
Jamie Weeks, one of the only operators to scale 100+ units both as a franchisee and as the founder of a franchise brand, partners with Beachbody co-founder Jon Congdon to build — and franchise — a new wellness category
ATLANTA, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Founders Row, the Atlanta-based brand incubator and operating studio led by founder Jamie Weeks, today announced a partnership with Morphus, co-founded by Jon Congdon, to launch better.states, a daydream studio introducing a new category of wellness: a physical destination and community for brain health and intentional rest.
better.states brings several pathways to rest under one roof — meditation, breathwork, daydream journeys, instructor-led sound baths, late night silent discos, and digital psychedelic journeys. Its promise to guests is simple: "We take your phone. You take your time."
At the heart of the studio is the LayFlat portal, powered by Morphus's proprietary technology, co-developed with Weeks, and exclusive to better.states in the studio channel. Each 45-minute journey combines synchronized light, sound, and vibration to guide guests through digital meditation, daydreaming, or a digital psychedelic experience — no substances, only sensory immersion. Guests choose from 48 journeys, each built around an emotional intention, paired with a curated artist soundtrack, and bookended by breathwork.
Phones are secured in locked pouches on arrival. Guests may arrive up to an hour early to settle into the candlelit lounge, which serves a nonalcoholic menu of nootropic and adaptogenic beverages. All better.states studios will be designed by Creative Director Alexander Díaz Andersson, founder of the award-winning Mexico City design studio ATRA, winner of Design Miami's Curio Best in Show and a Gold A'Design Award, whose work has been featured in Wallpaper, Architectural Digest, and Vogue.
"I used to love to daydream — in school, in the backseat the car as a kid, anywhere I could daydream, I would. Now the problem is simple, nobody daydreams anymore. Every empty minute now gets filled with a scroll," said Jamie Weeks, Founder and Managing Partner of Founders Row. "There's a network in your brain called the default mode network that only lights up when you're doing nothing. It's where memory gets filed, ideas connect, and the mind finally does its own housekeeping. At better.states, the room and the LayFlat portal do the work — light, sound, and vibration take you into the daydream and meditation states. The goal of every better.states session is simple: get present, rest the brain, and get in touch with yourself at that exact moment. We don't need another app. We need silence and time away from the screens."
Weeks previously built the largest Orangetheory Fitness franchise operation in the world. He sold a majority stake to private equity in 2017, then scaled the business to 142 studios before leaving in 2021 to lead SweatHouz, the contrast-therapy brand he founded in 2019. SweatHouz has since grown to more than 100 open locations, and Weeks sold majority ownership to private equity in 2022.
His better.states technology partner, Jon Congdon, previously co-founded Beachbody, the company behind P90X and a leading at-home consumer fitness brand in the United States.
"Beachbody proved that millions of people will commit to a program that changes their health, longevity, and how they feel," said Jon Congdon, Co-Founder and Chairman of Morphus. "better.states points that same conviction at the one thing modern life refuses to give people: rest. Jamie builds category-defining wellness brands. Morphus builds the experience that powers the journey through scientifically driven Light, Sound and Vibration — in the studio and at home. That's the partnership."
The Science of Daydreaming
Research on the brain's default mode network links this state to creativity, memory consolidation, and emotional processing — the kind of unstructured inward time modern life rarely allows. "Every wellness wave so far has been about doing more — train, track, optimize, biohack. This is the first one focused on slowing down, disconnecting, and doing nothing," said Jess Yuan, Partner at Founders Row. "You tried the apps. Now try the room."
Building the Next Generation of Consumer Brands
better.states is Founders Row's fourth in-house incubation this year, following LiftHER, Baking Social, and All Day Pilates. Founders Row expects to announce two additional founder partnerships in early 2027. Four better.states studios are planned for 2027, beginning with corporate-owned flagships in New York City and South Florida. Founders Row plans to franchise better.states, with a smaller-format Atlanta studio serving as the prototype for franchise partners. Prospective franchise partners can learn more at betterstates.com.
About Founders Row
Founded by entrepreneur and operator Jamie Weeks, Founders Row builds and backs founder-led consumer businesses as an Incubator, Advisor, and Investor: building new brands from the ground up, advising exceptional founders with platform-level support across strategy, operations, and growth, and investing alongside them. Headquartered in Atlanta. For more information, visit foundersrow.co.
About Morphus
Morphus is the company behind the Morphus Lounge and the LayFlat portal, powered by proprietary VLS Technology™ that synchronizes vibration, light, and sound to guide the body and mind into meditative, restorative, and elevated states. Through Induced Meditation®, users can improve sleep, relieve stress, and sharpen focus, in-studio or at home. Just one session can help you disconnect from the stress of daily life and emerge feeling refreshed and focused. Co-founded and chaired by Beachbody co-founder Jon Congdon, Morphus sits at the intersection of design, neuroscience, and future wellness technology. Visit morphus.io.
Media Contact:
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Eleven11 Media Relations
SOURCE Founders Row
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