Angie Andrade

Super Neighbors are the lifeblood of OneRoof. They’re the people who bring their building together in the name of community. Thanks to them, building hangouts happen, friendships are made, and incredible moments unfold. We’re deeply grateful to them!

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Today we’re featuring nutritionist, owner of TotalBodyFit, and deeply kind person, Angie Andrade. Angie moved to the United States from Ecuador when she was 15 years old. Since she didn’t speak English at the time, she faced a lot of bullying from kids at her school. This difficult experience gave her a soft spot for people who feel like they don’t fit in– and a passion for bringing people together.

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I sat down with Angie on Zoom for this conversation. If you’d prefer to listen rather than read, you can tune in here 🎤.

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Did you grow up in New York City or somewhere else? Tell me about your journey.

I’ve been living here since the mid-nineties. I literally stepped out of that airplane the first time and my mother asked me, “Hey, what do you think about this? You like it?” And I loved it.

She asked if I wanted to stay, and I said yes. And at that point, my mother had quit her job in Ecuador. I was quite surprised to see that she would take the advice of a 15-year-old. But since I told her I wanted to stay, it was a done deal. Then America was home!

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What was finding a community in New York City like?

It was really rough. I didn't speak the language at all. So when I first moved here, I encountered a completely new world. It was beautiful. It was fun. But it was very rough, because I had to learn a whole new language. And there was a point in which I didn't know if I would be able to accomplish that. But eventually, I made it happen. It wasn't easy. But it was worth it. 

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Tell me about that. Those moments in a new city, learning a new language, trying to connect with people. What was that like?

Oh, my goodness, it was rough. I had a lot of bullies in my school. I didn’t take English as a second language. I went straight into a private Catholic school. It was all girls, but girls can be pretty mean. Thankfully, I made some new friends who spoke the language and told everyone to back off. I wasn’t alone. 

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Somehow, some way, I was able to start speaking a new language in high school. But there was a lot of name calling before then. It was unpleasant to deal with.

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How does that impact you now as an adult?

It has allowed me to develop a lot of compassion for others. I try to see where people are coming from. And there is a touch of kindness that I can offer. I received a lesson very young in life, so I can be there for people who may be lonely and need help from others. I try to always understand where they come from.

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What is your work now as an adult? 

I developed TotalBodyFit from the ground up. I started in 2008 after I graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and also Columbia University.

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I am in the field of wellness. My company incorporates nutrition and fitness, and brings it to your doorstep. We work with individuals and corporations. 

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I love that. And you said you also graduated from Columbia University? That's incredible!

I actually just started doing this work for myself. At that point, I was working as a real estate agent. It was not my passion, but it was taking care of bills. However, I went to school for personal reasons. I was dealing with a lot of health problems. And I realized that if I didn’t take care of those health issues, the thing that I loved the most–– food–– would go alongside the thing I liked least–– taking pills. 

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I realized that I had to change the way I eat. I learned my triggers, I learned what was affecting my health. And then suddenly I was no longer taking seven different medications at a time. I was no longer dealing with the health issues I had. And so I thought that I would help others do the same thing. I’m proud of that work, and want to keep doing it forever. 

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Sounds like you took your own struggles and helped other people heal. 

I never really planned it out that way. Literally, I was so selfish about it. I thought, I need to take care of my healing. It’s now or never. And it turned into working with individuals and corporations, hundreds of people making changes I never thought I’d see.

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One of the ways that you help people is through Super Neighbors. Why were you interested in bringing your neighbors together?

Well, it made the most sense to do that. I've been living in the same building since 2009. And I literally don't know anyone, it's very New York style, I guess, to not really know who lives around you. 

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So when I found out that you can actually put people together and not feel shy about it, I jumped on it. I said to myself, maybe I can put on an event where I can meet my neighbors and do the thing I love most–– fitness. So I started with one event in my building. And everyone was so excited. I saw at least 11 new faces that I have never met in my entire life. And everyone was sweating, working out, giving it their all. It just felt like a community. So good. I want to do another event for sure.

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It’s fun to think about bringing this to other buildings, as well, and creating more community. This is just the beginning. It’s fun to share my passion for fitness. 

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Did you notice anything happening after the workout? Did people meet each other? Did they exchange phone numbers? 

Yes, I saw a lot of people interacting, shaking hands. People asked me to do more, and now I even have some people working privately with members of my team. So it worked out in many ways. I’ve also done nutrition work with a couple of people in my building, which is great because I don’t need to go far. It’s a win-win. The formula works!

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Have you been to any other Super Neighbor events?

I haven't been able to set time aside just yet, but I see a lot of good opportunities to. I am reaching out to the group to create an event in other buildings soon. And I see other people hosting karaoke nights, classes. I love it. But the only things I want to organize myself are fitness related.

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Well, I think really my last big question for you is: What do you think makes a great Super Neighbor?

I think someone who can create a sense of community, who is open to making new friends. Someone who wants to be a source of friendship. And at times an inspiration for others, whether it's a fun workout or to have more creativity, to sing out loud and let the stress out. That to me is a SuperNeighbor, and just a super fun person to be around in general! 

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Feeling Inspired?

Find out if there’s a OneRoof community in your building here. Inspired by Angie's Super Neighbor story? You can apply to become a Super Neighbor here and get sponsored events for you and your neighbors.

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