Today we’d like to introduce you to John Aquino.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
HTX Brochachos was an idea brewing for 6 years. When I’ve preached and told myself that “great things take time,” I didn’t necessarily understand or fully live into that statement until January 8, 2018. I have my degree from Fashion Merchandising with a double minor in Business and Communications from Texas State University. I worked my way through my college career leading in management positions at retail stores and held officer roles at our university’s student Fashion organization, which allowed me to connect with the community.
Just as most fashion students dreamed, New York City was the place to be. With that goal in mind, I directed my focus in locking down an internship with Calvin Klein Inc., the company I was working for at the time. With hard work and the countless times of saying “no” to many things (such as friends), I nailed a position with their North America Retail Accessory Buying team. It was this moment where “What you put your mind to, you can achieve” came into play and became my first biggest accomplishment that I acknowledged myself for.
Fast forward to my time with Lululemon Athletica in 2015, my first “in the real world” job, I became more invested in my health + wellness and the human I was developing into by taking up yoga, a practice I was introduced to when I was 14 and left during high school/college.
From there, it fostered to all things sweat life — CrossFit, cycle, bounce, pilates, you name it. I started to see the benefits of what a group fitness class brought. Apart from an ass-kicking workout, the 45 to 60 mins classes brought a sense of community and camaraderie among the participants that have never even met before that moment. I was fascinated and mildly addicted to the idea and soon became my go-to for a way to connect with my friends I hadn’t seen in a while or family.
After discovering Revolution Studio, a cycle/yoga boutique-style studio, I was in love with the balance of the two disciplines. So much, I became a cycle instructor 2 years after cycling with the company! A year later, I added yoga into my teaching and am now living the best life I possibly know how by sharing my passions with the community that I love. To note, I made this decision after being let go from Lululemon and was left in the space to create something new for myself.
HTX Brochachos was that simple — an opportunity to share more with Houston of what it would mean and look like to live a life you love. Ivan Salazar, who started as my personal trainer at Fit Factor, and I were heading to a Monday noon yoga class and he candidly said, “MAN! I love my life. We get to do this and I love it.” We were so lit up about the idea and all we wanted to do was share that to our community – more specifically, men. We believe that every man has the opportunity to make the conscious choice to live a healthier, more authentic, and wholesome lifestyle. Ultimately, building a community of men that contribute back to our society for the common good.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Because I feel that the words I’ve heard and live by helped me through the best/worst moments of my life, I’ll share, “God doesn’t give you anything you cannot handle.” It has not been a smooth road or a path I ever imagined walking on. Even to this day, the resistance I face the most is approval, a sense of having to prove myself and live up to the expectations of what my family deems right for me.
I have always been the child to do things differently, “not listen” [to their expectations and how I should live my life] as what my parents would say. I recall one specific moment when I decided to switch my major from Kinesiology to Fashion Merchandising. My 2nd oldest sister was over and having a conversation with my mom in the kitchen. As I was walking down the stairs, I heard my name come up and began to slow my pace down towards the kitchen. I hear, “Are you really going to let him go through with this? What if he doesn’t make any money? There’s no secure job for that…”
Immediately, I headed back upstairs to my room [they hadn’t known I heard what they said and to this day, they still don’t] and tried to process how my sister could be saying this. I expected it from my parents and already had an inkling they didn’t support it all the way, regardless of the amount of times I was told to “do whatever makes you happy” or “as long as you are happy!” That didn’t stop me, it fueled me. I used the resistance of approval that I faced and turned it into a way that motivated me to stand strong in what I believed was right for me and prove them wrong — that THIS was for me and I can make something out of it.
Has it been easy nor will it ever be? No, and yes. That’s the beauty of this journey I am willing to trek on. The more I face resistance, the stronger I feel. So when the going gets tough, I think about my greatest accomplishments and how much I faced to get what I want and trust that there will be ease. Ease in confidently choosing the things that lead me to where I want to be.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HTX Brochachos – what should we know?
As I’ve said before, it’s simple. We (I) believe that every man has the opportunity to make the conscious choice to live a healthier, more authentic, and wholesome lifestyle. HTX Brochachos is committed to advancing men’s health and wellness through curated community-partnered events in the Houston area.
We strive to do this by facilitating meaningful conversation topics that deconstruct and redefine the social construct of what a man should be and provide a platform to the missions and resources of local organizations, incorporating physical and mental exercises into the events. Ultimately, building a community of men that contribute back to our society for the common good. #SweatToServe.
We partner with our community (such as local businesses, organizations, school systems) to create an event that encompasses physical, mental, and social endurance in the form of physical training (physical), Yoga + Meditation (mental), and partnership with local non-profit organizations that serve the community (social).
We are proud to be able to offer this platform form not only men, but ladies is pimps too. We believe there is an opportunity to strengthen the relationships a man has with his community/family and create a modern man who lives authentically to who they know themselves to be as well as discover more, the depths of who they are.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Trusting myself and being curious about people’s stories and what the world offers.
Trusting that everything I need is already inside me, even when I don’t know the answers at the moment. Time and time again, the experiences I have in my life and what the world has offered to me allowed me to recognize that at the end of the day, I had it all along.
In the moments where I’ve said yes to new experiences and come out of it saying, “WOW! I DID THAT! I just did that and didn’t even know I could.” Just recently, leading my community through yoga/cycle has done that for me.
It’s also in moments where I have to push myself to continue the search for more. More experiences that will let me peel the layers off of who I am as a person and what levels I’m capable of — teaching fitness and curating HTX Brochachos allows me to do this, the curiosity of who we are impacting and how. I’ve always said and am a huge advocate for living your best damn fullest life.
Pricing:
- HTX Brochachos – Most community impact events are donation-based.
- Revolution Studio – New Client Offer: 2 Weeks of Unlimited Cycle + Yoga for $35
Contact Info:
- Phone: 2817267812
- Email: htxbrochachos@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/htxbrochachos
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/htxbrochachos
- Other: www.instagram.com/fancyjohnstache
Image Credit:
Dina Rohira (@dinarohiraphoto), Jay Diaz (@jaydiaz_photo), and Davy Crake (@thecrakes)
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
