A doctors visit 12 years ago jolted Jay Ell Alexander intorunning.
A week later, Alexander signed up for her first 10K.
Since, shes turned wellness into a business of inspiring other Black women to take their health seriously.
The pandemic didnt slow Alexanders vision of making fitness and wellness more achievable nationwide for women, either.
Instead, there has been a 30% increase in membership, she says.
Most notably, there was a surge in virtual challenges.
Running as a pastime hasnt always been synonymous with the Black community.
Why did you want to focus on dispelling that notion?
Most folks have seen us dominate in competitive track and field worldwideevents like the Olympicsshow this.
With endurance running for everyday wellness with your 5Ks and 10Ks theresnot a lot of representation.
Its still very whitewashed.
Our fight for representation breaks this cycle.
In BGR, we have women from all spaces, all sizes, and all backgrounds.
It makes a difference to see yourself in a sport that hasnt felt like home for so long.
In our communities, its important to show Black women do run, that we care about our health.
We need to normalize this behavior and change the trajectory of what health looks like within the Black community.
Sometimes that requires pouring from an empty cup and putting people before our own.
And we end up neglecting our needs.
Ive struggled with that.
With a recent COVID scare at my sons school, hes been home.
So I havent been able to get a workout in or find time for me.
Thats where being transparent with each other is important.
How do you balance both The Vaughn Strategy and Black Girls Run?
I like to take things day by day.
That means learning to say, OK, just go ahead and shut it down, Jay.
We can restart tomorrow.
And between BGR and your PR firm, you must be in a lot of meetings regularly.
How do you prepare for big meetings?
So I try not to overload my schedule.
Being organized has been vital to that end.
That means planning the meeting with a specific agenda and then sticking to it.
I also limit meetings to 30 minutes.
Right after meetings, I allow myself time to debrief and process what was just discussed.
Sometimes that means making up a to-do list.
Youre expecting your second baby; congratulations.
How has motherhood been while running two businesses and prioritizing wellness?
People dont fully comprehend the grind, tears, and pain behind entrepreneurship or motherhood.
Both together can be extremely taxing.
But with the right kind of planning and scheduling, that makes a world of difference.
Just making sure theres order to every day.
Im still navigating motherhood.
Running became my outlet to get back to me in every sense of that word.
And after baby girl drops in April, Ill be back to running.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking of launching a business?
Dont quit your 9-to-5 without having a strategy.
(I kept mine for six months after buying BGR.)
The road to full-time entrepreneurship has its ups and downs, so youd want to ease into it.
For example, how much overhead would you have?
In those early years, how can you reduce debt?
Whats your savings account looking like now?
Do you plan to tap into your savings initially, or are you looking to investors?
So, that strategy angle is really important.
It helps you be smart about your next steps.
What’s the best piece of career and life advice you’ve received?
you’re able to’t be the smartest person in the room.
So you have to surround yourself with people who challenge you and know more than you.
This way, you’re able to always have someone to call on.
Whether its someone in legal or accounting, you cant do it yourself.
Basing your goals or who you want to be because of something you saw on there does more harm.
Should I be traveling too?
And its like no, just do you we all have our own journeys.
What can we expect from BGR this year?
We plan to launch another virtual challenge in March.
Well cap it off with a race.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
