Hidden Gems: Meet Briana Butler & Stefanie Gilbreath of Stef & Bri Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Briana Butler & Stefanie Gilbreath.

Hi Briana & Stefanie; so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We are Stef & Bri, sisters, former athletes, and co-owners of Stef & Bri Wellness and sister brands The Gnaw Collective and Power Portions. We are initially from Katy, TX, where we excelled in basketball, earning McDonald All-American Honors. We went on to play basketball at the University of Southern California and played professionally after graduating with degrees in Human performance. After playing professionally (Bri in WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury + a few other teams and overseas in Poland and Belgium; Stef overseas in Germany and Portugal) and hanging up our sneakers in 2015, our love of sports and wellness still burned intensely.

Later In 2015, after retirement, we launched Power Portions, a meal preparation company for professional athletes. Initially, our goal was to develop meals that would be individualized and fill up our athletes. However, as time passed, passions shifted we realized we needed a shift. In 2022, we did some soul-searching and dug deeper into what was lacking in this world. We also knew that we wanted to be known for so much more than being athletes! What we found was that there was a gap. There was no place for athletes and active women of color to receive comprehensive and individualized support from people who truly understood them. Also, we knew we were all different athletes in 2015. However, we still wanted to show up for athletes while supporting women who look like us in the same phase of their life that we are. So, we created it through our brands Power Portions and The GNAW Collective, sister brands under our new overarching brand Stef & Bri Wellness, where we provide diet-free and culturally inclusive nutrition coaching and consulting for individuals, gyms, and brands—optimizing health one body at a time!

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not! Ha! One of the biggest challenges we faced was adapting to different life phases. We started our business in 2015, and since then, we’ve experienced graduate school, job promotions, the birth of two children, and so much more! As a small business, we must prioritize our client responsibilities and ensure that we’re always there for our loved ones, even during the busiest times.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
With myself being a Scottsdale resident and Stef being a Houston resident, we have created an entirely virtual wellness company. Stef & Bri Wellness is our overarching brand, with Power Portions and The GNAW Collective being our sister brands.

Regarding one’s overall well-being, nutrition plays a crucial role. However, it must be adaptable and enjoyable, as this approach is more sustainable and can boost performance in the gym and daily life. Throughout our work, we’ve been grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of clients – from professional athletes to individuals invested in improving their overall well-being. Our approach is rooted in our extensive experience and expertise, centered on the ideas that progress starts with self-discovery, that each person is a holistic individual, and that success should be measured by personal growth rather than society’s expectations.

At Stef & Bri Wellness, we aim to empower athletes and women of color to enhance their performance by reducing stress, increasing self-confidence, and promoting behavior change. We achieve this by providing specialized lab testing, ethical nutrition coaching, and honoring diverse cultural values.

What sets us apart is that we handcraft everything from first-hand experience, science, and client experience. We know how important representation is, and we have had the privilege of being in our client’s shoes as both former professional athletes and active women of color. We are most proud of the fact that we took the time to create solutions that are specifically for the clients we serve, and we do everything in an individualized manner. We tell our clients they are family once they start working with us because that’s how close we get, and we’re very intentional about it.

Our GNAW Collective is a wellness club promoting nutrition and well-being for active women of color. We aim to help WOC achieve balance and food freedom through gentle nutrition coaching, body positivity, sisterhood, accessibility, and accountability. We offer three membership tiers. At Stef & Bri Wellness, we work with media outlets, fitness centers, and other professionals to provide nutrition solutions that promote inclusive and comprehensive messaging and services. Additionally, we collaborate with professional athletes under Power Portions to provide tailored and inclusive 1:1 nutrition coaching. We aim to enhance their strength, boost endurance, shorten recovery periods, and optimize overall performance.

What were you like growing up?
We were both pretty outgoing kids, and both with interest in sports! Stef is the older sister that always set the example and paved the way where I (Bri) was always trying to do what big sister was doing! We have always been best friends, so we did everything together, that is why we are so close today!

Our personalities can be very different at times and sometimes be the same! While Stef is a bit more laid back and flexible, I (Bri) have always needed more structure and clear-cut rules. But we both have ambitious and competitive personalities that we get from our parents and are probably some of the most loyal people you will meet!

Contact Info:

• Website: stefandbri.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gnaw.collective/; https://www.instagram.com/power_portions/; https://www.instagram.com/theathletitian/; https://www.instagram.com/iamstefanierose/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10438132/admin/
• Other: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/wEHqMdshqzb 

Image Credits
Rachel Fischer Visuals