Life and Work with Melanie Jackson

Melanie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was always an active child growing up. I played basketball, ran cross country, and participated in track and field. I even attempted to join the football team, but the private school I attended barred me from playing. Unfortunately, when it came to diet, I ate what I wanted under the false belief that whatever I ate would instantly be burned away. For a time, it worked like that for me, until I went to college where my physical activity was next to nothing and it caught up with me. I started dancing to stay active, but it wasn’t enough. I gave birth my daughter in 2008, which only added to my weight gain problem. I did absolutely nothing to get back to my original size after my pregnancy.

After graduating, I started out as a paralegal working at a medium-sized law firm in Houston. I eventually learned that the firm was offering one-hour bootcamp classes at its main location two times each week for free. I struggled with many of the same problems a lot of overweight people struggle with: knee problems, lower back problems, body image issues, etc. I thought, “Why not? It’s free, so might as well take advantage of it!” I didn’t know it at the time, but the person training the attendees was not a regular certified group fitness instructor, he was a certified personal trainer who also had a background in nutrition. With the help of the trainer, I was able to change a lot of habits, especially my diet, and in one year, I lost a total of 75 pounds.

With this amazing weight loss, I completely embraced the lifestyle change and decided to get my own personal training certification. My intentions were to train part-time while still working full-time for the law firm, and eventually go to law school. However, the firm hit some financial hardships, and I was laid off. Since I had my certification, I decided to get a full-time job as a trainer until another law firm hired me. As time went on, I eventually fell in love with training others and decided to abandon my plans in law. I felt I could be more useful, and help people better in health and fitness than I could in law. Even though I still get offers from different law firms, I still continue to train and train only. I even found a real passion for bodybuilding and ended up obtaining status as a professional bodybuilder in less than six months of competing.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Regrettably, I have had to deal with situations involving sexual harassment and misconduct that occur in some gyms. Too often are complaints of this nature ignored by gym managers for fear of losing significant sources of income. I have come to learn that sometimes sacrifices need to be made in order to achieve the results that clients deserve. Even though this can lead to some tough decisions, I am proud to say that this is what separates the good trainers from the bad, the ones that sincerely want to help versus the ones that are only in it for the money. Since most of my clients are women, and most of them have experienced some form of harassment, I assure them that although they do need to be careful, they should never be afraid to stand in their own truth. We have been bullied and led into believing that we are delusional or dishonest when we tell our stories, and that is one of the many reasons why this has been going on for so long. We are a lot stronger than we think; we are, and we need to reach inside ourselves to find it, embrace it, and own it. This is especially true for health and fitness. Get to know yourself, and be true to yourself. Once you figure that out, life becomes a lot easier.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a certified personal trainer mainly running boot camps and hour-long HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes. I work with companies such as Fast Laine Fit (based in Pearland), Torch Fitness (based in Atlanta, GA), Camp Gladiator (based in Austin) (if it’s not a 100% sure thing, I would omit it), and Athletic Empire in the port of Houston. I specialize in group fitness, bodybuilding, strength training, and functional training. I also have experience working with diabetics and multiple sclerosis clients. Athletic Empire is great because it consists of people that share the same passion as I do for spreading the message of health and fitness to others. I branded my company Geisha Fitness because just like the geisha of Japanese history and present, a lot is misunderstood. Once you learn and understand the ways of the geisha, you come to respect the craft. Geisha display qualities such as beauty, charm, grace, artistic talent, and great etiquette. In fitness, women with muscles are not seen as feminine, but once you come to learn more about health and fitness, qualities of strength, happiness, vigor, energy, and overall wellness, there is nothing quite so empowering for women as strength and finding confidence in their own bodies.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
All you have to do is ask. There are a lot of trainers out there that are willing to help. Also, don’t limit yourself to just people in your industry, ask for outside entrepreneurs who run their own businesses. They can provide you with additional information or ways of working that you may never have thought about before. Listening has served me well. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Absorb everything that is going on around you. Use your eyes to observe how we, as human beings, interact with each other, and learn.