Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Escamilla.
Samantha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My love for movement started the moment I could run. I grew up watching my parents push limits—whether it was marathons, Spartan races, Ironmans, or CrossFit competitions, they were always in motion. That energy became a part of me. My middle brother and I, close in age, were always on sports teams together. We were fierce rivals at practice, but come game time, we moved as one.
Soccer eventually stole my heart. I played in the NPL and on travel teams until my sophomore year of high school, and continued my career through college. But during my junior year at East Texas Baptist University, I had to hang up my cleats after my third knee injury. While it was a hard goodbye, my time studying kinesiology grew into an even deeper love for fitness and the science of movement.
In 2021, I moved to Austin and dove into the boutique fitness world—training up to 35 people at once in high-energy group classes. I loved the buzz, the community, and the power in shared effort. But deep down, I knew I was meant to create something of my own.
That moment came in 2023, when I had my first baby. Becoming a mom shifted everything. I was shocked by how little accessible information existed around pelvic floor health, strength training during pregnancy, and the vital role of diaphragmatic breathing. I felt overwhelmed, confused, and underprepared—and I knew I wasn’t alone. That’s where the Postpartum Project was born.
At first, I doubted myself. I was young, newly postpartum, and terrified of going solo in a city like Austin. But my husband never wavered in his belief—not just in me, but in the vision behind the Postpartum Project. We launched the LLC on my birthday, and this August, PPP will turn one year old… just as I welcome our second baby into the world.
My mission is to reach as many women as possible and support them through one of the most transformational seasons of life—pregnancy and postpartum. To remind them that our bodies are not broken, but incredibly capable. That strength and softness can coexist. That we were designed to move.
Strength training, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, is powerful. It helps reduce the risk of injury, supports posture and pelvic health, and builds functional strength to carry and care for our babies. And even more importantly, it plays a critical role in preserving bone density—a key concern, as women naturally begin to lose bone mass during pregnancy and as they age. Lifting weights and loading the body through strength-based movement supports our skeletal system, boosts metabolism, and sets the foundation for long-term health.
More than anything, I want to be strong for my kids—for their childhood, for the long hikes, the backyard soccer games, and the moments of play that stretch for decades. I want to show other women that motherhood can be a beginning, not an end, to their own health journey. The Postpartum Project is here to remind us that we don’t have to just “bounce back”—we can build forward, together.
Alright, 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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road—far from it. But one thing my husband always reminds me is this: “Nothing in life worth having comes easy.” Those words ground me when things feel uncertain, and they remind me why I keep showing up. He and our son are my drive, my inspiration, and my daily reminder of why I started the Postpartum Project in the first place.
We’re both first-generation college graduates. We’ve faced our share of obstacles—rejection, injuries, loss, growing up in split households. We’ve walked through seasons of identity crisis, from life as student-athletes to stepping into the unknowns of parenthood and marriage. None of it was easy. But each challenge shaped us, sharpened us, and brought us closer to our purpose.
Becoming a mom cracked me open in the best and hardest ways. It forced me to redefine who I was, beyond the athlete, beyond the coach. It showed me how strong I really am—and how much stronger I could become, not just for myself, but for my family and the women I now have the privilege to serve.
With faith, support, and relentless effort, you can turn pain into purpose. So to the mom reading this, the dreamer, the woman in the messy middle: Don’t stop. Keep pushing. Your time will come. And when it does, you’ll look back and see how every step—no matter how hard—was worth it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Postpartum Project was born out of my own experience becoming a mom—but it’s grown into something much bigger. We’re a strength-focused coaching business that supports women through pregnancy, postpartum, and every season in between.
Our heart is with the moms, the moms-to-be, and the women who aren’t moms but want to feel strong, seen, and supported in their bodies. Because truthfully, you don’t have to be postpartum to feel like you’re starting over. So many of us hit chapters in life—whether from burnout, injury, identity shifts, or major transitions—where we need guidance, encouragement, and a plan that meets us where we are. That’s what we do.
At The Postpartum Project, we use strength training as a tool to rebuild confidence, muscle, and trust in your body. We help you get stronger in a way that supports your life—not just your workouts. Whether you’re lifting for the first time or getting back into movement after a big life change, our programs are designed to be empowering, challenging, and sustainable.
What sets us apart is our commitment to long-term strength. We’re not here for quick fixes or “snap back” culture. We train for the toddler-carrying, carseat-lifting, active-life-living version of you. For the woman who wants to be strong enough to do it all—and still feel good in her body while doing it.
I offer 1:1 personal training (in-person in Austin, TX or virtually), small group training, and custom online programs. Every workout is built to support real life and real women—no matter their season. And while we focus on strength, the heart of what we do is deeper. It’s about helping women come home to themselves. To feel proud of what their bodies can do, not just what they look like doing it.
What I’m most proud of is that this brand is rooted in real life. Built in the quiet, in-between moments of motherhood, and fueled by the belief that women are capable of more than we’ve been told. I may have started this journey as a postpartum mom, but the women who show up to train with me—whether they’re moms or not—remind me that all of us deserve to feel strong, capable, and fully ourselves.
If you’re ready to move with intention, lift with confidence, and be supported every step of the way—The Postpartum Project is for you. You don’t have to be a mom to belong here. You just have to believe you’re worth the effort.
What matters most to you? Why?
Movement is my medicine.
It’s what’s grounded me through every season—through injury, identity shifts, heartbreak, becoming a mother, and becoming me again. It’s how I heal, how I connect with myself, and how I show up for the people I love. That’s what matters most to me: creating a space where other women can experience that same healing power.
Through The Postpartum Project, I want to give women access to a kind of strength that runs deeper than reps and sets. The kind that helps you get up after a hard night, the kind that reminds you you’re still in there, even when everything in your life has changed.
What matters most to me is helping women realize their bodies are not broken. That they don’t have to start over alone. That strength can be soft, and softness can still be strong.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sammyjofitness.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=wix_google_business_profile&utm_campaign=7042484884034817663
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammmyjo?igsh=Njc3aWJsZGU0NTd5&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
@Kate Waldis- wedding photos
@clear.mind.productions fitness photos
