Meet Maylynne Rayos | Associate Director of Talent Acquisition & Certified Fitness Instructor

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

Hi Maylynne, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I have always been the type of person who worked, and worked too hard, in my opinion. On top of always having a full-time job, I also had contract work or side gigs. At one point, I was on five different company payrolls! When COVID hit, I was forced to slow down and I had time to reflect on what I really wanted to invest my time in, and it wasn’t work — at least not work that I didn’t enjoy. A majority of why I worked so many jobs was to make more money, but I found it to be less and less of a motivating factor, as money certainly wasn’t making me any happier. Rather, I was spending so much time doing unenjoyable work, and less time doing the things that really mattered to me — spending time with my friends and family, and pursuing passion projects. From that point on, I decided I needed a job that allowed me to make the money I needed to support my family, but was also enjoyable and provided work life balance. I now have a full-time career as an Associate Director of Talent Acquisition, with a company that offers great work life balance. Because of this flexibility, I am also able to pursue my passion of teaching fitness. Historically, I had worked in local gyms and studios, teaching 6 times a week! But owning my own fitness business has allowed me to create my own schedule, spend more time with my family, and quite honestly is much more lucrative. I started working smarter, not harder.

My mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was also another reason I feel like my work life balance has changed over time. She had spent so much of her life working 2 jobs, and taking care of others, that she never truly had the opportunity to enjoy life for herself. When she finally retired and had plans to travel, etc., she started losing her memory and ability to care for herself. It was a hard lesson learned from her disease that we should not wait to enjoy life; enjoy life now, in this moment. Spend time with the people you love and less time worrying about work. Pursue passions. We don’t know how long we will be here, so we might as well live life to its fullest.

What should our readers know about your business?
“Move with May” is something that was created out of Covid, and the desire to continue teaching fitness during 2020’s Covid shutdown. After the studio I worked for permanently closed, I found myself thinking about the next steps in my fitness career. I definitely wanted to teach, but did not want to have to teach 6 times a week on top of my full-time job and spending time with my family. I thought about how I might be able to teach for myself, without owning a space. I started reaching out to businesses to create mutually beneficial relationships. I offered to teach classes for free in exchange for products and bringing them customers. I started with Kendra Scott in Fashion Valley. They allowed me to teach classes in their store, and they offered a private shopping experience with a discount for all attendees. Eventually, it became a paid ticketed event! I pursued this model with several other companies, and thus far, it has been majorly successful. I’ve now expanded my clientele to include residential apartments, corporate wellness programs, and one-time fitness jobs for team building events.

I’ve learned so much about building my brand and have been mindful of ensuring that I stay true to myself along the way — I truly believe that health and wellness should be accessible to all, so I still offer free classes through working with other businesses, and will continue to do so. As a minority in this industry, I also love building diversity in my classes through offering classes in different areas of the county, and partnering with minority-owned businesses and brands!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m such a foodie, so I feel like a new restaurant every day is a must. And because I am a native San Diegan, I am BIG on making sure they visitors see the WHOLE county!

Places to visit:
1. Seaport Village
2. San Diego Zoo
3. Balboa Park
4. Multiple Beaches – Del Mar, La Jolla, Coronado, Imperial Beach
5. Seaworld

Things to do:
1. Go to a Padres game — the stadium is awesome on it’s own and has the BEST food
2. Hike Torrey Pines
3. Stroll Little Italy

Places to Eat:
1. Breakfast: Morning Glory,
2. Lunch: California Burrito from Lolita’s, Ketch (Harbor), Swagyu
3. Dinner: Seneca, Born & Raised, Coasterra, Manna KBBQ, Salvatores

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe so much of my success to my husband, Anthony. I have pursued many dreams; my Masters Degree, a change in careers, my fitness business, etc., and I don’t think I would have been able to do any of it if it wasn’t for a supportive partner in life. He has always encouraged me to follow my heart and dreams, and for that, I am so grateful. Michelle Obama once said “find a partner who wants you to win as much as you want them to win”, and I felt that.

Website: https://movewithmay7.wixsite.com/website

Instagram: @move_with_may