Thea Hughes on Creating Warm, Welcoming Spaces for Women in Wellness
The Nike Well Collective strength coach, wellness consultant and movement director has built a thriving community for women in NYC, focused on fitness, female empowerment and connection.
Women in sports are taking over the forefront of the industry and that domination isn’t stopping any time soon. With WNBA viewership up 155% compared to the 2023 season, the U.S. Women’s Olympics team going for the golds last season and women skateboarders conquering the halfpipe — among many other records and barriers broken — it seems like it’s finally their time to shine in a space that has been heavily male-dominated since the inception of sport. But this isn’t a new development. Women have been smashing expectations, crushing PRs and commanding courts and fields for generations — it’s just about time the rest of the world caught up to it.
Though many players are rising up to the plate and finally getting their flowers, from a coaching perspective, there’s still a lot of work to be done. That’s what drives Thea Hughes, Nike Well Collective Strength Coach, movement director and wellness consultant. “When I started coaching, I really wanted for my friends, especially women, to feel strong as strong and confident in their body as they did in their ideas/brands,” she shared.
Hughes developed a passion for movement in her early years, during her training as a dancer. She grew a dear appreciation for the structure and discipline that the craft instilled in her. She reflects on this, sharing, “It really teaches you how to live at the edge of your comfort zone. Dance helps you see what you’re capable of. But also the technical parts, like literally how to hold yourself upright.”
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After instilling that discipline within her own day-to-day routine, she was inspired to share that drive with others. The community that Hughes has built is all about collective growth and helping to curate a friendly, welcoming environment for women within the wellness and fitness spaces. Women are taught early on to coexist competitively — there is an inherent sense of comparison that we are all instilled with and pop culture drives this as well. Within Hughes’ practice, there is no place for competition or comparison. This is the mindset she preaches through community-focused events like Nike walks or an initiative she initially coined as “Power Breakfast Club,” which she wants to relaunch as “E-Suite”; an energy exchange between female creatives and entrepreneurs.
Below, Hypebae caught up with Hughes to discuss her initiatives for the New Year, her experiences with Nike and how she plans to continue building a friendly, women-focused community in New York City.
On falling in love with movement and wellness
Generally, we have this feeling that life happens to us. Of course, there are circumstances and things out of our control, but we are so much more in control of our bodies and how we feel than we think. We are able to control our central nervous system. Fitness teaches us how to come back to ourselves. Understanding your body and feeling strong within it, I believe gives you a profound sense of assurance and confidence.
So often, we look externally for the [fitness] class to do X, Y, Z, when in reality a lot of that can happen internally. When I signed with Nike as a strength coach, it was very intuitive. I worked with them a decade before on the agency, creative side because my background is in advertising and creative development. So, being on the ground as a coach, it was very holistic working with them.
On creating a welcoming environment for women in a male-dominated space
A lot of it is truly about creating space — away from family, partners and work where all they have to think about is themselves. Ideally, this space is where they feel seen, supported and not judged. Power Breakfast Club, for example, is about connecting driven, creative women. PBC started more than a decade ago. I feel lucky that I have a group of women around me that are so strong, steadfast and they’re each in their own lanes doing incredible things. I know that it is a testament to what will now be E-Suite. But above all else, my meet-ups are supposed to be like a reprieve from the craze.
We did a walk a few months back where we went from Brooklyn to Long Island City. There was traffic and construction and then we ended in this sculpture garden — the Noguchi Museum — where we’re thinking about lightness and the juxtaposition of those experiences. It’s about me continually creating a space for women to experience that. Creating that space of inclusivity and authenticity. I don’t want it to just feel like a “brand” event. We have different realities, we have different backgrounds but a lot of our learned experiences just as women are similar so in that way we can relate to each other and understand each other.
The events that I’ve organized have attracted a super diverse range of women. I’m always super surprised at seeing strangers immediately connect and bond, like a sense of kindred spirits. I love getting to cultivate that. Ultimately, those bonds remind me that these events are a tool to bring people together in a really authentic way.
On wellness consulting through a female lens
I’m a businesswoman but also a coach which requires an intuitive awareness for what someone else needs and how they’re feeling. The intersection of these allows me to speak to, with and advocate for women in a way that resonates. I think that people can feel authenticity and genuine care. My hope is that every women who comes to an event feels that and radiates it back to others.
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On personal wellness goals
I think it’s really important to be a coach advocating for women. Because women undergo 28-day cycles, and especially as they age, their hormones are changing. My fitness goal this past year was to be in a softer place. I wanted to be more mindful. Something that I always try to talk to clients about is to live your life and find different ways to move that feel good for you today. Things will change, and that’s okay.
On the future of her flourishing community
I still see private training clients in the studio, but I want to be able to host people in my own physical space. I’d love to have the furniture rotate every quarter and show off talented designers’ or architects’ work. It could even function as a studio for people to shoot in. So, I’m working on opening a space that would sort of function as a movement studio meets living room. I’d also like to have meet-ups, walks and discussions more regularly. The more that women can meet, connect and keep that chain going — the happier I am.
