Christa DiPaolo

I just want to say thank you…

The messages, comments, and love over the last couple of weeks have meant more than I can put into words.

I’m slow to respond, but please know I’ve felt every bit of it.

Back home in Miami with Brett, slowly coming back to life. Having my dad here with us now feels surreal and strangely comforting after all the years we tried to get him to come visit.

I appreciate all of you more than you know.

❤️ Christa & Poppa Ninja (aka Big Boss Bernie)

I lost my dad this weekend. We were just together a few weeks ago, and I am still wrapping my head around how fast life can change.

What feels strange to say, but also true, is that on our last trip together he talked a lot about death. It stuck with me in a way I couldn’t explain at the time. Something felt off, so I didn’t post these photos and videos when I normally would. I trusted that instinct, even though I didn’t fully understand it yet.

I also made the decision recently to postpone our retreat until next year because I wanted more time with my parents. I am deeply grateful I did.

For those of you who have been here with me for over seven years, you know this community has walked through so much together. Births. Weddings. Big wins. Quiet struggles. Losses. Life in all of its seasons. I want you to know how much that means to me right now.

Out of respect for my family, and honestly because I am just not ready, I am pressing pause on some of the exciting things I had planned for B&B in February, including a LIVE and a few launches. Nothing is going away. We are just giving it a little space. Workouts will continue as usual. I may just be quieter on social while I go home to be with my mom and my family.

I don’t know yet how, but I do know “Big Boss Bernie” will be woven into what comes next. In a way that feels like him. And like us.

A few things about my dad 🤍

• His nickname for me was Sunshine.
• My nickname for him was Pops MaGrops.
• He was from Niagara Falls, NY.
• He was afraid to fly, so he made countless cross-country drives growing up, which is how I learned to drive.
• He collected pennies.
• He always tipped well. Always.
• Brett called him Big Boss Bernie.
• He called Brett Big City Brett.
• His favorite restaurant was Sinatra’s.
• He loved extra dirty martinis and a good bottle of bold red.
• He never skipped dessert. Ever.
• He moved to Las Vegas in 1969.
• He missed only one day of work in his entire life.
• He started at the Riviera Hotel as a pit boss and worked his way up to shift boss.
• He saw old Vegas, including Elvis and Frank Sinatra shows.
• He was a Marine.

Forever your Sunshine xx

Yes, I know the trend. Yes, I also said I was not going to do it. And yet…here we are.

I was trying to put together a post about Vegas last week and somehow ended up in 2016. Go figure? 😜

This is me during my Equinox, PopSugar, and serious caffeine era. Pre B&B. Pre 2018. Pre a lot of things.

What you’re seeing looks confident. And yes, I was proud. But there was also a lot of imposter syndrome and social anxiety happening quietly in the background. The kind that sticks around longer than you’d like and takes years to shake.

Those years mattered though. Equinox. The Cut. PopSugar. I met so much of the fitness community that still shows up here today through those experiences. I learned how to coach, how to be on camera, how to trust my voice, and how to keep going even when I wasn’t sure I belonged in the room.

B&B didn’t exist yet, but it wouldn’t exist without this chapter. Neither would this community.

I usually skip trends or show up once everyone is already over them. This one caught me feeling a little nostalgic. So consider this a quick trip down fitness memory lane!

Not a highlight reel. Just a reminder that everything builds, even when it feels messy in real time.

Who remembers these OG workouts and The Cut?

🩷ya, Christa xx

#2016

Snapped these on NYE. Was feeling the dress, had a questionable dinner, and zero panic about what it “means.”

Just sharing because I like these pics and really love this human. Bringing more of this energy into 2026.

P.S. I usually blur Brett’s feet because I hate feet (even mine), but I was feeling lazy. 😜 IYKYK!

🩷 Christa & Brett xx