Inspiring Conversations with Nick Olson of Hearth Sauna

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Olson

Hi Nick, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a Traverse City native. I left the area in 2010 to open the first Jimmy John’s franchise in the state of New Jersey, and later started a bookkeeping firm to help support Jimmy John’s franchisees. After nearly 8 years on the East Coast, I returned home to be closer to family and fresh water. One of the first things I did back in town was join a new adult social sports league (Grand Traverse Social Sports), which was an incredible way to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. When the owner decided to move downstate for work, I jumped at the opportunity to keep it going, and acquired it with 2 other players from the league.

On the East Coast, I had fallen in love with slacklining and with the community that it brings together. Many of these people also spend time in climbing gyms (including a girl I was dating at the time!), so I found myself in there a lot. When I boomeranged back to Traverse City, I knew that this was the type of project I wanted to pursue, to help build a space that could bring people together around a healthy activity. I got lucky that Kevin Vlach was already pursuing the same goal, and with complimentary skills we partnered up, eventually found a perfect location downtown along the TART trail, and got ELEV8 Climbing and Fitness open in 2021.

As a couple of those businesses show, I’ve always loved helping people gather. Parties, simple gatherings, odd events – it brings me joy to bring people together. When I moved back to Traverse City, I got a barrel sauna for my backyard, and over the years it became a part of many of my interactions: when friends were over the sauna was often a part of our time; business meetings were held in there; and family yard work days would always end with a good cleansing sweat. I realized over time that this was a space I wanted to share with others.

I searched around the states for a company that could help me build what I had in my mind, and eventually convinced Voyager Custom Saunas to build me the biggest unit they’d ever built! We designed it together, and in October 2023 we opened the first Hearth Sauna location down in Grand Rapids. In late March 2024 we added a location at Mt. Holiday in Traverse City, and in August we added another downtown behind ELEV8 Climbing and Fitness. I’ve learned so much this first year and a half of business, but anytime I doubt what I’m doing or struggle with some part of the business, our members and guests are there to remind me how much this space means to them. It’s a haven for mental, physical, and social health. It’s a space to relax, to ground yourself, and to connect with others.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A road? More like a rollercoaster! Most new businesses go through a hard opening period, and mine have been no exception. With Hearth Sauna in particular, we’re taking an experience that’s been around for thousands of years, but presenting it in a novel way. In every city or township or village we try to open a location, each of them has a different city code, master plan, and zoning department to interact with. For the most part, I’m presenting them with a new type of business, and then we have to work together to find out how to fit it into their existing planning infrastructure. It’s not a part of the business that I enjoy (I’d rather be in the saunas, training staff, interacting with customers, etc), so it was hard in 2024 to spend a lot of my time doing that. Now I’ve got a pretty solid game plan in place, so it should be easier working with them as we expand to different cities.

I also had a different name for the business at the start, and was pretty shocked to receive a trademark dispute letter 3 months after opening up our first location! After planning this for months, and living with that name, and spending so much on branding, it felt like a huge blow – I was devastated! But, as with so many problems, I settled down, brainstormed with friends, and figured a way through it. Things are rarely as bad as they initially seem while emotions are high.

We’ve been impressed with Hearth Sauna, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a traditional Nordic sauna and cold plunge experience. We give people a space to enjoy the calming, rejuvenating heat of a wood-fired sauna, and the invigorating benefits of clean, consistent cold plunges. Most importantly, we exist as a 3rd Space for people to gather in person without cell phones and distractions (1st Place, Home; 2nd Place, Work; 3rd Place, where you connect and build community).

Customers book 70-minute sessions on our website, and then when they show up they’re welcomed by our staff, and if it’s their first time they are walked through an orientation so they know what to expect (our FAQ online is helpful too!). During their 70-minute session, they are free to enjoy any part of it at their own pace. Spend some time in the wood-fired, cedar-lined sauna; relax outside in our wood-slab chairs; test yourself in the cold plunges; hydrate; and repeat! It’s all a personal experience, enjoyed at your own pace.

We pride ourselves on being a clean, welcoming environment. After 7 years owning and managing a Jimmy John’s, I love good systems and procedures, and they ensure that our customers get a consistent experience each time they visit.

While we offer single-session passes, our memberships are the backbone of our brand. These unlimited memberships help our guests find real community. We believe that everyone needs more healthy experiences that they can enjoy with others; the US is suffering through a period of profound loneliness as people spend more time working from home, isolated from others, and on their phones. It’s a beautiful thing to find a space where strangers feel comfortable opening up to one another, and we provide just that! It is a space of social, mental, and physical health.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Simply put, I’m a kind person, willing to work incredibly hard, with a solid background in sales and customer service. I’m pretty optimistic and always see the bright side of things, which sometimes bites me in the butt, but in the long run, the connections that I’ve built by being kind to others and helping others have been so valuable!

Pricing:

• $35 – 70-minute session
• $280 – 10-pack of sessions
• $125 – unlimited monthly membership

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hearthsauna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hearthsauna/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-olson-8904b084/