My life has had its ups and downs. From the time I was a kid, I was at a disadvantage. I grew up on a small Indian reservation in northern New Mexico, I was raised by a single mother working 2 jobs to make ends meet. She always made sure that my sister and I had food to eat. Whether it was provided to us via the USDA commodity program, or ramen noodles for dinner, or the free lunch program at school, she made sure we were taken care of first.  

Nambe Pueblo was my home for the first 18 years of my life. As a rez kid, we did not have very much. My parents were divorced when I was 7 years old. Luckily, I had my grandfather and uncles in my life to teach me how to be a man. During those early years of life, I studied hard and made sure my grades were a priority. I was an athletic kid and my mom tried her best to keep me busy with sports. I am truly grateful for her thoughtfulness and desire to give us the best that she could. Through sports, I was able to broaden my horizons beyond high school.

College and Beyond

After high school, I was fortunate enough to receive a nomination to the US Naval Academy Preparatory School to play football. After struggling with my academics at this rigorous school, I was able to earn a vice presidential nomination to the US Naval Academy. Unfortunately, I was only able to stick it out for 2 additional years. But those years taught me a lot about myself. I learned how to study and apply myself to the tasks I needed to complete. I don’t regret anything about my decisions, without me making those hard choices, I would not be where I am today. 

After a few years of moving around from Las Cruces, San Diego, Santa Fe, and finally Albuquerque, I attended the University of New Mexico and graduated Cum Laude with an exercise science degree. It took my 9 years post-high school to earn this degree, but it was one of the proudest moments of my life. My 2 daughters at the time were able to see me walk across the stage and accept my degree. I had a few professors that helped me significantly along the way and my advisor Dr. Len Kravitz was a great guide for me.

As I look back at my forty-one years of life, I believe that without someone helping me get to the next step I would have failed. Someone has always been there to help me get to the next level. Whether it was my mom, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts, my coaches, or my teachers, someone helped me. They believed in me, even though I may have not believed in myself. I am truly grateful for all the people in my life that have helped me. 

Performance Ranch

I feel that I need to give back to the community for what the community has done for me. The Performance Ranch exists to help others succeed. I know that helping others achieve a healthy lifestyle, better nutritional habits, consistent exercise program, or just being mindful of their own actions will help someone have a better life. 

Our existence as a company revolves around helping people live life beyond the gym walls. As long as someone wants to make an improvement in their life, we are here to help them achieve that goal. 

We are grateful for what we have learned this last year. On March 18, 2020 we had to close our doors like many other businesses around the state. We were unsure what was going to happen. We stayed true to ourselves and kept helping each other stay healthy at home. Whether it through our Facebook Live classes, our online personal training or special talks we would host with local professionals we remained constant. Help others succeed. 

We are grateful that you have stuck with us for this last year. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals in the future. 

Thank you, 

Lawrence Herrera