Recover Well is not your typical spa. And while available treatments definitely promote physical recovery and mind-body connection, this Norton Commons spot isn’t a med studio, either. Trio Cassie Fertig, Jess Yared, and Nicole Hennessey intentionally designed the space with a social element, providing guests with a cozy and welcoming place to heal alongside the people in their lives who matter most.
There’s no question that fitness (and perhaps fate) brought these friends and business partners together. “The three of us have known each other a long time,” Jess explains. “Cassie and I owned a fitness business in Louisville, and Nicole was a big part of our leadership team.”
Jess and Cassie were working out quite a bit and began turning to cryotherapy for recovery. “We were going for muscle recovery,” Jess recalls, “but we also noticed a lot of other things happening, like our skin looked better, we were getting better sleep, and our body just felt different.”
As more spots around Derby City began offering cryotherapy, Jess and Cassie continued to enjoy the treatment’s benefits — but they couldn’t help noticing what was lacking at each location. “They either felt very sterile, like a doctor’s office, or there just wasn’t a lot of warmth. And it wasn’t an experience,” Jess says. “They were also very expensive. It just wasn’t affordable.”
Comparing cryotherapy offices to their current business, Jess and Cassie also note how community played a significant role in their success. Attendees always looked forward to their workouts when they knew it meant spending time with friends. “We really wanted to bring that to recovery, which is how we came up with the ‘social wellness’ side of things,” Jess says. “It evolved from there.”
Over roughly four years, the three moms brought the idea from concept to completion, opening Recover Well in late 2022. They describe the inspiration behind their brand as Southern-California-meets-Southern-hospitality, as Cassie grew up in Southern California and Jess lived there for most of her adult life.
Their brand book states, “Recover Well’s brand is a blend of the laid-back essence of Southern California with subtle undercurrents of the South’s charm and warmth. Our studio serves as a testament to this harmonious fusion, offering a space that balances the casual elegance of a beachside retreat with the heartwarming welcome of a Southern home. A haven that feels both luxurious and unpretentious.”
The social wellness studio’s current offerings include:
- Cryotherapy: a one-to-three-minute treatment that exposes the entire body to sub-zero temperatures. This promotes recovery, performance, wellness, beauty, and weight loss benefits.
- Infrared sauna: heats the body directly. This means a not-uncomfortably hot session that promotes natural healing and prevention via its ability to penetrate human tissue, resulting in a deep, detoxifying sweat.
- Contrast therapy: alternates between cold and heat to reduce pain and promote healing. Cold treats inflammation and numbs pain, while heat eases muscle stiffness and stimulates circulation for faster recovery.
- Celluma LED light therapy: uses different frequencies or wavelengths in LED light treatment. It is a non-invasive, painless treatment that can clear acne, rejuvenate the skin for anti-aging benefits, and reduce pain.
These services have proved popular among people of all ages and backgrounds. “We don’t have a specific clientele,” Jess explains, adding that their client base includes everyone from health-conscious millennials to older folks with chronic aches and pains. “We always say your doctor is the very first person you go to for those kinds of things, but [we have people with] chronic inflammation and arthritis who are coming in because they need the benefits just to get through their day more easily.”
Everything is available ala carte, and monthly memberships are available. There’s also an introductory offer for newbies. “We have the best group of women working for us, and … they do a really good job of recommending services, frequency, and duration,” Jess says. “They’ll answer all your questions and [create] a plan to gradually step up to what you’re comfortable with.”
As the Recover Well trio moves into their third year of business, they’re also looking to expand. Location number two is already in the works and is slated to open in Louisville before the end of 2025!
**********
For more health tips, travel inspiration, recipes, and more — follow us on Pinterest!
