Couple’s Journey Through Freelancing and Fitness

Level Up with Jevi

In this inspiring episode of Level Up with Jevi, Jevi sits down with power couple TL Melona and TL Nikki Abilar—both thriving freelancers, tribe leaders, and proud bookkeepers at The Shepherd Virtual Accountants and Bookkeepers. From humble beginnings to building sustainable freelancing careers, they share how integrating health and fitness transformed their family life, mindset, and work performance.

Their candid story weaves through mental health struggles, family friction, and the discovery of systems that work—from Kaizen fitness to time-blocking and meal tracking. It’s a conversation about love, discipline, teamwork, and leveling up together, with powerful takeaways for freelancers, parents, and anyone committed to continuous growth.

Highlights:

💼 From Housewife and Technician to Freelancers & Team Leaders

TL Melona was a full-time housewife and TL Nikki worked in water treatment—until freelancing changed the game. Their story began with humble beginnings and evolved into building multiple income streams while raising toddlers and managing multiple clients.

🧠 Mental Health and the Wake-Up Call

Nikki shares how mental health struggles, panic attacks, and physical symptoms became his wake-up call to take health seriously. Melona supported him wholeheartedly, even when it meant adjusting her own lifestyle.

💪 Kaizen and the Fitness Reset

The couple opened up about enrolling in Season 7 of Kaizen after years of inconsistent gym efforts. With Kaizen, they embraced sustainable habits, tracking, and routines that finally stuck—and made health a core family value.

🕰️ Time Blocking, Tracking & Systems That Work

Learn how they manage multiple roles, clients, and parental duties through habits like food tracking, step goals, gym progress logs, and daily planning systems.

👟 Healthy Habits that Stuck

From prioritizing steps over showering (literally!) to integrating nutrition knowledge into daily cooking, they share practical habits anyone can start with—even on a tight schedule.

🏋️ The Power of Partnership

They dive deep into the dynamics of working on fitness as a couple—from scheduling friction to gym solitude, from macros misunderstandings to tag-team grocery runs.

💖 Defining Success Through Simplicity

Success for the Abilars isn’t about luxury—it's about health, family, presence, and purpose. Their advocacy work and desire to care for their children and future grandchildren keep them grounded and motivated.

📈 Live to Level Up Mindset

Hear how their goals keep evolving—from losing weight to gaining strength, from taming anxiety to becoming role models in fitness, finance, and faith.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

✔️ Prioritize your health—it’s the center of everything.

✔️ Track your time, meals, and workouts for real progress.

✔️ Build a strong support system, especially in your own home.

✔️ Success is about service, simplicity, and sustained growth.

✔️ Fitness isn’t separate—it’s integrated into your whole life journey.

⏱️ Timestamps:

0:00 – Meet TL Melona & TL Nikki + Their Humble Beginnings

1:30 – Motherhood, freelancing, and managing home chaos

3:33 – Nikki’s field job to freelance + mental health struggle

6:38 – First attempts at fitness and failing forward

7:39 – Realizing the deeper reason behind their health goals

10:14 – Frictions in marriage and fitness tracking misunderstandings

12:21 – Challenges and adjustments as fitness partners

16:20 – Understanding “the dip” and pushing through

18:06 – Habits they developed: Steps, food tracking, gym, daily planning

25:20 – Pain relief and body transformation through proper form

28:28 – How they define growth and success

31:49 – Social media detox and gaining clarity

36:11 – Why fitness is central—not separate—from other goals

42:56 – Rewriting their version of success

48:26 – Why the level-up never stops

54:27 – Final words, gratitude, and encouragement

📱 Connect with the Guests:

🔎 Follow Melona on TikTok Pages (Fitness and Bookkeeping)

📘 Facebook Pages: Melona & Nikki Abilar

🎓 Proud alumni of TBSA (The Shepherd Virtual Accountants)

👥 Tribe Leaders at The Freelance Movement Tribe

💪 Connect with Jevi:

Follow @LevelUpWithJevi on all platforms

📩 DM to join the Live to Level Up community

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube