The atmosphere inside SheStrong Studios is different. Trainers address members by name, the music hums softly, and there’s a palpable sense of calm. Maya Ellison, the founder, calls it “safety you can feel.” Because of her strategy, SheStrong has grown from a small women-only gym to a national movement that dares to prioritize safety over profit.
Ellison’s philosophy developed as a result of years of hearing women express how uncomfortable they felt in traditional gyms due to the uncomfortable looks, unsolicited advice, and areas that seemed more intended for show than for personal development. SheStrong has made empathy its most valuable asset by creating a fitness community that places equal weight on emotional stability and physical stamina.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Core Concept | A fitness brand reshaping the gym experience by prioritizing women’s safety, dignity, and emotional security above profit margins. |
| Purpose | To create safer, more inclusive workout environments where women can train confidently without fear or judgment. |
| Key Figures | Maya Ellison (Founder, SheStrong Studios), Dr. Emma Cowley (SHE Research Centre), Dr. Theresa DiDonato (Psychology Today) |
| Inspiration | Studies revealing that over 40% of women have experienced harassment or intimidation in gyms. |
| Business Impact | Stronger customer retention, ethical brand loyalty, and improved public trust through transparency. |
| Cultural Shift | The rise of empathy-driven gym design and trauma-informed fitness culture. |
| Contrast | Planet Fitness backlash over safety concerns versus SheStrong’s proactive policies. |
| Social Impact | Encourages inclusion, emotional safety, and accountability as integral aspects of modern fitness culture. |
| Reference | https://athletechnews.com/new-study-reveals-struggles-women-face-in-gyms |
Planet Fitness, a massive company that was once praised for its inclusive policies but has since come under fire for ignoring women’s safety concerns, is in stark contrast to this approach. The organization lost a lot of members and the public’s trust after incidents involving locker room privacy violations. SheStrong, in contrast, adopted a different approach that proved to be remarkably successful in demonstrating that inclusivity and safety are not mutually exclusive.
“We came to understand that loyalty is built on trust,” Ellison says. “Women return because of dignity, not because of discounts, when they feel truly protected.” Her opinion is in line with research from Athletech News, which found that almost 50% of female gym patrons have encountered offensive remarks or intimidation. SheStrong’s design philosophy is based on the study’s finding that women flourish in environments that prioritize performance over appearance.
Every SheStrong facility features trauma-informed architecture, including softly lit locker rooms, curved walkways rather than straight hallways, and staff members who are trained to respect consent and boundaries. The end effect is a space that is comforting and empowering. It’s an especially creative model that combines business savvy with psychology, demonstrating that moral design can be profitable.
In a profit-driven industry, SheStrong’s model is “a corrective force,” according to Dr. Emma Cowley of the SHE Research Centre. According to her, businesses that foster a safe environment not only gain moral legitimacy but also experience quantifiable success. She asserts that “women perform better when they feel seen.” “Communities develop naturally, and retention rates increase.”
Additionally, marketing narratives have changed as a result of this principle. SheStrong’s campaigns feature real members sharing their stories of resilience in place of glitzy advertisements with sculpted bodies. In one video, a young woman who survived an assault talks quietly but confidently about finding strength to bring her peace as she resumes her exercise routine. Her narrative struck a deep chord, going viral as a representation of fitness as a means of healing rather than competition.
In the meantime, pressure is changing the fitness landscape as a whole. Stories of harassment in gyms have been widely shared on social media, which has forced a broader reckoning. Laura-Ashley Modunkwu of Refinery29 emphasized that solidarity is the foundation of true safety and that it cannot be achieved through exclusion. She wrote, “We harm all women when we police who counts as a woman.” That realization is exactly in line with SheStrong’s inclusive approach, which accepts trans and nonbinary members while upholding safe, considerate spaces for all.
Unexpectedly, the financial impact has been favorable. SheStrong saw a 40% decrease in complaints and a 27% increase in renewals following the implementation of its safety-first policies. The business fostered what Ellison refers to as “sustainable loyalty” by emphasizing trust rather than transactions. Members were investing in a common philosophy rather than merely purchasing access.
SheStrong is now cited by industry analysts as an example of ethical entrepreneurship. SheStrong has transformed integrity into a growth engine, in contrast to gyms that place more emphasis on volume than values. Its model demonstrates how effective accountability can be as a business tactic. Even rivals have taken notice, as a number of major chains have started redesigning locker rooms and retraining employees to follow SheStrong’s lead.
This change has been sped up by celebrity endorsements. While Robin Arzón of Peloton referred to safety as “the new luxury,” Serena Williams commended gyms that “make women feel strong without scrutiny.” Their impact has significantly increased public awareness of ethical fitness, turning what was formerly a specialized topic into a standard business requirement.
Additionally, the culture of the gym prioritizes community over comparison. Instead of focusing on aesthetic goals, instructors encourage participants to set personal milestones during sessions. Ellison frequently reminds her team that progress is personal. Members’ mental health has significantly improved as a result of this mindset; surveys reveal that participants’ anxiety levels are much lower than those at commercial gyms.
Psychology Today’s Dr. Theresa DiDonato backs this strategy with her studies on group physical activity. She discovered that coordinated effort, such as paired training or group exercise, increases trust and creates emotional ties. Her results are in line with SheStrong’s mission to use exercise as a means of connection rather than competition.
SheStrong’s influence is growing outside of its walls. The brand is now being consulted by city councils in Manchester and Birmingham regarding safety regulations for public fitness facilities. The company is collaborating with nonprofits to develop outreach programs that teach adolescent girls emotional resilience and self-defense. It’s encouraging to see how one gym’s ethics can change the priorities of an entire industry.
SheStrong gauges success by impact, whereas others strive for growth. According to Ellison, “we’re not building gyms, we’re building belonging.” Her words capture a movement that seems especially relevant today. SheStrong’s model provides a potent example of how empathy can triumph over exploitation as women demand more from the environments they occupy, whether they be training mats or boardrooms.
In the end, the gym chain that prioritized women’s safety over profit accomplished something that few companies can: it made conscience into money. SheStrong Studios has demonstrated that profitability doesn’t have to come at the expense of strategy and compassion through an incredibly successful balancing act. It takes guts to state that safety is fundamental and not optional.
