Today on The Mag we have Jennifer Malone. Jen is a Los Angeles based certified nutritionist, personal trainer and mama to one. Learn more about Jen and her family, how she’s achieving her dreams, her best tips for maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship and much more!

We're so happy to talk with you! Can you start by telling us a little about yourself?

I'm Jennifer (or Jen if you want to call me that too!), 32 years old, and have lived in Los Angeles my whole life. Pre-Covid, I had been employed at Universal Studios Hollywood as a Guest Communications Coordinator, but since the park is closed, I am currently a stay-at-home mom. I give so many props to moms (and dads!) who have been stay-at-home-parents since their children have been born, this is no easy task and I had many, many days where I was ready to throw in the towel!

I recently picked up running and hiking to keep me sane while the gyms are closed so if you are in need of a hiking or running accountability partner, reach out, and let's link up! I enjoy baking and cooking, reading, and hanging out at Target (dollar section is a goldmine!). I'm always down for happy hour (virtual or in-person), wish I could have more playdates so another kid can help my kid burn energy and I can talk to an adult, and most days I want to pack-up and move to the midwest (I just really want a big backyard and cheaper rent)! I am also a HUGE Harry Potter nerd (I legit have read the series every year since 1999 when the first book came out, and still re-read it to this day) and still cry at the same parts in the books ("After all this time? Always.")

I graduated from Concordia University, Irvine with a degree in Psychology and History, and while I do not practice with either degree, I truly enjoy helping others, being an advocate for those who feel like they don't have someone in their corner, and making sure everyone who is my friend feels welcome. And I 100% plan on being a tour guide at a history museum when I retire!

How many kids do you have? What ages?

I have one daughter, Scarlett, who is 4 years old. Fun fact: she was born on her dad's birthday and almost about an hour and a half before he was born! We say that she was born on this day as a heavenly gift from Joshua's brother who passed in 2014. She has been a mama's girl her whole life, but recently during quarantine, she has become a daddy's girl and I really am okay with the extra few minutes it gives me for a break haha! She constantly asks for a sibling and I do hope to give her one sometime in the next year or two. She is every bit independent, humorous, loving, energetic, and curious. It's been amazing to watch her grow and mold into her own little person.

You recently became a certified nutritionist. Congrats!! Is this something you were always interested in pursuing?

Thank you! It wasn't something that I knew I wanted to do until about last year. I started meal prepping a few times a week for some co-workers and I really enjoyed bringing them new meals and showing them that eating healthy can still be delicious! Right before we went into lockdown, I was actually looking into Nutritionist programs to complete by the end of the year; Covid just sped up the time-frame to finish the program since I had a lot more free time. I am planning on taking clients in the next few weeks (October 1 is my goal), and my goal is to help others ditch diets and all the negative thoughts they had toward eating healthy and learn how to eat well for their lifestyle. I'm using myself as the test subject for my program and it's been fun finding new recipes, experimenting with new foods, and feeling good about the food I am consuming!

I saw that you also used quarantine time to become a personal trainer! Firstly, how did you find the time to do this? And secondly, was this also something you had been planning on doing pre-quarantine or was it quarantine-inspired?

Yes, I also became a personal trainer! This was something that has been floating around my mind for a few years actually, but I never decided to commit to it. I have been actively working out since I was 15, and I absolutely love the gym. It is my place to refresh, recharge, enjoy 1 hour of uninterrupted time to myself, and give myself the self-care I need to be a better person. I would always put the idea of becoming a trainer off because I just didn't have the time to do it and I didn't think it was something I needed to add to my resume. But because of all this extra time I had from Covid, I decided to jump on in and follow my heart with learning how to be a trainer. I would devote about an hour-hour and a half each day to studying (it was an online course and you can go at your own pace), so I finished it in about 7 weeks. And now I am looking into taking it one step further and want to get certified as a kickboxing instructor. Kickboxing is my most favorite exercise; I love how empowered I feel after leaving the studio and I want to give that same feeling to others through my workouts. My long-term goal is to open a kickboxing studio somewhere in Los Angeles and host events to help moms get some empowering self-care into their lives! I am so excited to show others that you don’t have to be the most fit, the most extreme, the most anything. You just want to feel better and move your body; to feel empowered and to remind yourself how much of a Wonder Woman you actually are.

You've mentioned successful co-parenting on your instagram. What are your best tips for maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship?

Communication! If it's not working for you, express that. If it's something you love, express that! But also, make sure to listen. It's not easy and truthfully at the beginning of quarantine I wanted to bop him on the head more days than not, but once we actually started having open conversations and making sure we were both heard + respected (another big tip!) and had our needs/wants communicated with each other, everything flowed a lot easier. We actually still live together and we have a pretty solid friendship with a lot of love between us so we can show Scarlett a happy household and I am thankful for that!

What are three of your favorite small businesses?

Foxy and Fierce (my old Kickboxing studio), Primally Pure, and KiwiCo

What are some of your favorite family friendly activities in Los Angeles?

We used to love going to indoor playgrounds pre-Covid - I could sit and she could play for hours, it was a dream! We enjoy going to Travel Town in Burbank and the California Science Center by USC! We also enjoy heading up to UnderWood Farms in Ventura County to pick our own veggies and fruit.

Anything else you’d like to add?

If there is anything I learned in this crazy season of uncertainty is that nothing is ever too late, unless you do nothing at all. If you have a dream, passion, goal, FOLLOW IT! Stop asking the "what if it doesn't work out" questions, and start praying and manifesting that it WILL work out. Just because something doesn't follow the exact path you planned in the beginning, doesn't mean it's not going to work out in the end. Trust yourself, trust the process, and remember that little steps lead to big goals.

And finally, where can we find you?

Website: theformationstudio.co (however I am still building it, so as of now, it is a landing page to collect your email for my mailing list!)
Instagram/social: IG: @jenniferlindsey__