How Nerissa Zhang of The Bright App Tackles The Extreme Work Life Balance Of Being A Woman Business Leader During COVID-19
Many people have more time on their hands, so you can choose what you do with that extra time. You can invest time previously spent commuting or going out to learn a skill that you’ve always wanted to learn, read more books, take one of the many online courses out there, or get healthier.
Imagine how much we’re all going to appreciate time with other people after this? While this is not the sort of reminder to be grateful anyone would ever ask for, I know how excited I already am for the next time I’m going to be able to take part in some of the most basic of social interactions.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives today. Many of us now have new challenges that come with working from home, homeschooling, and sheltering in place.
As a part of our series about how busy women leaders are addressing these new needs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nerissa Zhang, co-founder and CEO of The Bright App, a leading fitness management mobile app revolutionizing the way personal trainers do business. Nerissa is also an elite trainer, a USAW Certified Sports Performance Coach, and she owns and operates two private gyms in San Francisco. She manages all this while residing in California with her husband and three young boys. When she isn’t balancing work and parenting, she enjoys powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, martial arts, and yoga.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I used to work in the restaurant industry in San Francisco and didn’t like the way my body looked. I went to the gym every day and I still couldn’t get results. Even though I really couldn’t afford it at the time, I made the investment and hired a personal trainer. Working with that trainer changed my life and I decided to become a personal trainer and I’ve never looked back.
I fell in love with being a personal trainer because I was able to help people see their body change and inevitably change their mental state as well. I’ve had so many clients over the years tell me that working with me was the best therapy they’ve ever received which is why I’ve stayed a coach over the years and even opened two gyms of my own.
Now as a gym owner, I notice the inefficiency of how gyms work — especially big box gyms. Since I’ve been on the side of the personal trainer, the fact that gyms take 40–50% of the income that personal trainers earn does not sit right with me.
We designed The Bright App to resolve these inefficiencies and to help personal trainers make the livings they deserve. Prior to our app, all technology was built to serve gym owners — but not anymore. Now personal trainers can manage and operate their business efficiently all in one place, connect with new clients as soon as they sign up, and keep 95+% of their earnings.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started at your company?
Interesting, discouraging, and a bit devastating has been my experience trying to raise money for my company from venture capitalists. Earlier this year, several VCs made public statements of support for Black founders. Unfortunately after reaching out to each of them claiming support, I’ve been disappointed each time learning that those statements were simply performances made for the public.
First of all, it was nearly impossible to find contact information for any of these VCs without getting a warm introduction from someone who already moves in the same spaces as them. When I was able to find a way to contact them, I got zero responses whatsoever… that is until I began sending emails from my husband James’ account.
I’m a Black woman and the same exact email sent from me suddenly started to get a bit of traction when it came from my light-skinned Asian husband instead. This was just the beginning of my experience (read my full experience here: VC Firms Promised to Help Black Founders. My Experience Shows a Different Reality. Which was also featured here in Inc.)
It’s weird in a sense because we’re made to believe that VCs are investing in daring founders, but in reality, they’re not at all. It’s sad because women, especially women of color, generally create businesses that are designed to help society, whereas many of the white men currently getting the vast majority of VC funding design companies that simply make wealthy people wealthier.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
While my company The Bright App was already solving a major problem in the personal training industry before, now that COVID-19 has closed down gyms everywhere, our app is growing faster than ever. The Bright App is designed to help trainers become more of a professional by automating their businesses, connecting them with new clients right within the app, allowing them to keep so much more of their income than before, and providing them a way to work when gyms are not available to bring in clients for them. We’re helping personal trainers and fitness professionals earn more money for their work and operate their businesses without needing a gym to do so.
We’re also helping people who are becoming increasingly health conscious during this crisis continue their fitness journey or begin investing in their health through personal training for the first time. We make it incredibly easy with our online marketplace for people to connect with leading fitness experts from anywhere in the world. You don’t have to rely solely on your own personal determination and discipline to reach your fitness goals. You can hire and work with a personal trainer who will help you stay motivated regardless of your location.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My husband James because he supports me in ways no one else ever has. He believed in me when no one else would and he’s helped me get the recognition and attention I deserve. As a Black woman, you have to scream to get heard and if you scream, they act like you’re angry and unhinged. James has used his privilege to give me a platform that I otherwise would not have had.
He’s also taken a chance on me. He invested in me and I was able to use his investment to start and run two successful private gyms. He got that return on his investment and now has taken a chance on me again by building the technology needed to give life to the idea I’ve developed with The Bright App and trusting me to be his CEO.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives today. Can you articulate to our readers what are the biggest family related challenges you are facing as a woman business leader during this pandemic?
One major challenge I’m facing is that I have no personal time whatsoever with my husband. It feels like we don’t even know each other anymore. We of course work together, but it’s not the same. We don’t have any time for intimacy or privacy because the kids are home 24/7 and it’s so difficult.
Second, our kids not being able to see friends and family because we’re all isolated is very lonely for them and for us. We are all together and we’re grateful for that, but not being able to see other people is hard on the whole family. We don’t have as many adult relationships right now and they don’t have any of their kid relationships. It’s very difficult for us all.
Can you share what you’ve done to address those challenges?
In regards to our lack of intimacy, we’re honestly not doing anything to address this. We just can’t, we’re too tired and we have no privacy at all.
To help our kids deal with the loneliness of isolation, we have tried having friends come to our house and do six feet apart play, which truly is quite strange but it is a thing. That has helped a little bit.
The best way we’ve found to address this so far has been to enroll our two boys who are old enough into some personal training through our app. This way they’re able to get out their energy, do physical activities that they love (one of my boys is particularly into biking right now), and get some interaction with people other than my husband and I.
Can you share the biggest work related challenges you are facing as a woman in business during this pandemic?
Having young kids at home while trying to work is challenging because, as I’m sure most of the parents reading this can relate, no matter how many times I tell them I have a meeting and to be quiet, its like I never said anything at all.
Not being able to get my hair done has also been a serious challenge. As a woman of color, I need a special person to do my hair. Where I live, there are no Black people so I can’t get anyone to come to my house and do my hair. Not having access to that is a challenge for me at work because video calls are more common than ever and I’m not as confident as I otherwise would be. Unfortunately, as women in business, the way we look does impact how people view us so it just doesn’t feel good not to feel as put together and confident as I’d like to.
Can you share what you’ve done to address those challenges?
When I’m desperate for some privacy during meetings, I’ve literally resorted to locking myself in a closet or going outside to hide from my kids. As far as my hair goes, it’s just hard and I can’t do my own hair. It’s not like we knew the lockdown was coming so I wasn’t able to get a hairstyle that I could maintain on my own. I just have to accept that my hair doesn’t look the way I’d like it to and I just keep it up in a bun and covered during video meetings.
Can you share your advice about how to best work from home, while balancing the needs of homeschooling or the needs of a family?
Homeschooling has been easy for us because we’ve always homeschooled our kids and because we outsource it. We have a highly experienced retired teacher who teaches our kids and we get additional tutors to help them to improve their testing.
My first reaction to balancing the needs of my family while I work from home was to say, we’re not balancing anything. That’s how it feels. I think particularly as women, we always find reasons to feel guilty about not doing enough for our families, whether we work from home or not.
As I thought about it though, we are actually balancing things pretty well. We take walks every night and sometimes after lunch. We eat all of our meals together and make time to have nerf and water balloon fights as often as we can.
One of the ways we achieve as much balance as we can is by setting tight schedules that we stick to. Everything is scheduled in. We schedule in time with our kids, our daily walks with our kids, we schedule when to eat dinner, and every other aspect of our personal and professional lives. We certainly don’t have much space for spontaneity, but it helps us keep our lives as balanced as we can.
However, oftentimes there will be something that gives in the balancing act when additional struggles impact our lives and in my case, that’s my relationship with my husband. Before this pandemic, it was easier to have time alone with each other because we could send the kids to a friends or family members house. Right now though, we just simply aren’t finding a balance in this part of our lives at all.
Can you share your strategies about how to stay sane and serene while sheltering in place, or simply staying inside, for long periods with your family?
I just throw the kids in the closet or garbage can… JUST KIDDING! We schedule in time to work out in order to have our time to ourselves and stay as sane and serene as possible. I will have a glass of wine a day, sometimes two. It’s not so bad because we’ve already homeschooled and I’ve been mostly working from home for a few years now so I am kind of used to this routine.
What I’m not used to though is the lack of intimacy with my husband. Before COVID-19, at least the kids had relationships with other kids and could go spend time with other people. Getting that social fix meant that they were more interested in self-directed play. Now, because the kids are lonely, they are all in our space all the time. We understand why they feel the way they do, so we’re just trying to support them as best we can, even though that comes at the expense of my relationship with my husband.
Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. The fears related to the coronavirus pandemic have understandably heightened a sense of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness. From your perspective can you help our readers to see the “Light at the End of the Tunnel”? Can you share your “5 Reasons To Be Hopeful During this Corona Crisis”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1. Right now is the perfect time to start your own business. This crisis has highlighted many things that are needed in society that have been ignored for far too long. This is your opportunity to implement solutions that fill those gaps.
2. Because so many industries have had to let employees go, there’s a lot more talent in play right now. Now is a great time to hire better talent for your team.
3. Many people have more time on their hands, so you can choose what you do with that extra time. You can invest time previously spent commuting or going out to learn a skill that you’ve always wanted to learn, read more books, take one of the many online courses out there, or get healthier.
4. Gas is cheaper right now so take that summer road trip you’ve been putting off because you haven’t had time. Our family took a road trip to Yosemite and while we still practiced social distancing, getting out of the house and into nature was exactly what we needed.
5. Imagine how much we’re all going to appreciate time with other people after this? While this is not the sort of reminder to be grateful anyone would ever ask for, I know how excited I already am for the next time I’m going to be able to take part in some of the most basic of social interactions.
From your experience, what are a few ideas that one can use to effectively offer support to their family and loved ones who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?
Remind your loved ones that this too shall pass. This is just part of our collective journey so we’re all going through this struggle together. Help them (and yourself) find a way that they can do something positive during this difficult time.
Check in with people as often as you can. It’s especially important to call a friend or family member who doesn’t have many people in their lives for them to keep in contact with. This will benefit you and them so prioritize this. On top of your usual text or phone call, do something nice for them, even if it’s something small. Send them a letter or a video of your kids being silly — anything you can to show them that you’re thinking of them.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Understanding that I’m responsible for my life and my actions reminds me always to make decisions that will help me grow as a leader. I’m the leader of my house, my companies, my personal training clients… Taking responsibility for myself allows me to lead with actions that reflect who I am and what my values are as often as possible.
How can our readers follow you online?
Please check out The Bright App website at getbright.app where you can download our app for free on The App Store and Google Play. You can also find the links to all of our social media channels on our website including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Karina Michel Feld is the Owner and Executive Producer of Tallulah Films. Karina has 20+ years of experience in TV, film, and print and is a respected member of The Producers Guild of America. The mission of Tallulah Films is to bring together directors, entrepreneurs, film investors, and screenwriters to produce award-winning TV and film projects. Tallulah Films continues to be drawn towards films that are meaningful, influential, and uplifting. Karina is also Co-Owner and CFO of Fresh Patch LLC (as seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank”).
