CEO Corner: Perspire Sauna Studio’s Lee Braun on Scaling Wellness Nationwide

Infrared sauna and red light therapy have become highly accessible modalities, available in fitness and wellness facilities around the country at a relatively affordable price for many Americans.

Lee Braun and Perspire Sauna Studio have played a significant role in democratizing this fast-growing corner of the wellness market.

Braun founded Perspire Sauna Studio in 2010, turning it into one of the biggest wellness franchises in the U.S. with more than 80 locations open in cities across the country and over 200 franchise licenses awarded.

Perspire offers full-spectrum infrared (IR) and red-light (RL) in a single sauna experience, combining the benefits of both modalities in one session. Over the next few years, Braun believes the brand will get to around 500 open locations, making wellness even more accessible.

Braun sat down with Athletech News to discuss Perspire Sauna Studio’s impressive franchise growth story, the importance of leading with science in the wellness and recovery market, and why Perspire is poised for even more expansion in the years ahead.

Early days and growth

Lee Braun: I got into construction management out of school, primarily in Las Vegas in and Southern California, working on some multi-billion dollar resort projects like the Venetian and Fontainebleau. I love development, but I was always more interested in human physiology, psychology and self-improvement. I didn’t want to be a personal trainer, but I wanted to help people with wellness at scale.

When we founded Perspire Sauna Studio in 2010, it was on the belief that infrared saunas are incredibly beneficial, but they needed a more prominent place on main street. There are so many long-term benefits from regular infrared sauna use, but people had nowhere decent to go get a private, relaxing, clean and cathartic session. So we went about creating that space. We added red light – which has been growing in popularity over the last several years – in 2021

LB: I was 24 years old in 2010, so we were a pretty scrappy upstart. At that time, nobody really knew what an infrared sauna was, so we had to educate people through our marketing initiatives on why they’re beneficial, why recovery is important and why they should be incorporated into a routine. Back when we were getting started, we were trying to get 25 people a day on the schedule in order to keep the lights on. Once people tried it, 99% of them loved the way they felt. Now we’re doing 100,000 sessions a month, and growing beyond that. So it’s been a fun ride.

LB: We opened our second location in 2015, and our third in 2016. We then said, “We don’t want a fourth location, we want a 400th.” Franchising was the best way to do that. We opened our first two franchise locations in 2018 to great success.

Today, we look for both single-unit and multi-unit franchisees. I think it’s misguided to only look for multi-unit partners. We have great success with multi-unit franchisees who have many different brands in their portfolio, but some of our top performing multi-unit franchisees started out as a single-unit operator with us. I started my journey as an entrepreneur with just one unit. Everyone has to start somewhere.

LB: We focus on creating a simple, easy-to-implement ritual so people can come in two to three times a week – most of the science is based on frequent use. So we make our studios easy-to-access and convenient. We also have an amazing membership program. It all goes back to this concept of getting people to build a habit.

Next, we focus on the individual. We really dial in personalization, not only to create a great experience for our members but also to make them feel remembered and special. We remember people’s names and their preferences, including the temperature they want their sauna set at.

Lastly, we’re science-forward in how we approach the business in everything we do, from marketing to our products and services.

LB: We take great pride in having a director of health and science, Dr. Rachelle Reed, who has been with us for a couple of years. We pride ourselves on being a science-backed organization to build trust (with consumers), communicate accurately and share knowledge. And we don’t want to over-sell. Everything is run through our director of health and science to make sure we’re speaking accurately and that we’re translating things into understandable, relatable benefits for our members.

We’re also working with a prominent university on early research to see how heat therapy improves your sleep, and in turn, activates the functions of the brain that are associated with a reduction in dementia and Alzheimer’s.

LB: Last year, we added “SNØ Shower” contrast therapy, which is a 45-second cold shower that’s incorporated into all of our newer studios. People love the combination of the hot sauna session with a cathartic, cold shower to end it. The SNØ Shower has been well-received as a cleaner, more innovative alternative to a cold plunge, and it fits into the overall simplicity and elegance of what we’re building at Perspire.

LB: We have 83 locations open today, with about 30 more coming online this year in regions all over the country. Our studios perform successfully in a mix of markets, including places like Boise, Idaho, Santa Monica, Williamsburg, (Brooklyn), Omaha, Nebraska and Orlando, Florida. That’s exciting, because it goes to show that wellness is mainstream.

Within the next three years, I see Perspire Sauna Studio in every major metro area in the U.S., with close to 500 open locations.