We recently had the chance to connect with Kristen Nicholson and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Kristen, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Thank you for giving me the opportunity! I am passionate about the wellness space and the power of self care. I think a common misconception in the health and wellness industry is that it’s a luxury. At Urban Sweat, we believe that self care is healthcare. We’ve seen far too many guests be impacted by the modalities that we offer to believe otherwise – even if it was an unexpected result. Overall, our modalities offer a reduction in inflammation, which we know is the cause of most chronic disease. We’ve seen major impacts in reduction in stress, improvements in sleep, major improvements in performance and overall metal clarity.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kristen Nicholson and I am the CEO|Founder of Urban Sweat. Urban Sweat is setting a new standard for recovery studios. We are dedicated to transforming how individuals approach their well-being, making proactive care an integral part of everyday life. By expanding our reach and fostering a vibrant community atmosphere, we strive to create a nationwide movement toward enhanced health and longevity through infrared sauna, red light therapy and cold tub services.
I also co-founded Comfort Imaging recently. We are a non-compression breast CT that is an alternative to traditional mammography. We offer non-compression, easy in/out in a spa like environment and reaching so many women who have been afraid of traditional mammography and/or don’t have time to wait for a scan for months like we’re seeing in the market. It’s been a ton of fun and so rewarding to provide this to women who historically would skip this annual scan.
Both brands really focus on proactive healthcare and that’s how we start to shift today’s healthcare, and its outcomes.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I would say that the time I’m in right now, I feel the most powerful in my own skin. I take care of myself physically and I’m nourishing that without playing small. I have honest relationships in friendships and professionally which likely makes me a go to for my people who seek the truth. I feel like I’ve found my voice in other areas of my life and am using it to ask for what I need versus only giving to others. I feel confidence in myself in business knowing that there will be ups and downs (often times in the same day) but everything is figure-outable. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy. I think of feeling powerful as putting in the reps, as practice, as honing a skill until it becomes second nature.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I think you learn more in failure than you ever do in success. Failure often teaches more than success because it forces you to confront your weaknesses, look in the mirror, reflect on your actions, and adjust your approach. When you fail, you’re pushed out of your comfort zone and into a space where growth happens—if you’re in growth mindset, you analyze what went wrong, why it happened, and how to avoid the same mistake in the future. Success can be rewarding, but it doesn’t always offer the same depth of insight; it may reinforce current habits without challenging them. In contrast, failure encourages resilience, grit, adaptability, and critical thinking, making it a more powerful and lasting teacher. I try to offer that opportunity to my team as well by problem solving first on their own. No one ever won in the long run by being handed the perfect answer to every question. That may be showing my age, but I stand 10 toes down every time on that.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Many times I think the wellness industry focuses too much on the luxury aspect. Yes, you want to go to nice, clean, relaxing environment for self care – that’s expected, but at Urban Sweat, we focus on the importance and accessibility of self care because we truly believe that self care IS healthcare. We’ve seen way too many success stories to convince us otherwise. We offer half price session days every week since we’ve been open for almost 4 years. We offer student, military, first responder discounts. We offer introductory offers and we’ve partnered with Truemed so that guests can use and get reimbursed by spending HSA/FSA dollars.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely! I’ve never been one to care what others think of me. Everyone that knows me who is reading this is nodding right now. That doesn’t mean that I’m reckless with that thinking but what’s most important is my relationship and thoughts of myself. I don’t know if it’s my age, the time I grew up in, the challenges I have faced or what, but there’s a certain level of grit you have to have to figure it out on your own without seeking an ‘attaboy’. At the end of the day you have to lay your head on your pillow and know that you’ve given all of the love and effort that you can and poured into those you choose to and to yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.urbansweat.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban_sweat_sauna_studio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/93218572/admin/dashboard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079009389515
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/urban-sweat-nashville-13?osq=Urban+Sweat
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UrbanSweatSaunaStudio
Image Credits
Jessica McIntosh Photography
