How I Met Jelly Bean.

Bill McBean, checking in from the heart of Boston, where the espresso flows strong and the friendships grow even stronger.

I’ve got a warm tale brewing for you today—one that starts with sweatbands, sparkle, and a whole lotta sass. You see, my sister Mocha McBean (yes, the Mocha—the nurse, inventor, and queen of caffeine infusions) had been raving about this aerobics studio that changed her life. Said it wasn’t just a place to break a sweat—it was a place to feel alive.

“Bill,” she told me one day between sips at Maria’s Café, “you’ve gotta meet Jelly Bean.”

Now, I trust Mocha with my life—and more importantly, my coffee grind. So, I laced up my sneakers, and followed her down the street toward a studio pulsing with neon lights and '80s beats.

Jelly wasn’t just teaching aerobics. He was channeling pure joy. His moves were electric, his presence magnetic. He had the kind of confidence that could only come from dancing through the fire of being misunderstood and emerging fabulous on the other side.

We chatted after class, me still trying to catch my breath, him glowing like a disco ball in a fog machine. I was struck by how open, genuine, and kind he was. He told me about growing up feeling out of place, being teased by the other beans, and how he found salvation in a cassette player at a farmer’s market. (Classic Jelly origin story.)

But instead of letting the bitterness brew, he turned his journey into fuel. And what did he do with that fuel? He built Bean Queenz, a glitter-soaked sanctuary of movement and magic, where anyone could dance like nobody was watching (except, of course, Jelly... and maybe a few camera crews).

I’ve been to a few of his classes now and let me tell you: there’s nothing like watching a studio full of beans, biscotti, and even a few brave humans cha-cha-cha to a Cyndi Lauper remix under a glitterball.

Mocha was right, Jelly Bean didn’t just introduce me to aerobics. He reminded me why I came to Boston in the first place: to find a place where I could be myself, be bold, and be surrounded by a community that celebrates the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly caffeinated.

Stay bold. Stay brewed.

– Bill McBean –