Meet Mia Zifkin

We were lucky to catch up with Mia Zifkin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mia, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I think my resilience is something that’s been shaped by both nature and nurture. Growing up, I saw my family struggle financially, but I also witnessed my dad break glass ceilings and achieve incredible success through relentless work ethic and resilience. My mom was the steady force behind it all, showing me compassion, grit, and the ability to keep moving forward even when the future felt uncertain.
Later, when I pursued acting, I went through years of rejection—doors closing over and over. But those years taught me something invaluable: I wasn’t just chasing the need to perform, I was seeking something deeper—human connection, authenticity, spirit, and love. That realization was a turning point.

It’s what led me to my path now with Firefly Wellness and Fitness. I wanted to create something that brought people together in an intentional way—where movement, wellness, and community could be a catalyst for connection. What I had once searched for on stage, I now cultivate in real life through experiences that inspire people to connect with themselves and with each other.

And becoming a mother has deepened my resilience more than anything else. I want my kids to see, through my own journey, that their dreams have meaning and purpose. That the things that light them up are their gifts to this planet—and those gifts are worth pursuing with curiosity, authenticity, and courage.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am the founder of Firefly Wellness and Fitness, a concierge wellness brand that creates elevated wellness programming, events, and retreats for luxury residential buildings, hotels, and social clubs. My background spans over 15 years in fitness and hospitality—from teaching at NBC Universal, Exhale Spa, and The Setai in New York, to now building experiences that fuse movement, mindfulness, and human connection.

What excites me most about Firefly is that it’s not just about fitness—it’s about creating spaces where people feel truly seen, connected, and inspired. We use movement as a catalyst, but the real transformation happens in the relationships, the community, and the shared energy of these experiences.

Right now, I’m especially excited about several upcoming projects. On August 16th, I’m hosting our second Padel Haus Wellness Market in Nashville—a dynamic event that blends high-energy fitness classes, curated wellness activations, and premium vendor experiences, all within a luxury social club setting. I’m also curating the Sacred Reset Retreat, which is currently in the process of finding its perfect home. This retreat will be focused on nervous system healing, longevity-based fitness, and personal transformation.

Beyond that, there are several exciting developments in the pipeline—expansions into new cities, strategic partnerships with wellness brands, and more immersive events that continue to push the boundaries of what wellness experiences can be. At its core, Firefly is about sparking connection—within ourselves, with each other, and with the greater purpose that fuels us.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

First, discovering yoga completely shifted my life. It helped me understand myself through movement, breath, and meditation. And I’ve learned that when things get hard—really hard—if you just start moving and breathing, something unlocks. Your intuition kicks in. You start to understand why certain things have happened, how you’re going to move through them, and what you can create from that experience.

Second, owning a brick-and-mortar business taught me more than I ever expected, especially about accounting. It’s not the glamorous side of entrepreneurship, but it’s the backbone of every business. When you really understand how money is being used, where it’s going, and how it’s coming in, you can start to see it as a tool. That kind of clarity lets you make smart, intentional choices that keep your vision alive.

And third—being a mother. That’s the most rewarding and humbling role I’ve ever had. It’s expanded the way I see humanity by about ten times, and it’s made me hyper-aware of my own shortcomings—the things I might never have noticed if I wasn’t a parent. But it’s also given me a drive and a fire that nothing else could. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do, no mountain I wouldn’t climb, in the spirit of prevailing for my kids—protecting them, fighting for them, and showing them what’s possible.

If I had to give advice to someone just starting out, I’d say: find something that not only lights you up but keeps you curious. Ask yourself: What’s missing in the thing I’m passionate about? Sometimes it’s not about reinventing the wheel—it’s about finding a different way to spin it so it reaches and connects with the most people.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m really looking for long-term partnerships—not just a single event where we show up once and are never seen again. My goal is to help curate wellness and fitness programming that truly shapes a community over time.
That means working with luxury residential buildings that want to offer more than just a gym in their amenities. It means collaborating with commercial buildings and tech companies that are serious about supporting their employees’ mental and physical health—helping them avoid burnout, increase productivity, and feel genuinely cared for.

I also love partnering with social clubs that need more than a Saturday yoga class—clubs that want an ongoing wellness program designed to support personal development, mind-body fitness, body transformation, and even bio-hacking for optimal living.

And for hotels, it’s about enhancing the guest experience through wellness while also attracting more local business. Wellness can be a powerful tool to support a hospitality program, making it not just an amenity but a revenue driver and a way to build brand loyalty.

I’m open to working with partners in any of these categories—whether they’re already well-established and looking to elevate what they offer, or they’re at the very beginning of development and want a true wellness partner and provider to help bring their vision to life. While I’m happy to create singular, high-impact events, I’m really in it for the long run—think of me as your “wellness wife,” here to nurture, grow, and sustain a thriving wellness program that continues to deliver value year after year.

If that sounds aligned, I’d love to start a conversation. The best way to connect is through the Firefly Wellness + Fitness website| www.firefly-fitness.com, on Instagram @_fireflyfitness_ or @themiasimone, or by email | [email protected].

From there, we can brainstorm, co-create, and build something that’s not just impactful in the moment—but transformative for the long run.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Lisa Versano or Coconut Dolly

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