On Wednesdays we love to highlight people/brands/things within the community that we really love. This week, we were lucky enough to interview Flex Mafia, another queer-run small business based in Texas that we've been following since they first started out. Flex Mafia is run by two amazing people: Kelsey who is 27 and genderfluid and Jen who is a 33-year-old lesbian -- the business is based in Lubbock, TX, but they travel all around Texas and the surrounding areas for fitness competitions and expos.
Flex Mafia is a fitness lifestyle brand that was started in 2015 with the goal of promoting a healthy lifestyle and letting you look good while you do it. In their own words: "#FlexMafia is more than muscles. It's love, passion, focus, dedication, and consistency. It is the WAY we train, and look damn good while we do." As a couple of queer business owners that love to stay fit, Flex Mafia is a brand that we've been unapologetically digging on for a long time.
We got to have a quick chat with Kelsey, half of Flex Mafia, to get a little insight into what this business is about and what's in store for the future:
You used to be Might + Main Apparel, how did you become Flex Mafia?
We started off as "Might + Main" which means all of one's strength, but after some legalities we decided to change the name to something more appealing and after about 2 months of back and forth of trying to decide the name Flex Mafia stuck.
What are your backgrounds in terms of fitness/business?
Jen's background in fitness is the more typical fitness story. She played college basketball, ran a couple of Half Marathons in her late twenties, and then joined CrossFit about two years ago. I, on the other hand, was never athletic. I was the kid who if someone fell down on the basketball court I would help them up instead of playing the game. After a "come to jesus moment" one Christmas day, I realized that my entire family was in shape, and I was completely out of shape and I wasn't happy with the path that I was on. I busted my butt to lose weight and get healthier -- which resulted in me running 2 half marathons. And then, luckily, a little over two years ago, I had a friend get me into CrossFit, and I am in way better shape than I could have ever imagined.
How did you and Jen partner up and make this dream a reality?
Let's see, mine and Jen's friendship started off as the most awkward encounter that anyone could have ever been through. About a year after that we decided to give it another try and the rest is history. We are very similar and our tastes mesh well as far as fashion and passions in life. One day, we discussed that we hated our jobs and that we each had always dreamed of having our own clothing line. Fortunately, my dad had been looking to fund a project like this so he became our financial backer for the start of our little venture. Jen and I work day in and day out to produce product that we adore and only hope that everyone else loves too while learning all of the ins and outs of business ownership. It has definitely been a huge learning experience. We try to produce products that not only we love, but all of our fellow athletes and friends can wear in and out of the gym.
Any cool stuff in store for the future?
We have a very big event that we will be attending in Austin, TX, the weekend of June 25th! The Naturally Fit Games and Fitness Expo! We will be with about 300 other vendors getting our product out there in a realm of not only CrossFit but bodybuilding, grappling, USA weightlifting etc. We are always looking to be vendors at all types of fitness events. So, if you're in the Austin area and into that sort of thing, definitely come out and see us!
We've been lucky enough to consider Flex Mafia and its owners friends over the past year through connections we've made on social media and through mutual respect as queer Texans trying to make the world a better and more stylish place. We own a couple of their shirts and rep them in the gym as often as possible and hope that some of you will do the same because this brand is doing big things for a small company. Anyone who promotes self confidence and living a healthy lifestyle is someone that we can wholeheartedly endorse.
We love Flex Mafia, and so should you.
Go check out their site and grab some great gear at:
http://flexmafia.com/
And show them some love and follow them on social media:
instagram: @flexmafiaofficial
tumblr: http://flexmafiaofficial.tumblr.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlexMafia
twitter: @flexmafiaoffic