Collaboration Is the New Hustle: Heather Gunn-Rivera on Slowing Down While Scaling
"I’ve always been about quality over quantity, but now at 44, I’m focused on how to slow down while still building. I come from a generation of work, work, work, but this next generation has shown us that it’s possible to do less while still doing more. That’s the work I’m doing now, scaling with more ease, more alignment, and without abandoning myself in the process. I’m also building a network of women professionals I can partner with to expand impact without taking on more alone. Collaboration is the new hustle."
— Heather Gunn-Rivera
After years as the co-founder of Grassroots Fitness Project, Heather Gunn-Rivera knows what it takes to build something that lasts. But what she's most proud of now isn’t just the longevity of her business—it’s how she’s evolving.
Heather is also the founder of Women’s Strength, a progressive strength training program and growing community that centers the whole woman—body, mind, and spirit. Over the past five years, she has built a powerful platform that helps women lift one another while building their own strength. As she continues to expand, her mission is shifting into something even more transformative: scaling with intention and connection, rather than exhaustion.
Now in her mid-40s, Heather is redefining what ambition and growth look like. Rather than going it alone, she’s partnering with other female wellness professionals to co-create experiences, ecosystems, and platforms that serve women on a deeper level. From digital spaces to in-person events, she’s paving the way for collaboration as a growth strategy—not a compromise.
In a culture that still often celebrates burnout as a badge of honor, Heather is choosing a different path: one of sustainable success, community-driven momentum, and inner alignment. Through the Grassroots Fitness Project and Women’s Strength, she’s showing women what’s possible when we stop doing it all and start building together.
Learn more about Heather’s work:
🌐 grassrootsfitnessproject.com
📸 Instagram: @grassrootsfitnessproject