Henrico Small Business Spotlight: Whole Heart Space

Editor's note: This is the first in an ongoing weekly series of articles spotlighting small businesses in Henrico County. Nominate a business for inclusion in this section by clicking here.

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The Whole Heart Space, founded by Rachel Knight, is regarded as a welcoming space in Henrico's West End for prenatal wellness, bringing new and experienced parents into one place to share knowledge and support. This one-stop shop for all prenatal services and care embodies a vision of holistic support for individuals embarking on the journey of parenthood.

Knight created Whole Heart Space to fill a need for a nurturing and safe space within the community of expecting and new parents.

"I had been teaching prenatal in the community for several years," Knight said. "I am super passionate about helping people feel better in a time that can feel kind of anxious or uncertain."

Her personal experience of recognizing a dearth in postpartum support ignited the spark for her venture.

"After having my son in 2021, I noticed a big gap in offerings beyond pregnancy. It's about offering people options that give them support, community, and a space where they feel confident and welcome to be a parent," she said.

Unlike other prenatal services offered within the county, Whole Heart Space’s focus is on the unique needs of expecting and new parents. From prenatal and postnatal classes to inclusive baby and me yoga sessions, every facet of Whole Heart Space resonates with the rhythms of parenthood. "Our space is completely geared around that time of your life," Knight said. "Our offerings are unique and meet you at a very specific time in your life."

As the owner of a newly opened business, navigating the mountains and valleys of small business ownership comes with its challenges for Knight.

"It's really interesting being a small business. I don't have a business background, so it's been a lot of learning as I go," she said.

Financial hurdles, such as high rent and balancing affordability with sustainability, pose ongoing obstacles as well. But coming to terms with these challenges – not only for her business, but for new and expecting parents – is what continues to push her to create an accessible and supportive space for her community.

“I want to be an accessible space, and oftentimes that means not charging people an arm and a leg during a time when they're already spending a lot of money buying new things," she said.

Choosing Henrico County as the home for Whole Heart Space was a natural decision for Rachel, who has deep roots in the Richmond area.

"I moved to Richmond right after graduating college and have been here ever since. Richmond has become my home, and it's cool to have a space where I'm able to give back to my community," she said. “I get a lot of people coming from downtown and Southside as well. So it's really cool to be able to pull in a lot of people to Henrico County and to be a space that just feels really comfortable for them. I think that's one of the things that I appreciate about Henrico. I think it just makes people just feel really welcome.”

Knight cherishes the heartfelt connections that are formed within the walls of Whole Heart Space.

"Some of the coolest moments have come from the feedback I've gotten from the community," she said. “I think the best part is when people have their babies and they email me letting me know that their babies are here and just sharing how much the space meant to them and how much they thought about it during their labor and how much they can't wait to come back and be with everybody."

These exclamations of joy are, to Knight, a testament to the vision that Whole Heart Space works to share with its community.

In the words of one grateful visitor, "This special space supports families in all stages through yoga, movement, and support groups. There is something so unique about entering this studio, and the facilitators here are all incredible. We are lucky to have such amazing support here in Henrico."