We had the good fortune of connecting with Naomi Hutchinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Naomi, what do you want your legacy to be?
“People won’t always remember what you did but they will remember how you made them feel.” is a quote that I live by. I lost my mom at 10 years old and during the time of her home-going, I kept hearing from friends and family how much they loved her and how her warm presence made an impact on their lives. This was the first time I truly understood what it meant to leave behind a legacy.

Now at 25 years old, I aspire to leave behind a legacy like my mother’s. I not only want to do great things but I want people to feel better after having been around me. That, to me, is true impact. Whether I’m hosting a Rooftop Yoga class or having friends over for dinner, my goal is to always be engaged, listen intently and show compassion. I believe that this connection is what brings more healing and love to the world. I try my best to approach each interaction with care and my hope is that after I’m gone, these qualities will be remembered by everyone I’ve encountered.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my business, Healthy+Well, at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Although I’ve watched my dad be an entrepreneur for most of my life, I didn’t see myself one day taking on this journey. To me, entrepreneurship represented men in suits speaking in boardrooms for hours. As a creative, this felt constricting but I now know that entrepreneurship can look however I want it to.

At the beginning stages of my business, I was focused on building my brand and being a resource of holistic health and wellness information. I did this by starting an Instagram page and posting everyday. Showing up consistently in this way felt small at the time but it actually created a foundation for me to build community in a major way. From there, I began taking business courses and developing offerings. One of my first offerings was a Virtual Self Care Retreat. Covid-19 was still running rampant and gathering in person was not an option. With these circumstances, I still set out to create an offering that would benefit my community. I found 3 self care experts to be apart of the retreat, mapped out my programming, gathered my marketing materials and I was ready to go. Unfortunately, this offering was not a hit and I ended up having to cancel it. At the time, I was so hurt and felt like I had failed. Thanks to the wise words of my dad and business mentors, I picked up the pieces and found a way forward.

Now 2 years after that failed virtual retreat, I’ve hosted 35 In person Wellness events and I sold out my first weekend retreat in just 4 days. Had I completely given up after that initial failure, I would’ve never gotten to the glory that I’m basking in now. At almost 3 years into my business, I have grown exponentially as an entrepreneur. I was able to quit my job in December 2022 and work with notable brands and organizations like Nike, California State University and Alkeme Health. I’ve created a successful Yoga class concept called Rooftop Yoga Verzuz in Los Angeles, CA and more than that, I’ve created safe spaces for people of color to be well. My mission in business is to educate, encourage and empower everyone to live their best lives through holistic self care practices and I am so grateful that Healthy+Well is the vehicle through which I am accomplishing this.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Those closest to me know that I love a good meal so for anyone visiting Los Angeles, I’d have to first take them to brunch at Post & Beam in Baldwin Hills. This black owned restaurant is phenomenal! I’ve brought my dad, cousins and out of town friends to dine there and it’s always been a good time. The chicken and waffles are delicious and the shrimp and grits are my guilty pleasure. After brunch, we would make our way to the Reparations Club – a black owned bookstore in Inglewood. I’m an avid reader so picking up a new book is always exciting for me. With a new book in hand, we would then journey to the beach to lay out and dive into our new reads. As the sun begins to set, we would pack up and make our way to West Hollywood to have an evening meal at Mother Tongue. This is my new favorite restaurant because the hospitality is A1 and their Pacifico Striped Bass is to die for!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe my dad, Jerome Hutchinson Jr., a huge shoutout because he has been my greatest teacher. My sister and I always joke that he could be a preacher because he always has a sermon for us. In all seriousness though, I have grown to greatly appreciate the wisdom he has imparted to me over the years. If I had to describe my dad in three words, I would say that he is resilient, faithful and driven.

After my mom passed away, he became a single parent of 2 girls which was no easy feat. Although he could never fulfill the role of mother, he did an excellent job of keeping my mom’s memory alive, providing for us and keeping us surrounded by a tribe of women to give us the feminine care we need. My dad has faced adversity more than once in his live but through every trial, he has never wavered in his faith. He has consistently proclaimed that if we seek God, He will never forsake us and that God will make sure that we are taken care of. To this day, my dad is the reason I have such a close relationship with God.

The resilience my dad has goes hand in hand with his strong faith. My dad has been an entrepreneur a majority of his life. He’s owned a movie store (before Blockbuster), a TV station in Louisville, KY and he now owns the International Career and Business Alliance. I’ve watched my dad work very hard as an entrepreneur, amidst great odds. He has survived recessions, the death of his wife, divorce, and more but he has never given up on his career goals. Even when it would’ve been easier to go back to corporate America, he stayed committed to his vision and I respect him so much for that. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my dad when it comes to entrepreneurship is the power of relationships. My dad is a master networker and he has achieved much success creating lasting relationships because of his charisma and genuine care. To quote my dad, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Website: https://www.healthyandwell.online/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthyandwell.la/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthy-well/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthyandwell4life

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPmyZUa1UxJCDjXjlb1niZg

Other: https://www.instagram.com/naomiliveswell/

Image Credits
Ja Tecson @jatecson and Jessica Jones @designmsjones

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