Who run the world? Girls. That was the conclusion at a fitness and business event hosted by Get The Gloss, The Juicery and Physique 57 this morning...
It’s not often that we start the day with a barre class upon high, but this morning we sailed up to Selfridges’ rooftop for a thigh trembling class hosted by the new-to-our-shores Physique 57 team. As high-energy Holly put us through our paces, we shuddered and stretched our limbs to the limit, smiling, laughing and admiring the view through the pain. The taster class ended on a europhic high, with us pressing co-founder Jennifer Maanavi for a UK launch date and location so that we can get our next Physique 57 fix.
Post-class our Editor-in-Chief Susannah held a Q&A with Jennifer to discuss everything from starting a business from scratch to fitting efficient exercise into a manic schedule. Unsurprisingly the positive vibe and supportive atmosphere of a Physique 57 class comes straight from the top - Jennifer firmly believes that all women are stronger than they give themselves credit for, both physically and emotionally. Jennifer’s business and workout ethos are one and the same, for her it’s all about positive reinforcement and consistency. Empathy, energy and abs of steel characterise her staff, and after a few classes, her clients too.
Having previously worked on Wall Street, Ivy league graduate Jennifer decided to start her own fitness business when her favourite barre studio closed down. She teamed up with dance and fitness expert Tanya Becker and the idea for Physique 57 became reality in just three weeks. Her advice for budding businesswomen? Manage and prioritise your own time. Get advice on your concept, product and business plan, but don’t let anyone else tell you how to handle your own logistics or challenge your time management. She’s resolute that if something needs to happen, you’ll find the time. Given that Jennifer has three children under the age of ten, we don’t doubt her for a second - if she can do it, so can every woman. Just don’t forget to delegate and remember that you can’t give everything and everyone your full attention at all times.
Tell your team and those you work with how you want to be contacted and like to receive information and feedback. Streamlining your working methods will produce results without you becoming overwhelmed or frazzled; get good at making choices and balance enjoying the present with thinking ahead.
As for fitting in exercise, Jennifer thinks an hour (specifically, 57 minutes) is the perfect workout duration - any less and you leave feeling like you’ve not quite accomplished what you set out to, but any more and it starts to eat into your day. Jennifer commits to 3-4 classes each week, prioritising them in her diary as she would a meeting (the same approach as our fit and fabulous Editor-in-Chief incidentally). We’ll be putting those classes at the top of our to-do lists just as soon as Physique 57 sets up in London we can assure you!
Before returning to our desks, we enjoyed a fresh juice courtesy of The Juicery and went away clutching cartons of Jax Coco . Who needs coffee? This was the best start to the day that we’ve had in ages.
Keep your eyes peeled for details of Physique 57 launching in the UK soon, but in the meantime head to Restaurant on the Roof with Q for great food and some of the best fresh juices in town by The Juicery. The vistas aren’t bad either.