Othership Co-Founders Robbie and Emily Bent on Finding Balance and Sanctuary on the Road
Nissan x SHARP
Stepping out of a grey, overcast afternoon in downtown Toronto and into the warm glow of Othership feels like an accomplishment. You’re here. You made it. The space invites you to pause, to take a breath. To understand Othership, you really just need to go, but if you haven’t, think of it as more than a sauna and ice-bath; it’s a spa, it’s a club, and some days it feels like a group-therapy session. And, even in the hyper-competitive wellness industry, Othership’s business is booming. Othership now has two Toronto locations, as well as one in New York, and plans to expand across the U.S. and Canada.
Predictably, however, as their wellness business booms, Robbie and Emily Bent — the husband-and-wife pair who helped co-found Othership — are finding it harder to carve out time for their own wellness.
SHARP partnered with Nissan to speak with Robbie and Emily about how they’re finding balance in their lives, the intention behind the meticulous interior design of Othership, and how driving can provide moments of respite from the daily grind.
Much like the Nissan Murano, which blends calming design with thoughtful detail, Othership is all about making everyday experiences feel extraordinary.
SHARP: What do your morning routines look like these days?
Robbie: We used to have crazy morning routines where we would meditate, stretch, do all these things, and now, with a toddler and a business, there’s almost no time. So, it’s really getting time in these moments between. It might be just stopping for a breath in between meetings, or trying to find time to eat together when we’re ordering something like Uber Eats, or if we go for a drive and just have some music and take a minute in the car.
SHARP: Totally, yes. I mean, some people might balk at the idea of the car as a sanctuary, but it kind of is. It’s a rare private space, a home away from home — the new Murano is built around that idea of a personal driving oasis.
Emily: As simple as it sounds sometimes, with our really busy and overwhelming lifestyle, just taking five minutes to connect and reset in a state of peace in the car makes all the difference. A bit of calming music in the background goes a long way.
Robbie: The car is one of the only places where you’re not looking at your phone and almost not available. So, just going for a drive together can be a nice way to stay grounded. I’ll spend 15 or 16 hours straight doing 10 to 12 meetings and at the end of the day, if I’m driving over to Othership, that might be my only time to relax. So when I turn on the massaging seats in the Murano, it helps me to just kind of let go of all the stresses of the day.
SHARP: Nissan’s design team put a tremendous amount of thought into the Murano’s interior design, from the ambient lighting to the materials, in an effort to make it a kind of sanctuary. Obviously, the same goes for Othership. Can you explain the philosophy behind the materials and design?
Emily: Othership aims to create a container where nothing else exists except the present moment, a space where people can really step away from this hectic city life and reconnect with themselves. So, we care so much that every single detail is intentional and purposeful. Interior design at Othership focuses on creating the most immersive sensory experience possible. We use natural materials like cedar that engage your senses and create environments that feel both grounded and otherworldly. Everything is intentional, from the sight lines that make you feel safe to the hue of the lighting.
SHARP: Yes, the space itself kind of puts you at ease. How can the design of a space affect mood?
Robbie: We’re huge believers in how space impacts how you feel: the smells, the sounds, the sights, and it can really change your day. That happens with all objects in your home, anywhere you’re spending time, and also when you’re spending an hour in your automobile.
Emily: Lighting is such an important element that signals to our nervous system what state to be in. The warm amber glow in our spaces creates this feeling of safety and an immediate shift towards presence and relaxation, whereas blue light can help your body wake up and energize in the morning.
SHARP: Any thoughts on the Murano’s interior design? How does that space make you feel?
Robbie: Yeah, I think I like to look at objects like this as almost having a human personality, and they make you feel a certain way. It’s really, for me, throughout my day, how do my clothes make me feel? How does my desk and my office make me feel? With cars, they almost are like a person or human entity — and the Murano is playful. You know, when I look at the front dash, it really looks like it’s smiling back at me. And so to start my day, I kind of go and feel like I’m with a companion. I think that’s something cool.
SHARP: What about the soundscape, the role of music at Othership? What effect does sound have on mood and stress levels? It’s something Nissan thought a lot about too, with the Murano’s Bose stereo and Active Sound Cancellation.
Emily: Immersive sound is really important to what we do at Othership. It can totally change your state and your mood. Rhythmic sounds often activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The sound of waves, rainfall, or certain music can actually lower your blood pressure and slow down your breathing; conversely, more high-energy music can really shift your state and make you feel more positive and awake.
SHARP: How do you see the wellness space evolving?
Robbie: I think wellness is moving away from traditionally what wellness meant, which was like feeling better, to a really big focus on routines. Wellness is moving from something that wasn’t as fun, to having a real sense of play. And so you’re seeing things like, you know, sauna socials, people doing sober dance parties. As a result, it’s becoming part of many more people’s lives.
Emily: Wellness, I think, is becoming more about moving beyond these scheduled appointments and isolated practices towards a more integrated state, shifting experiences that can fit more seamlessly into your life. It’s not about adding more to your calendar, more wellness activities. It’s about transforming these ordinary moments into opportunities for regulation and presence.
