Meet Jessica Fagin | Franchise Owner & Operator

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

Hi Jessica, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My work life balance has varied over the years based on my family situation and job. I was raised by someone who had an extremely strong work ethic, and that example, along with how passionate I am about a job, affects my own balance, too.. It’s important to step away and rest so you can be 100% for yourself, your loved ones, and your work, but it can be hard.
When I first graduated college, it was just me, and I was working part-time as a supervisor in a retail store. I loved the job, but it provided me the opportunity to only complete my work and even think about work a set amount of time, which is somewhat sad as that was the perfect time for me to be all-in.
My next role, as an assistant manager, was much the same, but at least by then I was closer to full-time. After I married I became a store manager, and then I practically lived, breathed, and ate my job. When my husband said he felt we were more like roommates than a couple, I knew I had to make a change. I decided to return to part-time work and get my teaching certification. While it still meant full-time hours and working from home, my schedule was more consistent with my husband’s, so we were able to spend every evening together, even if it meant I was grading papers or prepping for the next day while we waited for a movie to start. A little later I wound up working across the street from my husband’s job, so this gave us plenty of time to spend together carpooling and having lunch together. I miss that.
When our first child was born, I was unfortunately laid off, but that allowed me to stay home with her and enjoy Gymboree Play & Music classes with her, go on playdates with friends we met in classes, and of course have our evenings and weekends with her dad. I later returned to part-time retail work, but it was mostly evenings and weekends so I could still spend the majority of my time with my daughter and husband.
When my second was born, my husband would sometimes bring her to work so I could nurse her, and maybe bring me dinner. Once both my children were in school full-time, I began to work days so I could pick them up from school and we could enjoy the evenings together as a family. If I worked the weekends, they would have daddy-daughter dates, and I usually had flexibility to go on family vacations whenever we wanted (prior to them starting school). While I was at work, I loved my job so much it was often a struggle to leave once my shift was officially over, I wanted to complete a task or continue helping customers.
After the store I worked at went out of business, I found another retail position, but full-time. That was hard because it really cut into our family time, but occasionally they’d join me for my meal break, or pick me up from work so we could have a fun activity together after my shift. At least I was usually able to continue being a presence at my children’s school and fulfill my duties as a board member for the Parent-Teacher Organization.
I wasn’t in love with that job, and wanted to open my own business, so with my family’s support I was able to buy my own Gymboree Play & Music franchise. My husband and children were with my onsite whenever we made improvements, they’ve attend parties and other events as well as set-changes with me, my teenager will help with the cleaning and party prepping, and my 10 year old loves to play with the children on her days off from school. I have to be very conscientious to not immerse myself in work once I’m home completing tasks I wasn’t able to while onsite. For instance, I used to answer emails until after midnight, then I decided to not be notified of the emails and to not check them unless I was allotting time for work, which I try to do when the family is busy with their own things, even if it’s just sleeping.
One of the great things about being a business owner is I not only get to set the working schedule, but the hours of operation as well. Retail was tough because stores are typically open 7 days a week, most of those days for 11 hours, longer in December. We are closed Sundays except for parties, and I only work Saturdays if absolutely necessary. I also have closed the site for the week leading up to Christmas so everyone could spend time with their family and enjoy all the fun activities in DFW that time of year. We did do some deep cleaning during that time, but I let the the team choose their hours for the most part, so if they wanted to wait until their children were asleep, they could. My family went with me to complete cleaning tasks, and we enjoyed restaurants and holiday activities in the area. Last summer we also went out of town for two weeks and I told my team to not contact me unless it was an emergency as I was focusing 100% on my family during that time. It was a wonderful time together, and while it’s often hard for me to not think about the business, I was able to focus on us and the fun we were having.
My goal is to be able to have enough team members so I can spend more time at Chamber of Commerce events meeting people and learning from them, and also leave the site earlier so I can be home by the time my husband is. I’m also creating a plan to delegate more so I don’t have so many tasks to complete at home and can instead spend that time with my family, or even just myself.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Gymboree Play & Music is the global leader in classes for children and their caregivers. Unlike similar child-development centers, we have proprietary play-equipment that is reassembled every three weeks to provide new challenges and enjoyment and to coordinate with the themes of our lesson plans, which are based on California’s educational state standards. We also have classes for children as young as two or three months thorough 5 years. Our classes currently include Play & Learn for movement, Music for introductions to various genres and cultures, Art with a focus on process versus product, and our school readiness classes and camps for to prepare children to learn without their caregivers and have a solid foundation for kindergarten. We also host seasonal-themed parties and events, such as Gymboween and Spring Fling, and private parties for birthdays and baby showers. Some people just need an age-appropriate and clean space to take their little ones to run around, especially when the whether is too extreme, so they’ll attend our Open Gyms. I bought the site in the summer of 2020, and at the time we had 7 regular families attending classes. Not only had lockdowns scattered members, but the most recent owner hadn’t been customer-focused, so many had no desire to return upon reopening. So while I had purchased an operating site, I had to create my own customer base. It took about a year an a half, but we finally broke 150 members, or children who attend classes on a regular basis. We’ve also hosted over 100 birthday parties, and all reviews left since I purchased the site have been 5 stars! We still want and need over 150 more students, and our biggest obstacle is that, sadly, people just don’t know we exist, so letting others know about us is a huge help.
My favorite thing about my site is that we have families, and teachers, from all over the world, and they’ve become friends! This is especially important for people who are no longer near family and have little ones as well. I want DFW residents to know that if they are looking for friends, for themselves and their little ones, we are the place to find them!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I tell my families that it’s impossible to be bored in DFW, and I’m not sure I could choose favorite activities. You’re only limited by your interests, budget, time, and distance you’re willing to drive. I love downtown Dallas and all it has to offer, so we’d definitely spend a day there. A tour of The Sixth Floor Museum is usually a must. Both the Dallas and Fort Worth Zoos are amazing, so that’s hard to choose between the two. I’d take her to see Southern Methodist University’s beautiful campus and we’d grab lunch in Snider Plaza. If the State Fair was open that would be a must-visit, or the Mesquite Rodeo if open. with at least a drive by Opal Lawrence Historical Park, and a meal at Cafe del Rio. I’d want to go dancing at Billy Bob’s Texas since I haven’t been in two decades. A tour of Southfork Ranch would be fun, and walking around The Gaylord, especially at Christmas time, would be amazing. I’ve fallen in love with Southlake, so a tour around the city and trying a new restaurant together would be fun. then hopping over to Grapevine to wonder around their town square area. I’d probably take her to dinner at The Magic Time Machine one night, Snuffers another. If she brought her children, we could take them to Crayola Experience, Legoland, and probably an aquarium (each has its pros and cons).

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?
First and foremost I have to thank my husband and his family for being so supportive of me and my business and making sure the children are well cared for when I’m not around. Thank you to my grandparents in Heaven for all the resources they provided me through the years that allowed me to opportunity to start my own business, and to Gymboree Play & Music for taking a chance one me. Thank you to the managers who taught me what to do, or even not to do, to be successful. Thank you to my team members for your flexibility when any of us either need time off or suddenly can’t make it to work, and for your dedication in helping to make Gymboree Play & Music of Southlake a place where families want to come to spend time together. Lastly, thank you to those families who attend classes, parties, and Open Gym with us. Without your loyalty and references we would not be able to continue the business, and I don’t think I’d have as much fun as I do without your smiling faces every day.

Website: https://www.gymboreeclasses.com/en/locations/TX/Southlake/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gymboree-play-music-of-southlake

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089122064994&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gymboree-play-and-music-southlake-southlake

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GymboreePlayMusic/featured

Other: https://g.page/gymboreeplayandmusicofsouthlake?gm

Image Credits
LaLa Photography DFW Jessica Fagin Gymboree Play & Music