Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaila Sherman.
Hi Kaila, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The Birth of 31ThirdFitness
I’m Kaila Sherman—born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Since I was young, I always believed I was meant for something greater. That ambition has shaped every part of my journey—from battling insecurities, overcoming pain, to becoming a vessel of purpose and strength for others.
My relationship with fitness began at just 14 years old—not out of inspiration, but insecurity. I struggled with overeating and constantly felt uncomfortable in my own skin. Health and wellness weren’t priorities in my household, but I knew I had to break that cycle. I wasn’t old enough to hit the gym, so I found other ways: I joined every sport I could, worked out at home, and even took up boxing. Fitness became my outlet—a safe space where I was in control.
At 17, searching for independence and direction, I joined the Navy. I was curious about the world and desperate to escape an environment that was pulling me into anger and self-destruction. I knew I was capable of leading, but I had to pivot—fast.
Boot camp became a turning point. It was the first time I encountered God. I found myself constantly talking to Him, asking for strength to get me through. I even became the fitness instructor for my division—it felt like second nature. But back then, I didn’t realize that encountering God also meant walking through trials. And those trials were just beginning.
My five years in the Navy were some of the darkest years of my life. I battled alcoholism, domestic violence, two years on probation, and a depression so deep it nearly consumed me. The suppressed pain from my past came rushing back. The anger I thought I had healed was still inside me, louder than ever.
By 2020, I hit rock bottom. My daily routine was work, liquor, and self-destruction. One night, glued to my couch and drowning in my pain, I had a defining moment. I told myself, “You can either stay in this hole, or you can fight your way out. But either way, you’re going to suffer—so choose the pain that leads to growth.”
That was the day everything changed.
I chose to fight—with God by my side. I got back into the gym, even when my mind wasn’t fully in it. Still angry, still hurting. Just showing up gave me a small sense of control. Little by little, I rebuilt myself. That’s when MBLP—Mind, Body, Living, Prosperity—was born. It was more than a concept; it was a blueprint. I realized if you shift your mindset, your body follows, It becomes your lifestyle and you will have the capacity to give back. That shift becomes a lifestyle, and that lifestyle becomes a mission.
After leaving the Navy in 2022, I pursued my purpose full-time. I was in the process of getting my personal training certification, not to help people just lose weight—but to help them build a life they could sustain. I wanted to teach people that how you do one thing is how you do everything—and when there’s no hope, you can create it.
But life had other plans.
Two months out of the Navy, I suffered a major back injury—I pulled my back in three places. Overnight, I went from being on top of the world to immobilized. Then I became homeless. It felt like everything I worked for was falling apart. I spiraled again into depression—but this time, I realized what was missing: God. I had made success my idol, and in chasing it, I forgot who brought me through every storm before.
This season forced me to sit still, soberly. I couldn’t use fitness, work, or money as distractions anymore. I had to sit with the rawness of my pain. And through that stillness, I learned how to depend on God in a way I never had before. He wasn’t punishing me—He was refining me. Teaching me to trust His strength, not my own.
That’s when 31ThirdFitness was birthed.
Named after my Detroit area code, it represents possibility—for every young man and woman who feels like they can’t make it out. It’s proof that transformation starts in the mind. You can think your way out of anything when you trust God and do the internal work.
Today, my mission isn’t just about fitness—it’s about mental development, resilience, and purpose. I help people bridge the gap between where they are and where they dream to be. I teach them how to build a lifestyle that matches their vision.
Because I know what it feels like to want to give up. But I also know what it feels like to win.
And if God can use That baby girl from Detroit—angry, broken, and lost—to become a vessel of healing and strength, He can do it for anyone.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some of the biggest struggles I’ve faced while chasing my dreams in the fitness industry stem from not knowing my purpose. Without it, you’re wandering—pushing forward on blind faith, and all too often in the wrong direction.
If you don’t know your purpose, you’re guessing—and that guesswork can feel like resilience, when really, it’s just relentless repetition of the same cycle. You keep showing up, enduring hardships, thinking you’re getting stronger… but you’re really just stuck.
Discovering your purpose changes everything. Suddenly, your mistakes become stepping stones: points of growth, not confirmation of failure. You start moving with awareness, not inertia. I’ve come to believe that “your purpose will make room for your gift”—that sense when your strengths and your calling align, and doors open where they once felt sealed.
And if you’ve been in that struggle for years—year ten, maybe—and everything seems to repeat, it may be a signal: it’s time to reflect. To ask who you are meant to be, not just what you’re trying to do. Purpose isn’t always obvious. But once it clicks, adversity becomes direction instead of deadlock.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a personal traveling trainer in Dallas Texas, that not only targets your goals, ambitions and dreams, but the part of you that got caught in that cross fire of anxiety, Insecurity, and fear of working out around people. So I bring the gym to you. Creating a safe space and building your confidence to get comfortable in the uncomfortable.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as, making a decision and following through. Success is not at the finish line, but at the begging of the race. Once you’ve made up your mind on what it is you want to do and follow through, that’s when you’re successful. Remember the light is not only at the end on the tunnel, but the beginning as well.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/31thirdfitness
