As many of you know, I have a difficult time spending winters in cold, gray, dreary NYC. I travel a lot to find some time to refresh and refocus for my own mental stability. However, there’s a new game in town, and it’s a great escape without having to actually go anywhere! The Well opened up a month ago, and it reminds me of one of those small hidden doors one might find in Marrakech, and upon walking inside, you find a whole new world of reflexology, facial cupping, acupuncture, and zen that one could never imagine existed in Chelsea. They are fully stocked with wellness specialists, nutritionists, health coaches, fitness gurus, relaxation rooms and cozy work spaces. They offer the most delicious, healthy, soothing foods from the team behind Cafe Clover, to help their clients' wellness come full circle. It's a dream really, and membership is filling up quick, so I suggest getting a head start on signing up and treating yourself this 2020!
How many years have you been in business in NYC?
THE WELL officially opened September 21, 2019 — but the idea has been in the works since 2009, and I have personally been working on building the business with my CoFounders, Rebecca Parekh and Kane Sarhan, since 2016.
How did you get your start and what was your initial inspiration?
My start in wellness began about 12 years ago when I found myself really struggling with my health. I wouldn’t have believed it at the time, but it turned out getting sick was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I had gained 25 lbs in a year, my hair was falling out, I had anxiety, I wasn’t sleeping and I could not figure out what was wrong. I saw doctor after doctor, from top endocrinologists to my GP to my gynecologist, and everyone pretty much told me the same thing — there was nothing really wrong. They offered me anti-anxiety medication and sleeping aids, but ultimately weren’t addressing the root cause. It wasn’t until I met a naturpath doctor that I discovered I had an autoimmune disease that was affecting my thyroid.
From there, I really became a student of my health. I read every book I could find on the thyroid and autoimmunity and I started wanting to treat my issues holistically. I began doing acupuncture and started a meditation practice, and as I was learning more and working to get well, I was running all over town in the process.
Amidst all the running around, I kept finding myself thinking, “I wish these practitioners would talk to each other.” I felt like I was constantly stuck in the middle, trying to deal with conflicting advice. That for me was really the first little seed of knowing I wanted to create a more integrated model like what we’ve done at THE WELL.
I ended up leaving my career in marketing and going back to school. I studied health coaching at the Integrative Institute for Nutrition (IIN) and Duke Integrative Medicine, and from there I started my own health coaching practice. I always knew I didn’t want to work alone though — I wanted to reach more people and be able to collaborate with people who had the same passion as me. It was at that time, working as a health coach, that I joined forces with my CoFounders, Rebecca Parekh and Kane Sarhan. We had all been friends for 10 years, but got reconnected in the context of wellness right as Rebecca was starting to put together the plan for THE WELL. The timing was perfect with everything each of us had happening in our lives at the time — so we came together and started building.
What do you feel differentiates you from others in your field?
The expert team of best-in-class practitioners we’ve brought to THE WELL — and how they work together within an integrated model — is one of the main differentiators and most exciting parts of our offering. We are working with over 50 experts across a breadth of modalities, from medical doctors to acupuncturists and herbalists, licensed massage therapists to physical therapists, yoga teachers to health coaches and more. Our practitioners are collaborating, communicating and working together in real-time to create highly customized plans resulting in better outcomes for our Members and Day Trip visitors.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Every day I get to help people take greater agency for their health. I am not a doctor or a healer, but my vision has always been to create a space where the best practitioners in the world will come together to practice their craft. In the three short months since we opened THE WELL, our Members and Day Trip visitors have come to rely on us to be their trusted resource for wellness and we have the honor of impacting people’s lives in such a positive way.
What is your favorite secret NYC spot?
The Highline at closing — no one is there, plus it’s a gorgeous walk and a great way to get your steps in.
What is the most memorable feedback a client has given you?
Each and every one of our Members and Day Trip visitors is a mirror. They reflect parts of my own consciousness back to me, ultimately giving me an opportunity to really see myself and grow.
Pay it forward and name your top colleagues in the same field or related field.
There are so many, but to pick a couple: Ellie Burrows, Cofounder and CEO of MNDFL and Aimee Raupp, Head of Traditional Chinese Medicine at THE WELL and founder of Aimee Raupp Beauty.
What is the best advice anyone's ever given you? Or what is your "mantra" / words to live by?
A former client once shared this with me: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
This is so true, and I attribute my success in all areas of life to my community — whether it’s in business where I am so blessed to have two amazing business partners, in personal relationships — I love my family, but I also have an amazing chosen family who help keep me balanced in the midst of the chaos of life in New York City — or in wellness and the community we’ve built at THE WELL. The power of community to create positive health outcomes is greater than any doctor or hospital alone.
As moms, the day can escape us, what is your best time-saving trick?
Foodkick is the biggest time saver for me personally. I love to cook but I rarely, if ever, make it to the grocery store any more. With Foodkick, even when I don’t have the time, I am still able to order fresh, organic veggies and food — and it arrives within a few hours.