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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