Conversations with the Inspiring Jay Jiggins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Jiggins.

Jay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in the UK and come from an entrepreneurial family. My mother and father started their business in one tiny room and worked relentlessly until they built a successful courier, taxi and luxury car business. I witnessed their hard work and was even a part of it, working from a young age learning about the company, helping out on the phones and in different areas of the business. My father believed in having fun while going to school and so put me into a theatre school at the age of nine. I loved it and actually took it seriously, I landed a part in an English T.V. series and then went on to be a singer and dancer on cruise ships at age 18. While I was working on one of the cruise ship contracts, my home port was Miami. I fell in love with Miami and when my mother came to visit, so did she. So much so, that she actually moved here, which was great, as I would see her every week when I was in port. I loved the physicality of dancing but I also had the entrepreneurial spirit of my parents, so I decided to train in the world of fitness with the intention of opening my own fitness-based business and that is what I did.

At the end of each cruise ship contract, I would have a 3-month break. I went back home to the UK and trained as a group exercise Instructor (in just about every type of fitness discipline). I also became a certified personal trainer. I then moved back to London and opened my own mobile fitness training company. I began as a one-woman (or one young girl) show and eventually hired other trainers. I would complete the physical assessments and then provide one of the trainers to work with the client. I loved what I did but I missed my Mum and Miami very much and one day made the decision to pack up and come to Miami with the idea of duplicating that business here. Once I arrived, I was very fortunate to be introduced by a friend to Michael, one of the owners of the Boucher Brothers Management. An amazing company that provides pool and beach service to all of the great hotels here in Miami Beach (and beyond). After having an impromptu golf cart ride along the beach and sharing my story and business idea with him, he said, “that sounds great, but while you set up, why don’t you come and work for me”. This began a diverse career in the hospitality industry working in several hotels as Pool Manager, Concierge and then Business Development Manager for Boucher Brothers Management. I did train personal training clients around the hours of my jobs but after seven years, I had still not opened my own official company and decided it was time to strike out on my own. I co-founded a very unique and successful all-female boutique fitness club; IronFlower Fitness. I put in a lot of work and loved what I did.

When I opened the gym, we were the only boutique fitness club around but within the eight years we were open, many brands opened and of course, the competition increased. Although I loved what I did, gym operating hours are long and demanding and after I had my 2nd child, I had to analyze whether it was worth it anymore. The profits had definitely decreased but the workload was still the same and the business was very dependant on me. So, the decision was made to find a way to create a lifestyle business that would allow me to spend time with my children AND operate a successful company. Finesse Corporate Wellness was born.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I do not believe business is ever a smooth road but the desire to keep growing and creating is an amazing fuel. During my IronFlower Fitness years, I ran into several obstacles. Some good problems to have, such as outgrowing our space and needing a bigger one and some not so good, such as having to move several times and losing a lot of clientele and money in the process. There have been many struggles, but one of the most important things I think I could convey is that you can not do it alone. Reinvest in your company by hiring good people to work with you. This may mean taking a step back financially but you will take much larger steps forward as you grow. Do make sure to hire slow and fire fast though. The right people are essential to a business. I also believe in doing and shining at what you are good at but outsourcing what you are not. Dot your I’s, cross your T’s and put the correct paperwork in place. Make a decision as to what type of business and life you want to have. Really think it through and make sure you keep it in mind as you grow. Explore your own core values and bring them into your business, this will ensure your team is on board with you and will operate in the manner you wish them to and perhaps most importantly, for me anyway, be sure you believe in, and love what you do. We spend too little time on this planet to not be happy. If you enjoy what you do, long hours, meticulous detail and sacrifices will still bring smiles to your face.

What should we know about Finesse Corporate Wellness? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Finesse Corporate Wellness (FCW) provides Fitness, Activities, Games, and Teambuilding in the Tri-County area

In the world of fitness, we offer every type of group fitness class you could imagine, from the zen experiences such as Yoga, Meditation and Tai Chi, through to much more energetic classes such as Zumba, Boot Camp, Dance classes and Cardio Kickboxing. We also offer personal training, gym consultation, and management.

We have a complete children’s program that offers arts and crafts, hip hop, soccer, little chef’s culinary experience, pool games, race games and so much more.

We offer adult games and fun that include an obstacle course, amazing race, salsa, and shots (yes you do drink shots while wiggling your hips) beer pong, flip cup, tournaments (Volleyball, dodgeball, table tennis, etc..)

We offer team-building events such as scavenger hunts, treasure hunts, team Olympics, self-defense workshops, etc..

I am passionate about a few things:
My Children & Family, Hospitality, Real Estate (I have my realtors license) Business Management, Fun and of course Fitness. I am blessed to be able to bring my expertise and passions together to find great solutions for our clientele.

We have three main clients: Hotels, Luxury Residences, and Corporations/Small, Medium and Large Businesses.

Hotels: FCW is the perfect solution for Hotels. We separate them from the competition by putting in an amazing program that provides, Fitness, Poolside Activities, Children’s Programs, and Fun Events. These lifestyle activation programs bring value to the resort fee and obtain wonderful reviews for these hotels which increase their occupancy and allow them to charge more per night along with ensuring they beat out the competition.

Employee Program for Businesses: We also provide an excellent employee program and I am pleased to see that companies are now realizing the importance of looking after their staff. Of course the cost of hiring and training staff these days is very expensive, so providing benefits that increase the loyalty to the company as well as create a more healthy, positive and productive workforce is a very smart decision for Employers. For these companies, we offer an ongoing fitness program at the office location. We can work in conference rooms, offices, even car parks, and our team bring everything they need with them to create a successful fitness class. We also offer fun company retreat events that include our fun and fit team builders. Our program also reduces the cost of company health insurance.

Condos and Luxury Residences:
Many Condo’s have a gym but by offering a full fitness schedule they actually build a community in the building. This makes the property more attractive to buy or rent and also increases the desire of the residents to want to stay there. When justifying both the price of these expensive units as well as the maintenance fee, these programs are a wonderful sales point. Many of our Luxury residence partners also offer community events on a monthly basis, our fun games, classes, and team building events are a great way of getting everyone together.

I feel the cumulation of events that have happened in my life have brought me to exactly the right place in my career. I could not be happier doing what I do. I feel that the variety of what we offer and my knowledge of the industries that my clients are in, allows us to bring them very tangible results that directly affect their brand and bottom line.

My mission is to make smiles brighter, hearts healthier and businesses and locations more successful and to do it all with Finesse!

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
As women, we are able to juggle a lot but building your team cannot be underestimated, especially if you intend to have a family. We are fortunate now to be leading the way in many careers but balancing our home life can be a challenge. I, therefore, think it is important to get spouses and family on board to help with the home life or find a way to get additional help. Although we have made huge advances and I think it is wonderful that women have carved out amazing businesses and careers for themselves, the the expectation that we will still be the primary housekeeper and caregiver to the families remains, and this needs to be addressed before going into business so that everything does not land so heavily on the woman’s shoulders.

Image Credit:
Jonieth O’Neill (For the headshot), Meli b photography, Alan Llaguno

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