Meet Jess James | Charlotte Strength Coach & Gym Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2014, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science. Shortly after that, I pursued a Master of Science degree in HR Management and Leadership Development, because I wasn’t sure that Exercise Science would provide me with the type of income I desired. One of my top 5 motivators in life is to be as financially comfortable as possible. In 2017, while working in corporate HR (which I still do today), I had somewhat of a revelation along the lines of “I have this entire degree that I paid for but I’m not using…I don’t like that.” So I started The FitFat Coach, LLC which was geared towards helping women gain strength through Powerlifting. I had and have a strong body positivity philosophy: you don’t have to be size 0 to love yourself or to be healthy.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The FitFat Coach, LLC started as a personal training company geared towards helping women gain strength through Powerlifting and resistance training. I would travel to people’s homes, parks, local fitness centers and coach clients. In 2020, I received the opportunity to open a physical location in Charlotte. In 2023, we moved from a 1800 square foot warehouse to a 4680 square foot retail space. Shortly after moving into our first location, I stopped in-person training and transitioned to online coaching while still managing the gym. I pay it forward by offering a Third Party Personal Training Program which allows Personal Trainers in Charlotte to have a dedicated location to train their clients. What sets my gym apart from others is that we’re Charlotte’s ONLY Open Gym Training Facility that is Black and Woman owned. Another fun fact is that we’re a private gym that focuses on a small membership footprint meaning we’re never crowded like local franchise gyms are. Many people have the opportunity to train alone (no matter the time of day) which makes the space more intimate and valuable. The journey has definitely not been easy, I’ve gained grey hairs and have lost a few friends along the way. But what I’ve learned is that choosing me and standing tall on my principles holds weight above all else.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooh, good question considering I’m a hermit (HA). I love a good upscale, fine-dining steakhouse so for the eats, we would for sure check out Supperland, The Fox and Falcon, and Flemings. We would check out Crave Dessert Bar and The BatchMaker for some sweets. Have some fun at Pins Mechanical or Queen Park Social. There’s a brewery on literally every corner it seems like, so would make a pit stop by any one of those – specifically Armored Cow. If during the summer time, we would catch a River Jam at the White Water Center and definitely cruise along SouthEnd for some Jeni’s ice cream and street vibes.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is dedicated to ALL of the souls that have supported me and my brand since 2017.

Website: https://tfcbarbellclub.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tfcbarbellclub/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessdjames/

Image Credits
Anthony English of Cofound Films and Andrew Buss of Foreword Films