Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep # 150 Building Wyld + Well: Yoga, Pilates, And Infrared In Wyckoff
Looking for a wellness space that fits real life instead of rearranging it? We sat down with Kiara Scher, the new owner of Wyld + Well in Wyckoff, to unpack how a former Manhattan PR pro built a calm, modern studio that actually works for parents, professionals, and anyone craving mindful movement without the all‑day sweat commitment. Think non‑hot yoga, Pilates, restorative and yin, plus an infrared sauna and optional red light therapy—all tucked above Superjuice Nation for an easy, health‑minded flow to your day.
Kiara shares the winding path that shaped her vision: years launching fitness brands in the city, a pandemic pivot to a women’s wellness platform, and a season in the Cayman Islands immersed in prenatal support and true community. Those lessons surfaced in every choice—offering formats you can take while pregnant, focusing on small stabilizing movements in Pilates, creating a no‑phone policy to protect attention, and designing a sanctuary feel with thoughtful merchandising and events. We talk about why marketing should lead, not lag: partnerships, positioning, and experience design are what turn a studio into a neighborhood anchor.
We also dig into recovery as a pillar, not a perk. Infrared sessions and red light therapy help with inflammation, sore muscles, and skin rejuvenation, and they pair naturally with slower practices that calm the nervous system. Add in a $49 two‑week intro offer, simple booking via Mindbody or the Wyld + Well app, and a location at 637 Wyckoff Ave that’s easy to find—enter through Superjuice—and you’ve got a studio built for consistency. If you care about accessible wellness, community events, and smart, modern programming that respects your time, this conversation will give you ideas and a clear next step.
Subscribe for more local stories, share this with a neighbor who needs a reset, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Then tell us: which class or recovery session are you booking first?
Wyld + Well
Kiara Scher
201-961-9641
hello@wyld-well.com
wyld-well.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together.
Doug Drohan:Here's your host, Doug Drohan. Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast. I am your host, Doug Drohan, and the owner of the Bergen Neighbors Media Group. Today I have the pleasure of having Kiara Scher join us. Kiara is the brand new owner Wyld + Well Wellness Studio based in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Kiara, welcome to the show.
Kiara Scher:Thank you so much for having me.
Doug Drohan:Yeah. So, you know, you just had a soft opening on third on Saturday, I should say. It's about to say Thursday on Saturday. Um you know, you you don't come to uh you know the suburbs, you're like you're you're previously uh before starting this this business, you were a Manhattan, New York City-based uh business, right? I mean, were you in the wellness industry before starting Wyld + Well?
Kiara Scher:Yeah, so I have been in marketing and uh public relations for almost two decades. Um I had my own PR firm in the city um prior to COVID for 12 years, where I focused on primarily health, wellness, and fitness brands. So opening multiple studios, rebranding studios across the city and Brooklyn, um, as well as um direct-to-consumer uh products in the wellness space. So um I moved to Bergen County a year, almost a year ago with my little family. Um I have a two-year-old and a nine-month-old. Um and uh yeah, and I was looking for my next thing and um we can yeah, we can talk about it.
Doug Drohan:Yeah. So how do you go from PR and marketing to your newest thing uh being opening a wellness studio, which let's talk about what that includes. It's yoga, it's Pilates, it's an infrared sauna, um, mindfulness classes, or or am I covering everything?
Kiara Scher:Or yeah, yeah. Um the whole gamut. Um, yeah, so basically um I've always been passionate about the wellness space. Um, and my husband is super passionate about longevity um as well as yoga. And um during COVID, after I shut down my PR business, um I built actually a wellness and fitness platform for women. It was called Be Revolutionary, um, and where I basically had thousands of hours of content from women across the US within my network from all of my years of marketing um to create content from within their home so that people could follow along and work out and follow nutrition and um mindfulness. Um and then yada yada, I had two kids. I got married and um we moved to, we actually took a break and moved down to the Cayman Islands for a year um before moving to Bergen County, um, where I discovered a lot of, I was pregnant at the time and I discovered a lot of prenatal um classes there, as well as prep to push classes and um a lot um focusing on mom community. Um so I basically wanted to start more of a community space wherever I was living. Um we moved back to the city for a year. Um I built a um community called the Mom Village, which then led me to doing wellness and fitness classes for new moms in the city where I was living on the Upper East Side. And then we moved last year to Wyckoff in Bergen County, and I had my son, and I was having a really hard time meeting people, as you do when you move to a suburb after living in the city for almost two decades. Um, and um I reached out to the owner, Carrie Elkin of Superjuice Nation. She had a space above the smoothie shop where, you know, I she was hosting one-off yoga classes here and there. And I basically pitched her and said, Hey, do you have someone running it up here? Um, and we started talking and having meetings, and it turned into, you know, why don't you come and build something up here? Um, and along with my husband and um and I, we created wild and well, um aligning both of our passions. And yoga has always been a passion of mine, um, where I have found more of balance and grounding every time I come back to yoga. Um, and I got certified during COVID. Um, and so this opportunity was enabling me to kind of marry my two passions of you know, mark business marketing in the wellness space and my passion for the actual yoga. Yeah.
Doug Drohan:Right. Okay.
Kiara Scher:Yeah.
Doug Drohan:So um when you say you built a community, you had a community, those are virtual communities. It wasn't like you had a space in Manhattan or they were all virtual.
Kiara Scher:Um, and then I would create meetups. So I would partner with um different um workout spaces to and studios to basically host mom events. And so that kind of has always been a passion of mine as well to build community, grow community. People are drawn to where they can meet other people with like-minded habits. Um, and so you know, this was kind of the perfect opportunity to bring that a little taste of New York City to Bergen County.
Doug Drohan:Yeah, you know, they don't have any dad meetups. I'm just thinking about that. Like there's plenty of mom meetups, and it's not like you know, nowadays men work from home. There could be a dad meetup with their kids. Totally. You know, it's like women are well, women are generations ahead of men when it comes to socializing. You know, uh, and I'm not gonna get too deep into it, but maybe it's related to yoga and mindfulness. But you know, men, uh there aren't too many men support groups out there, and as a result, there's some issues that uh men, once they get into their 40s, have, you know, that they don't really have the support or the societal norms to share their feelings. Um, but I think just having a dad meetup group would be cool. That's doesn't involve beer and uh and bars or uh, you know, right. But anyway, so I want to go back real quick because I've I've met a lot of people who moved to Bergen County, um you know, to the suburbs. Very few people came from the Cayman Islands, though. Yeah, like you went from New York City to the Cayman Islands. Um, I don't want to dig into your criminal past of like what you guys were watching. But uh how did you why the Cayman Islands?
Kiara Scher:Um, so a lot of my family actually live there. My brother lives there with his wife and his son. Um aunt and uncle live there. My brother's wife's family have been living there since the 70s, um, going in between the US and the Cayman. So um they're very um they're very involved there with development. And um, so we decided to take a break for a year while I was pregnant and I had my daughter there.
Doug Drohan:So it was nice. Yeah, that's great.
Kiara Scher:Yeah.
Doug Drohan:So it seems like you've had an entrepreneurial spirit um, you know, kind of in your bones for a long time. Um what I mean, I know we're early days, you haven't really had your heart opening yet, but what has this journey been like for you so far? Uh you have the marketing background, which I think is a huge advantage to most business owners that I meet because marketing is the last thing they think about. Um, you know, they're experts in yoga, they're experts in being a doctor or a dentist or a plumber. Uh, they know nothing about marketing. Uh, I had the luxury of coming to your space last week and you have merchandising already, you've got you've got branded weights, and um I think uh obviously, you know, you're thinking longer term, yeah, you know, a lot bigger than just having a studio with some yoga mats. But what has this been so far? And being the mother of two young children, right? You're juggling that trying to start a new business. So, what's it been like so far?
Kiara Scher:Um, the lead up has been really fun, actually. Um, it's been really fun to take on a project from um not just a marketing perspective for a client, but for our own brand. Um, and you know, we basically gut renovated the space. My husband GC'd the whole project. Um it was um really fun to also partner with Superjuice because of their pre-existing um, you know, following and to be able to collaborate and kind of build community with them is has been really great. Um, also I'm learning a lot about um small town and what the people want here. Um, a lot of the young people um here in Bergen County are kind of they're craving that um that modern um studio feel. And that's kind of what I've been hearing from a lot of the people my age and and and mothers and um parents, you know, they they are craving a space that they can go to and kind of feel that zen um and that modern vibe where they have access to different brands and collaborative brands. And this is something that I've kind of always had to think about when I was marketing other um clients. So I kind of, you know, I know marketing always comes last, but it should actually be first because it's something that, you know, you're always gonna rely on to get your business off the ground. You're always gonna rely on it throughout the journey of your business. Um, and I believe that marketing is really the core to um to get the word out about your your company, whatever that might be. Um so um, yeah, so I'm very lucky to be able to be able to do this myself and um and kind of you know lean onto social media, lean onto um my new network, like someone like you, um, that I'm so glad that we've connected. And um, you know, I feel like um being in such a small town, it's it's it's nice to kind of get the word out in a different way than just word of mouth.
Doug Drohan:Yeah, and I think teaming up with, you know, location-wise, but superjuice, obviously, people who go in there are choosing a healthier um nutritional choice, you know, with with juices and things like that. So you've kind of got a a built-in audience in some ways when they come in and they say, Oh, there's a studio upstairs, you know, it kind of makes sense to uh have the two. It's not like you're upstairs from McDonald's, right?
Intro/Close:That would work.
Doug Drohan:Yeah. So let's let's talk a little bit more about um, you know, what you offer at the studio because you do have, you know, you're not just a yoga studio. Yeah.
Kiara Scher:Yeah. And I think our goal was to offer something different than most yoga studios in Bergen County. Um, we when I moved here, I didn't, I wasn't able to find a studio that was not hot yoga. Um, I've noticed that majority of the studios within the area are hot yoga. And um, you know, there's multiple factors with hot yoga. A, if you're pregnant, you should not be doing hot yoga. It's not good for you. Um, and that's the place that I was in when I moved. Um, and B, if you're living in Whicof, there is not one yoga studio in the town. Um, you have to drive, you know, two, 15 minutes either way to Glen Rock, Mawa, Ridgewood to go to a studio. And most of them are hot. And also, um, it's a commitment um when you're going into a hot yoga studio. Um, you especially as a woman, you kind of revolve your entire day around washing your hair. Um so with coming into a studio that's not hot, you can get on with your day and you're not, you know, dripping sweat and have to go home and and shower and change. So um, yeah, so that was one of the reasons. And um we added Pilates as well because I believe Pilates and yoga are a great combination. Pilates is actually, you know, on top of how amazing it is, and it's been around for so many years, um, hundreds of years. Um, I feel that Pilates is a huge trend right now, especially for women. Um, men I'm seeing are slowly jumping on the bandwagon because not only is it um strengthening, but it really helps with the tiny movements with the weight training and adds to whatever workout mix that you um are currently doing. And then we have um restorative yoga and yin, which are very grounding and slow flowing uh yoga practices where you know you are in certain poses for an extended amount of time and it's more of like a moving medician. Um and then we have the infrared sauna that will be up and running by next week where we are doing infrared sessions. Um you can come in for 40 minutes or less. Um, and you can drop in, you can buy a package, you can buy a gift for somebody for the holidays to come in. It's very good for your inflammation, for your skin, your skin and cell rejuven regeneration. Um, it's also good for um sore muscles, tension. Um, and then we have an add-on for called red light therapy, which is also really great for your skin as well as um your um inflammation.
Doug Drohan:Somebody I was talking to today who's a builder, you know, Bill Holmes, he uh had some medical issues, uh PSA count was high, did some red light therapy, and uh his numbers got kept continuously getting lower through us. So I don't, you know, we're not gonna get into the whole science of it, but it's amazing. Like the I think there have been clinical studies showing the the benefits of infrared and red light therapy. So that's great. Yeah. I mean, um but do you sweat like talking about taking a hot yoga class? If I go in there, am I gonna have to go home and shower when I'm done, or can I do that and then get on with my day?
Kiara Scher:You are. I mean, if you book the infrared session, you you will sweat. Um, and that's you know, one of the benefits is you're releasing the toxins. Um, but it's also a chill out time for you to literally sit in the warmth of a sauna with the red light and listen to music or meditate um and just take a break from your phone because your phone will literally stop working in the heat. Um, so yeah. So I think that if you're going to book a session, make sure you can either go home and take a shower or you know, come late at night so you're going home straight to bed because you will sleep a thousand times better with after taking it.
Doug Drohan:Yeah, I could definitely use that.
Kiara Scher:Yeah.
Doug Drohan:Yeah. Um, no, I mean it's it's uh it's I'm always impressed by people that take that that uh risk and that lunge or plunge, if you will, into uh entrepreneurship and and starting a business. And and in your case, as you mentioned, there, you know, people in Wyckoff have to go 10-15 minutes for a yoga studio, but they don't have to go that far to go to a gym or do something fitness related. So, you know, you you definitely opened in uh a competitive space, but you know, you bring a lot to your um, you know, I think your experience, you bring a lot to the to the experience of wild and well, and why it, you know, it's gonna be a big boost to the community. And I also, you know, like the word community means a lot. And I think one of the reasons why boutique gyms have exploded in the last decade or so, whether it's CrossFits or you know, soul cycles and things like that, is because you feel like you're part of a community. You know, it's not the big box gyms where you go in and work out and you know, grunt a bit and leave. This is your in-it together kind of thing. And uh the wellness journey is something that um I also feel like people are just more aware of these days, you know, like you, you're a mom of two and you know, you need to take care of yourself.
Intro/Close:Yeah.
Doug Drohan:And uh, but it needs to be convenient and it needs to be something that you can, you know, get there easily and and come back. And but while you're there, you're on a break. And um, you know, I think it's a great addition to the to the neighborhood.
Kiara Scher:Thank you. Yeah, um, I also wanted to be able to kind of lend that space to people to kind of come in and take a break and and not be on their phones. We have a no-phone policy in the studio, um, obviously, unless there's an emergency. But um yeah, I really wanted to create a zen warm space for people to come and meet like-minded people and also to connect with other female founded brands in the community um and work with each other and have community events. Um, we're gonna be doing a holiday, um, a holiday boutique at the studio um on December 11th. Um, so we have a few brands that we're working with to come in and do some, you can come and have some holiday shopping within our space. Um, so yeah, the goal is the goal is surrounded by community.
Doug Drohan:Well, hopefully you can come to my event on December 10th.
Kiara Scher:Yeah.
Doug Drohan:That's gonna be in Cloister, New Jersey, so on the other side of Bergen County. But uh I'm having a holiday client appreciation event. Um, but maybe we could probably team up and do something just for Wyckoff at some point.
Kiara Scher:Yeah, absolutely.
Doug Drohan:So so let's talk. So uh how do people where are you located? How do they book a class? And speaking of booking a class, do you have memberships or can you just do drop-ins? How does that work?
Kiara Scher:Yeah, so we are located um at 637 Wyckoff Ave. We are in Wyckoff Shopping Center above Superjuice Nation. So you enter through Superjuice um to come upstairs to our sanctuary. Um, and then you can find us at Wild and Well, New Jersey. So it's at on Instagram, Wyld W Y L D and Well N J. So that's our Instagram handle. Um, our website is wyld-well.com. Um, and you can book through Mind Body um platform. We are on there, and we also have our own app. So in the Apple store, you can go and download the Wild Plus Well app. Um, and all of our classes are on there. Um, we have a special right now for new members to um do a two-week unlimited um for $49. You can come and try all the different classes for $49. Um, and then we have different class packs, we have monthly memberships, and we also have drop-ins for both the sauna and for the classes.
Doug Drohan:Okay, that's great. That's great. Great deal, $49 for uh to try it out.
Kiara Scher:That's yeah, yeah.
Doug Drohan:Well, Kara, this was great. I really appreciate you sharing uh, you know, your story, and and we're looking forward to hearing more about Wyld + Well. And um, yeah, this was great. Thank you for being a guest on the show.
Kiara Scher:Thank you so much for having me.
Doug Drohan:Absolutely. We're gonna just have a uh a little music take us out, and you and I will be right back.
Kiara Scher:All right.
Intro/Close:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergen.com. That's gnpbergen.com or call 201 298 8325.