Today we’d like to introduce you to Allen Penn.
Allen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Framework started with a pair of milestones in my personal life — turning 40 and bringing home my first child. These two roughly concurrent events shifted my perspective on my health and drove me to create a brand and a business that met my needs and those of others looking for attainable and enjoyable ways to improve and optimize their health.
I started reading about the health benefits of saunas and cold plunges, which are tremendous and well-researched in the scientific literature. However, I had a hard time finding any facilities in Nashville that offered traditional sauna (the only type that gets hot enough to align with the research findings) and cold plunge. The offerings were the opposite of social and communal, and it was super expensive to buy for your home. So, I decided that for my benefit and that of others in Nashville, I would start a brand that would deliver that.
Three years later, we have two locations in Nashville — our Flagship Wedgewood Houston location that was a fit-for-purpose ground-up build of more than 5,000 sq ft fully dedicated to the social and health benefits of sauna and cold plunge, and our newest version — our East Nashville Backyard concept, which is a more focused, outdoor only experience.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course not!
The biggest challenge has been awareness — not just of Framework as a new brand, but the whole concept of sauna and cold plunge as both health and social practices. We essentially have needed to convince folks that we are some version of a ‘new gym,’ ‘new coffee shop,’ and ‘new bar’ all rolled into one! When Framework started, these were very new ideas to Nashville and we’ve been steadily introducing hundreds of people per week to think about these practices as those types of pillars in their calendar (and line items in their budget).
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Framework?
Framework is a pioneer in Nashville’s health and wellness industry as the first studio to pair traditional sauna and cold plunge, to design specifically for a social setting (including large saunas, side-by-side cold tubs and communal lounge area) and the only to offer these experiences outdoors. We originally launched a temporary location in Berry Hill in February 2024 before moving to their current Flagship studio in Wedgewood-Houston, which opened as a combination indoor/outdoor studio in January 2025 and now it’s outdoor only East Nashville Backyard location.
Framework’s 5,000-square-foot Flagship location in Wedgewood-Houston (1411 4th Ave. S) offers indoor and outdoor contrast therapy through seven saunas and 13 cold plunges providing individual and group options. In addition to hot/cold exposure, the Flagship also offers one of the US’ only Tersa SAVA vibroacoustic sound therapy pod and The Café with a selection of non-alcoholic beverages and health snacks.
The East Nashville Backyard transforms a historic property into a purpose-built space for sauna and cold plunge use. Backyard is home to a custom 190-degree Fahrenheit traditional sauna that can fit up to 12 people, four cold tubs at varying temperatures ranging from 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for solo and shared plunges, outdoor showers and ample lounge space for rest and socializing. The outdoor area will host Framework Fitness workout classes (including weekly yoga and more) and special events like weekly Framework Frequency DJ sessions.
Key differentiators of Framework present at all locations include outdoor space, a wide range of cold plunge temperatures to accommodate varying experience levels and preferences, recurring programming like Framework Fitness classes and Framework Frequencies DJ sessions, and an ever evolving offering of awesome health food and drink options from emerging brands.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Philosophically, risk is a function of life. Of course there’s examples about driving your car, but in business risk is often thought about primarily as new ideas, new businesses, and large bets. However, a balancing factor is that inaction can be just a risky — people tend to more often regret the things they didn’t try or do than those they did. As such, I think looking at any decision from both of those ends of the risk spectrum is the appropriate way to make a decision.
For me, it was a risk to take years of my time, money and attention to put into creating Framework. I of course thought it would be successful or I would have taken all that in a different direction, but I also viewed it through the lens of what if I didn’t do this. Would I wonder what I could have created and regretted that? Would I have watched others be the one to bring this to life? Would I wonder what I was capable of in starting a business? Those balancing questions helped me decide to ‘take the plunge’ 🙂
Pricing:
- WeHo: Single Sessions $35 (weekday); $55 (weekend)
- East Nashville: Single Sessions $35 (weekday); $55 (weekend)
- WeHo: Memberships starting at $119
- East Nashville: Memberships starting at $89
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joinframework.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinframework
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinframework
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Framework-Nashville
