Shirlee was born in Youngstown, Ohio. She began dancing at the age of three, continued throughout high school and decided to pursue dance  performance as a career. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and is trained in all styles of dance with a concentration in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern. In 2008, Shirlee moved to New York City where she pursued teaching, choreography, and performance. After settling down from auditioning and performing, Shirlee decided to take her love and knowledge of movement and the body to a new level. She became an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) certified personal trainer. Shirlee has since, trained for private and corporate gym facilities and companies throughout Manhattan. She is well-versed in nutrition and fitness and specializes in strength training. Shirlee and her fiancé, Giovanni, recently moved back to her hometown to open Hybrid Barbell. 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Giovanni grew up playing football, basketball, and running track. He went on to play college football and rugby while earning his Bachelor Degree in Studio Art. Upon graduation Giovanni relocated to New York City, in order to pursue rugby. he would eventually earn a spot on the U.S. Tomahawk elite player roster (rugby league), before eventually playing at the professional level in Queensland, Australia. After rugby, Giovanni took up boxing and became a member of the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) boxing team and competed in the New York Golden Gloves, and New York Metropolitan tournaments. Eventually giovanni would take his acquired knowledge of performance based training and weightlifting to earn his International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) certification, as a personal trainer. 

Giovanni has since trained in both corporate and private gym facilities throughout Manhattan. Along with his fiancé, Shirlee,

they have decided to use their 

knowledge, experience, and love for training to open Hybrid Barbell.