Jaclyn Genovese opened Jacflash, a boutique in trendy Queen West about 15 years ago. People loved the place, and they loved her. She starred in Jaclife, a reality show on Slice.ca, and became even more popular. She began hosting parties at places, like Nyood, and Lost and Found, with guest lists including Justin Bieber, Dave Chappelle, Th e Weeknd and Uma Thurman. One day, she closed the store and opened an award-winning interior-design consulting fi rm, Spaces by Jacflash. A few years ago she started a passion project, a fitness and nutrition company for women, with workshops. She fell in love. And brought a beautiful baby into the world. City Life sat down with her for an enlightening interview. And we had so many questions for this fireball.

ON DESIGN

Q: How did you make the switch from a fashion boutique to an interior design consulting firm?
A: I closed my boutique Jacflash after seven years, as I wasn’t excited to get out of bed anymore. I had lived above my store, so when I closed, I had to move homes as well. I had a large older dog at the time, so I wanted a backyard, but my budget only allowed me to live on the main floor of what my friends called a “seemingly haunted house.” Within two weeks I transformed the space. My friends and family were shocked. They all began asking for help with their spaces, and, from there Spaces by Jacflash was born.

Q: How do you translate your clients’ taste and lifestyle into their space?
A: I analyze how they use their homes every day, I ask questions about their lifestyle — do they have children, or are they single? Do they often host friends and family, or do they want their home to be their own space of refuge?

ON GROWTH & BODY IMAGE

Q: Can you tell us about how the pandemic was a transformative time for you. Particularly, what prompted you to create a manifestation board?
A: The pandemic made me re-evaluate my lifestyle. I went through a major breakup, had to adapt and economize my business, and the pandemic also gave me the breathing room to learn how I wanted to spend every day. New Year’s Eve of 2020, with a couple of girlfriends, we set the intention for our goals, habits and companion for the upcoming year. I could never have known how much that night would change my life. My board was filled with quotes about wellness, happiness, resilience and peace. I included business goals, finding a true love, and I had even added a photo of a little boy as I really wanted children.

Q: Can you share the struggles you were going through during this time, having come out of a six-year+ relationship and wanting children in the future?
A: I knew I wanted children more than anything, and I felt as though my time was running out as a 35-year-old woman, which I now know is not true! I think I had held onto my past relationship longer than I should have, but I felt too frightened to start over. In my head, if I were to break up with my then-partner at 35, I calculated it would take me a year or two to find a new partner, a year or two to build that relationship, hopefully to then get married by 39. I assumed I would have fertility issues as a 40-year-old woman, so who knows how long it would take me to have a child, if I could at all? None of these stories I told myself were true.

“To see what a woman’s body is capable of is nothing short of a miracle”

ON LOVE

Q: What do you look for in a partner?
A: Three years ago, I had written a list of what I want in a partner, and, looking back at it, Adrian is word-for-word everything that I had written on this list. This included wanting someone who is my best friend, someone who does little things for me, who helps around the house (acts of service is one of my love languages!). My ideal partner is someone who I can be silly with and laugh with. Someone who motivates and pushes me with work and my physical and emotional health. Someone whom I can trust on every level.

ON BEAUTY & FASHION

Q: What is your beauty philosophy?
A: My philosophy on beauty is that the energy that you give off shines through you externally. The days when I am positive and balanced I get more physical compliments than the days when I am dressed to the nines.

Q: What are three of your favourite beauty products?
A: Cannabis Daytime Cream Morning Deew youdeewyou.com, Routine Cream Deodorant routinecream.ca, Blue Moon Rejuvenating Beauty Balm massiell.com

ON BECOMING A MOTHER

Q: What has your transition into motherhood been like?
A: After three months of meeting Adrian, I became pregnant. I did not think that I could conceive after four and a half years of trying with my ex-partner. It was a shock, and the first trimester was a very emotional and hormonal time for me. Adrian and I decided to do couple’s therapy to expedite the process of getting to know one another, and this helped us bond and begin to trust one another in such a short period of time. Becoming a mother was even harder. I cried every day for months. I was shocked at how hard it was to balance everything from running on no sleep to caring for a newborn to trying to run my thriving business, all simultaneously. I hired a part-time mother’s helper and was able to balance my health, work and family life so much better and was therefore able to be a better mom, partner and boss.

Q: What has motherhood taught you about body image?
A: Motherhood has taught me to honour my body no matter what. It’s hard to see your body go through so many changes, but to see what a woman’s body is capable of is nothing short of a miracle.

ON AGING

Q: Can you share your philosophy on aging?
A: I think it’s about balance: I believe that growing old is a privilege, and there is beauty in it in so many ways. But don’t get me wrong – I look forward to the day when I am no longer breastfeeding so I can get Botox again. Doing small things to make yourself feel fresh and more youthful have a great impact on your self-esteem.

FAVOURITE ARTIST
Sol Rising.
ONE OBJECT YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
A tape measure.
FAVOURITE BOOK
Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, forever and always.
WHAT FILLS YOUR CUP
Sleep – without it, I can’t be a good mother, partner, friend or boss.
LITTLE-KNOWN FACT
I studied opera singing in university and actually had a scholarship for the program.

www.spacesbyjacflash.com
@spacesbyjacflash
@jaclyngenovese

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL