Interview: Aja James and Mallory Jansen of Flexy
We like to take time to highlight women we see out in the world doing their part to make the world a little nicer. In this Real Nice Lady Spotlight, we’re talking to Mallory Jansen and Aja James, co-owners of Flexy, about strength and self-love in the fitness community.
Job Title/Profession
Co-owners of Flexy
Favorite Drink?
Mallory: Water
Aja: A nice strong coffee
Favorite Food?
Mallory: Depends on my mood but current craving is baked lobster mac
Aja: Tacos
Karaoke Song?
Mallory: “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys
Aja: “Tennessee Whiskey”. But don’t try to get me to sing, ha.
What song are you listening to on repeat right now?
Mallory: So many... No Guidance, If I Ain’t Got You, Playing Games, Show Me Love, Jerry Sprunger
Aja: “No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish
Female icon you would be for Halloween?
Mallory: Alicia Keys
Aja: Janelle Monae, or Tina Belcher... is she an icon? I say yes.
What first attracted you to your current profession?
Mallory: Honestly, it was for myself at first. I wanted to make sure I stayed immersed in the health/fitness world so I stayed focused. Then once I really got involved, it became much more about who I was impacting.
Aja: The ability to be my own boss and make an impact on people's lives. I could help people gain confidence the way that health and fitness helped me gain confidence!
How did you guys meet and start working together?
Mallory: We met on Instagram! Aja slid into my DMs but we didn’t really connect for a while but we kept commenting on each other’s stories until one day we had the chance to actually work together.
At what point in your friendship did you know you wanted to start a business together?
Mallory: It’s more of... at what point in our business did we decide to become friends ha. We didn’t know each other really at all until we started working together. We connected quickly though so friendship followed fast.
What is your favorite thing about your industry? Your least favorite?
Mallory: I love getting to be a small part of people’s self development. Watching people evolve is an incredible experience. I also love that we get to collaborate with people from ALL industries because of its versatility. I don’t love that there is this perception of vanity and ego surrounding our industry but I feel like that’s evolving more towards self love.
Aja: Getting to help people feel stronger and believe in themselves. Connecting with clients is the best. My least favorite part is that there are trainers that aren’t in it for the right reasons and bounce around from gym to gym a lot and that discourages people when they need the most encouragement and consistency.
What do you want for the future of your industry?
Mallory: More self love being practiced. We are all so hard on ourselves and if you can focus on progress and growth then it really paved the way for progress.
Aja: To move towards encouraging a balanced lifestyle and less comparing of bodies.
You both focus on strength and self love in your training, what do you guys do/how do you work with clients to make sure they're focusing on those things?
Mallory: We stay in really high communication with our clients and create a relationship that allows them to feel comfortable really opening up with us and express their fears and struggles and also celebrate their strengths and successes. We try to help them focus on themselves vs comparing themselves to others.
What advice would you give other women trying to succeed in your industry?
Mallory: Be confident in your why and it’ll get you so far. That confidence translates to all conversations and relationships and will allow you to really live your purpose even when you experience obstacles.
Aja: Don't try to be like everyone else. Focus on what makes you unique and connect with people around that. You don’t have to conquer the whole industry. You just have to be really good at what YOU do!
What was a formative moment in your life that made you who you are?
Mallory: When I found out I was going to be a mom it changed everything for me. ‘Change’ isn’t really the right word... it really just motivated me to push for all the goals I had at a much faster pace than I was moving because I knew it wasn’t just for me anymore, it was for my son.
Aja: Figuring my life out after college. You don’t have anyone to tell you what you should be doing and the options are endless. Exploring my work life and my personal life during this time helped me figure out who I was and who I wanted to be!
When do you feel the strongest in your life? When do you feel the most vulnerable in your life?
Mallory: I feel the strongest when I can see the impact of what Aja and I are creating on my son's future. I feel the most vulnerable when some of our weaknesses are exposed and we aren’t quite sure how to go about resolving or strengthening them. But honestly, I have a lot of confidence in Aja and myself as a team. We are super solution oriented so I know our roadblocks are temporary.
Aja: I feel the strongest when I'm in my element and making progress towards my goals. I feel the most vulnerable when I have a lot of anxiety about something.
Where/how do you draw inspiration or strength to successfully guide your clients?
Mallory: Being able to relate to people, whether it be through our own experiences or experiences we’ve encountered from our other clients. Being able to empathize helps us to always stay motivated to help them both mentally and physically.
Who are five women that inspire you?
Mallory: My mom, Rihanna, Cindy Circo, Aja, and my sisters
Aja: My mom: Licia Clifton-James, my Business partner Mallory Jansen, my Co-Author Audrey Masoner, Janelle Monae, Nikki and Brie Bella.