Wellness
#WomeninWellness: Heather White, CEO of TRILLFIT
Share
“Wellness to me is feeling good in my body,” says Heather C. White, founder of Boston’s TRILLFIT. “It's feeling connected to those around me. It's feeling seen and feeling supported.”
It was a lack of that kind of support that led to her starting TRILLFIT in 2005. At the time, she was struck by the lack of diversity in the studios and gyms she’d been trying. She didn’t feel like she belonged and stopped going entirely.
For many people, that would be the end of the story. But Heather had a feeling other women of color were experiencing something similar. “That's how TRILLFIT was born.”
You started TRILLFIT in 2005 and is Boston’s original hip-hop workout. What inspired you to start TRILLFIT?
I started TRILLFIT because I was on my own fitness journey, frequenting boutique fitness studios to big luxury gyms, and was constantly confronted with the same reality: there was an overwhelming lack of diversity, I didn't feel that I belonged, and so I stopped going. I realized there might be other women of color feeling similarly, and I decided to try to create an experience to speak to them. That's how TRILLFIT was born.
What started as a workout has blossomed into a full-blown movement made up of people focused on inclusivity and empowerment. How has TRILLFIT shaped what success in fitness means?
We've shown that there's a different way to do things. When we talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—one of the narratives is that it's expensive, it doesn't make financial sense, and often that's why people disregard those initiatives. For us, we made that our platform, our grounding statement. We drew a line in the sand, and we made a promise that we uphold and continue to reinforce. That's why our business has evolved into a movement. People have a reason to choose TRILLFIT, people have transformed at TRILLFIT, and the spark that they get here—affects them long after they've left. Of course, we're focused on our P&L (and we're crazy up YoY), but we've shown that you don't have to compromise your values or your mission to do that. We've shown that success can look, feel, and be different. I'm a first-time entrepreneur from a family of immigrants, and I turned down an offer for a luxury space (with free rent) to be in a neighborhood that served the community I wanted to focus on. A lot of people thought that was nuts—I credit our location and our commitment to the community as the reason we're successful.
To someone who has never been to a TRILLFIT class, what can they expect? (How can they prepare/what should they bring/what are the classes like?)
Expect to sweat, to have fun, and to meet people that truly see you. Our classes span from Cardio Dance and Boxing to Sculpt and Restore—and they are meant to complement and build upon each other.
What’s next for you and TRILLFIT?
We're expanding our class schedule and staff, and we're launching our new community wellness program in April. You can expect to see our commitment to the community grow in a radical and actionable way.
You run your company and are continuing to grow it every day. How do you have time to practice self-care and wellness yourself? What’s your go-to wellness routine?
It takes a lot of intentionality, and to be honest, I'm not the best at it. But when I do prioritize it, I love massages and spending time with my people. I work out a ton—and because my schedule is so crazy, I really focus on making sure I have time to get in the studio—and that acts as a stress reliever for me.
What does wellness personally mean to you? How can we (the public) start on our own wellness journeys?
Wellness, to me, is feeling good in my body. It's feeling connected to those around me. It's feeling seen and feeling supported. Start by looking at yourself in the mirror and deciding that you deserve to feel good. Then make a list of the things that serve your mental, physical, and spiritual self—things that will make you feel good—and pick one. Then choose a day a time to do it. See how you feel after and repeat often :)
