#75. All Eyes On: Morgan Jones

gym founder, sourdough lover, book devour-er, mother.

In the past, when I’d poll my Instagram audience on who they wanted me to interview, Morgan Jones came up often. Morgan is the founder and owner of the boutique fitness studio, Annex Fitness, here in Victoria, BC. As someone who frequents this place almost every single day - both to take classes and to teach classes - and as someone who has frequented other studios and fitnesses spaces throughout my life, I know for certain that this place really IS special. The community that’s been created through this gym extends beyond workouts, and transforms exercise from a solitary task into a shared journey of growth and empowerment. I’ve seen people at their worst moments at this gym, I’ve seen people share engagements at this gym, I’ve seen people cry laughing and ugly crying. It’s such a fundamental part of so many peoples days.

But that’s Annex, and Morgan is more than Annex. Yes, Morgan is a high achieving, go-getting, inspirational woman, but she’s also a soft, nurturing, unassuming homebody. She’s a voracious reader, and loves being cozy at home with a good book and no plans. She’s one the the best definitions of “introverted extrovert” I can think of. She’s also ridiculously funny and a great public speaker. The first class I ever took at Annex was a strength class that Morgan was teaching and I was completely bought in right away. I remember thinking that she had that ‘x factor’ that influential exercise instructors just have.

I walked into Morgan’s home last week and said, “this feels like a home that would be in a Hallmark movie”. It’s easy to think and assume that life is hunky dory from the outside, but the thing I love the most about Morgan is her willingness to be vulnerable, honest and open. Last year, Morgan shared her personal fertility journey, which has been anything but easy. She has a saved highlight on her Instagram profile which goes into the details, for anyone that feels compelled to read more. Morgan has one daughter, and is expecting her second in exactly one month from now! This is her sixth time being pregnant.

Read more about this top notch human below. Morgan, thank you (for so much)!

All photos by: Sarah Reynolds

39 (mostly) rapid-fire questions with Morgan.

What time do you wake up? Is it different on the weekends?
My alarm goes off at 6 am on weekdays and I graciously give myself till 6:30 am on weekends...haha. It’s really important for my self care to wake up before my daughter and get dressed, have a coffee, and maybe read a few pages of a book. Doesn’t always work out but most days it does! 

First thing you do in the mornings?
I make my bed! I love having a clean room and this small gesture makes me feel accomplished early on in the day. As I type that out, I realize how Type A I truly sound. 

Do you hit snooze?
Very very rarely do I hit snooze. If I do, we had a tough night!

Are you a morning or evening shower-er?
Definitely morning! Helps me wake up.

How do you typically spend a day off?
Days off are always spent with Lee. Multiple trips to the park, baby lattes (that’s what we call her steamed milk), bike rides and books. If Rhys is also off I’ll try to sneak in a workout and some reading time- my two vices in life!

What’s on your bedside table?
Real talk- my book, sleep mask and a giant bottle of Gaviscon! The heart burn in this pregnancy has been next level.

What’s the story behind your home and how long have you lived there?
The timing of this interview is so interesting. We literally JUST moved into what I would call our dream home less than a month ago. We bought a house a few years ago and it just wasn’t the right house for us. I never really felt like it was home. I struggled to decorate it and we rarely had people over. This house feels so right. It’s a 1911 home on a dead end street. There’s a big beautiful porch to welcome us home, stunning crown moldings, and original light switches. I am so excited to put our own touch on this home as we settle in.

Favourite room in your house?
I almost feel like it’s too early to name this given we haven’t spent too many nights here! Historically, I am definitely a bedroom gal. I love my room to feel cozy and inviting. I read in bed, I drink coffee in bed, I will work in my bedroom.

What are a few favourite things that you cherish in your home and why?
My books, my plants, and my bed! Anyone who knows me knows I am an avid reader and I love to have books in my home. I think plants make a space feel alive and for a long time I truly had a black thumb.Every plant I would buy would die. I was determined to fix this and actually stuck to a watering schedule my mom gave me. Low and behold, it worked. Our bed is a king size bed and I am obsessed with it. It is like a massive cloud and I look forward to bedtime every evening. 

Where do you find / shop for home decor?
I love Article. Our couches and tables are from there and that’s where I always go for the bigger items. Is it too basic to say that I love Homesense? Haha. I love a good trip to Homesense for the smaller items.

Vintage or new?
Hmmmm I’d say our home is a bit of a mix but definitely sways to new.

3 things that are always in your kitchen?
Coffee, protein powder, peanut butter. I think I could live off these three items. 

3 things that you wish were always in your kitchen?
Fresh baked goods (I’m not a baker), freshly made bread (ditto on the bread making) and good cheese. We love cheese but I feel like it never stays long enough!

Favourite kitchen utensil / gadget? 
We have one Japanese knife that I love. It’s expensive and cuts like a dream. I will wash this knife over and over instead of using another one.

Briefly summarize your food philosophy.
Protein is the boss of every meal/snack I make. No matter what, protein is the one macro I try my best to keep in check. In my past, I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with food. I’ve tried more diets than I can count. It makes me sad how long I spent in this cycle and without seeing any lasting change. Once I cracked the protein code, everything changed. It is the one thing I wish women would focus on. Oh, and water!

Your go-to, no fail recipe?
We’re a big buddha bowl family so it’s sort of a throw it together recipe depending on what we have on hand. The basics:

Rice
Ground chicken, turkey or sliced steak
Avocado
Tomatoes
Onion
Cheese (feta, goat, whatever we have on hand)

Favourite meal growing up?
Ribs and rice!

Any supplements you take / witchy elixirs you swear by?
I’ve really tightened up on my supplements. After a 2.5 year fertility journey, you get a bit sick of the latest and greatest supplements that allegedly will help and then never do. I do love Vitamin D and melatonin! 

Skin on or off potatoes / yams?
On. Always on! Fibre my friends. 

Cilantro. Love it or hate it?
LOVE.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee!

You’re ordering take out. What do you get?
I love Jones’ BBQ but honestly as a parent we usually order pizza hahaha.

Favourite local restaurant?
I love Wind Cries Mary.

Describe your personal style / style philosophy.
This is why I didn’t think I was cool enough for your feature/spotlight! To be honest, fashion is somewhere I really don’t feel confident. Just ask my friends about my shoe anxiety. I feel like I never know what shoe to wear with an outfit. Working in fitness, I can easily get sucked into the living in leggings lifestyle and I’d love to broaden my horizon after this baby comes out. When I think about what I always feel good in, it’s a pair of dark jeans, a black body suit tank and a pair of black heels. I like black with my blonde hair and will often stick to this basic look. 

Your three wardrobe staples, go…

• Lululemon

• Black and white T’s

• My Adidas sambas

What qualities do you look for in your friends?
I am pulled to people who are willing to go deep and be vulnerable pretty early on. Life is so busy for everyone and I want my connections to feel authentic and cup filling. I’m not a fan of small talk. I love conversation starters so much as I feel like it pushes people out of the normalized “how’s the weather” and “where are you from” questions. I appreciate loyalty and flexibility in friendships. There are times that I cannot text back in a timely manner and my closest friends know not to take offense. 

What’s one trend you're currently loving and hoping to stay for the long haul?
I feel nervous to say this one so publicly but I love that being sober/soberish is cool right now. I used to drink a lot in my twenties. It helped my introverted self become more confident in various rooms and I really relied on it. My drinking changed a lot when I turned 30. I remember wanting to feel differently in this new decade. Motherhood and fertility issues also kept me sober for a long time. I often wonder if I’ll go back to a casual glass of wine or two once baby is here and I really don’t know the answer at the moment. Either way, I think it’s cool that being sober isn’t a death sentence socially anymore.

You decide to treat yourself. How do you indulge?
I love getting a pedicure and bringing a book. No phone or laptop. Just an hour to soak my feet and read interrupted. 

What’s the one thing you’re willing to spend more money on?
Right now- things for my home! I am so eager to make it ours and I find myself splurging on household items. In previous years, it’s always been health. Meat from a butcher, supplements, etc.

Keys to productivity?
Batch, batch, batch! I don’t remember the last time I worked for longer than 4 hours at a time. This is absolutely a luxury I have as an entrepreneur and I feel grateful for it. My week is batched into 3-4 hour increments daily (depending on childcare) where I focus on one or two things at a time. My role requires a lot of hat switching and I find if I switch too much in a day, I become less productive. For example, if I’m doing payroll I try to stick to administrative duties and stay away from creative/strategic tasks.

This time last year, I wish I knew…
How much things can change in a year. Last year was a rough season for me and my family. I finally came clean about my fertility struggles after hitting a breaking point. I wasn’t managing well and it felt like I’d be stuck there forever. As we gear up to welcome our second baby in a few short weeks, I wish I would have known that the pain would fade and that there was still hope. 

One place in the world you’re dying to visit?
Although I’ve been, I’d love to go back to Hawaii. I’ve been there as a young person and I think it feels so different to visit a place as an adult. Rhys has also never been and I think it would be such a lovely family trip.

What’s a movie you’ve seen in the last 6 months that left the biggest impact on you?
To be honest, I’m not a movie person unless it’s in my guilty pleasures list. Is it okay to say a book? One that has left a big impact on me in the past 6 months would be “Here After”. It’s written by a Calgarian about her relationship with grief and I just thought it was so beautiful and relatable. 

Guilty pleasure?
I love the Twilight movies. I LOVE Titanic. I love Practical Magic. I love ABBA. I love peanut butter toast.

Song currently on repeat?
Casual- Chappel Roan.

Favourite form of movement / exercise?
Lifting weights! 

If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose?
I always thought I’d suit the name Brooke.

Tell me a bit about what you do.
I am lucky to work alongside truly the BEST people at Annex Fitness. I founded this company almost 5 years ago and I couldn’t be more proud of what it’s become. I believe in the power of movement and I believe in the power of community. I am so lucky to blend these two passions together. 

What’s a typical work day look like?
Since my husband entered the world of shift work last year, I find myself working a lot from home or from a coffee shop to make our home life/childcare a bit more doable. I’m usually on the phone for a portion of the day and like I said above, I rarely work for longer than a four hour chunk. If I find myself behind, I work after Lee goes to bed. Thank god for ‘schedule send’ in Slack is all I can say.