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Episode Summary
In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman sits down with Sierra Blake, Adjunct Professor at Augsburg University and Founder/CEO of Saint Lucie, the company behind the rapidly emerging “sauna serum.” Sierra unpacks the neuroscience, physiology, and cultural anthropology behind sauna and cold-plunge practices—tracing them from ancient rituals to modern wellness movements fueled by COVID-era behavioral shifts. She breaks down her journey “from research to ritual” as she moved from academic study and IRB-approved research design to the creation of a startup at the beginning of a national sauna renaissance. The conversation spans addiction recovery research, business development, community-based entrepreneurship, product innovation, and the sociocultural forces shaping the explosive growth of bathing culture in the U.S. A masterclass in evidence-based wellness meets practical entrepreneurship.
Key Takeaways:
- Sauna and cold exposure have ancient multicultural origins rooted in ritual, community, and spiritual practices.
- Modern sauna growth surged post-COVID due to shifts in health behaviors, isolation, and the search for new third-spaces.
- Scientific research (especially Finnish longitudinal studies) shows significant reductions in all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events—but more controlled studies are needed.
- Entrepreneurship thrives at the intersection of academic curiosity, personal experience, and unmet need.
- The sauna industry in the U.S. is in its early stages, filled with collaboration, idea-sharing, and rapid innovation rather than competition.
- Saint Lucie sauna serum was developed to solve real, unaddressed problems (dry hair/skin during heat exposure).
- Execution—not ideas—is the differentiator between those who succeed and those who don’t.
- Community groups and founder circles play a critical role in supporting new entrepreneurs in emerging industries.
- Behavioral psychology reveals how large-scale events (like COVID-19) permanently reshape leisure, wellness, and consumption patterns.
- “Hustle,” as defined by Sierra, is continually pushing buttons, pulling levers, and doing your best—a process of ongoing experimentation and forward motion.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:47 – The Research Journey
03:30 – First Sauna Experiences
05:15 – The IRB Study
06:45 – Ancient Sauna Origins
09:24 – The Modern Sauna Boom
11:18 – The Finnish Study
14:40 – COVID & Health Behavior Shifts
17:00 – Third Spaces & Bathing Culture
21:00 – The Sauna Economy
23:45 – Creating St. Lucie
26:45 – Product Development
31:00 – First Sales
33:10 – Community & Collaboration
36:45 – Competitors & Market Validation
39:20 – Entrepreneurial Conditioning
44:00 – Founder Mastermind Groups
46:30 – Future of Sauna Culture
49:25 – Pricing & Buying Saint Lucie
52:15 – How to Use the Serum
54:20 – Who Buys the Product
55:30 – Defining Hustle
Guest Resources:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565143112373
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsaintlucie/?hl=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__sierrablake/
Linkedin; https://www.linkedin.com/in/sierracanham/
Website: http://www.shopsaintlucie.com
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