About: Liz Montalbano

For Liz Montalbano, going to work each day is about more than just making a living; it's about changing lives.

"I show people how to make better choices and live a better life," she says. "I change not only the way they look, but the way they feel about themselves and the world around them. It's the best job you could ask for."

Liz's typical day begins at 5am and goes into the evening hours, with back-to-back training clients and squeezing in her own workouts and clean meals in between. While the hours may be grueling, Liz says she wouldn't change a thing about her job.

"It's so rewarding and fulfilling. I love seeing the confidence grow in a person that is transforming."

But before Liz could grow confidence for her clients, she had to do it for herself. She describes herself as the chubby child who turned into the overweight young adult, bouncing from diet to diet over the years.

"I would binge, starve, binge again," she says. "I lived on bubble gum and salad for almost two years. At the age of 14, I even gave myself an ulcer."

The turning point for Liz was the premature death of her mother. It affected her profoundly.

"I realized that this life is too short and too precious not to live in it as the best version of me that I can."

Her mother's death propelled her into taking her own health and fitness more seriously. She began working out consistently, eating clean, and even competing in figure competitions. She saw her own body and mind transform, which fueled her desire to share that very same feeling with others.

Now she works with a variety of clients—from young brides, to busy professionals, to expecting mothers, to couples—and uses a tailored approach for each client, based on their goals and lifestyle.

She focuses on everything from weight loss, endurance, and strength, to food, to the mental and emotional side of eating and exercising. She begins at each client's individual pace and tracks progress toward their goals along the way.

"I consider myself more than a trainer—I'm a teacher, coach, friend, confidant," she says. "Even when I'm not physically training clients, I'm coaching and talking to them, guiding them with nutrition. My life is my clients."

But when she does have time to herself outside the gym, Liz knows how to unwind, too. You might find her strutting her salsa moves on the dance floor, trying new eats at an NYC restaurant (she's a self-described "foodie"), or curled up with a good book and her Maltese, Ella. It's all about being well and being balanced for Liz—and for her clients, too.