From a Stuttering Kid to a Sought-After Media Executive and Biohacking Expert
I used to be a stuttering kid who was afraid of everything. Now, I’m a media executive, therapeutic exercise expert, and biohacking practitioner who can’t be reached unless you know someone who knows me—and that’s exactly how I like it.
My old business card said Author. Speaker. Fitness Personality. Today, it’s more like ghost in the machine—behind brands, behind success stories, behind the scenes building million-dollar movements.
My Hustle Started at Six
At just six years old, I was shining shoes at a bus stop on Shaler Blvd in Ridgefield, NJ. By ten, I was working for a construction company, earning $10-$12 a day to buy groceries and cook dinner for my brother while my mom worked the graveyard shift. I did whatever it took to avoid welfare and food stamps—poverty was my enemy, and I was at war with it.
The Stutter that Almost Silenced Me
At five, I developed a brutal stutter that left me unable to say what I needed to say. My mother would rapid-fire guesses at what I was trying to say. “Cake? Cat? Cookie?”—when all I wanted was to ask if I could go play outside. I just took the damn cookie and ran.
A school guidance counselor once told me I should “learn a trade” so I wouldn’t have to talk much. I did just that—masonry and carpentry from two tough-as-nails mentors. But I quickly realized I didn’t want to work my fingers to the bone forever.
The Gym, The Mob, and The Silence That Spoke Volumes
I started working at a local health club run by my “cousins”—not really related, but you get the picture. I cleaned showers, vacuumed floors, and lifted heavy things. I idolized my “Cousin Frank,” who trained people during the day and handled “other business” at night.
I got strong. Tough. Dangerous. And soon I was part of the family business—sometimes it felt like a real-life Sopranos episode. Rocco, this is Joey. Break his leg. And I did. Because I couldn’t talk, I used my fists. Not proud of it—but it’s part of the story.
Eventually, the pressure of always looking over my shoulder caught up to me. I got locked up—and for the first time in my life, I sat still long enough to think.
Rewiring My Brain in a Jail Cell
In jail, I decided to reinvent myself. I studied dictionaries and thesauruses to swap out words I stuttered on. “Get” became “acquire.” “Work” became “task.” I learned to speak—without stuttering—by mastering the English language differently than most.
I studied every sales, marketing, and business book I could get my hands on: Tom Peters, Eliyahu Goldratt, Jay Levinson. And when I got out, I got to work.
Becoming New Jersey’s Only Certified Personal Trainer
In 1991, I became one of the first 400 Certified Personal Fitness Trainers through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I was the only one in New Jersey. I dropped $15K on a Yellow Pages ad, landed my first client, and charged $25/hour—a fortune back then.
But trouble found me again. One last “wrong guy” situation, and my “cousins” said it was time to disappear.
From Greyhound Bus to Building an Empire
I got on a Greyhound with $60 in my pocket and landed in Cincinnati. Within six months, I went from sleeping on floors to running a personal training operation out of a hair salon. Within three months, I was booked solid. Within 90 days of that, I had my own facility and was making $10K/month.
Celebrity, Media, and the Art of Telling the Truth
I hustled my way into the radio world—first as a guest, then as a personality. Thanks to 2x Marconi Award-winner Gary Burbank, I learned the art of media. I built my celebrity on truth. I fired clients who didn’t live up to my standard. Results became religion.
By 2001, I had two gyms, a waiting list of 100+ clients, four trainers, a boot camp, and was the go-to fitness expert on TV and radio. I even picked up an Emmy for my appearance on MTV’s MADE.
Scaling to Millions
In 2008, I moved to Albuquerque, NM, and launched askROCCO Media—a business consulting and media strategy firm that has built multiple seven-figure fitness and eCommerce brands. I’ve helped scale brands like iReliev, Rolflex, Dynamic Contraction Technique, Risana Prima, and my wife’s passion project, Pommy Mommy.
Today, I’m not just a fitness personality.
I’m a strategist. A fixer. A behind-the-curtain force that helps brands and people achieve real, lasting impact.
If you’re looking for sugarcoated BS, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want truth, grit, and a guy who’s been to hell and back—and built an empire anyway—welcome.