Marta Phillips, owner of BlueFit & Massage in Brambleton, Virginia, grew up in Poland in a family of entrepreneurs and studied business before the 2008 economic crisis sent her life in an unexpected direction.

What started as a two-week visit to friends in Scotland turned into two years abroad, when a chance encounter with an au pair advertisement on a quiet evening changed everything. She applied that same night, connected with a host family, and within a few months she said her goodbyes in Poland, and boarded a plane to the United States with little more than a sense of adventure and an open mind.

English was her fifth language, and the road was not easy. But with the support of her husband and a deep belief that immigrants bring a special kind of determination, she pushed through business and massage school at NOVA.

She continued building her credentials, and eventually found her way to Loudoun County, where she was able to run her business out of her home.

What began as in-home personal training and massage sessions grew steadily, and during COVID, when connection mattered most, her practice truly took off. Today, her work spans personal training, massage therapy, energy work, sound therapy, and Reiki, and her schedule stays booked months in advance.

When Beatriz asked Marta about what the Immigrant Business Women’s Circle means to her, she paused, smiled, and admitted that words don’t quite do it justice. She described walking into her first meeting on a day when she wasn’t feeling her best, both physically and emotionally, and being met with so much warmth and acceptance that she left feeling more motivated than she had in months.

No one asked questions, no one judged, and within minutes she felt completely at home. For Marta, the Circle is more than a networking group. It is a sisterhood of women who understand what it means to leave everything behind, build something from nothing, and show up for each other without competition or pretense. She describes the energy in the room when the group gathers as something that shifts to a different level entirely, a feeling she says is nearly impossible to put into words, but one that every woman in the Circle knows the moment she walks through the door.

I’ve always been an A+ student of life, a path that led me from my parents’ farm in Poland to the heart of Brambleton. But my true education began when I realized that fitness isn’t just about pushing harder – it’s about healing deeper.

As a Business Owner, Massage Therapist, and Reiki Master, my path has been a continuous evolution. I started as a personal trainer focused on strength, but I quickly realized that many people weren’t just looking for muscles – they were looking for relief. This sparked a decade-long obsession with the mechanics of recovery, leading me to master everything from deep tissue and spinal reflex therapy to the restorative vibrations of sound healing.