Meet Jenny Flinn of Femme Fitale Fitness in League City and Dickinson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Flinn.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started my career in fitness in 2014. Several years later, I finally ended up at a competition gym called, the Iron Den gym. I specialized in women’s fitness, but a lot of my clients would feel very intimidated to come to the Den let alone ANY gym for that matter. As I started listening to different women’s concerns about the fitness industry and gyms in general, most of them had the same complaint. They all felt intimidated, uncomfortable working out around men (and sometimes other fit women), and unsure of what to do even if they did get a membership somewhere.

I felt that I needed to change that perception by providing women with a gym venue where they could feel completely comfortable, non judged, and excited to work out. In 2017, Femme Fitale Fitness was born right here in my own hometown. We hoped to gain a few members the first month but ended up with over 100 signups the very first 30 days in business. We had so many women who thanked us for giving them a space to call their home. We all became a very close knit gym family!

9 months into business, Hurricane Harvey struck. Our gym was destroyed and we had to put our entire membership on “hold”. We would remain closed for almost 6 months. After the storm and once clean up began, One of our members raised almost $5000 for us to restart and while the outlook was grim for a long time, we didn’t give up. We WERE able to re-open through utilizing the Small Business Administration disaster funds. In the rebuilding process, we were able to acquire the suite next to us which allowed us to expand the gym to 5000 sqft. Before the storm, we operated in half of that space!

Through hard work, perseverance and belief that we HAD to reopen for our gym family, we did just that this past March. I had every last one of my employees and trainers came back to work and we were able to keep about 80 percent of our membership. We are currently adding new members every single day. We are proof that if you work hard and never give up, that good things can happen!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When I initially opened my business I felt that it was just “meant to be” because everything from the day we had the idea to the day we opened the doors was smooth sailing! We ran into a few very minor issues but were able to open with no problem!

Some of the struggles we faced in the beginning after opening was lack of space. We just didn’t realize how quickly we would grow in a short period of time! We also worked with a mentor who suggested certain pricing for us because our gym does offer an “All Inclusive” type membership. So, we changed pricing a few times while working out the kinks. Luckily, we decided on two different membership prices that work for our business model but is also affordable to members as well.

The biggest struggle of all was after the hurricane when we lost everything only 9 months after opening. It was a true test of our strength and determination. It was the hardest thing that I have every been through and it was even harder seeing my staff struggle too. I spend several months not really knowing if reopening would even be possible. We decided to stick it out, not give up, and see where our luck would take us. As fate would have it, we received the one phone call we were waiting on and we knew we had to make it happen!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Femme Fitale Fitness – what should we know?
Femme Fitale Fitness is a women’s gym in the League City/Dickinson area. We specialize in women’s fitness and personal training. Our gym is known for our “All Inclusive” membership. I wanted Femme Fitale to be a “one-stop shop’ so we created a membership where members could get 24/7 access, a full gym with machines and cardio equipment, a sauna, tanning, and group fitness classes all in one place! We also have a separate Basic Membership for women don’t necessarily want the tanning and/or classes as well.

A list of our classes include: Team Training, Core Conditioning, Body Blast, Booty Blast, Beginner’s Bootcamp, Advanced Weight Training, Yoga Fundamentals, Yoga Foundation, Peaceful Flow Yoga, Morning Yoga, and several Barre classes to choose from each week!

In addition to our services, we also have a kids room where moms can feel free to bring their children. I even welcome mothers who have small children. They are more than welcome to bring them in the stroller next to them while they work out. That was another big issue that mothers typically had. They wanted to work out but couldn’t ever take their children along! Or they would feel bad if they worked all day and came home only to leave to again to go to the gym. Women especially need to care for themselves before we can care for others and we shouldn’t ever feel bad about self-care! The kid’s room was just another way for me to help mothers get to the gym.

Femme Fitale has 5 Certified Personal Trainers, a Registered Yoga Teacher, A Certified Barre Instructor, and a Registered Massage Therapist on staff. I take pride in hiring the most qualified and educated instructors with the best attitudes and positive outlooks!

Speaking of staff, they are what I am most proud of aside from creating Femme Fitale. These girls continue to inspire me and make me proud on the daily. From continuing their education to producing amazing client results, to just genuinely caring as much about this business as I do. I could NOT ask for a better staff!

Obviously, from all of the different services that we offer as a women’s gym, to our amazing staff, we are unlike any other gym in the area. Typically you would find some of our classes in trendy areas of downtown Houston, but not any longer! We have EVERYTHING you need here at Femme Fitale and its right in your own backyard!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First and foremost, I need to thank Eric Flinn, my husband of 17 years. Without him, many things would never have been possible during the most difficult times. He was there for me and made things happen when I could not. We have been through so many things as a couple and as business partners and have stood the test of time through it all! I am so thankful to have him as my #1 supporter!

Chelsea Colombo is another person that deserves credit. She was there with me during the beginning stages of Femme and has been by my side ever since! She is my General Manager. Not only does she take care of things for me so that I can focus on business aspects, she also trains her own clients and runs 4 different classes every single week. She is someone I consult with about the business and I absolutely value her opinion 100%.

I am absolutely blessed to have so many supporters behind the scenes. I wish I could list every single person! Jackie Rose and Whitney Hammer for their contributions to the gym, some of my friends, family, and clients who came out to help us during the rebuilding stage (Victoria Bellamy, Anita Wingate, Sara Taylor, Allison Maicher, Justin Bellamy, Clint Bellamy, Jayme Little, Ricky Beliz and Kevin Hoang). Carlos Gonzales, our close friend and former business partner for the constant support and words of encouragement and SO many others that called, sent texts or messages during the time we were closed from the Hurricane. They know who they are and I would NOT be sitting here typing this if it wasn’t for them!

Pricing:

• Basic Membership – $34.99/month
• All-Inclusive Membership – $64.99/month

Contact Info:

• Address: 689 FM 517 W #200/#300
  Dickinson, TX 77539
• Website: www.femmefitaletx.com
• Phone: 281-678-8037
• Email: info@femmefitaletx.com
• Instagram: femmefitale_tx
• Facebook: facebook.com/femmefitaletx
• Other: YouTube: Femme Fitale TX

Image Credit:
Audra Oden Photography

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