Roots Expert Spotlight: Meet Michaela Cruze of Tough Like Her

At Little Seeds, we believe that caring for mothers means caring for the whole woman—not just during pregnancy and postpartum, but throughout every stage of life. Our Roots Expert Spotlight series introduces the professionals we trust to support families with compassion, expertise, and a deep understanding of the realities of parenthood.

Today, we’re excited to introduce Michaela Cruze, co-founder of Tough Like Her, who helps women build strength, confidence, and resilience through every season of life.

A Little About Michaela and Her Work

Michaela is a Women's Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer, and co-founder of Tough Like Her, a community and fitness platform she built alongside her twin sister.

She’s also a proud mom to two adventurous boys, ages 2 and 4, whose energy and curiosity inspire her daily.

Through Tough Like Her, Michaela helps women feel stronger, healthier, and more confident through purposeful strength training, mobility work, and sustainable wellness habits. Her work supports women during pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause, and every stage in between.

For Michaela, strength isn't about perfection or aesthetics—it's about creating a body that allows women to keep up with their children, embrace life's adventures, and move through each season feeling capable and empowered.

What Drew Her to This Work

For most of her career, Michaela has worked with women and has always been fascinated by the incredible physical changes women experience throughout their lives.

But her mission became deeply personal after the birth of her second son.

Like many mothers, Michaela found postpartum life to be isolating and overwhelming. After her second child, she experienced postpartum depression but didn’t recognize what she was going through until nearly a year later.

That experience opened her eyes to the lack of resources and community available to women during the postpartum period.

She realized that too many mothers are expected to navigate one of life's biggest transitions alone.

That realization became the foundation for Tough Like Her.

Michaela created the platform to ensure women have access to expert guidance, meaningful community, and the confidence that comes from feeling strong and capable in their own bodies.

As she puts it:

"We deserve more. I deserved more. And that's exactly why Tough Like Her exists."

Family Life in This Season

Life right now is a beautiful combination of chaos, adventure, and constant movement.

Three days a week, Michaela trains clients and works on growing Tough Like Her. The other four days are devoted to motherhood—filled with playground adventures, superhero games, endless snacks, and chasing after two energetic little boys.

While the days can be exhausting, they’re also deeply meaningful. Michaela feels grateful to be present for these early years, knowing they’re fleeting and precious.

For now, she’s soaking up every hug, laugh, adventure, and messy moment.

What Parents Need More Support Around in the Early Days

In Michaela’s experience, new mothers need far more support around movement, stress management, sleep deprivation, and community.

Many postpartum women tell her the same thing: after giving birth, they no longer feel at home in their own bodies.

Whether they experienced a vaginal birth or cesarean birth, many women feel fragile, uncertain, and fearful of doing something wrong.

That loss of confidence can feel incredibly isolating.

Michaela created Tough Like Her to bridge the gap between receiving medical clearance and actually feeling strong again. Through safe, progressive workouts, expert guidance, and community support, she helps women rebuild trust in their bodies and regain confidence in their strength.

How She Hopes Families Feel After Working With Her

Michaela hopes every client walks away feeling empowered, confident, and capable.

Her goal isn’t simply to help women get stronger—it’s to equip them with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to continue caring for themselves long after their sessions together end.

She wants women to trust their bodies, move with purpose, and build habits that support them for years to come.

One Small Piece of Advice for New or Expecting Parents

If possible, start building healthy habits during pregnancy.

Creating a sustainable fitness routine before baby arrives can make a tremendous difference postpartum, when time, energy, and sleep become much less predictable.

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s consistency.

Even 10–20 minutes of intentional movement can create habits that carry women through pregnancy, recovery, and beyond.

As Michaela often reminds her clients:

Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and your family.

Favorite Ritual During Busy Days

One of Michaela’s favorite ways to recharge is taking her dog for walks on the trails around Walnut Creek.

Being outside, breathing fresh air, and spending time with her four-legged best friend helps her clear her mind and reconnect with herself.

She describes these walks as her version of meditation.

While traditional meditation never quite clicked for her, movement does.

Walking helps her reduce stress, process ideas, and create space to think clearly.

A Tool She Often Recommends

Michaela’s favorite tool isn’t a gadget or app—it’s consistent movement.

She encourages women to view exercise not as an all-or-nothing endeavor, but as a sustainable practice that supports physical health, mental well-being, recovery, and resilience.

Small, consistent actions often create the biggest long-term results.

What Support Looks Like in Her Own Life

Support means having people who understand the demands of both entrepreneurship and motherhood.

It means building a community where women can lean on one another, share their experiences, and remember they aren't meant to carry everything alone.

The same community Michaela works to create for her clients is something she values deeply in her own life.

Something Just for Her

When she’s not working or parenting, Michaela loves spending time outdoors.

Whether she's exploring local trails with her dog or simply soaking in the fresh air, being in nature helps her recharge physically and mentally.

It’s one of the ways she reconnects with herself amid the busyness of daily life.

Why Community Matters During Pregnancy and Postpartum

At the heart of Tough Like Her is the belief that women were never meant to navigate motherhood alone.

Pregnancy and postpartum can feel isolating, especially when women no longer recognize their bodies or feel confident in their abilities.

Community provides reassurance, accountability, encouragement, and connection. It reminds mothers that they are not failing, they are not behind, and they are certainly not alone.

When women feel supported, they’re more likely to care for themselves—and when mothers thrive, families thrive too.

Connect With Michaela & Tough Like Her

Website: toughlikeher.com

Instagram: @toughlikeherfitness

Michaela and the Tough Like Her community welcome women in every season of life—from pregnancy and postpartum to perimenopause and beyond—to explore whether their programs and support feel like the right fit.

We're grateful to have Michaela as part of the Little Seeds Roots Expert community and for the empowering work she does helping women discover just how strong they truly are. 💛