Guest Spotlight – Maria Brandone

Its time once again to turn on the amazing spotlight to a member who has embodied what we the labarre family is all about.  Enter stage left, Maria Brandone! 
 
Maria is active in our community, loves our neighborhood, the San Jose Sharks and, of course, labarre studios.  She constantly brings us ideas of how to grow and wants to share her little secret (labarre studios) with everyone she knows! We are so excited to let you know a little bit about her and she is well-deserving of the spotlight. Congrats, Maria!

Maria Brandone
 
Place of Birth:             Hartford, CT
 
Hometown:                 I’m lucky to have multiple home towns!
 
(Prior to San Jose I lived in Corvallis, OR., Boise, ID., Carlsbad, CA., Lake Zurich, IL. Westlake Village, CA., Clifton Park, NY.  My parents live in Frisco, TX – so that is where I go “home for the holidays.”)
 
Occupation:                
Account Executive with the San Jose Sharks, & Bartender at Famous Dave’s on the weekend!
 
Twitter Handle:
I have 2! My personal is @infinitycords and my work twitter is @SharksTicketRep
 
Insta Handle: @infinitycords
 
Hobbies?
Going to Drum Corps rehearsals/shows over the summer, hiking, traveling and eating at new places.
 
Tell us about your family!
My mother and father (Jeanne and Mike) currently live in Texas. I have two brothers and one sister-in-law. My other brother John is married to Jaqueline who he met in Germany. They live in Orlando, FL. My younger brother recently graduated Louisiana Tech with a BS in Cyber Engineering and minor in Mathematics degree!

My favorite restaurant is…
…hard to pick! A few come to mind, though. House of Nanking in San Francisco or Tidal Raves Seafood in Depoe Bay, OR.
 
Favorite Vaca Spot:
I love going back to places I’ve lived – but Boise takes the cake. I vacation there 2-3 times a year!
 
Music I LOVE…
I’m a Justin Timberlake fanatic, so much that I saw him both days he performed at SAP Center!
 
What am I watching, right now?
Right now I’m on a huge “Ice Guardians” kick. It’s a documentary (on Netflix) that showcases the world of enforcers in the NHL/AHL. 
 
Bucketlist item…
Drink Champagne out of the Stanley Cup, of course!

Why is fitness important to you?
My new year’s resolution was to attend 200 Labarre classes in 2018. Fitness has become a part of my life this past year, mostly because it’s the structured outlet I was missing before!
 
Advice you would share with a new labarre guests....
Try as many different classes as you can, you’ll never know if it works until you try it! I’m certainly not a morning person but I love the occasional 6am to get my day started. Don’t let certain things scare you – you’re already here, so why not try it out!?
 
The most important thing to me is…
Relationships and building them. Because I moved so much when I was younger, I know I need to make the most out of my time wherever I am.
 
One thing I learned about myself in the past 6 months is…
You have more control over your body than you think! In December I decided to go on a 30-day plant-based diet really changed how I eat every day. I don’t eat 100% vegan any more, but changing up this part of my lifestyle helped me realize that a lot of my health problems I was causing myself. I’m more powerful than what I put into my body.
 
The thing I am most proud of is...
The time in 2013 I won a World Championship with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. I started the off season as an alternate but right before tour, I obtained a member spot in the front ensemble. The obstacles I faced in obtaining my spot, on top of winning the championship… It was hands down the hardest thing I’ve ever done and a memory that will last a lifetime!

 I look forward to…
making better and more meaningful connections with other members at labarre. Heading to the studio is the highlight of my day (and so is having a glass of wine next door after class!)