Lauren Zucker and Lacey Tisch, founders of New York-based wellness space Sage + Sound, are passionate about spreading the word about innovative features of regular wellness routines because they’ve seen the benefits firsthand . Tish dealt with a rare congenital syndrome and resulting medical PTSD, followed by alcoholism. After she sobered up, her health journey began. Zucker, a dancer and fitness enthusiast, knew the benefits of physical activity, but after going through a painful divorce and seeing people struggling with addiction, Zucker was inspired to find a different path to healing. A new desire to work on this was born.
“Four or five years ago, we were both on personal journeys. I was involved in Al-Anon and Kabbalah and trying to heal myself. I didn’t understand why we didn’t have a place, but we were able to have that same sense of community, but it was about health and bringing people together and feeling connected,” Tisch tells BeautyMatter.
Both founders focused their attention on brand building and visual marketing. Mr. Tisch is the former Brand’s Marketing Director at Loews Hotels, and Mr. Zucker previously served as Brand’s Vice President of Partnerships at EMI Music and was an independent Brand’s Strategist. Opening in 2022, Sage + Sound will combat the current loneliness epidemic (24% of survey participants worldwide admitted to feeling lonely) and balance the increasingly online state of life. He spoke to an eager audience who wanted to meet and reconnect in person. “People are tired of being online. There are real spaces for content and support online, but we have a lot of energy and excitement about this ability to come together and connect in person.” Zucker explains.
As the pandemic forced us to engage with our own minds and bodies in unprecedented ways, wellness has quickly grown into a $5.6 trillion industry globally. But for people who were too busy and cash-strapped to book expensive retreats, wellness remained a ‘if I could’ aspiration. Here, Sage + Sound offers the convenience of multiple treatments under his one roof and affordability, with classes starting at $29 and no membership required.
From healing mental health wounds to healing physical wounds, the founders wanted to provide a space that allows for the imperfect moments of the journey of self-nurturing and self-healing. “What’s great is that we’re very realistic about who we are as a brand. Sometimes when you look at social media and the current state of this industry, it can seem like a ton of fluff,” Zucker said. he says. “What we’re aiming for is for people to know that whether they’re in a good place or a bad place, whatever it is, there’s a place they can trust, a brand they’re comfortable with, a community they can take all the shit out of. It’s about being able to feel safe letting go.”
Wellness by the people, for the people
While the growth of the wellness market shows no signs of slowing down, accessibility remains a hot topic. We now find ourselves at an interesting moment of contrast. On the one hand, tech-centric innovations that enable biohacking, and on the other, ancient practices such as botanical medicine and cacao ceremonies are gaining momentum. Zucker points out that Sage + Sound brings together both worlds. “We always try to maintain a balance and offer variety so people can explore what suits them. We strive to not only be forward-thinking but also stay true to our origins. I believe that is important,” she added.
Individualizing and personalizing the health approach for each body is also a strong selling point for Sage + Sound. His director of programs, Ryan Haddon, helps determine the curriculum at the learning space. His 40 classes on offer range from meditation to sound healing to coaching. “We believe in self-discovery, which is why we love this curated approach,” says Tisch. “We love meeting people on their health journeys. We truly believe that everyone should have access to wellness,” Zucker added.
Apart from their own experience, customer feedback is a big part of shaping and adjusting Sage + Sound’s curriculum. A wellness guide will greet visitors at the door, and the founders will also be on hand to get input from visitors. Acupuncture remains one of his most beloved practices, along with manifestation, breathing classes, and cacao ceremonies. This space is open seven days a week and offers four to five classes per day.
Inviting ideal practitioners into the space was an important step in that journey. The current Sage + Sound lineup includes individuals such as energy healing expert Valerie Oula, intuitive sound meditation practitioner George MacPherson, and Body Stress Her Release practitioner Rich Mancuso. I am. “What we realized on this journey is that people want to go somewhere and they want to trust that the brand has real experts in this field. We’ve done a ton of research on the practitioners we bring into the service, we’ve had focus groups of people come and gather feedback, and we’ve perfected that. That’s something we continue to do,” Zucker said. says.
