Founder of 28, BRITTANY HUGOBOOM
Revolutionizing The Health & Wellness Industry with her innovative approach to CYcle-Based Fitness & Wellness
Brittany Hugoboom is a visionary entrepreneur and Founder of 28 who has made significant contributions to the health and wellness industry. With a background in martial arts and a passion for fitness, Brittany embarked on a journey to revolutionize the way women approach their well-being. Her inspiring career trajectory reflects her unwavering commitment to empowering women and promoting holistic self-care.
From a young age, Brittany was always extremely athletic; however, her intense training regimen took a toll on her body, leading to back issues when she was just 20 years old. Determined to find a sustainable and effective approach to fitness, she sought inspiration from renowned trainers, discovering the importance of customized workout routines that align with the female body's natural cycles. Brittany co-founded her first company, Evie, and provided valuable insights into the beauty and fashion world. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive approach to women's well-being, Brittany founded her latest venture, 28. Guided by the expertise of top trainers, nutritionists, and doctors, 28 offers personalized fitness and lifestyle programs that take into account the unique fluctuations of the female body. By incorporating cycle tracking and a science-based horoscope model, 28 empowers women to optimize their physical and mental well-being according to their menstrual cycles. Brittany's innovative approach bridges the gap between fitness, self-care, and reproductive health, catering to women's specific needs and preferences. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge and passion for creating positive change has positioned her as a leading force in the industry.
Hi Brittany! How did you begin your journey as an entrepreneur and how did it lead you to create 28?
My husband and I created 28 after hearing so many women struggle with hormonal imbalances. We wanted to create a solution that helped women learn about their bodies and take control of them. No app on the market is a one-stop shop for women so we created one.
Can you share with us how you obtained your expertise in hormone balance, fitness, and nutrition?
I’m a certified functional trainer (from the Gray Institute) and have mentored under Justin Gelband for years, who many regards as the world’s top women’s trainer. He has trained the most iconic supermodels for years, including VS Angels, and many of his former students and clients went on to found companies like Melissa Wood Health, Model Fit, P.Volve, and others. I believe in a functional, rehabilitative approach that emphasizes proper form over intensity. It helped my body heal after I was hit by a distracted driver while walking across the street at a red light back in California and suffered multiple herniated discs. I’ve been studying the impact of hormones and the crucial role they play for years now, and I can’t believe we were not never taught this, because it’s truly life-changing. The first medical advisor I hired for 28 was Dr. Jolene Brighten, who has been a major force in helping women understand their cycles, hormones, and bodies.
As the founder of 28, and a certified black belt, can you explain how you blend fitness and wellness into your company to provide an integrated approach to your clients?
It starts with empowering women with education about their bodies. The most shocking part of this journey is realizing just how little the average woman (myself included once upon a time) knows about their body. It’s estimated that 84% of the world’s women experience hormone imbalances and illnesses, and those manifest most commonly through the menstrual cycle. An improper diet can disrupt hormones. Doing intense workouts during the wrong phase can disrupt hormones. We’ve designed 28 to answer three critical questions for every user on any given day: What’s happening to my body? Why is it happening? And what can I do about it (to make it better)?
Being a blackbelt helped me understand the concept of yin and yang, which is the balance of the masculine and feminine. It’s an important analogy for the menstrual cycle.
In some phases, testosterone dominates. In some phases, estrogen dominates. And those hormone levels affect every part of your life. By understanding them, you can optimize every area - not just your health - including your social life, work, and romance.
For example, yang, the masculine energy, is akin to peak testosterone during your ovulatory phase. It’s the perfect time to take on the world and push yourself to the limit. Yin is the feminine, the softer, more nurturing side. There’s even a type of stretching called “yin yoga” that can help relieve cramps during menstruation.
Women need to know that it’s okay to not be going, going, going. Our bodies were designed in unique ways, and if we want to truly optimize our health, we have to give our bodies what they need, when they need it.
Can you elaborate on what cycle-based wellness is and ways for women to incorporate it into their daily routines & habits?
Cycle-based wellness is the practice of changing your daily workouts and nutrition with the changing phases of your menstrual cycle (there are 4) to balance your hormones.
Most popular fitness methods were designed for men, not women, with no regard for the female cycle and our unique biology. The secret I want every woman to know is that everything changes when you work with your cycle, not against it, which means changing the types of workouts and intensity depending on the phase you’re in. Men have a 24-hour hormone cycle, while women have a 28-day (more or less) cycle. This means we experience major hormone fluctuations throughout the month that men don’t, and that affects everything from our muscles, skin, bones, sex drive, and emotions.
28 takes all the guesswork out of what’s happening to your body, why it’s happening, and what you can do about it. It provides cycle tracking, phase tracking, daily workouts, daily nutrition (including recipes and grocery lists), and science-backed insights that look and feel like a horoscope for all the key areas of your life, only we use hormone science instead of astrology.
It can be a struggle, BUT when your hormones are balanced not only is your cycle more regular and less painful, but PMS decreases, you have more energy, are less stressed, your mood improves, plus you feel AND look your best ✨ that’s the magic of cycle syncing! https://t.co/X8KCEx8Odn
— 28 (@28wellness) June 28, 2023
What do you believe is the most pressing challenge women face when dealing with their hormones?
Hormone imbalance, and not knowing that in many cases you can naturally restore balance. Experts say it’s a leading cause of infertility, PCOS, Endometriosis, obesity, cystic acne, menstrual pain, and depression. Poor education around these issues only compounds the problem. For too long, women have been in the passenger seat of their bodies. Our education system failed us, and doctors mainly prescribed band-aid solutions (like the pill).
How did you develop your 28 personalized fitness & wellness experience?
It started with the understanding that we needed to marry natural science and technology. 28 is entirely custom-built with innovative technology and a patent-pending algorithm that caters to each user’s experience their individual needs. Then we brought in experts across key areas - holistic doctors, hormone experts, functional nutritionists, and top trainers - to produce world-class content that is all designed to work together for the user.
What does the future look like for you as you continue to grow your story with 28?
We’re on track to reach one million users this year, and we couldn’t be more excited by the growth. We’ve heard so many moving stories from women experiencing incredible transformations; one of the most common results is women eliminating period pain almost entirely. As we scale, we’ll be producing more variety of content, announcing exciting partnerships, and increasing our technological capabilities with the power of AI. Ultimately, we’re empowering women to truly take control of their bodies and their health by giving them the tools to fully embrace their nature.
Article Credits
28’s Socials:
Instagram: @28wellness
Tiktok: @28wellness
Website: 28.co
Brittany’s Socials:
Instagram: @brittanymartinez25
Tiktok: @brittanyhugoboom
