171: Is Your Idea Just Good, or is it Necessary? With Founder of Flex-N-Fly Youmie Jean Francois

In the spirit of achieving wellness beyond your imagination, I want to bring into focus the idea that you should be able to carry on this feeling of wellness with you when you hop onto a plane. You should be able to honor your mental, physical, and nutritional wellness needs en route to your travel destination and this brings me to this week's guest:  Youmie Jean Francois is a transformational speaker, corporate wellness consultant, yoga instructor, and Founder/CEO of Flex-N-Fly, an award-winning travel wellness company that provides stretching, yoga, and relaxation classes to travelers before they board their flights in airports.  Along with her tactical steps for going from an idea to a commercially viable business set of offerings worthy of external investment dollars, she shared in this candid conversation, how she knew that her idea was necessary and not just a good idea. Know how to determine if your good idea is worth mustering up your finite mom energy to go after it. If you're ready to pick one idea and execute it against your creative vision, then this episode is for you. More about Youmie… Youmie Jean Francois is a transformational speaker, Corporate wellness consultant, yoga instructor, and Founder/CEO of Flex-N-Fly. An award-winning travel wellness company that provides stretching, yoga, and relaxation classes to travelers before they board their flights in airports. Her desire is to take care of the mental health of travelers that suffer from anxiety.  Youmie is an avid traveler that speaks four languages and is a mental health advocate. She created and designed both of Flex-N-Fly's best-selling minimalist travel products The Flex|Bag and The Flex|Mats. You can catch her splitting her time between New York City and Colombia as she continues to expand the face of wellness.  In this episode, you will hear: Where did the idea for Flex-N-Fly come from? Youmie breaks it down if you have a business idea then start HERE Why a business starts with the papers, not the logo Why the hardest part of creating a business is starting it What is the actual cost of bringing an idea to life? How did Youmie know that her idea was necessary? How might you figure this out yourself? What pop-ups for all new business founders? Shakey confidence, money anxiety, sales anxiety Why entrepreneurs must take the lead in their sectors especially if there is a contraction Pandemic pivots and other unexpected hurdles that gave birth to the Flexbag: https://theflexbags.com/melissallarena "Delays are not denials!" How to rethink delays and hurdles as you build your company How did Youmie navigate the pandemic when her idea relied on airports and travel? What to do if investors drop out? A cool aunt's perspective on what moms are truly capable of What if you are inspiring people around you by being a mom? Can moms choose entrepreneurship? Youmie is your wing woman! Is there a spiritual reason why you might want to bring your idea to life? Whose confidence do you actually need to launch a business or mother your child? There are people who are relying on you to walk in your purpose to then walk in theirs….I'd add this includes your kids. Moms go first! SHARE this episode with a mom who wants to determine whether she is the best person suited to bring her creative idea to life or quite frankly if she is planning a family vacation leaving out of JFK or Newark International Airport.  Similar episodes: How to Plan Your Perfect Summer Travel Through Curiosity and Wonder with Author Jenny Herbert, Episode 82 Award-Winning Filmmaker Jeff Bollow on Expanding Your Imagination Exponentially, Episode 78 Supporting Resources: Your Website:https://flexnfly.com/  Instagram: @flexnflyofficial Twitter: @flexnfly Facebook: @flexnflyofficial Subscribe and Review Have you subscribed to my podcast for moms who read and want to write a nonfiction book? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.  I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.  DOWNLOAD FIVE JOURNAL PROMPTS + A WACKY TRUE STORY FROM MY UPCOMING BOOK MOM LIFE RESCRIPTED TO GET YOU STARTED ON ADDING MORE PLAYFULNESS INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE https://www.melissallarena.com/waitlist/  Not feeling like the mom life shoe fits quite right? The book for moms who feel like their former selves is playing hide and seek yet she can't be found. Where is she? WHAT YOU GET: In this chapter, you will SEE what bringing a sense of curiosity, playfulness, and a willingness to dream for yourself can do for both you and your family. You'll also have the opportunity to answer five key questions that will help you unlock ways you can rewrite your "mom scripts" so that you can cultivate a sense of playfulness every single day! REVIEWS: For moms like me, the pandemic was an opportunity to re-evaluate and course-correct things in our lives we weren't thrilled with. Coming out of this period, sluggish yet motivated, so many of us can use this book to help us wake up! If you're looking to refresh, reenergize, and yes, reimagine a better version of your life, this book is for you. I loved the hilarious, yet poignant stories about motherhood today and the window into the world of those who've gone for it – and did it. - Macollvie Neel, Brooklyn, NY This chapter is about getting in touch with your creative, playful, imaginative side. The part of yourself that perhaps felt freer before you became a parent, before you chose your identity and had a lot of responsibilities weighing you down. In helping you get in touch with your more playful, creative self, it not only helps you on a path toward greater happiness and fulfillment, but it also helps you to feel more fulfilled as a parent. – Mom/PR The words: imagination, play and fun are not the usual things we as mothers think of when wondering how to get a grip back on our career and I believe it provides a really fresh take and lots of food for thought for mothers reading it. I think that the tone is so energetic and fresh that it is why I would pick it up. – Latina Mom/Positive Psychology Coach Melissa is a mom of three with big dreams who tells it like it is. She draws on her own experiences and the experiences of professionals she's interviewed for her podcast to reflect on the plight of the mother. How do women conform to or challenge the traditional "mom script"? If you're a mom, what can you do to break the "cultural glass ceiling" to be yourself and a great parent, all without having to force yourself into a mom mold that doesn't fit you? Melissa is like a great friend, honest and wise and funny, telling you about her life and asking you to reflect on yours. This book is a great purchase for moms in every stage of life. – Aspiring Novelist, Librarian, Mom To Two Kiddos In her book, Melissa shows us that motherhood does not have to be a pause or an end of your pre-child self. With guidance from her podcast guests, she encourages us to think big, find what lights us up, think big, and move towards our goals with the steps that fit the reality of our lives as they are today. In doing so we honor and inspire our child(ren), and our own inner child. – Single Mom To A 12-Year Old Boy