> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.themeatmafia.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Pete Nelson on Sauna, Cold Plunge and Building SISU - URL: https://www.themeatmafia.com/episodes/pete-nelson-sauna-sisu/ - Published: 2026-11-04T19:55:05.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T19:55:05.000Z - Description: SISU Saunas founder Pete Nelson tells us how months with no sales nearly ended his business, and why he thinks the sauna is really about connection. - Author: Harry Gray - Tags: Cold, Heat & Hormesis, #blog, #episode **By The Meat Mafia (Harry Gray and Brett Ender)** *Pete Nelson spent nearly 10 years in the gym world, as a trainer, a manager and then an owner in Cleveland.* On the side, he and a partner ran a dealership selling another company's saunas. In Ohio, he says, that was a very hard product to sell. Then COVID hit. By his account, they went more than a year without a single sale. In March 2022 they went for a morning trail run. They talked about going separate ways and dissolving the business. Somewhere on that run, the question changed. What if they built their own sauna in Ohio, with simple packages, one or two options and quick lead times? Shortly after, Ice Barrel founder Wyatt Ewing bought two saunas, a day after their first sale. They signed their first ambassador at the CrossFit Games. He says they made eight sales that first month. For Pete, the bigger lesson came from Finland, where saunas are part of everyday life. > "What we're realizing is that the catalyst to sauna is the relationship." ([15:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7OyC32YLmM&t=935s)) > "But they have a shared suffering. They're not on their phones." ([15:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7OyC32YLmM&t=958s)) Below is how he thinks about the sauna, the cold plunge and community. These are his views, not medical advice. If you're pregnant, have a heart condition or take medication, check with your clinician before using heat or cold. [Listen to the full episode](https://share.transistor.fm/s/cae6a9d4) · [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7OyC32YLmM) **TL;DR:** Pete Nelson went more than a year without selling a sauna and nearly shut the business down. One trail run changed the plan. He sees the sauna, and the cold plunge after it, as a healthier way to spend time with friends. His views, not medical advice. **Who is Pete Nelson?** The founder of SISU Saunas and a former gym owner from Cleveland, Ohio. ## Key takeaways - He says he still has to talk himself into the cold every time (03:03). - He says that more than a year without sales nearly ended the business (09:01). - A single trail run turned "dissolve it" into a new plan (10:44). - He sees the sauna as a place for relationships, not just recovery (15:35). - He wants sauna nights to be an alternative to happy hour (22:01). ## The voice that says don't Pete says the cold plunge never really gets easier. His inner voice still says "I don't want to do this," and he goes in anyway (03:03 to 03:25). SAVE & SHARETHEMEATMAFIA.COM [![Infographic titled Heat, Cold, Community, from Pete Nelson on Meat Mafia episode 252: go anyway, simplify, bring people, put the phone away, swap happy hour and keep going.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a7/74/a7746fb4-f95a-43c9-80de-d89d93cfaf68/content/images/2026/11/nelson_card.png)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a7/74/a7746fb4-f95a-43c9-80de-d89d93cfaf68/content/images/2026/11/nelson%5Fcard.png) Heat, Cold, Community, from Pete Nelson on MMP #252\. Tap to open the full-size card (1080×1350) to save or share. ## Sauna as connection He describes how the sauna in Finland works as a social space: people sit together, off their phones, sharing a bit of discomfort (15:35 to 16:02). ## A healthier happy hour He likes the idea of inviting friends for sauna and cold plunge instead of drinks after work, and says the conversations afterward are the best part (21:05 to 22:12). ## FAQ **Who is Pete Nelson?** The founder of SISU Saunas. **Why does Pete Nelson like the sauna?** He sees it as a place to connect with people, off your phone (15:35). **Does the cold plunge get easier?** Not for him. He says he still has to talk himself into it (03:03). ## Related on The Meat Mafia - [Josh Clemente on tracking blood sugar](https://www.themeatmafia.com/episodes/josh-clemente-levels-cgm-blood-sugar/) - [Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on muscle](https://www.themeatmafia.com/episodes/gabrielle-lyon-muscle-centric-medicine/) - [More on Cold, Heat & Hormesis](https://www.themeatmafia.com/health/hormesis/) - [Browse all episodes](https://www.themeatmafia.com/episodes/) **Get the free guide: 100 Books to Transform Your Health.** Join the Meat Mafia email list and we'll send it to you. [Sign up free →](https://www.themeatmafia.com/100-books/) --- *Not medical advice. This post summarizes a podcast conversation for education. The views are the guest's own. Talk to a qualified clinician before you change your diet, supplements or any medication.*