Why I Started Pine Body and Mind

I was laid off from my film executive job in June of 2023. It was demoralizing. It felt unfair, especially considering it was due to the WGA and SAG strikes essentially shutting down the industry, something neither I nor the company I worked for had any control over. On top of that, due to said shut downs, there were no other jobs to be found. Just numerous friends and colleagues getting laid off and finding themselves in a similar position to me.

What a drag.

But, it gave me time to think. To take a pause. To get out in nature and to really dive deep on what I want to do. With the film industry being on hold for who knows how long, I wanted to find out if there was a way for me to work towards my goal - my purpose - but in a different way.

Looking for my purpose in the butt of this tree (Mt Baldy 2023)

First things first, I had to figure out what that goal was. Why did I want to make movies in the first place? What was my purpose? Thinking back as far as it could, it hit me. As an only child to a single mother, I spent a lot of time alone. Movies became my way to adventure and see the world. To learn about different cultures and be inspired by larger-than-life heroes. So I realized that what I really wanted was to inspire people. I wanted to show people that they have the power to overcome the obstacles in their life, just like movies did for lonely little me all those years ago.

Now having a clearer sense of my purpose, it became obvious quite quickly that I didn’t need to make movies to help people overcome challenges in their lives. Thankfully, my other great passion aside from movies, and the one that I actually spend way more time doing and studying, is health and fitness.

It all started when I was 12 years old and weighed 190 pounds. I was bullied and harassed daily for being - as they called me - a “fat boy.”* I felt tremendous shame and didn't understand why I was different. Finally, enough was enough and I began to do some research on my own. To my 12-year-old self’s shock and dismay, it turns out eating eight bags of Andy Capp’s Hot Fries (my kryptonite to this day) and drinking multiple sodas every day isn’t good for you! Who would’ve thought. So I told my mom to stop buying junk food and sodas for me. I started running and jumping rope. I started playing sports. Two years later, I weighed 40 pounds less and was six inches taller. It’d be easy to say that it was puberty that caused me to shed the weight, and while that certainly helped, adult obesity is very prevalent in my family…it wasn’t just baby fat.

Given the weight struggles in my family, I told myself that I would do everything in my power to never be a “fat boy” again, so my passion for health and fitness ignited. Over the following 16 years I would become a multi-sport athlete, a camp counselor, an avid hiker, a surfer, a cyclist, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, and an overall fitness enthusiast.

Aside from my early struggles with weight and bullying, I’ve been through some very difficult things in my life and believe that resilience is one of my greatest strengths. That’s why I love the symbolism of the pine tree. For thousands of years, in cultures all around the world, the pine tree has represented eternal life because the resilient trees survive no matter the conditions. It’s this resilience and determination that I hope to emulate in my life. But most importantly, I hope that I can share some of what I’ve learned with others to help them overcome whatever obstacle is in their way.

This is why I’m so excited about Pine Body + Mind! I can’t wait to help others feel better so they can truly thrive in all aspects of their life. Wellness - be it exercise, nutrition, sleep or mindfulness - has been a pillar that I can always fall back on during good times and bad. Nature - my other pillar - has always been a place where I can pause and reconnect with myself and Mother Earth. I’m thrilled to launch a platform where I can share these pillars and passions with others to hopefully make a lasting impact on their lives. Longevity is the goal, and it’s something we can achieve with a resilient body and resilient mind.

Let’s Live With Pine.

*This is the first time that I’m publicly sharing pictures of me at that time. Even though I haven’t looked like that in close to two decades, I still feel self-conscious about it. I feel bad for the little guy, but I’m incredibly grateful to him for doing the hard work that set me on my journey. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for the pain that he went through. Much love, little Michael.