Latest / 85 Percent: A Wanderful Podcast / S3 E6: "Peace in the Midst of Chaos" with Youmie Jean Francois
Transcript
- Beth Santos: Hey everyone! Beth here, founder and CEO of Wanderful and host of the 85 Percent podcast. I am here with another episode that's gonna blow your mind. I am talking to Youmie Jean Francois. She is the founder of Flex-n-Fly the Flex-n-Fly Foundation, the Flex-n-Fly Bags, this entire ecosystem focused on wellness and making our travel industry better. You're gonna love her. She gets real fired up. That is her way. But it Is such a cool conversation talking about her journey as a founder, her journey finding success and the way she had to claw her way through it. entrepreneurship is no picnic. It is self-advocacy. It is fighting for your position in the world. It is advocating for others and lifting each other up. And you'll see that from Youmie. So I'm really excited for this conversation. and Let's just let's just listen to it, right? You're gonna love it. Here it is. Youmie Jean Francois is the founder and CEO of Flex-n-Fly, which is a travel wellness company bringing stretching, yoga, and relaxation into airports to help ease the anxiety that so many of us feel around travel. She's also, not to put this out there so fast, but a private pilot and an author and a transformational Youmie Jean Francois: you Beth Santos: speaker who's brought her work to brands like Airbnb, Spotify, and WeWork. A few years ago, she also launched the Flex-n-Fly Foundation, which is a nonprofit. And she this year won our Wanderful Award, which we have to talk about. Our Wanderful Award is a very special award. It's handed off. by the Wanderful community for someone who is doing incredible work supporting women in travel. Tell how did Flex-n-Fly begin? Youmie Jean Francois: So Flex-n-Fly is a travel wellness company and we bring wellness studios into airports by way of bringing yoga, meditation, stretching, relaxation classes, all at airports. We have different classes that runs from 15 minutes to 35 minutes. That includes again, Tai Chi, yoga, mobility, et cetera. Anything that will help people regulate their nervous system when they fly, specifically avid travelers, know, pilots, flight attendants, know, TSA. My goal is to make sure they become nicer after we're at Beth Santos: Yeah. Youmie Jean Francois: every day four and less stress to everyone. Beth Santos: Perfect. Perfect. Youmie Jean Francois: And this dream started in 2018. I can't believe that this happened. I was working as a server. That was my last job. And my background is in, I used to be a professional backup dancer. I was in the industry and a teacher. And so, when I didn't have a job, I was waitressing. I was doing whatever I had to do to survive in New York City. And I got the idea to start Flex-n-Fly. And I remember going back to my job and saying, hey, Christmas Day will be my last day. this was December 2018 would be my last day. I launched officially, I believe on social media on 2019. But we got all of our stuff in May. of 2018. So we've been around for a while and I have had the hardest growth personally and professionally dealing with this because when you have an idea, you don't understand that you're birthing something. You understand? Beth Santos: Mm. Youmie Jean Francois: Like you don't recognize the minute you implanted with an idea, it's impregnation. and I mean that without being a parent. and birthing is hard. Birthing requires a lot of discipline. It requires a lot of patience. It requires a lot of grace, kindness. It requires a lot of hard work. It requires a lot of prevention. There's so much that it requires that I don't think when I started the company, I knew I had to develop to become who I am. Beth Santos: I also want to outline the fact that you've you've branched out in so many really cool ways. So you've got these these wellness zones, You also they also had a wellness zone at Wits, which was the most Calm, peaceful space Youmie Jean Francois: We'll right Beth Santos: and people loved it. But then you're also doing so many other things. You've got a retreat coming up next year. You design these Youmie Jean Francois: People really enjoyed it. I was very happy. Beth Santos: really I'm so glad because yeah, I think for a busy conference space where there's just a lot of energy and there's a lot of movement, having a place to wind down, that seemed like it really went along with the ethos of what you're doing. But then you have you have bags, you have these really cool flex and fly bags that you've created that you sell. So I think when when we're talking about women who have had an impact. on other women in the industry. I think there's a few things that really went into that. One was kind of this this need for wellness in travel, which I want to talk about and and how that does tend to really affect, I think, or I think women are really like a huge audience of that. But then also I think the the number of things that you have done to elevate others and support other entrepreneurs Youmie Jean Francois: the truth is, with the bags, the masks, the wellness zone, anything that you see, flex and fly put out, a lot of it is due to pivoting. We have to pivot in a lot of the way that we do things, you know what I mean? And I recognize that I'm great at pivoting. You have to know how to pivot in business or else you will not last. That's the reality of the situation. What happens is life will give you an opportunity to pivot. every single time, especially because life is constantly in a rolling cycle, right? it is not consistent, it is not straight, it is constantly rolling up and downs are happening. And it will give you opportunity for times for you to jump off or jump on, jump off and jump on. And you have to know when it's time to do both. But what you must not do is be still when life is going like this all the time. There are times where you just have to make different jumps. And I recognize for me that in order to have a successful business, I had to do that. 2020 happened. Many of us understand that the pandemic affected us tremendously. And I just was like, okay, how am I going to actually keep my business? That's the truth. You understand what I'm saying? The airport, my investors, everybody dropped out. Nobody wanted to continue with this because no one was flying. Everyone was afraid. This was a world pandemic, right? So everyone was experiencing a different level of fear of being in the sky and catching a virus that was killing many, many people. And so I remember feeling very sad. I remember feeling very nervous. because this was the service-based business part was my main goal for 2020 and my products were supposed to come after. But because that happened and I had planned on going to Colombia anyway and setting this up, I went and I started our specific flex bags. We had already had our flex maps and people were getting to know us. and recognizing that we we sell yoga mats, but I didn't want people to just think we sold yoga mats. That's not who we were. We're a big company, a big brand company that also provide multiple products, but we are a service-based business. take care of people at the airport. So I had to really, really pivot and focus on the products so that we can make sales and I wouldn't go bankrupt. That's really the truth. And trust me, the mindset of possibly going bankrupt is something that is so scary, especially when you're new in business, you're not sure how or where that's going to happen. But I made the decision to continue to pivot and continue to do my thing. Beth Santos: this is what I want to know from you. This is what I want to know from you because I think you've you're doing a lot, you're such an entrepreneur. Everyone sees this now. You are like clear visionary, you support other entrepreneurs, you've built a foundation, you have these bags, Youmie Jean Francois: Yeah. Beth Santos: you're doing retreats, you have these wellness zones. But why why you know, why did you basically pick the most stressful part? of what we all love, travel. And Youmie Jean Francois: Yeah. Beth Santos: why were you like, okay, yeah, I really want to do airports, or even conferences. why? Why? Youmie Jean Francois: You know that? Yeah, I just want to bridge the gap between travel and wellness. That's essentially what I really want to do. I think. Traveling brings so much pleasure for me. It's very selfish. I love the airport. I love planes. I love everything. The lights, the expense, the overpriced everything. I love it all. And I also recognize that there's Beth Santos: The overpriced everything. Youmie Jean Francois: everything, everything, water should not cost what it costs, okay? But Beth Santos: That's true. That's true. Youmie Jean Francois: I recognize that there's a lot of people that have anxiety when it comes to flying. I recognize that and it happened because when I was going on a trip with an ex of mine, it was a huge holiday season and people were so psychotically stressed. Beth Santos: Mm, Youmie Jean Francois: kids everywhere, Beth Santos: mm-hmm. Youmie Jean Francois: people are running everywhere. And I'm just like, I'm like completely at peace. I am literally peace in the midst of chaos. That's why I always say that because I genuinely experienced it at the airport. And I was like, you know what, what if this idea came when I missed my trip, I was heading to Portugal to hang out with my sister for her birthday and I missed my trip. went to Morocco. And while I'm in Morocco, the it's mostly, a Muslim country and inside that airport, which I love this many different spaces. People can go smoke. People get there's a prayer. There's a prayer room for people Beth Santos: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Youmie Jean Francois: that that practice that for Muslim. And I saw a man in there. Praying and I was like, this would be so amazing if this was a stretching class. That's really how it happened. I Beth Santos: Mm. Youmie Jean Francois: would like, I can see people doing the downward dog here and I can see someone literally just relaxing and doing meditation in here and like regulating their nervous system. I am really conscious of making sure that people are present to any discomfort so that they can handle it. And I recognize that the airport does not allow that. What happens is people give you pills, they give you alcohol, they give you, get there six hours before, what are we doing? Why are we Beth Santos: Yeah. Youmie Jean Francois: six hours before? this is absurd, or people are saving so much money just so they could fly first class, so they could lay down or have a lot of space. And I'm just like, Beth Santos: Right. Youmie Jean Francois: if they had a space where they could offer themselves 15 minutes or 35 minutes. they would see a huge change in the way that they operate once they're in flight. And I said, I was gonna do that with flex and fly. Beth Santos: So you have physical spaces, you're basically it's a physical space, but then there's also programming that people can sign up for. So there's like classes and things. Take us through Youmie Jean Francois: Bye! Beth Santos: and you have one in New York. Take us through what that's gonna be like. Youmie Jean Francois: Okay, so yeah, we're going to be launching at both LaGuardia and Newark Airport and I'm very excited about that. I'm saying that out loud to you guys publicly, obviously, Beth, but like I'm saying that out loud to you guys next year. in March 2027. Excuse me. Beth Santos: Twenty twenty seven. Youmie Jean Francois: 2028, which is what process that airport. Beth Santos: can't get them to stop. They're just they're like all the whole studio is just they're all standing. Wow, that was March twenty twenty seven. Youmie Jean Francois: Yes, was I said that because we just yes next year girl finally it's in it's been Beth Santos: my gosh, two at once? Youmie Jean Francois: We're doing it twice It took that long because I went for both By the time we're done and we have launched at both LaGuardia and Newark. We will be the number one travel wellness spot that everyone come and you will be switching your flights to wherever we're at. I'm telling you that right now. I'm telling you that right now. The instructors are phenomenal. I've been working really hard. Don't even look at my credit card debt. Don't even look at it because I have put money in. I, the investors money that I have is so tight. And this is stuff I don't talk about, like when you get that amount of money from investors, has, you have to get a lawyer. Okay. You have to get a Beth Santos: Yeah. Youmie Jean Francois: lawyer that takes care of that and that puts it in a very specific, specific space. So every dime that comes out is very specific based on what you promise these investors. Hence why I didn't want to go bankrupt. I'm raising money just to go bankrupt in a week and shut down. Now I'm going to have to go to court. and say, couldn't keep my words to everything. It's just so much complications in it that you don't get to discuss and tell people about because you're dealing with the big guns. You're dealing with real stuff. So now we're launching and it's gonna be phenomenal and you're going to love it. And I have partnered with the best people that genuinely believes in flex and fly that has now taken us international faster than I ever thought we would be. And all of that required me saying no to the number one place that I wanted. The number one place that I wanted, mind you, they're not even doing very well, because I know their numbers. Beth Santos: See everyone, this is why I literally don't need to be here because Youmie has got you. She's taken you all the way. But Youmie, you you are being so open and honest about the hardship. And I think one thing that I wanna know from you is like it's so easy, I think, for for a founder and especially a woman founder to question themselves and kind of, you know, you're coming across all these hurdles and You said you had this idea in twenty eighteen, here we are in twenty twenty six, twenty twenty-seven, it's finally happening. What what has given you this conviction? You know, what what has fueled you in these years to kind of be willing to, whether it's through pivoting, whether it's through bringing in investors, and just to have that confidence and to believe in yourself and to understand, you know, and to continue to just push this mission. There's gotta be there's a fire in you. What has what has allowed for that to happen? Youmie Jean Francois: Spiritually, will say that it's God that has kept me because I really feel like God gave me the vision. And I'm not letting anyone else do the vision. It's mine. And I'm going to follow through with it. I feel trusted by God to do it. And I want to be clear when I'm saying this, even though I trust God, You can have the vision and the doubt, but you have to choose when to negotiate with doubt. And I don't negotiate with doubt when it comes to finalizing the vision. Like my whole purpose, is that it needs to be done. And I also think that I've had to make a lot of sacrifices, Beth. Like I'm Beth Santos: Yeah. Youmie Jean Francois: very clear that the work that I'm doing requires a level of sacrifice that many people probably don't want to do or don't have the time to do or isn't able to do. There's a lot of things in my life that I don't have to worry about that many other people do that have to run businesses, right? so can dedicate my whole life and time and energy and stress and all that stuff to it. I will say the fire that you feel, the conviction that you feel also is the fact that I hate lack. I don't like being broke. I don't like not having money. I don't like not being successful. I know that doesn't sound like profound or like that's not that, that may sound tacky to people, but like if you've never been broke in your life, If you've never had lack in your life, if you've never dealt with poverty in your life, you won't understand never wanting to go there ever again. You won't ever understand it. So I don't try to explain to people that type of thing. If you don't know what it's like to raise yourself in ways where you have to figure out how to pay your rent, how to feed yourself, how to feed your pets. When it's where it's coming from, where you lack sleep. If you don't know that life you will never understand the type of hunger I come in with. When I talk to people and they doubt me, it's like for me when I had to choose whether or not to feed myself or my pet. You will never ever be able to make me feel bad about that. I will always win. I will always get what I want because I know what it's like to not have in such a destructive way. I don't ever want to be in a position in my life where I'm so broken in that capacity ever again. And there was no one, you know, and I'm grateful for the people that God put in my life when they have stepped in or whatever, but I had to get to a place in my life where I had to choose the life that I knew I was worthy of. And it was hard. If you've never like, had landlords taking you to freaking court all the time and you promising them, I'm going to pay my rent. I'm going to pay my rent. And you don't know how. You will never understand this fire. You understand what I'm saying? if you don't know how you're going to eat, how you're going to dress yourself, if you don't know that position, you'll never understand this fire. That's why when I'm talking to people and I'm talking to people that have money, Their money belongs to me. I look at them Beth Santos: Yeah. Youmie Jean Francois: and I say, Hey, you've been working for me for a very long time. A very long time. Write that check, Write That check because I have a hunger that it's, it's impossible for anyone to burn it. is impossible for me to not be successful. And for me to get to a level in my life, to be able to say that is unheard of because there was a time in my life. where I'm just like, what the hell is happening, God? What is happening? Where are you? Are you hearing me? Are you helping me? Are you around? Please show up for me. I know what it's like to not have and to beg and to stress and to pray. And then I know what it's like to enter a room and leave with $100,000, leave with $500,000, leave with $300,000 and just building, building. Building, building, then go to another room and someone says, you need a co-founder. You would get more if you had someone white standing next to you. You would have more if you weren't a woman. You would have more if you were in this part of the aviation. Okay, great. I have my pilot license. Well, you need to get this. Okay, great. I want to get this company. well, you need to talk to this one. The standard is always moving. It's always different. And each time, meet it and destroy it every single time. And I don't talk about it because one, I'm a Taurus. I'm very stubborn. You need to be stubborn to be successful. Okay. I love it when people doubt me. I love it when people tell me something isn't going to happen. I love it when people think that I'm not going to make it happen because one thing about me, my stubbornness is patient. I'm very patient with my success. I don't rush it. I don't need, because I'm not trying to do it to prove it to anyone. It's for me. It's personal. My success is personal to me. When you see it, it's because I've decided for you to see it. I already had it for a while. You feel me? So my success is very personal to me. And that's why I have the Flex and Bly Foundation. Because I need to give back to the underserved and communities. I need to give back to the people that feel like, damn, I can't catch up. Great. Why does this person get this opportunity? Why does this person get that? Why does our neighborhood look like this? Why don't I understand AI? Why don't I get to meet millionaires at 13, 14 years old? Why don't I get that access back? it's a crazy world to learn how to fundraise. It's a crazy world to have to ask people for money. Their hard work, their hard earned money and tell them, trust me, I'm not only going to give this back, but I'm going to triple it. And I'm going to make you a millionaire just by you investing in me. It's very hard thing. I've learned so much that I know that my patience and my endurance will inevitably make me successful. Inevitably, because you have to be. Beth Santos: Yeah. Yeah. And I I know you have an airport construction site to run to, so I don't want to take up too much more of your time. Youmie Jean Francois: Yes. Yes. Beth Santos: But tell me your advice, you know, for for another entrepreneur or someone who wants to be an entrepreneur in the travel space who's listening to this. What advice would you give them? You've gone through so much and you've built so much, you know, belief in yourself. And and I think what you're saying about being patient and, and also being assertive. I think those things are such great lessons. for someone who's listening right now and going like, could this be me? You know, what would you say to them? Youmie Jean Francois: I I would say that don't look at me as a hero. Don't look at anyone as a hero. I like to tell people that first because I think that if you see me and you want to be like me, it's already in you. It's already in you. You'll surpass me and I want you to surpass. That's whole point. We're supposed to build and keep growing and keep getting better past the people that we admire. I would say if you're going after your dreams and all that stuff, have people that you like, have people that you respect. I think you need to be vulnerable about what's going on in your life. and be patient about where you want to be. a lot of the times we're in a rush because we have something to prove to someone else. Someone else is the goal or the validation is the goal. Your purpose is not about validation. It is not. It is not selfish. Your purpose is not selfish. You understand what I'm saying? Ask yourself why you want to do it. Ask yourself who you want to serve. Ask yourself if you decide to stop, will it cost those people something? That's what I would say. If I decide to stop, it would cost a lot of people. That's why I don't stop. If I decided to quit, it would cost a lot of people. That's why I don't quit. There's too many people I got to help. There's too many people that need to see me to know it's possible. Beth Santos: I love it. I love it. Well, thanks for spending some time with us today. I like any last notes. Youmie Jean Francois: for flex and fly, please sign up for our email list at flex and fly.com. We're updating a brand new website for a lot. We've been working on this website for months. sign up. And so that you can know when we're at an airport near you. And if you see me anywhere around Wits, please give me a hug. and donate in support to Wits and Wonderful at all times. Cause those are my people. If you love me, you love them. Okay? Beth Santos: My God, you are so funny. Thank you so much. Thanks for hopping on the call today you're the best. Was that not awesome? I mean, I told you she would get really fired up and she sure did. Thank you, Youmie. I had to let you listen to just the fire and the energy and the enthusiasm that she comes to this with because sometimes you need that as a founder to really get started. make sure that you check out the Flex-n-Fly foundation. That's the flexnfly foundation.org. We will include that in the show notes. You can also check out all that she's doing with Flex-n-Fly online. and if you're in New York. Definitely go and check out the two flex n fly lounges that are coming to LaGuardia and to Newark Airport. It's gonna be cool. I know I'm gonna be one of the first people to go check it out. What a cool concept! We are almost done with our season of Bessie Award winners. Can you believe it? We only have one left, and then we are finished with that. It is with Dr. Sian Proctor, who is a geoscientist, and of course, the first black woman to pilot a spaceship. She's She's an astronaut. I love it. She also won our Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bessies. So she's really cool. We had a fun conversation. And then stay tuned. Hopefully some more episodes to come. If you haven't subscribed yet, make sure you do. Just find the 85 Percent podcast wherever you get your podcasts, whether that's Apple Music, whether that's Amazon Music, whether that's Spotify, you can find us there. Share these episodes with a friend. Let them be the start of a new conversation for you. Bring them to your dinner table. Bring them to your book club. Let's get more people talking about how we can make travel better and the women that are inspiring this journey. We will catch you next time. I'm Beth Santos. Thanks for being here.