HCM People

Dr Jonathan Leary

"It was as though the whole world woke up at the same time"


You’re launching a new education platform – The Framework – tell us more
The Framework – a free-to-use platform – is our way of giving back as a luxury brand and is part of our mission to deliver education for all.

The human body doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but these trainings, which are based on my own lived-experience, offer a road map to show people how to feel better in every aspect of their lives.

The Framework is composed of seven pillars: human connection, which is at the core of everything we do; intentional environments that put our body in a better state to regenerate and raise its energetic frequencies; time training – time is a limiter, but when used properly is an expander, so this will coach people on how to maximise their time to unlock their potential.

Also stress training to harness stress as ‘resistance training’ to strengthen the mind; growth and development – offering tangible pathways for people to identify who they want to be and give them the tools to get there; appearance training – how to address external imbalances that are affecting us internally; and conventional health – speaking to the obvious and not-so-obvious metrics and methods that can enhance a health-minded lifestyle.

Looking at your journey, you launched at the start of the pandemic. What was the impact?
We never expected to close right after opening, so the first couple of months were obviously traumatic, but one positive by-product of the pandemic has been the mass awareness of health and the trajectory of self-care.

It was as though the whole world woke up at the same time. The self-care industry is going to blow up. Just as there's a gym on every corner, soon enough there will be some type of self-care facility on every corner.

As a social wellness club, your mission is to redefine social occasions, so people can celebrate with an ice bath, as opposed to a bottle of wine. How is this playing out?
People are really connecting with the social side of our offering and with each club we develop, we’re putting more emphasis on this pillar of our identity.

More members and guests are having meetings at Remedy Place and using it as an after-work hangout in place of other social options, such as happy hour. This inspired us to launch Remedy After Hours, where people can rent the club at night and work with our events team to design a bespoke experience for their needs and budget.

Have you seen social wellness percolating through the rest of the industry?
One hundred per cent and not only in our industry. Everyone is trying to identify their unique wellness edge. When we first launched Remedy Place the premise was a hypothesis, based on my experience in medical practice. Yet since 2019, with no paid advertising, we’ve enjoyed widespread enthusiasm and adoption, creating buzz in the cultural conversation, attention from industry giants and recognition from The Global Wellness Summit as a top 2023 trend.

Who are your customers turning out to be?
Pro-active people who prioritise their health and seek happiness. Although we host a range of guests from 18-year-olds up to octogenarians, our core is people in their 30s. It's an almost even split (51 per cent female) showing men are now just as invested in the self-care category.

We're inclusive, so we allow anyone to make a reservation and we cap the amount of members per club, so we have less member visits than non-members. The split is around 35/65. Although we cater to an affluent demographic, we’re seeing many people who have shifted their spending to prioritise wellness with us.

What are your expansion plans?
We’re aiming to get to 15 locations in total.

We have two clubs in construction and plan to open two a year going forward. Our third club will be in New York City’s SoHo neighbourhood. We haven’t disclosed the location of our fourth property yet, but it will be outside New York and will have the biggest footprint with the most amenities to date, setting a whole new standard for the brand.

Why did you decide to go after the home market with your Tech-Remedy Collection?
Guests asked for it over and over again. There's a growing market for creating the type of experiences we offer in the convenience of one’s own home and as we continue to lead and innovate this new self-care industry, we also want to supply it, continuing to educate and inspire.
The Tech-Remedy Collection represents a new arm of the business in product design and is a really cool vertical which may end up bigger than our brick and mortar presence. However, clubs will always be our foundation, because that’s where we create the authentic connections and communities with our guests.

Why did you choose the Remedy Roller as your first product and how does it work?
Pain is a major issue in America, which has resulted in an opioid crisis. Everyone is tight and in order to restore motion in the muscles you need to release the fascia and break down the scar tissue. The Remedy Roller is a great way of restoring movement and blood flow to the muscles, fascia and joints – it can get into every crevice of the body, like the backs of the knees, which frequently get overlooked in treatments.

It works by pushing the parts of the body against it, for example sitting on the bench and putting the feet on it and then moving up the legs. You can sit against it for your back and lean over it for abs and side muscles, or even straddle it to do the adductors.

At US$11,000 it’s still an expensive product, but it’s something which can be used every single day and will make a huge impact for anyone who’s trying to move better, eliminate pain, or alleviate any tightness in their body.

What are your distribution plans for your new fit-tech launches?
We have a long list of contacts I’ve built over the years and we’re establishing initial connections directly that way. It’s the first time we've ever done a release outside of a club, but I've consulted with our entire database of customers from gyms and hotels to country clubs and recovery centres to ensure it’s fit for purpose and is what they and their customers need.

We’re currently working on six more new Tech-Remedy products to add to the range, with the next product launch planned for later in 2024, so watch this space.

FACT FILE

Remedy Place is the brainchild of Dr Jonathan Leary, who has a doctorate in chiropractic medicine and came up with the concept while working in private practice. There are currently two clubs: the first launched in West Hollywood in 2019 and Flatiron, New York followed in 2022.

Because good design has a direct positive effect on internal physiology, all the clubs are designed down to the smallest detail, so people feel at ease as soon as they enter.

Ancient medicine is blended with modern technology to create a holistic approach to better health and to put the body into the optimal state to heal.

Offerings include breathwork ice bath classes, cryotherapy chambers, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, infrared saunas, lymphatic drainage massage, contrast suites (infrared sauna and cold plunge) and sound baths, as well as healthy food and beverage options.

Read HCM’s previous interview with Jonathan Leary at HCMmag.com/Leary1

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