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Joni Genovesi

@joni.geno

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@clubstudiofitness Coach

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I came out roughly 8 years ago, after sitting in years of solitude and shame. To that first spoken truth tho, I didn’t open a bottle and gently pour it out. The bottle smashed into pieces, broken glass everywhere, my soul spilling out. The same day I became free was also the same day I decided to leave.

It was a surreal feeling to sit in the parking lot, watching people walk by, their carts full of things to continue life, while I was trying to discontinue mine. I didn’t make it into that store. My brain was ready, but my soul was not.

Today, there is celebration in simply existing and walking this earth. The gratitude I feel to experience all the good and bad life is. If that desperate person could have seen the future, they probably would not be here to evolve into who you know today. So much of the fear, so many of the reasons I thought I had to leave, came true. People, close people I loved, walked away. I had to fight for my truth harder than I could have ever imagined. In so many ways, life became harder than ever.

But that’s the success of this story. Coming out was the easy part. So broken and desperate, there was no holding it in. Living through my reasons, that’s the celebration. I didn’t have to struggle. I could have just ended the pain. But I chose the struggle instead, over and over. I got to feel pain, to prove to myself, over and over, how strong I can be. I got to feel the beauty and love on the other side.

While there is still grieving for what was lost, I am so grateful for what was gained. The love that has found me, the community I’ve built, is stronger than I ever could have hoped. I am who I am today because so many held me up, and when I do fall, I know I am no longer alone.

So to the few that stayed, to the many that came, this is not a day to celebrate me, but to celebrate the love you shared with me. To celebrate how kind and good this world can be. And to take notice that so many more need to feel that warmth to find their way.

Today is Trans Day of Visibility. A day for my community to stand up, be seen, and be heard. And for our voices to be amplified by all the love out there that carries us when we need it most. by @joni.geno

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7 months ago

Life on a bumpy dirt road

If y’all have ever driven on a dirt road before, you know how different it is from cruising down a smooth highway.

On a smooth highway, you can coast.
You’re not worried about the hundred feet in front of you.
Your eyes can drift. They can observe.
Your thoughts can wander.
You can plan. Think. Dream. Hope.

Of course, accidents can happen.
Bad weather. Traffic.
Things that slow you down, that force your eyes back to that hundred feet ahead, tighten your grip on the steering wheel, make you turn the radio down so you can focus.

But even then, your body knows the road is still smooth.
Whatever’s causing the tension will pass.
And you’ll cruise again.

When you drive on a bumpy dirt road, though, you’re living in that tension.
Your eyes can’t drift.
Your thoughts can’t wander.
You’re hypervigilant about those hundred feet in front of you.

What I’m describing is the difference between living in safety and comfort…
and living in fear and survival.

When you’re safe, you can plan.
You can hope.
You can dream.
Bad things still happen—of course they do.
But they pass, and you return to safety.

When you live in fear, it’s not about the future.
It’s about surviving what’s right in front of you.
And when you live there too long, hypervigilance becomes normal.
Life stops being about building up, and becomes about simply holding up.

Those of us—like me—who have lived our lives in survival mode aren’t worried about ten years from now.
We’re just getting through today.
And tomorrow.
And the day after that.

I’ve been doing a lot of heavy reflection lately.
My life has been about hiding. Surviving. Holding up.
But the shift is coming. It’s already started.

The road is getting smoother.
My grip isn’t as tight.
And that radio volume… is creeping its way back up.

The podcast is still coming.
Just waiting for the fizz to settle a little bit more.

#fizzissettling #podcast #lifeisajourney❤️ by @joni.geno

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10 months ago

Come find me at the club this week! Otherwise you’ll have to find me on Sunday’s only.

As much as I love fitness, and coaching you all, it’s time for me to go back to the dark side, a traditional 9a-5p ☹️😅. Gonna miss so much about being a full-time coach, but so grateful I’ll still be able to see y’all once a week.

See y’all soon! by @joni.geno

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a year ago

This bridge has become a metaphor, a portal if you will.

As I cross over, I unload my heavy. The stress. The hurt. The fear. It all stays behind.

This allows room for the good. The hope. The. Love. The creativity. All now have so much more room to be present and breathe.

I try to spend the next hour building and visualizing the life I want. The love I want to feel. The success I want to achieve. The peace, safety and comfort we all deserve. It all lives and is so so clear.

I sometimes have this childish hope that when I cross back over, like magic, the heavy won’t be waiting for me. That the life I’ve manifested will be there, waiting to greet me with a warm embrace.

But here’s the thing. One day that will be true. Not because of magic. But because of sheer willpower. The heavy will be gone because there wasn’t any to leave behind. The life I crave, will exist before I even crossed over. The peace, safety and comfort are already present.

Today, there is simply gratitude. That I am strong enough to carry that heavy. That the deepest part of my soul, has the brightest of light. And one day, it won’t be a dream.

#thefizz #thefizzbyJoni #RawAndReal #Gratitude #HopeInDarkness #MentalHealthJourney #InnerStrength by @joni.geno

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a year ago

✨ Introducing The Fizz ✨

We come here to feel.
To learn.
To let go.

For years, I’ve lived with that chest-buzzing feeling — the pressure that builds when truth stays buried. It’s grief. It’s fear. It’s love with nowhere to go. It’s the fizz inside a shaken can.

This podcast is where we crack it open. Where the pressure of truth learns to breathe. And we embrace it all. That dark and the light.

🎙️ Episode One drops October 1st.

Follow along @thefizzbyjoni — this is where it begins. by @joni.geno

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a year ago

Being visibly different can be so exhausting. The stares, the side eyes, the second glances. I walk past it all, proud and tall. Most of the time.

But not all of the time. Life has just felt heavy lately. My body has felt weighed down. I’ve always been a pro at picking myself up, stepping into each day, with gratitude that I get to be me. But it’s been harder lately. Harder to find the joy, the hope, the smiles.

If you know my end of class speech, that it’s a privilege to move our bodies, that it’s work we get to do, it’s mostly interpreted from a physical perspective, buts it’s always been spiritual for me. I am still in this world, and I get to feel it all. The things I say in classes, to keep you moving, I say to myself almost every damn day. Because life is fucking hard. And I keep going.

I’m tired of being diminished.
I’m tired of being fetishized.
I’m tired of smiling when I just want to cry.
I’m just tired.

Through all of this, I’ll wake up tomorrow. And I’ll smile. I’ll do what I do best, and that’s keeping people moving.

So why this post. Why be so vulnerable in such a public way. Because over the last 24 hours, I’ve been heavily reminded that my existence is a political belief. Something that can be discussed and debated. People who can’t possibly walk in my shoes, know me better than me. Imagine clawing your way through life, to simply be told that you aren’t you. That I should and need to just be ok with that.

Life by Joni is coming soon, a podcast about my life. My perspective. And it will start with my journey to right here and now. And maybe, just maybe, a small change for the better will come.

#lifebyjoni by @joni.geno

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a year ago

109 letters. An absolutely crushed audition. I know I did enough to earn this, to take it, but it wasn’t meant to be.

It hurts. Not because I wasn’t good enough, but because I was close. To hear through the grapevine, I was strong, one of the best… it stings. To know I was good enough, but not picked, burns deep.

To everyone who showed up for me, who believed in me, who gave me strength to walk into that room unapologetically, thank you so damn much. 109 letters. An army at my back. That’s something no rejection can erase. You all believed in me. That power will forever fuel me.

This isn’t the end of the story. Just one chapter. And if I’m not given that mic? I’ll take another.

Stay tuned. Something else is coming.

#lifebyjoni by @joni.geno

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a year ago

42 trips around the sun. 42 birthdays on this earth. But only 5, truly as me.

During hard runs, I pick a tree or object in the distance and tell myself to make it to the next tree. So much of life has been survival, making it to that next tree. While I no longer feel like I am surviving life, I sometimes feel so behind in life, longing for the things I don’t have, the things I wasn’t able to achieve/do/get because life wasn’t about living, it was about not giving up.

But I have so much to be grateful for. My kids, who are my forever reason, my physical health, and an ever growing circle, one that was nearly empty just years ago.

And so many of you, who quietly, loudly, and everything in between, show your love and support. So many of you who show off the beauty of what humanity can be.

The truth is, I’ll never escape depression fully. That darkness will always find a place in my soul, but when I find myself there, it doesn’t feel empty anymore. I can feel all of the love willing me through.

In so many ways, this has been a powerful and special year. And while, I haven’t seen the results I crave, I know they’re coming. I know I’m capable of so much more than I ever imagined.

Love you all. And I hold so much gratitude for all of you.

#jonisarmy #gratitude #birthday #refelctions by @joni.geno

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a year ago

Tomorrow is my audition! And I’m asking for a little more help 🙏🏻

I’m walking into Mojo in the Morning with a packet of over 100 of your letters! I can’t tell y’all how much I appreciate every one of you 💜.

This is the moment. Every twist in my life has led me here. And now, I get to audition for the mic—and maybe, represent something bigger. Now, let’s break their IG.

👉 Tag @mojointhemorn
💬 Comment and share this to your stories, and maybe beg your friends to do it too. Let’s show them the army I already have behind me!

Detroit, Grand Rapids, Toledo—I’m coming for you. 💥

#LetJoniSpeak #MojoInTheMorning #JoniOnTheMic #DetroitRadio #WakeUpWithJoni by @joni.geno

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a year ago

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility 🏳️‍⚧️

I sometimes miss being “ordinary”. My old self didn’t stand out in a crowd. I could pee without fear. I was just another boring, straight dude. One of a millions. I went about my day without worry or anxiety that my presence was going to be unwanted, not accepted, or going to get me hurt.

I no longer have the luxury of being “ordinary”. I tend to stand out in crowds, getting second glances, looks of wonder, confusion, or worse. The political climate we live in has heightened my sense of safety, sometimes sacrificing my bladder if I don’t feel safe enough for the most basic of human needs.

As much as I miss the days where my gender identity wasn’t the first thing people’s noticed, I am grateful and honored to be as visible as I am for my community. My job puts me in front of over a hundred people a day at times. For many, I am their first and/or only interaction with a known trans person. If there is one thing I know I’m good at, it’s connecting with people. And if anything, I hope I am able to show that being trans is just simply something about us, not all of us.

We are humans. We have lives to live just like everyone else on this planet. We overlap with every demographic and characteristic in existence. And all we want, is the opportunity to live our lives in a way that works best for us. To not be limited in our ability to live and love our lives.

This day is simply to highlight that we exist. We are among you in all phases and aspect of life. Our “agenda” isn’t to force anything, other than our right to exist, to show love and be loved in a way that works for us. Just like the rest of this world. A shining light doesn’t dim others, but amplifies light for all 💜

#transgenderdayofvisibility #weexist #selflove❤️ #transgender by @joni.geno

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2 years ago

To say i am filled with love is an understatement. Thank you all so much for your presence, your kindness, your tears and all the sweaty hugs. Your cards and gifts brought more tears to my eyes, hours later.

I got into coaching after selling my restaurants with the expectation it would be just a for a little while. I never imagined I would fall in love with what I get to do. You all have helped me find a power, passion, and fire I didn’t know existed in my soul. I am eternally grateful for every single one of you.

Watching you all grow by leaps and bounds was by far my favorite part of this job. It’s so empowering to know I helped light that spark. Just please remember, I simply lead you to that door. You are the ones that have to be brave enough to walk through it.

Coaching at OTF has lead me to a door, It was a scary choice, but I needed to be brave and see what was on the other side.

I love you all so much, and always remember to hold that gratitude that you GET to do the hard work you do 💜🙌🏻 by @joni.geno

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2 years ago

Monday, I stepped way out of my comfort zone. I have so much anxiety and negativity towards my physical body. I’m in between two worlds, feeling out of place, and uncomfortable at the deepest level.

So I did what I do and I took it to an extreme. I jumped in and bared it all for @detroit_queer_sketch_series, showing every bit of myself to a very safe and loving space to be interpreted by their art. I nearly broke down before the robe came off, but I let go of all fear and followed through.

This was one of the most moving and powerful moments I’ve experienced in this life. The artists drawings and perceptions of me destroyed the negativity I hold over my physical existence. I was brought to tears looking at everyone’s pieces. Seeing my masculine features beautifully blended with my femininity was exactly what my soul needed.

I read a great quote the other day, fear is simply the first step towards bravery. And I chose to not let it stop at fear, and be brave. And the power I took from it, far exceeded my expectations.

Trans people exist. And we won’t be hidden. by @joni.geno

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2 years ago