Family First Alliance (F1A) is a comprehensive, family-centered support system built to strengthen the foundation of every household we serve. At Family 1st Alliance (F1A), we believe strong families build strong communities.

Everything we do is designed to help families become healthier, stronger, and better prepared for every season of life.

Through our Healthy Habits Academy, we help homeschool students develop healthy habits through fitness, nutrition, life skills, and personal growth.

Through Grind Lab, we help young athletes get after it; building confidence, discipline, leadership, mental toughness, and basketball skills through camps, private instruction, and performance training.

And yes, we help parents get stronger too! We offer private sessions and Zoom classes in the mornings.

F1A also connects families with trusted resources, professionals, and solutions that help create a healthier, more stable home environment. Our vast network of partners and service providers can help your family.

But wait, there's more…

We provide expert real estate guidance for buyers, sellers, and investors looking to build wealth, create opportunities, and establish lasting legacies. We help families move through education and training—and when the time comes, we help them move quite literally.

Everything we do is built around one mission:

To strengthen families through their health, their home, and their future.

F1A isn't just a service. It's a movement, a philosophy, and a partnership committed to helping families thrive.

We are the only company built for your home and everyone in it.

Item descFamily 1st Alliance (F1A) is designed for families who want more for themselves and the people they care about most.

While we've helped everyone from youth athletes and growing families to retirees downsizing their homes, our sweet spot is families with children. As parents ourselves, we understand the challenges of balancing health, family, finances, activities, schedules, and long-term planning.

We specialize in helping:

• Homeschool and traditional school families

• Youth athletes ages 8 through the teen years

• Parents looking to improve their health, fitness, and lifestyle

• Families seeking guidance, accountability, and support

• Homeowners, homebuyers, sellers, and real estate investors

• Families focused on building long-term stability and generational wealth

If you're a mom or dad trying to stay healthy, get stronger, lose weight, create better habits, or set a positive example for your children, you're exactly who we love working with. If you have young athletes looking to improve their confidence, discipline, leadership, and performance, that's another area where we thrive.

That said, we don't believe growth has an age limit. We've worked with fitness clients in their 80s, retirees making major housing transitions, first-time homebuyers, experienced investors, and families from all walks of life.

At the end of the day, F1A isn't designed for a specific age group—it's designed for families who want to become healthier, stronger, and better prepared for whatever comes next.ription

• Home school classes via Healthy Habits Academy

• Youth athlete training (strength / conditioning / basketball- private sessions or via Grind Lab camps

• Fitness coaching & wellness support

• 1 on 1 training, couples training, family training, youth sports team training

• Real estate buying and selling

• Investment guidance + wealth-building strategies via real estate

• Family risk planning & protection tools

• Vendor networks, home maintenance, and lifestyle support

• Prayer requests

Healthy Habits Academy is F1A's homeschool enrichment program designed to teach children the habits, skills, and mindset needed to live healthier, stronger, and more confident lives.

Our program combines fitness, nutrition, cooking, wellness, life skills, and personal development in a fun, engaging, and hands-on environment.

Because let's be honest—healthy habits don't magically appear one day. They have to be taught, practiced, and reinforced.

Students participate in fitness and movement activities while also learning how to prepare simple, healthy foods, understand basic nutrition, make better food choices, and develop practical life skills they can use for years to come.

And no, we're not trying to create the next celebrity chef.

We're trying to create young people who know the difference between food and food-like products, understand how to take care of their bodies, and can eventually make a meal without setting off the smoke detector.

Beyond fitness and cooking, students learn discipline, accountability, confidence, leadership, teamwork, communication, and personal responsibility—qualities that don't always show up on a report card but often determine success in life.

Healthy Habits Academy isn't about creating perfect kids.

It's about helping young people build healthy habits that last a lifetime.

Because healthy habits create strong individuals. Strong individuals create strong families. And strong families create strong communities.

Grind Lab is F1A's youth development program that uses basketball, fitness, competition, and accountability to help young athletes become stronger, more confident, and better prepared for life.

Yes, we teach basketball.

But Grind Lab is about much more than basketball.

Every session is designed to challenge athletes physically and mentally while teaching discipline, leadership, communication, teamwork, confidence, and work ethic. Athletes learn how to compete, encourage others, overcome adversity, and push through challenges when things get hard.

We focus on the fundamentals that matter both on and off the court: movement, fitness, strength, conditioning, mindset, and character.

Our goal isn't to create the next WNBA star, NBA player, or Division I athlete. If that happens, great.

Our goal is to help young people become healthier, stronger, more disciplined, and more confident versions of themselves.

At Grind Lab, effort matters. Attitude matters. Leadership matters.

We challenge athletes. We encourage athletes. We hold athletes accountable. We get after it.

Most importantly, we help them discover what they're capable of when they stop making excuses and start putting in the work.

The results speak for themselves.on

Item descMost fitness programs focus on workouts. F1A focuses on people.

While exercise is important, we believe long-term results come from accountability, education, consistency, community, and healthy habits that extend beyond the gym. That's why our approach is built around coaching and teaching—not just training.

For youth athletes, programs like Grind Lab focus on confidence, discipline, leadership, mindset, work ethic, and character development alongside athletic performance. We aren't simply creating better athletes—we're helping develop stronger young people.

For adults and families, we offer personal training, family fitness, and our 6:00 AM Zoom training community, where members encourage one another, stay accountable, and build lasting healthy habits together. In many cases, we train alongside our clients rather than simply standing on the sidelines giving instructions.

What truly sets F1A apart is our experience. We are educators, coaches, trainers, parents, and mentors with more than 20 years of educational experience and decades of coaching experience combined. We understand that every family, every child, and every individual has different goals, challenges, and needs.

Our mission isn't to help you complete another workout. Our mission is to help you build a healthier, stronger, more disciplined lifestyle that benefits your family for years to come.ription

Family 1st Alliance (F1A) isn't a traditional real estate team because real estate isn't our primary focus—families are.

We believe a home is more than a structure. It's where health, relationships, finances, habits, memories, and futures are built. That's why F1A was created to support the entire family, not just a single transaction.

Our mission is to help families become healthier, stronger, and more prepared for every season of life through education, fitness, family development, and long-term planning.

That's where Healthy Habits Academy, Grind Lab, fitness coaching, family support systems, and wealth-building guidance come together under one roof.

When real estate needs arise, we partner with Cantwell & Stein, a respected family brokerage with more than 35 years of Bay Area experience. Through this partnership, families receive expert guidance when buying, selling, investing, or planning their next move—all while remaining connected to the broader support system F1A provides.

We help families strengthen the areas that matter most:

• Education, youth development, and healthy habits

• Family fitness, wellness, and lifestyle improvement

• Financial literacy and generational wealth building

• Home resources, trusted vendors, and family support systems

• Real estate guidance through our partnership with Cantwell & Stein

Traditional real estate teams often disappear after closing. F1A is designed to be a long-term resource before, during, and long after the transaction is complete.

With F1A, families don't just gain a real estate professional—they gain a trusted partner committed to helping them thrive physically, financially, and generationally.

We are the only company built for your home and everyone in it.

Because families today are facing real challenges.

Many are overwhelmed, overcommitted, overstressed, and struggling to keep up. Health takes a back seat. Finances become a source of anxiety. Relationships get neglected. Children spend more time on screens and less time building the habits, confidence, and life skills they'll need in the future.

And while these challenges may seem separate, we've learned they're often connected.

Health impacts energy. Energy impacts relationships. Relationships impact the home. Finances impact stress. Habits influence all of it.

We know because we've lived it ourselves.

Our family has faced challenges that tested us in ways we never expected—from struggles within our marriage to our daughter battling Stage 4 cancer and Lori facing her own battle with cancer. Those experiences taught us that the things we often chase in life matter far less than the people we share life with.

They also taught us that faith, family, healthy habits, and a strong foundation aren't luxuries—they're necessities.

Family 1st Alliance was created to help families strengthen those foundations before life forces them to.

Through Healthy Habits Academy, Grind Lab, fitness coaching, family support, and our partnership with Cantwell & Stein, our mission is simple:

Help families become healthier, stronger, more prepared, and more connected.

Not because life will get easier.

But because strong families are better equipped to handle whatever life brings.

That's why family comes first.

Getting started with Family 1st Alliance is simple and personalized. All it takes is a quick reach-out—whether by call, text, or message. From there, Mario or Lori connects with you for a short, intentional conversation where we learn about your family's goals, challenges, priorities, and the season of life you're currently navigating.

This isn't a sales pitch—it's a discovery process. We want to understand:

• Your family's health, habits, and lifestyle routines

• What educational, fitness, or personal growth goals matter most to your family

• Any stress points or obstacles in your home environment

• What "better" looks like for your household

• Your financial position, wealth-building vision, and future goals

• Your real estate goals (now or in the future)

Once we understand your world, we build a tailored F1A plan designed specifically for your home, your health, and your family's long-term success. Depending on your goals, your plan may include:

• Healthy Habits Academy or Grind Lab recommendations

• Fitness, wellness, and personal development support

• Family systems and stability frameworks

• Resources, referrals, and ongoing guidance

• Financial literacy and wealth-building strategies

• Risk management tools

• Real estate planning, strategy, and timelines

From the very first conversation, families quickly see that F1A is not a one-size-fits-all service—it's a customized partnership built around long-term elevation.

Our pricing is simple, transparent, and designed around the needs of your family, not a generic one-size-fits-all model. Because F1A serves multiple areas—education, fitness, family coaching / risk management, overall family systems, and real estate—your investment depends on the level of support you choose and where your family needs assistance.

For Healthy Habits Academy and Grind Lab, pricing can be found on our website. Personal training, one-on-one sessions, group sessions, camps, and youth programs vary depending on age group, number of participants, and focus.

For additional F1A services such as:

Fitness and lifestyle programs

Family systems and wellness support

Project managing / Risk management planning

Financial literacy or generational-wealth coaching

Vendors, resources, and home-support tools

Pricing is determined by the scope of your goals and the level of involvement your family wants. Some families need simple guidance; others want a full support system. We build the plan around you—no surprises, no hidden fees, and always with clarity up front.

Most importantly, every option is designed to deliver far more value than cost, focusing on long-term stability, better decision-making, and generational benefit.

For real estate services, families don’t pay anything upfront. As a Broker Associate with Cantwell & Stein, commissions are built into the sale or purchase process, exactly the way traditional real estate works—only with a much higher level of guidance, strategy, and family-based support.

No matter what your family needs, The Team will walk you through it step by step so the pricing, expectations, and outcomes are always crystal clear.

Family 1st Alliance is led by a uniquely experienced team whose backgrounds stretch across real estate, hospitality, fitness, education, behavioral coaching, and community leadership. Together, these experiences allow us to support families with a depth and versatility that goes far beyond a traditional real estate group.

Mr. Ponce brings decades of leadership across multiple industries, having ran teams in both the hospitality and real estate sectors. He has hired, managed, trained, mentored, and guided hundreds of individuals at every level—from brand-new employees to seasoned leaders. His ability to unite teams, build systems, and elevate performance comes from real-world, high-stakes experience in customer service, operations, sales, and team culture building.

He is also highly proficient in DISC profile assessments, which enables him to adapt to—and deeply connect with—people from every communication style and walk of life. Whether coaching a family through a major financial decision or helping clients navigate stressful life transitions, he brings a calm, strategic, people-first approach.

In addition to professional leadership, Mario has coached youth sports from 3rd grade through high school off and on for the last 2 decades, shaping young athletes with discipline, teamwork, and character-building principles that carry over into his work with families today.

Lori adds her own powerhouse expertise as a certified fitness instructor and wellness leader. She teaches classes in anger management for adults, helping individuals grow emotionally and behaviorally. She also works with adults with disabilities through the Mount Diablo Unified School District, serving as a compassionate educator and mentor who understands the dynamics of diverse family needs.

Together, their combined years of experience make F1A uniquely equipped to support families in any scenario—physical, financial, emotional, or transitional. Whether guiding a real estate move, improving family health, strengthening communication, or building long-term stability, The Team brings a level of care and capability that few organizations can match. Even if your family is going through a major crisis, they’ve been there, they can help!

Yes.

One of the things that makes F1A unique is that we don't focus on just one person—we focus on the family as a whole.

We work with children through programs like Healthy Habits Academy and Grind Lab, where young people develop healthy habits, confidence, leadership, fitness, life skills, and character.

We work with adults through personal training, family fitness, accountability coaching, wellness support, and our 6:00 AM Zoom training community. Whether you're trying to lose weight, get stronger, improve your health, keep up with your kids, or finally get rid of the infamous "dad bod," we've got you covered.

And sometimes we work with the entire family together.

After all, it's hard to expect children to develop healthy habits if the adults around them aren't leading by example. The strongest families are often the ones growing, learning, and improving together.

While our sweet spot is families with children and youth athletes, we've worked with everyone from elementary-aged students to retirees in their 80s. Every family is different, and every season of life brings different opportunities and challenges.

At F1A, we don't believe growth has an age limit.

If you're part of a family, you're probably a good fit.

Not exactly.

And that's kind of the point.

F1A was created because most families are forced to look in different places for the things that matter most. One company helps with fitness. Another helps with education. Another helps with real estate. Another helps with resources and referrals.

We thought there had to be a better way.

Family 1st Alliance is a family-focused organization designed to help families become healthier, stronger, and better prepared for life's challenges and opportunities.

Through Healthy Habits Academy, we provide homeschool enrichment focused on fitness, nutrition, cooking, life skills, and personal development. Through Grind Lab, we help young athletes develop confidence, discipline, leadership, fitness, and basketball skills. We also offer personal training, family fitness, coaching, and wellness support for adults and families.

And yes, we help families with real estate too through our partnership with Cantwell & Stein Realtors, a respected Bay Area family brokerage with more than 35 years of experience.

So are we a gym?

No.

Are we a school?

No.

Are we a real estate company?

Not exactly.

We're a family company.

We simply happen to use education, fitness, coaching, real estate, and community as tools to help families build stronger futures.

It's more than a tagline—it's the foundation of everything we do.

Most companies focus on one piece of the puzzle. A gym focuses on fitness. A school focuses on education. A real estate company focuses on buying and selling homes.

We focus on the family.

A home is more than walls, windows, and a mortgage payment. It's where habits are formed, meals are shared, lessons are learned, memories are made, and futures are built.

That's why F1A was designed to support not only the home itself, but the people living inside it.

Through Healthy Habits Academy, we help children develop healthy habits, life skills, and confidence. Through Grind Lab, we help young athletes build discipline, leadership, fitness, and resilience. Through personal training and wellness programs, we help parents prioritize their health and lead by example.

And when the time comes to buy, sell, invest, or make a move, we help with that too through our partnership with Cantwell & Stein.

Because let's be honest...

A beautiful house means very little if the family inside it is stressed, unhealthy, disconnected, or struggling.

Our goal is to help families build strong foundations in every area of life—not just one.

That's what we mean when we say we're built for your home and everyone in it.

You should work with Family 1st Alliance because we are living in a time unlike anything previous generations ever prepared for. The world is changing faster than at any point in human history, and families who don’t adapt risk getting left behind—or worse, misled.

We’re navigating a society shaped by:

• Relentless inflation and rising costs

• Artificial intelligence transforming careers and opportunity

• Political and economic volatility with real consequences

• The decline of financial literacy and wise investment habits

• A weakening family structure across the United States & quite frankly an attack on the nuclear family worldwide

And on top of that, we must recognize the reality of what schools are teaching—or in some cases, indoctrinating—children with today. Many parents are seeing firsthand that the education system is not aligned with the values or direction they want for their family.

Then came COVID—the global wake-up call that should have shaken every household into awareness.
Schools shut down. Jobs shifted overnight. Families were isolated. Policies changed by the week. And the truth is simple:

If that wasn’t enough to get your family prepared, focused, and activated… nothing will. And guess what, more is coming down the pipeline as the powers that be used COVID as a trial run.
Now is the time. Not next month. Not someday.
Right. Now.

This is exactly why Family First Alliance exists.

We don’t just serve a house—we serve the entire family ecosystem:

• Your home

• Your health

• Your finances

• Your mindset

• Your planning

• Your generational future

F1A is built to guide families through the chaos, confusion, and rapid changes of modern life. We provide clarity, strategy, structure, and support in areas where most families are completely on their own.

Working with F1A gives your family:

• Real estate strategy and long-term wealth planning

• Fitness and wellness support to keep your family strong

• Financial literacy and life-skill development

• Mindset, communication, and leadership tools

• Protection from bad decisions, bad information, and bad influences

• A trusted alliance in a world that often works against the family

Not partnering with a family-centered organization in today’s environment can and will leave households vulnerable—to inflation, poor planning, cultural confusion, emotional instability, and financial setbacks that were entirely preventable.

F1A gives families strength, clarity, and a blueprint for the future.
We help you stay grounded, informed, and prepared—no matter what the world throws your way.

In a time of rapid change, every family needs an alliance.
F1A is that alliance.