Episode 49 — Brett Newman, Newman Sauna Co.: Turning a Garage Hobby Into a Custom Wellness Business

When AI wiped out the translation business Bret Newman had spent 15 years building, he didn't panic — he already had the next chapter waiting in his garage. In this episode, Bret, founder of Newman Sauna Co., joins Kevin to share how a DIY cold plunge he built to recover from ACL surgery turned into a thriving custom sauna and cold plunge studio in the Colorado foothills.

Bret walks through what makes his approach different: fully custom, offsite-built units that spare homeowners the mess of a construction zone, a guided design process that takes the fear out of "custom built," and a deliberately small, community-driven business model that runs almost entirely on word of mouth. He and Kevin dig into why saunas and cold plunges have exploded in popularity — the health benefits, the forced disconnect from screens, and the "third space" community aspect that Brett believes matters most.

Bret also gets honest about the harder side of the story: losing a business to AI, wrestling with imposter syndrome, and his cautious, side-hustle-first philosophy of taking chances. He shares where he wants to take the company next (think mobile saunas and community wellness spaces) and offers grounded advice for anyone sitting on a hobby they're afraid to bet on.

In this episode:

• How a post-surgery DIY cold plunge became a business
• Losing a 15-year translation career to AI — and pivoting fast
• Why "custom built" isn't as intimidating (or stressful) as people fear
• The offsite-build model that keeps the mess out of your backyard
• Sauna and cold plunge culture: health, performance, and community
• Staying small on purpose: word-of-mouth over scaling up
• What's next: commercial work, wellness spaces, and mobile saunas
• Advice for turning a hobby into a living

Find Bret & Newman Sauna Co.: on Instagram — search Newman Sauna Company and send a message to start the conversation.

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