By Christina Fernández-Morrow
A Wake-Up Call That Sparked LP Fitness
Liza Mendoza-House’s path to LP Fitness began with a wake-up call: she bent to tie her shoe, couldn’t reach her foot, and ended up breathless. At that moment, she knew something had to change. Sixteen years later, she’s half her former size, twice as healthy, and the owner of a thriving transformation center in Lincoln, Nebraska—with 37 staff members and a wall of awards, including Best Gym three years running. She has kept off 70 pounds and built what didn’t exist when she needed it most: a place where fitness and nutrition meet real-life accountability with no judgment, just results.
Mendoza-House’s impact extends beyond the scale. She left a secure job—with a generous retirement plan, steady paycheck, and a 17-year career—to build a business in a male-dominated industry. She used skepticism as fuel, opening her first gym in a building so run-down that when it rained outside, it rained inside.
Starting Small and Learning to Get Healthy
Getting healthy wasn’t easy. Intimidated by gyms, Mendoza-House started by walking. Like many, she faced limited resources, low confidence, and minimal guidance. Cultural expectations around food and body image added layers of complexity. She tried Weight Watchers, learned to count points, and realized she could still choose junk, something she wanted to avoid. So, she turned to online advice and the few people she knew who’d made significant lifestyle changes.
Finding Community Through Boot Camp Workouts
Block by block, she moved more and found a community that led her to a boot-camp-style class. “I ended up falling in love with boot-camp workouts because someone was there to help me and tell me what to do,” Mendoza-House recalls. Even as she learned to push herself, she encouraged others. Her enthusiasm caught the coach’s attention. She went from participant to coach—and discovered she loved helping people hit their goals and push past their insecurities.
With encouragement from peers, she launched her own boot camp in a local park. When the weather turned, she rented boutique gyms across Lincoln. Her following grew with her determination, and when she spotted an empty storefront, the idea for LP Fitness took root. But something nagged at her: she couldn’t realize her vision while working full-time. So, she made a bold choice. After nearly 20 years at State Farm, she made a bold move: “I left for lunch and never went back. The story still gives me chills—that was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” Mendoza-House says.
Creating Accountability and a Culture of Care
With a loan from her aunt, she hired a business coach and refined the brand. “I built the exact formula I needed when I was trying to lose weight,” she says. The gamble paid off. Her practice of personally checking in with members who missed a week signaled genuine care and built a strong community. She learned business fundamentals—sales, client retention, and process-building from scratch—despite having no prior entrepreneurial background, and her roster of clients and employees grew. Since then, LP Fitness has been recognized as a top place to work out and has earned a Best Place to Work award.
Expanding Into Nutrition With LP Protein Packs
Inspired by what she learned about nutrition, Mendoza-House launched LP Protein Packs in 2025. “I teach macronutrients—clean eating with protein, carbs, fats, and veggies. People think you have to eat less, but that’s not true. My goal is to educate our families and our culture: eat clean food, and make it taste good,” she says of the venture’s guiding principles. The packs are cooked, low in sodium, vacuum-sealed, and ready to heat and eat. They’re sold at two locations in Lincoln, including her gym.
Mendoza-House’s business is more than a gym. It centers holistic wellness, where mental health, personalized support, and personal growth matter as much as physical transformation. Her leadership shows not only in awards, but also in her emphasis on self-education, persistence, and investing in personal development. Her success proves that when one person thrives, others believe they can, too.
Coaching the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Now a business coach herself, Mendoza-House is committed to helping new entrepreneurs who feel unprepared or overwhelmed. She hopes to inspire Latinas to own their stories and take bold, imperfect steps toward their dreams. Her story shows that the best entrepreneurs fill a need, face challenges head-on, and bet on themselves—and her message is clear: you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. Your journey, with all its twists and turns, is your superpower.
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