We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Naya F. Powell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Naya F. below.
Naya F., thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
In 2019, I left the security of corporate America to pursue Spa Utopia. Having experienced a level of corporate burnout personally and understanding the importance of workplace wellness, I felt called to use my experience to help others navigate the same thing. Little did I know the following year, we’d be hit with a global pandemic that would put workplace wellness at center stage. Receiving a contract to provide spa services for the NFL Superbowl, positioned me to have an intense level of focus which resulted in winning a SXSW pitch competition, becoming a best-selling author, launching a sold-out luxury wellness retreat, and successfully pivoting to a digital wellness platform. Our team now spans 5 continents with clients from ten different countries. Taking a risk can certainly seem frightening in the beginning, but the results can be unimaginably beautiful.
Love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My passion for wellness is deeply influenced by my health-conscious marathon-running father and the influences of my mother, the 1st Black National Mary Kay Director in VA. I saw both of my parents working hard to empower their communities with employment opportunities. Their entrepreneurial, wellness, and beauty influences shaped me into the wellness pioneer I am today.
As a 3rd generation entrepreneur, I was motivated to start Spa Utopia, Inc. based on experiences with the impacts of stress and burnout personally and within my family. In addition, I have worn the hats of founder and corporate leader. Therefore, I understand firsthand the immense burnout, time poverty, and lack of work-life integration endured by numerous professionals. In my own family, I witnessed the stress effects of high blood pressure and chronic illness. During the pandemic, the world was faced with shifting how we interact. Every industry was affected and we were no exception. We pivoted to an online wellness platform to meet the mental health and workplace wellness needs as a result of the pandemic.
Utopia SGW helps enterprises, SMBs, educational institutions and organizations achieve their talent, retention, recruitment, and productivity goals; and helps people to show up as their healthiest and happiest selves daily.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Prior to the pandemic, Utopia SGW was an on-site luxury spa service. As a result of COVID 19, we had to pivot, expand, and rebrand quickly. Due to the mental health and wellness crisis the world was thrust into, we decided to leverage technology in new and innovative ways to address global burnout.
40% of Black-owned businesses closed one month into lockdown. The story of demise was not one we wanted to write for Utopia. While the pandemic pushed many into social isolation and depression, we decided to answer the call to create a safe, convenient, fun, and global community to elevate our self-care.
Utopia is now a B2B digital wellness subscription platform addressing global burnout and the future of work and wellness. We offer live and on-demand *wholistic virtual wellness experiences including mindfulness, yoga, pilates, movement, wellness coaching/workshops, and retreats.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Communicate to your team with passion. If you are not excited about your endeavors, your team won’t be either. Encourage the team to care for themselves. During our weekly Utopia SGA team meetings, we always begin briefly sharing about our weekend. We then take a few minutes for a mindfulness exercise to encourage calm and engagement for the rest of our meeting time together. These practices take time, but they are incredibly valuable and more fun than just running through a typical list of agenda items.
Get your team connected to a strong community that offers encouragement, mentorship, and resources.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.utopiasgw.com
- Instagram: @UtopiaSGW
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/utopiasgw/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/UtopiaSGW