014 - On Taking the Plunge and Shaping the Future of Wellness with Andrew Nehlig of Sauna House

“It was either I build this at my house or I build a company.” – Andrew Nehlig

In this episode, we interview Andrew Nehlig, founder of Sauna House (formerly known as Bada Bastu), a Nordic-style bathhouse located in the South Slope area of Asheville. Sauna House specializes in hot-cold therapy through a unique sauna and cold plunge circuit.

So how did this all come to be?

Almost ten years ago, a friend recommended that Andrew start using cold water baths to ease his sore muscles after playing intense street hockey games. So Andrew decided to start plunging in the non-temperature controlled pool behind his apartment complex in San Francisco. Later on, he discovered an abandoned sauna in the basement of his apartment building and was surprised to find that it still worked. Suddenly, Andrew had hot-cold therapy in his life every day. The benefits were astounding.

Over the years, he simply could not stop thinking about hot-cold treatment. “It was either I build this at my house or I build a company,” says Nehlig. He realized that he was on to something and that other people needed to experience the “relaxation high” he had felt. Thus, the idea for Sauna House was born.

In this episode, here’s what you’ll learn:

• How and why Andrew started Sauna House
• How hot-cold therapy works and why it is good for our health
• Advice for athletes interested in hot-cold therapy
• The process Andrew went through to financially fund his business
• What’s coming up next for Sauna House
• Andrew’s favorite places to go in Asheville

Sauna House opened its doors in the South Slope area of Asheville in early 2019. They offer Hot Cold Relax (TM) therapy, massage treatments, and a unique wellness community.

If you’re wondering what exactly is Hot Cold Relax therapy, you’re not alone. It works like this: you spend 15 minutes in a hot sauna, followed by a quick cold shower rinse and a cold plunge for 3 minutes in a small 50-something degree pool. After that, you simply relax at room temperature for a few minutes. You repeat the circuit two to four times for the best results.

According to many scientific studies, hot-cold therapy has numerous physical and mental health benefits including reducing inflammation, stabilizing mood, improving endurance and athletic performance, and decreasing the likelihood of certain aging diseases. But most importantly, you just feel good after doing it.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Curious to learn more about what we do? Making It Creative is a boutique marketing agency in Asheville. We are dedicated to working with small business owners that are deeply passionate about what they do by helping them build and improve their sales and communication strategies. Learn more here.

For show notes, including some supplementary information from this episode visit: MakingItInAsheville.com/014

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Music by Commonwealth Choir

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