Meet Casey Purlia Johnson

We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey Purlia Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
First of all, I wouldn’t say I’ve succeeded – the goal post is always moving! What I’ve done and continue to do is create systems that bulletproof my habits. Whether that’s posting 1x a day minimum or keeping up with clients in a timely manner… creating a calendar and honoring the system I’ve created has been instrumental in maintaining my daily “must do”s.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run an online coaching business (awholelottahealth.com) where I teach women how to utilize nutrition and exercise along with other lifestyle changes to reach their goals. For some that goal is weight loss, others weight gain, and many who simply want to live a healthier lifestyle. However, my coaching style is not just workout plans and recipes. I teach my clients to understand how to fit these plans into their already vibrant and social lifestyle. I don’t expect any of my clients to follow a meal plan perfectly; that’s just plain unrealistic. I really enjoy looking at menus with my clients, how to plan for their goals when going out to eat, and equally as important, planning the meals that are just plain fun. Through this structure they’re able to let go of food fears, let food freedom blossom, and therein solidify a healthy balance that will last a lifetime.

I launched my business in October of 2022, and have been growing and learning from it ever since. I struggled in the beginning with growth – wanting more growth that is – and then when I had a huge spike in growth (tripling client base in the span of two weeks) I struggled to maintain the newfound growth. I’ve started to spread out calls so that I can focus on one client at a time, without getting too overwhelmed. Creating and locking systems in place is paramount. I work with a wonderful team at Lenus and they’ve helped me manage the growth of my business without sacrificing client needs and attention. It’s a big responsibility to coach these women and I take it very seriously. I have their lives in my hands, because I really do have the influence as their coach to change their life for the better, a large part of that helping them build habits to live a LONGER life. That’s incredible to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh gosh, let me pull out my list! This would be my dream week for a friend visiting (given I had the whole week off to hang with them!)

MONDAY
Good morning Los Angeles! We will start the morning classically with an overtly Los Angelan hike on Runyon Canyon. You might just run into a celebrity taking a meeting with their manager while simultaneously getting in one of their 20 miles of cardio a day. If a car wash is needed from all the dog pee and dirt your car endured from Runyon, stop by for a car wash at Santa Palm Car Wash. It’s HARD to find a good car wash in LA and while this may feel random, I feel strongly it deserves a shoutout. We’ll head 30 seconds up Palm Ave to Dialog Café for the best breakfast burrito in the city. We’ll then walk over to Book Soup, sift through the tall teetering stacks of books, and pick up some murder mysteries to bring to the beach. We’ll cruise down the PCH and put on some good tunes, because we’ve got a long drive ahead of us. Broad Street is our favorite beach and the most private. When we pass Trancas Market we’ll pick up some snacks and plop down on the beach to enjoy our books and hopefully, some sunshine! On the way back, Taverna Tony is a must for dinner, even if all we’re hungry for is the dip and crudité. My go to order is the Greek salad chopped with shrimp. Bigg Chill Frozen Yogurt on the way home if you have time and/or room!

TUESDAY
Since we had a chill night last night, today is a good day to take a trip down to Disneyland. If you know me at all, you’ll know this is one of my favorite places in Southern California. It’s fun for anyone at any age, and I don’t want to hear you argue with me until you’ve been. Call me crazy but you do need to leave at 6am in order to beat the parking lot traffic. We’ll start at Disneyland and mosey on over to California Adventure around 12pm for lunch, where we’ll either hit the Wine Trattoria (mediocre Italian food that feels fancy- for Disneyland that is) or the Lamplight Lounge if we can get in. We’ll head back to Disneyland for dole whip – usually best consumed at the hottest hour of the day. We’ll end the night with fireworks and a caramel apple (with peanuts).

WEDNESDAY
Since we got 20,000 steps at Disneyland, today is all about rest and recovery. In the morning we’ll head to Parsa MD for a round of Botox or filler. I have a tradition with my friend where we go to Parsa at 8am then walk around and grab coffee after at Jon n Vinny’s – don’t knock their coffee, it’s surprisingly really good. We’ll line up the timing so that we can smoothly transition into shopping hours on Rodeo – depending on your tax bracket that’s either to shop with your eyes, or your credit card. There are so many places to have lunch (particularly Italian) but I love La Scala for the infamous “La Scala” salad. We’ll pick up goodies from The Cheese Store Beverly Hills for our evening charcuterie party. Their cheeses are freshly imported from Italy, and the guys there know their stuff. They make a mean stuffed pepper as well. When you go, ask to try certain cheeses and they’ll be happy to cut you a slice. Dom runs the show there and can answer any questions you have. If you’re feeling extra fancy, head to Absolute Caviar to pick up some special treats from a family owned business. The owner is usually there and is so sweet in helping you make the right choice. They carry all of the “accessories” as well – pancakes, caviar spoon, crème fraiche!

THURSDAY
Today, we’re going to one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. As I am a trainer.. you won’t be surprised that it’s a gym! John Reed Santa Monica. It has the most natural light of any of the gyms and is a total adult playground. After a good sweat, we’ll walk around the promenade and grab a healthy bite at the newest Health Nut location in Santa Monica. If we’re feeling more sandwich-y then we’ll wait in line (it’s worth it) at Bay Cities for some classic Italian subs – Anthony (Italian from New York) approves so that’s how I know they’re good. Next up is to hit up a local bike rental, hop on some bikes and ride them down the Santa Monica Boardwalk, potentially hitting the pier if you can handle the crowds of tourists. We’ll take a break from the sand to pick up takeout from Cha Cha Chicken for Caribbean jerk chicken (right off the PCH) next to the water. We’ll bring a couple blankets down to the beach with our food and enjoy a beach picnic while we watch the sunset. Frozen Fruit Co (vegan frozen yogurt, all natural and made with real fruit) is a major must on the way home.

FRIDAY
Wake up, it’s time to be a valley girl! We’re hitting Fryman Canyon for a beautiful and mostly shady hike, and on the way down we’ll walk through the neighborhood and critique homes we could never afford. We’ll stop by Aroma Café for a late breakfast and if we need our nails done we’re heading to Ooh La La for a Russian manicure that is sure to last 3 weeks minimum. The only time we were able to fenagle a reservation at Mother Wolf in Hollywood was 5:45pm, so we’re heading back to shower and get ready to head there. In the case we can’t make a reservation at Mother Wolf, Rao’s is an excellent Italian spot (and much easier reservation to obtain than the NY location). After dinner, we’ll hit a show at the Comedy Store on Sunset and hopefully see a last minute celebrity comedian. The last time I went, Joe Rogan showed up out of the blue. Drinks & dancing at either Davey Waynes or No Vacancy, two speakeasies with fun entrances that most locals have seen by now, but I’m banking on the fact that my friend hasn’t.

SATURDAY
Despite last night’s drinks, we’re headed to take a class at Bunda – the first Stairmaster and strength training class and we’re going to their flagship location on 3rd Street. Today’s class is all about glute activation – and you can catch me there instructing on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:15am/8:30am, and Friday’s at 12:15/1:30pm. Breakfast at Joan’s on Third after. We’ll stop by Sunset Plaza to sit down at Saltie Girl for lunch, as long as no one in our party has a shellfish allergy. Of course, we’ll head to Century City after, shop and if we get bored- or defeated by the impact of inflation, we can peruse the latest Tesla model or slip into a movie at AMC. We’ll head over to Santa Monica to make our reservation at Fia; it’s the last night and we’re splurging on a special and memorable dinner!

SUNDAY
We’ll hit the Larchmont Farmers market before heading out of town. Clark Street breakfast sandwiches and coffee to start the morning right, and we’ll have no choice but to pick up some freshly baked pastries for the ride home – this is something my parents always do and it’s so sweet – no pun intended!

There is truly so much to do here and this list just scratched the surface. But if you do use parts of this itinerary, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Let’s do it! I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to Anthony Guarnieri. Not only is he my fiancée but he is the reason I was able to see the fitness industry as a viable career. He’s been in the industry for almost 10 years now and has every certification under the sun because he loves learning that much. From the early stages of getting to know him, I was inspired by how much joy he got out of helping people feel better every day. I remember on our first date he gushed about his 14 year old client who was finally able to do a push up earlier that day – it may seem like a small accomplishment but it was clear from his enthusiasm that there was no accomplishment too small for Anthony to celebrate. He was and still is constantly growing, learning as much as he can about the body and how he can successfully teach people to move best. He really, really cares about people. To this day he pushes me to critically think about why clients are seeing and feeling different effects of the training we do with them – whilst simultaneously celebrating my wins. It is just the right balance you want in a partner.

Website: awholelottahealth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awholelottahealth/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awholelottahealth/featured

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@awholelottahealth?_t=8nX7RgQM2g7&_r=1

Image Credits
Tanner Chergosky