“It takes a village…!” not only in raising children, but in nurturing strong connections across every part of life. With community, passion, and kindness at their core, and a partnership that balances life and business, Hjalte Emilio Wieth & Julie Emilia Wieth have created a universe of mindful living. The creators of Plugin Heat Club, Copenhagen’s saunagus experience (a dynamic combination of intense heat, cold plunges, and guided breathwork) share their experiences as colleagues, partners and parents - and what’s most important at home.
Please introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about how you met?
Hjalte: I would call us passionate souls. For both of us, it is really important that things are fun, that they can be felt, and that they create value. We’re creators, but also people who love to enjoy life. We actually met on Tinder - completely random - even though I swore I did not use Tinder, since I prefer meeting people in real life. But then COVID hit, and Julie showed up on Tinder, and I basically stalked her until we managed to set up a date. It felt like a lightning strike - I just knew I had to meet her. After that, because of the lockdown, we had 24-, 48-, even 72-hour dates. Today, we have been together for 5 years, and so much has happened: we have built a business, had two kids, got cats, traveled the world, and even lived in Bali for six months.
How would you each describe your partner? In which ways are you different or alike and how do you balance your differences and similarities?
Julie: Hjalte is more practical than I am, and I am not allowed to buy anything unless it is also functional. That is why the FRIDAY sofa received the go-ahead - it is beautiful, functional, and comfortable. Honestly, I could sit on a wooden plank as long as it looked nice, haha.
Hjalte: I believe that we share the same passion for what we do, but our approaches are very different. I am the one who thinks ahead and sets things in motion, while Julie grounds us. She ensures that we remain present, which I can easily forget - even though, paradoxically, being present is part of my work. Perhaps it is because I need it myself, which is why I practice meditation, breath work, and sauna rituals. I am always very much “out-out-out,” while Julie is more intuitive, present, and heart-driven.
Julie: Exactly. I remind us that it is not only about everything we must do and execute - it also has to make sense for the life we have right now, not only what lies ahead. We balance each other so well that I truly feel I am better with Hjalte than on my own. There is so much co-creation and creative energy in our “we.”
Hjalte: We also work consciously with a coach, a therapist, and other external support. Without external support and a focus on personal development, we could not achieve everything we have. Every couple faces challenges, so part of this work is about releasing potential.It can be difficult to express oneself or to truly listen, which is why we set aside time and space to focus on our relationship and family - to reflect on how we want things to be and to reach agreement. Of course, many compromises are part of that. Right now, for example, we want two different things regarding where to live. I would like to move to the countryside, while Julie would prefer to stay in central Copenhagen, where everything is within reach. We know that we will find a solution together, and usually it is in the middle ground that we do our best.
You’re the founders of Plugin Heat Club, a strong community built around sauna sessions and cold plunges. What sparked the idea for creating this unique space?
Hjalte: There is a cascade of a hundred different things, but it all comes down to what we are passionate about, what we have learned, and all the good and bad experiences that we have had. We want to try to bring it all together in one place. This includes thingswe want to move away from, such as stress and anxiety, which everyone struggles with in some way. At the same time, it is about bringing people together around something really exciting. We both come from a life where it was normal to party every weekend - and why was that so fun? It was because people came together, there was music, laughter, and joyful moments. So the idea became: how could we create that same feeling in an even better way? That was the main question.
Julie: And whether we could create it in a strong dose every day - bring people together and give them that feeling of constantly being part of life’s celebration.
You’re raising two daughters while building a business together - how do you find balance between family life and running a growing business?
Julie: I believe it is about maintaining all the good habits we have in our daily lives and together as a family. For example, we remember to exercise and eat healthily, and we spend time outdoors in the sun, enjoying everything we have created together. On top of that, we are surrounded by the most wonderful network - and we have a really good private childcare setup.
Hjalte: Eddy’s daycare comes to our home two out of three weeks, where we have daycare at our place. During those weeks, we save a lot of time while creating a safe environment for the girls, who then go on trips from there. Eddy’s daycare has been a game changer for us. In addition, we have Julie’s mother “employed” full-time, who previously worked as a caregiver.
Julie: We have hired my mother as a “professional grandma.” She comes three days a week, making sure the girls lack nothing while also allowing us to have longer workdays.Hjalte:We do a bit of restaurant work. When others have time off, we are typically working. I am often out in the evenings, early mornings, or on weekends. We rely a lot on our family, friends, and staff, who thankfully love spending time with our girls. Our community and family mean everything to us. I also believe in the traditional approach, like the village structure, where older and younger generations lived together and were interconnected. We have tried to recreate that same feeling in modern life as much as possible.
(continuted below...)
Julie: Our youngest, Flora, was also with us in the office until she started daycare last week, and she loves everyone there as if they were family. The girls generally love coming to the sauna zones, which we also enjoy.
Hjalte:Of course, we also face challenges, and some people may ask questions. For us, it is about having the courage to ask for help and recognizing the strength in doing so. It also means that when we are there, we are fully present and committed.
What drew you to incorporate the FRIDAY Outdoor sofa into the Plugin Heat Club experience, and in what way does it reflect the spirit of your concept?
Julie:
I felt it was very important that the space around us encourages people to sit together and connect, similar to the way a sauna fosters connection. The FRIDAY Outdoor sofa, in my view, does this perfectly. It feels like a little cozy cloud, inviting you to step outside and share a moment with someone, just sitting side by side.
Hjalte:
I believe people naturally want to connect and make healthy choices, and our goal is to make that as easy as possible. It is about designing an environment that encourages these interactions, and we feel the FRIDAY sofa achieves exactly that.
What are you currently dreaming about - whether personal goals or shared visions, big or small?
Julie: I feel like I am living the life I have always dreamed of. My dream now is to expand on everything we already have - grow the Plugin universe and fully enjoy the little family we have built. We have our own small family, but I also feel that our wider circle is part of that family. I feel completely at home with the way things are.
The FRIDAY sofa in our apartment reflects our decor and life choices by…
being flexible, comfortable and aesthetic.
The atmosphere and decor we wanted to create in our home is…
cozy, welcoming, and open enough for play.
To us, home is a place of…
security, love and community.
We’re at our happiest when…
we spend time with our girls, and also when we have a sauna session or a good training session.
A decade from now, we hope that…
we have created a daily life where time can remain an illusion, where we fully enjoy the moment, and where life feels present.
The most important lessons we hope to pass on to our daughters are that…
they always follow their hearts, stand strong in themselves, and remember that community and presence are among the most beautiful things in life.
On our wish list is…
to continue contributing to the creation of ‘the new normal’.
The city we're most excited to return to…
Rome! Hjalte was born there, we’ve dreamed of having our wedding in the city, and it already holds so many beautiful memories for us.
One destination we absolutely want to explore is…
the whole world! But Australia is at the top of our list. Interestingly, people from Sydney have actually reached out to us, hoping we’ll open a Plugin Zone there.
A person who inspires us is…
our daughter, Sommer. She’s endlessly curious, always speaks her mind, and shows so much care for others. She embraces life with open arms in the most wonderful way.
This year, we’re excited about…
to see our youngest daughter, Flora, take her first steps. It’s such an exciting milestone, and before long, we’ll be able to have conversations with both of our daughters.
On Saturdays, you’ll find us at…
one of the city’s many playgrounds, and afterward, we’ll head to a sunny spot for lunch.
For the best self-care experience…
Plugin Heat Club is absolutely the spot.
For kid-free date nights…
we’d enjoy a great concert and then settle in for an early night together.
Our favorite spots in Copenhagen are…
for Hjalte, the Plugin Zone and relaxing at home, while Julie loves exploring the city’s charming cafés.
When we’re with our kids, we love visiting…
the zoo or simply enjoying time at our summerhouse in Asserbo.
