How flostate started…

FLOstate began when I was still in pharmacy school! at the time, I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take my career, but I knew health, fitness, and community would always be at the center of it.

I felt pulled toward serving people with substance use disorders — maybe because it was so clear how out of touch they were with themselves. I flew out to a 5-day SUD & Alcoholism conference in Salt Lake City, where I listened to pharmacists who had battled addiction share their stories. What struck me most was the gap in the system: after sober living, people were often left to fend for themselves without real guidance or support navigating this new way of living. I wanted to create a place that helped people not just “recover,” but return to who they truly are — their natural flow state. I dropped the “w” as a nod to being born and raised in Florida, and FLOstate Recovery was born.

As time went on, that vision grew beyond a clinic. I realized it wasn’t just people in recovery who were out of flow — it was most people! So many are disconnected from their health, their mind, and the present moment. Caught in the rat race, consumed by distractions, constantly pulled away from the life they deserve to live!

Then, after my own life-altering accident and becoming paralyzed, everything shifted. I found myself being one of those people; disconnected. I had to “Figure Life Out” again in ways I never imagined; rebuilding physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. FLOstate became the pursuit; rebuilding my life and realigning with who I was always meant to be.

Now it’s my mission to coach and lead others through that same pursuit, transforming their health, mindset, and lifestyle!

I’m Dr. Elena Brandner—a PharmD, online coach, and the founder of FLOstate—where we figure life out and make some pretty bad ass people!

I’ve always been an athlete—the kind that made the boys keep up! From a young age, I pushed my limits, always training to be stronger, faster, and better. By 7th grade I was lifting weights, chasing a physique I once saw on a magazine cover. Not only did I build it but I surpassed it and fell in love with the process.

That same drive carried me into pharmacy school at the University of Florida, where I earned my doctorate in 2021. During those years I lived and breathed this lifestyle — school, gym, meal prep, bartending — repeat. At one point I added a 2nd bartending job on weekends while staying committed to my training and studies. Hard work wasn’t just something I did; it was who I was, and continues to be who I am.

Then, ya know life be doin’ what life does; it be LIFIN’ and threw the ultimate test my way. February 7, 2022—4 days before my national board exam—everything changed. A devastating car accident left me paralyzed and in a wheelchair; one of my biggest fears. Doctors said that I’d never walk again. My once-elite physique, wasted away in a matter of weeks. I lost over 35 pounds of muscle, and with it, the physique I worked YEARS to build.

But here’s the thing—I don’t accept limits.

Meet your coach

Smiling woman with curly blonde hair wearing a black tank top, gold necklaces, a black hat, and a nose ring, in a gym setting.
A woman in workout attire flexing her bicep in a gym, sticking out her tongue and smiling, with exercise posters on the wall behind her.

my transformation

Woman in a red shirt post traumatic accident

PRE-ACCIDENT

A woman in a wheelchair performing a physical therapy exercise while a healthcare professional supervises. The woman is on a blue exercise mat, with her legs extended and feet in black shoes, wearing a purple shirt and black shorts. The healthcare professional, wearing a teal shirt, black pants, and a face mask, supports her from behind in a well-lit physical therapy room.

First few months post accident

Woman with curly hair taking a mirror selfie in a gym, wearing black workout clothes.

3 years post accident

Look, My story isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence. As a lifelong athlete, discipline was ingrained in me, but after the accident, it became my lifeline. I had to rebuild everything — my strength, my body, my mindset, and my life.

That experience shaped me as a coach. I know what it’s like to face setbacks, to struggle, to start from absolutely nothing.
And I know what it takes to rise above it!!

Through FLOstate, I now coach others to do the same: to build discipline, reclaim their health, and create lives they’re so f*cking proud of. My background in pharmacy and nutrition allows me to cut through the bullsh*t, bringing strategies that are simple, sustainable, and real.

You just have to commit and execute!

No limits. No excuses. Just COMMITMENT, dedication & RESULTS.

Let’s get to WORK!

- Coach E

Let’s connect!

A woman with curly hair wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, a white T-shirt with 'FLO' logo, and denim shorts, leaning on the door frame of a vehicle in an outdoor setting.
A circular logo with text and swirl design. The text reads, 'FLOstate, Figuring Life Out, Mindset, Training, Nutrition, since 2023.' The dominant colors are black, white, and blue.

Ready to start your transformation?

Tell me where you’re at — I’ll meet you there and show you the way forward.