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We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Jonathan Leary, CEO & Founder of Remedy Place. In his own words, Remedy Place is “a dream”—they’ve pioneered the Social Self-Care movement by creating spaces for connection, healing, and all of the self-care treatments we could dream of in New York and Los Angeles. 
He was the perfect person to ask what it means to be well, how non-alcoholic drinking may play into that, and the mission of improving people’s lives through wellness. His take on feeling the feelings (all of them), human-to-human connection, and mental resilience gave us the perfect boost for the second half of Dry January—and beyond. Cheers to future gatherings, date nights, and self-care days at Remedy Place.
Thanks for joining us! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and how you came to found Remedy Place?
I have been working on Remedy Place, the world’s first social wellness club, since 2012. However, due to financial limitations, I didn’t open the first club until 2019. After completing my doctoral studies, I decided to open a sports medicine practice focused on a non-surgical, drug-free approach to surgery prevention and chronic pain rehabilitation. During this time, I not only maintained a 100% success rate in preventing surgeries for my patients, but I also conducted five extra years of clinical evidence and market research. This research enhanced my vision for Remedy Place, finding a “remedy” for everything I saw as lacking in the health and wellness industry.
It boiled down to three things: regular self-care (prevention) to help people feel better, making self-care social by offering new, healthy ways to socialize, and creating intentional environments designed to heal, contrary to the typical designs of hospitals and clinics. Additionally, while building Remedy Place, I have engaged in speaking events worldwide and served as an advisor for a couple of companies. At the end of the day, my goal is to help grow this industry and collaborate on exciting projects with incredible people, all in hopes of accomplishing Remedy Place’s mission: to make people feel better and use our platform to provide free education on self-care.
Remedy Place is pushing the boundaries of what it means to be well, beyond a good diet and exercise. What's the key?
We've always spoken about social self-care because we were its pioneers!—laughs—we've even trademarked it! Our definition of Social Self-Care is the act of deepening human connections and enhancing health through shared experiences. Its growing popularity, I believe, comes from several key reasons: first, people are realizing that typical social activities often negatively impact their health, and they're seeking healthier alternatives. Second, in a world where feelings of isolation are higher than ever, there's a deep craving for genuine human connections, relationships, and community. Third, with each generation, we're observing a decline in alcohol consumption, so people have a need for alternative social activities. And fourth, no one feels good and they simply want to feel better.
How does non-alcoholic drinking play into the culture at Remedy Place...or, what makes us compatible? :)
To start, non-alcoholic drinks are a great substitute! They help transform what was once a toxin into something that doesn't harm people's health. At Remedy, being designed to heal includes considering the psychology behind why we offer certain things. For example, if we're aiming to change how people socialize, and they typically gather at bars, by integrating a bar and lounge into Remedy, we create a familiar environment. The only change is that we've swapped out harmful drinks for healthier alternatives. Often, people just want something to hold and sip on, and that's half the battle. Given this, partnering with innovative, impact-driven companies is a no-brainer for us. At the end of the day, we're all about doing cool things with cool people.
We're always curious about people's journeys with alcohol to date. What does that look like for you?
Over the past couple of years, I have slowly drank less and less! I won't say I 100% gave it up, but I have only had a drink on two occasions in the past 5 months. If there is ever a time and place I want one I will enjoy it, but even that is so rare now. I don't need it, I don't enjoy how I feel after it and I am very cautious of what I put in my body.
Our second week of Dry January is all about the 'recharge'—coming back to our wellspring of energy. What lifts you back up?
My self-care, good people, great conversation, and being in environments that bring out the best in me.
What are you most excited for in 2024?
There is too much to list here, but honestly, Remedy Place is a dream and it has been so much fun building it to date. With that being said, 2024 is a huge inflection point for us and is going to be our best year yet. I cannot wait for the world to see what we have been working on!
Our motto at Boisson is seeing the Glass Half Full. How does Remedy Place allow people to move into this mindset?
For us, understanding the need to feel all emotions is crucial, but how we move past these emotions and react is within our control. Life is challenging, and it's meant to be that way; it's what builds our strength and mental resilience. We get just one life, so we need to be good human beings, make the most of it, and always approach situations with understanding. When you take ownership, work on your happiness, and work hard, you start to realize there's only one way to approach life—having a positive outlook. And when you truly mean it, say it, and think it, you begin to recognize the power of your thoughts and words, and life gradually becomes easier.
