We recently connected with Janna Moretti and have shared our conversation below.
Janna , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I think that there is too much reduction to identity. People are more than their demographic markings.
Though I was the one of only girls during my time in the Marines, one of very few women working at hospital construction sites, the only blue-collared writer in my MFA writing workshops, one of the only tattooed full-time professors on campus, a 40+-yo mom who powerlifts competitively and owns a gym while leading a Girl Scout troop–the fact that I have a variance of identities sitting at the fringes of most of groups is not something I worry too much about, really.
I just show up and work hard. I think hard work speaks for itself. It unites people over shared missions, projects, and writing. And through the shared effort, connections with others are made.
I do think that my being an “only” has made others like me who had not conceived of themselves as X or Y envision a possibility for pursuing X or Y themselves.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I have a lot on my plate. I’m juggling writing with teaching and owning a gym and competing in powerlifting with momming and wifing.
I’ve written for some time. My published fiction and academic work can be found at jannamoretti.com (https://www.jannamoretti.com/). I am the founder of the Sisters of Iron interview project wherein I’ve interviewed other powerlifters and used fictional elements in order to deliver their personal stories. These stories can be found at Sistersofironapparel.com (https://sistersofironapparel.com/blogs/blog?page=3.)
I’m currently teaching Fiction and Composition classes at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida.
In my “off time” I spend a great deal of time at our gym Gainesville Barbell. I own it with my brother. We are a new gym, but we already have over 70 members, we’ve hosted our first powerlifting meet, and we’re bringing in people who have never entered gyms before. We host intro to powerlifting classes to offer a space for those who want to get into the sport but don’t know where to begin. Gainesville Barbell is a special place. You can find out more info at gainesvillebarbell.com (https://gainesvillebarbell.com/).
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Instituting boundaries: I’ve learned a lot about boundaries this last year so I can devote time to my work and then when the work is done, I am with my family undisturbed. I can bring the family to work but I do not want my work entering into the time I make to be with my husband and daughter.
Advice on boundaries: figure out priorities and map out time on a schedule to make sure you’re discerning what things matter.
Flexibility: I am inflexible a lot of the time. I want what I want and will tunnel vision my way there. I have come to know that being inflexible means losing out on opportunities that may have worked out had I decided to be less stubborn.
Advice: I’ll get back to you.
Having the long view: This is tied up with patience. I imagine what I want to happen with my goals and then break the big thing into a bunch of smaller, manageable steps while keeping sight of the big thing.
Advice: Don’t let each little step come to mean the big thing at the end. The course may change direction along the way.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace has taught me how to examine macro-sized phenomena through personal, singular perspectives. It has taught me that the end is not the end and what seems to be the end is really just some whole other embarkation. There is forgiveness. In it a man who hates another man comes to forgive him through witnessing his suffering. The book has taught me strategy, coming to know how power might be wielded to deprive of oxygen instead of fire on fire. It showed me the power of storytelling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gainesvillebarbell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janna_moretti/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/gainesville.barbell/
https://www.jannamoretti.com/
https://sistersofironapparel.com/blogs/blog
