In conversation with Jessica Hunt of Kenkō Studios
Photo credit: Maegan McDowell (left) & Jason Barnes (right)
Kenkō Studios in Eden Terrace is the latest addition to Auckland’s glorious wellness and movement scene, and they’re doing things a little differently…
One thing I love about Kenkō is its dynamic schedule. As well as a regular timetable of classes, each week also usually brings a few unique workshop-style events. Kenkō’s range of experiences offer many avenues through which to practise and explore different aspects of self.
I sat down with Jessica Hunt, Kenkō’s founder, in the serene Japanese-style courtyard off St Benedict’s Street. We dived into the threads woven together to create Kenkō and where it’s going.
On the Studio Origin
I come from a Hair & Makeup career in the film industry, which means long hours and no work-life balance for months on end. In between jobs, I would try balance out the damage, catching up on the mind and body care routines and rituals—yoga, pilates, supplements, appointments with naturopaths. Last year I had a moment of realisation, “Is this how I want to do the rest of my life?”
My other passion is health and wellness —I’ve long dreamed of one day having a studio. Around the same time, Kenkō’s landlord had recently bought and renovated the building, and was looking for someone to create a wellness business in the space. It felt like things were divinely aligned so I decided to take the leap! Another astonishing synchronicity unfolded with the house straight across the road becoming available, and my partner and I moving in.
…which led to the question—how can we make it more sustainable for everyone? I love getting creative with the possibilities and exploring new ways to do business.
Photo credit: Jason Barnes
On An Alternative Business model
Kenkō operates a little bit differently, we have a profit share model. How this works is teachers pay a capped portion of their ticket sales to use the space, and everything on top of that is theirs to keep.
Teaching wellness classes like yoga, pilates and breathwork can be hard to make a living from but provides so much value. It’s a labour of love and there’s lots of work beyond just taking the class. Often people will go to a particular teacher whose class or offering they enjoy so I feel like the profits should go to that teacher. Which led to the question—how can we make it more sustainable for everyone? I love getting creative with the possibilities and exploring new ways to do business.
Rather than one person keeping all the profits, we want to share them around and help make teaching wellness a sustainable full-time living. Of course, we need to be able to pay the bills, but we want to really actually focus on nourishing the community.
The vision is a flourishing, sustainable wellness collective! Everyone involved is winning, the business model is successful and can be used as proof of concept to replicate over and over.
On the Vision
A flourishing, sustainable wellness collective! People can access their favourite wellness therapies and classes in one space. It’s got a huge variety of classes running throughout the week. Beautiful, city escape accommodation where people can restore and recharge. Everyone involved is winning, the business model is successful and can be used as proof of concept to replicate over and over.
Photo credit: Maegan McDowell
Offerings
What we offer changes and is largely community-driven depending on who wants to teach in the movement studio, and who wants to use the practitioner spaces. At the moment we have hatha, vinyasa and yin yoga, pilates, HIIT, barre, sound bath, breathwork, meditation, somatic dance as well as one-off workshops and trainings. In the Well Studios on the ground floor, we have a massage and reflexology therapist, a chiropractor, acupuncturist, and a beauty therapist. We also have an apartment that can be rented out through our website or Airbnb.
What we offer changes and is largely community-driven depending on who wants to teach in the movement studio, and who wants to use the practitioner spaces.
About the Building
Kenkō is a hidden oasis, tucked away in Uptown/Eden Terrace right beside Benedict's Café, Completed in 1984, the building was designed as a wellness space by a Tai Chi Master and his students, based on a Japanese building in Taiwan. A beautiful spiral staircase takes you up to the movement studio (which feels like quite a symbolic entrance to and exit from your practice). Each of the steps were laid one by one. I reckon it could soon be Auckland’s most photographed staircase!
On Navigating Challenges
Getting the word out in a world that’s quite noisy already. The studio itself is something of a delightful hidden oasis which isn’t super helpful in terms of promotion, but perfect when you’re coming to a class and you feel like you’re in another world.
Photo credit: Maegan McDowell (left) & Jason Barnes (right)
On Community & Synchronicities
The Universe has really supported Kenkō coming to life through a succession of synchronicities and alignments. Being able to move into a house just across the road from the studio very shortly after deciding to build the business was a wild synchronicity.
Kenko was opening up just as another was closing down, leading Iris to be looking for a space to teach. Jess, our graphic designer, appeared in perfect timing who offers beautiful sound healing classes. Maegan, who does all our photography, also takes guided Tarot classes here.
Everyone in the community has so much to them that really nourishes and expands the ecosystem—they teach and they create in other ways too. I’m a bit of a generalist myself and it’s been so nice meeting like-minded individuals with a shared foundation of wellness.
The Invitation to From Kenkō
If you’d like to explore the classes, support teachers and yourself at the same time, they’re all available on our website timetable. If you have a class or a workshop you’d like to teach, get in touch and we can go from there! Our profit share model is a very accessible way to explore a new idea.
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