In this interview, Jennifer Hernandez shares how she built a life and business rooted in creativity, wellness, and community by blending her passions for art and fitness into one space. She reflects on motherhood, entrepreneurship, and the courage it takes to trust yourself while creating a version of success centered on joy, connection, and a life that feels fully her own.
Creating a Business That Feels Like Home
How would you define your dream life, and are you living it?
This is why I built Social Beings, because when people ask what it is, my answer is: it’s an art and fitness studio. They’re like, “What?” Because if you haven’t seen it, you’re wondering how that works. It doesn’t make sense at first. But it’s really unique to me because I studied painting. Art is a huge part of my life, and fitness is too. Even before doing personal training or teaching fitness classes, I was already very active.
In Australia, they thought I was nuts because I would walk four miles to and from work every day through these insane hills, but I loved it. That was my workout on the way to work. I’ve always tried to find ways to incorporate my interests into my daily life and my job.
My job is kind of my life, and my life is my job. It’s impossible to completely separate the two. I don’t mean that in an unhealthy way. Your job is what you do every single day, so it should feel like part of your life. There’s always going to be overlap.
I’d say I try to live my dream life. There are always going to be days where I feel like I could have done more or maybe done less. But for me, having art and creativity be a regular part of my life is amazing. I feel like I’ve experienced that through building this space and this community.
Also, having my son and my husband be part of that, I can’t ask for more. I can bring my son here while I work or train people. My husband is a full-time photographer, and we collaborate in a lot of ways. I try to make the space as kid-friendly as possible because I am a mom. All of those things are really important to me.
How Shared Spaces Turn Into Lifelong Support
Tell me more about how community has played a role in the work that you do.
When I was in yoga teacher training, that was the first time I really felt community because we were all going through the training together. Regardless of how people feel about Core Power, at that moment in time, they were crushing it when it came to community.
I would go to class and talk to people afterward. Two of my best friends to this day, I met at Core Power. That was my first introduction to creating and being part of a community outside of where you grew up. I honestly don’t really talk to anyone I grew up with. I don’t like going back to my hometown because there are a lot of bad memories there. I also feel like I live very differently than a lot of the people I was friends with back then.
Living in the city and working in the restaurant industry was one side of my life. Then I started yoga teacher training and realized how meaningful it was to be around people who shared similar values, cared about wellness, cared about being healthy, and genuinely wanted to get to know one another.
After finishing the training, a friend and I started doing pop-ups around the city. It was really cool because we got to grow outside of that original community and create new community spaces throughout South Philly. We would do pop-ups in the park with a yoga class followed by brunch. We started noticing the same people showing up over and over again. Some were people we met through Core Power, and others were people from the restaurant I used to manage that we hadn’t seen in months.
It was such a simple thing, but it felt really inspiring and meaningful to me and the people I was teaching with. Those first few years of teaching, the community built through teacher training and the people showing up to those pop-ups are what kept me in fitness and motivated me to continue.
I realized it wasn’t just about the workout. I was actually getting to know people on a deeper level. We were hanging out outside the studio and spending time together beyond class. That was huge.
When I opened my studio in Old City, the community there was amazing too. We opened literally four months before the pandemic, but even then, the community was incredible. We went from having one or two people in class to three or four, then eventually 35 people. We knew every single person by name, and people got to know one another too. Then you’d see them hanging out outside the studio. That was really special.
Building a Business Without Losing Yourself
What would you say success is for you today?
Success to me is having a life that I can enjoy with my family, my husband and my son. Being able to enjoy simple things like hanging out, going for walks, having picnics at the park, and also being able to travel.
Work is a part of my life, but I don’t want to be consumed by the studio. There’s always going to be overlap because this is what I love. I’m doing what I love through art classes and fitness classes. But I never want to feel like I’m here 24/7.
For me, success would be Social Beings becoming a successful business that can continue to thrive with or without me being here all the time. I don’t want to have to be the person constantly holding everything together.
I also want a stress-free, drama-free life. That’s honestly all I really want. I don’t care about being rich or anything like that. I’d like to have enough money to do the things I want to do, but beyond that, I just want to have what I need, travel, and enjoy my family and my life.
The Leap Feels Scary Until You Trust Yourself
What do you think keeps women from taking bold steps?
It’s scary. Honestly, I think it’s scary for anyone. When you’re watching your savings account drain while paying for everything out of pocket, you start wondering: Are people going to show up? Is this crazy? Is this actually going to work?
That’s really what it comes down to. It’s risky.
At this point in my life, especially now that I have a son, I’m actually very risk-averse. That probably sounds crazy because I just opened a business. But I wouldn’t have opened Social Beings if I didn’t fully believe in it.
I think that’s the key. You have to be completely sure about what you’re offering. You have to know this is something you genuinely want and need, and believe other people want and need it too. You have to go into it believing it’s going to work because there’s no other option.
Funding is also a huge factor. We had to use our savings to open this space. If you look around, it’s still a pretty basic setup. We have curtains and simple finishes, but it still costs over $30,000 just to open, which is insane. It took us years to save that money. And this is still a very simple space with plywood floors. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for people opening restaurants or other businesses with much higher startup costs.
We’re lucky because our space is relatively minimal.
I also think work-life balance is a huge challenge, especially for women. There are days where I feel incredibly guilty. Yesterday, I was home trying to get work done on my computer while my son was next to me. It’s that constant mom guilt of wanting to finish work but also not wanting to miss time with him.
It becomes this constant back-and-forth of wondering where to start and where to stop. I think that’s a huge factor for women specifically: figuring out how to find the time for everything.
Small Daily Joys That Keep Her Grounded
What habits allow you to do this every day?
Everything here is part of my habits and my lifestyle.
Every morning, I try to do something for myself. I haven’t been as good about it recently, but even something simple like having coffee alone and reading for a little while at five in the morning while everyone else is sleeping makes a difference.
I usually go to work after that. I also try to fit exercise into my day whenever I can. I’m fortunate because I work in fitness, so between clients I might squeeze in a quick workout. Even if it’s just ten minutes of squats, rows, or lat pulls, that still counts.
I also try to walk every day if possible. That could be as simple as walking to the grocery store or walking to the park with my son. It doesn’t have to be a walk specifically for exercise. Getting fresh air is a huge part of my routine.
I also try to do something creative every day. That doesn’t always mean painting, even though that’s what I studied. Sometimes it’s arranging flowers or decorating the space in a certain way.
I also love cooking. Recently, I’ve been searching for recipes from different places, like salads from Spain or Israeli lamb dishes, just to learn something new and get my mind thinking differently.
A big part of my habits is simply doing things that bring me joy.
Confidence Changes Everything
If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
Trust yourself. Trust your instincts.
A lot of what I do now comes down to having the confidence to take risks, whether that was opening a studio or teaching in front of a room full of people.
Have confidence and trust yourself.
I used to literally shake when speaking in front of people. But as a yoga instructor, I realized it wasn’t about me. People were there for a reason, and that took the pressure off. That’s what finally helped me become more comfortable speaking in front of others and trusting myself.
Meet Jennifer Hernandez
Jennifer Hernandez is a mother, artist, entrepreneur, and personal trainer—and the founder of Social Beings. She wears a lot of hats, but loves the energy of doing it all; it keeps her curious, creative, and inspired. With a background in painting and a degree from Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University, she brings an artistic lens into everything she creates, from workouts to workshops. She has moved through life’s challenges with fitness and art as her anchors, and her goal is to help others feel stronger, more grounded, and more connected through both.
