Jenny Quinn and Trista Parisian are the co-founders of FLEX City Fitness. Since 2012, this dynamic duo have shared their love of fitness with the community by creating an interval-based fitness studio right here in the Lansing area. These best friends are BUSY, hard working moms all while running a very successful fitness business. Meet Jenny & Trista!
Please introduce yourselves, where are you from, where do you live now and what brought you here?
Jenny Quinn born in Haslett and moved back after undergrad because love the community and wanted to be close to family. Trista Parisian also born in Haslett, after graduating from MSU lived in LA for four years and then moved back because of quality of life in Michigan.
How many kids do you have and what are their ages? What is your favorite thing about being a mom? Best piece of advice for a new mom?
Jenny has two kids, ages 3 and 6. Lots of favorite things about being a mom but probably watching the world through their eyes. Best piece of advice is to let go of perfection and enjoy the process. Trista had two kids, ages 3 and 2. Favorite thing is watching them grow. Take it all in, the days are long but the years are short. 
What do you love about living in the East Lansing area? What’s your favorite restaurant and/or place to shop in the East Lansing area? We love the community, all the family friendly activities. Our favorites are Maru, Red Haven, People’s Kitchen, Soup Spoon and Foster’s and Strange Matter for coffee. Lululemon, Playmakers, Mother and Earth Baby Boutique and to be basic Target.
Tell us a little about your career & why did you decide to become a fitness instructor? How did you become business partners?
Jenny spent 10 years in corporate health promotion after college and Trista taught barre and did personal training in LA (she even trained Hillary Swank) we reconnected almost 10 years ago on a whim. We started talking about what we felt was missing in fitness and the idea for FLEX was born. 
What’s the best thing about your job? What do you enjoy most about group fitness classes?
Helping clients achieve health and wellness is the most rewarding, in addition to having a flexible work schedule with our families.
How do you juggle work with being a mom?
Well this is a tough question. We don’t feel like we do it well everyday but we try to be home when we are home and at work when we are at work (the pandemic has made this much more challenging). We also practice what we preach and try our best to move daily. The assumption is we work out all the time but we have to schedule it just like everyone.
What’s your advice to moms in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis to make life a little easier? How has your job changed during COVID-19?
Advice is to keep taking care of yourself. This pandemic has been especially hard on moms and if we are burned out it doesn’t help anyone. Move daily, it doesn’t have to be complicated, laugh, and hydrate. Our job has changed SO much we have been shut for over 9 months and have had to pivot and create new products etc all while working for the bulk of it home with our kids. It has been hard, but we love what we do and are actually excited about all the new stuff we are creating.
What is something you wish was in the East Lansing area, besides Trader Joe’s :)?
Yes on Trader Joe’s, healthy juice place that has food, True foods, Athleta, maybe a beach 🙂
Do you have any favorite podcasts or apps that inspire, calm, help you run your business or organize your life? Favorite form of self-care?
Calm not so much, actually need that! But inspiring and business related yet. Chuck for email, and google products, for podcasts we like How I Built This, ArmChair Expert (just for fun) and Living with Landon. Favorite form a self care is working out, and these days a rare uninterrupted shower.
If you could give one tip to fellow Mom Entrepreneurs what would it be?
There is never a perfect time, if you want something go for it!
