized in sports nutrition at UCLA. I didn’t just want to talk about it, I wanted to apply it.
At the same time, I started training friends, then friends of friends, and then more women. And I noticed a pattern. Most women were doing everything “right” but nothing was actually working. Random workouts, conflicting nutrition advice, no structure, no personalization. That’s when I built something different.
Cleo Studio is based on one simple idea: there is no one-size-fits-all. Every program is fully personalized to your body, your lifestyle, your hormones, your goals. We combine strength training and nutrition to focus on what actually matters, building lean muscle, improving metabolism, and creating long-term results.
Living in Los Angeles, you see every trend possible. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, supplements for everything. While some of it has value, a lot of it creates confusion and pressure. My approach is the opposite. Simple, back to basics, no extremes. You want probiotics, eat yogurt, kefir, fermented foods. You want magnesium, eat spinach and almonds. You don’t need 50 supplements with fancy labels.
If there is one thing I believe every woman should do, it’s strength training. Not just for aesthetics, but because muscle supports your metabolism, protects your body, and helps you age well. And yet, so many women are still doing workouts that are not adapted to their bodies or their goals, and then wonder why nothing changes.
I launched Cleo Studio just a year ago, with no big marketing, just word of mouth and trust. Today, I work with women from 35 to 65, active women, mothers, pregnant clients, all with different needs, different bodies, different stories. Every program is different, and that’s exactly what makes it work.
Right now, Cleo Studio is in my home, but the vision is much bigger. I want to create a true space for women, a sanctuary where they can train, feel comfortable, be supported, and actually see results. Not an intimidating gym, not a trend-driven studio, but a place that makes sense.
Cleo Studio is not just a business. It’s everything I wish I had 15 years ago. And now, I get to build it for other women.
-Cleo