Columbus Entrepreneur Finds His Next Venture with SweatHouz

During a Peloton ride one day, Columbus, Ohio, entrepreneur Kurt Prosser tuned into a podcast featuring SweatHouz founder Jamie Weeks. As he listened to Weeks describe the benefits of infrared sauna and cold plunge therapy, Prosser was immediately drawn in by the idea of combining health, recovery and wellness into a business.

Curious to learn more, he flew to Atlanta to meet the SWTHZ team and try it out firsthand. After one session, he felt the difference — better sleep, faster recovery and improved energy. That experience confirmed what he already suspected: This was something special.

Now, Prosser is bringing that same passion to Columbus. With his first SWTHZ location open in Pickerington and more on the way, he’s helping others experience the same physical and mental reset that inspired him to join the brand.

1851 Franchise sat down with Prosser to discuss his journey into franchising and plans for the future. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Kurt Prosser: The short version is that I had a digital marketing agency that I sold and was looking for my next thing. I was an avid Peloton bike rider. While I was riding the bike, I was listening to a podcast with SWTHZ founder Jamie Weeks.

He was sharing how infrared sauna, cold plunge and conscious therapy were helpful to his overall health, how he felt better and how he’s going to start franchising this new brand, SWTHZ. I flew to Atlanta to meet the team and try it out, and I immediately fell in love with contrast therapy. The way I felt after that first sauna and cold plunge was amazing.

It made my legs less sore. It made my bike riding better. I felt like I could ride farther.

I had less soreness in my knees. I slept better. I knew I needed to invest.

1851: What did you do before franchising?

Prosser: I was previously a civil engineer. I attended Ohio State to pursue my MBA, and during my time in the program, I decided to start a digital marketing agency to assist small to mid-sized e-commerce stores. I started it in 2013, grew it and then sold it in 2021. It was an e-commerce agency that focused on Google Ads.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Prosser: There are two types of franchises; there are emerging and established franchises. SWTHZ is a new, emerging brand. For me, what I knew about the space and what I learned was that an emerging brand still has a lot to figure out.

They often pivot, change and tweak as they continue to grow. I knew what I needed to do was find a team that I really believed in and was impressed with. The team at SWTHZ is passionate about this industry and health and wellness.

They have passion and excitement that extends not only to what SWTHZ can achieve in the community, but also to the operations and execution portion of SWTHZ. Keeping it simple, keeping it lean, keeping it easily executable and scalable — those are some of the things that they would throw out in those early meetings that I was like, "Okay, this is the type of brand that I can get behind.”

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Prosser: For me, it was the team and the product. There are other franchises like SWTHZ that offer saunas and cold showers. I looked at them. However, as I mentioned, it was the team at SWTHZ that ultimately sold me. That was what I was most excited about — their passion and their ability to execute this model.

I was concerned that with a franchise, I would be boxed into this corner and made to follow the script. But at SWTHZ, the team says, “Oh that's a great idea, run with it. Let’s try it.” I am fortunate to be a part of an emerging brand that has given me the flexibility to jump in and sort of figure stuff out with them alongside them.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Prosser: I’m super excited to grow locally. We opened the Worthington studio in April 2024, the Grandview studio in October 2024, and will open the Pickerington studio in December. We have three more locations that we're working on for 2026 and 2027. We hope to have 10 locations throughout Columbus as quickly as possible. One thing I'm most excited about is that, with 10 studios, we can now have synergies among each studio and do things to really educate the community.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Prosser: We’ve assembled a great team here in Columbus. Our regional manager is a former Orangetheory regional manager with years of experience at Orangetheory and Mount Carmel Hospital. Our studio managers in Worthington, Grandview, and Pickerington also have years of experience working at Orangetheory and Club Pilates. We’re building a strong, passionate team that really understands the history of boutique fitness in Columbus. That experience helps us shape what SWTHZ can become in this market.

SweatHouz is a first-of-its-kind wellness concept offering private contrast therapy experiences with infrared sauna, cold plunge and Vitamin C showers in luxury, technology-forward suites. Designed for recovery, longevity and convenience, SWTHZ uses smart engineering and a membership-based model to make high-performance wellness accessible and effortless. With franchise opportunities available in select markets, SWTHZ is redefining the recovery space — one studio at a time. For more information, visit