At a time when connections can feel increasingly digital, a group founded in São Paulo is proving that friendship remains a basic human need. The Wellness Girls Club, created by Geovana Garcia, grew out of her own experience of loneliness and has since become one of the largest women’s communities focused on wellbeing and building genuine, real-world bonds.
Today, more than 3,000 women take part actively in the group’s activities. The club runs over 15 events each month across the city of São Paulo and nearby towns. The aim goes well beyond professional networking: it is about forming true friendships, strengthening support networks, and encouraging physical, mental and social wellbeing.
The end of a relationship that led to a fresh start
The concept took shape after Geovana realised she had drifted away from her friends, her family, and even from herself while in a long relationship during the pandemic.
When it ended, she found herself on her own and looking for new places to socialise. Although she came across women’s clubs and meet-ups centred on networking, she felt something was missing-something much simpler: people to share everyday life with.
“I wanted a friend to go to a museum with, to take a class with, to go to the gym with. I wasn’t looking to talk about work; I was looking for connection,” she recalls.
That was when she recorded a TikTok video saying she wanted to meet new women and be part of a group where it would be easy to arrange outings and in-person activities. Alongside the video, she set up a WhatsApp group.
The response exceeded her expectations. In just one week, around 300 women had already joined.
Growth powered by word of mouth
What began as chat between strangers quickly turned into face-to-face meet-ups.
Soon there were picnics, yoga classes, happy hours and cultural outings. Members started inviting friends, work colleagues and acquaintances, helping the community expand naturally.
At the time, Geovana was still running the project alongside a full-time job. For more than a year, she split her time between corporate life and planning events.
But the difference the initiative made for participants became impossible to ignore.
“I’d get messages from women saying they’d found friends, that they were going out again, that they felt welcomed. That showed me a sense of purpose I’d never had before,” she says.
That was the moment she chose to leave her job and devote herself fully to the project.
Three pillars that underpin the community
The Wellness Girls Club was built around three core pillars: physical, mental and social wellbeing.
For that reason, the monthly calendar brings together a wide mix of activities.
There are functional training sessions, hikes, walks, sports activities and short trips. At the same time, the community hosts talks with psychologists, nutritionists and sexologists, as well as book clubs, film clubs, workshops and themed gatherings.
This variety is intentional.
In Geovana’s view, the activities are simply a way to bring people together. The real purpose is to help long-lasting connections take root.
“The events are the means. What matters most are the friendships that begin there,” she says.
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Friendships that last beyond the meet-ups
One of the most striking things about the community is how many relationships continue outside the official schedule.
Members arrange their own outings, travel together, and keep in frequent contact through regional groups.
Some women have been there since the very first meet-ups organised by the club and still attend activities weekly.
The project’s founder says the change tends to happen gradually.
Many women arrive at their first event feeling shy and uncertain. Over time, they begin going to new activities, widen their social circle, and build bonds that become part of day-to-day life.
The events that became the club’s signature
Among the many activities the community puts on, two in particular have become stand-outs.
One is “Brunch with Strangers”. Before the meet-up, participants fill in a form about their personality, interests and lifestyle. Using those details, Geovana matches women into small groups for breakfast with people they have not met before.
The idea has sparked countless friendships and has become one of the community’s most loved initiatives.
Another hit is “Between Glasses and Confessions”, a gathering led by a sexologist in a space reserved exclusively for women.
During the event, topics such as sexuality, relationships, self-esteem, intimate health and women’s wellbeing are discussed openly and without judgement.
According to Geovana, it creates room for conversations many participants have never previously had the chance to experience.
An antidote to modern loneliness
In a city the size of São Paulo-where millions of people cross paths every day without necessarily forming deep bonds-initiatives such as the Wellness Girls Club have become increasingly relevant.
The group offers two ways to take part: by buying individual events or through a monthly subscription, which provides access to themed groups, free meet-ups and discounts on paid activities.
But whichever option women choose, the purpose has stayed the same since day one: to create opportunities for women to meet, talk and build meaningful relationships.
To join in, you simply follow the events posted on the group’s Instagram profile and choose which one to attend, or become a monthly subscriber for R$ 29,90.
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