Entrepreneur Kristen Nicholson left a 22-year corporate career to build Urban Sweat, a luxury wellness studio offering infrared sauna, red light therapy, and cold plunge.

The decision built over years. What pushed her over the edge was when in 2022,

“I heard three times in one day that I should bet on myself.”

She later acquired a multi-site sauna studio and also co-founded Comfort Imaging, a center delivering non-compression, gravity-based breast CT for pain-free, high-clarity imaging.

We discuss the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship (why it feels like a cold plunge), the discipline and meaning that replaced her old “safe” paycheck, and how she hires, empowers, and leads. We dig into sleep as a keystone for health, proactive wellness vs. sick-care, and why she’s betting big on a more dignified approach to women’s imaging.

👤 Guest Introduction

Kristen Nicholson is the founder of Urban Sweat (launched 2022; 12 locations in three years) and co-founder of Comfort Imaging, which delivers non-compression mammography via breast CT. A veteran of Nashville’s healthcare ecosystem, Kristen spent 22 years in sales and account leadership before taking the leap into entrepreneurship. She’s fueled by the conviction that self-care is healthcare, and she builds teams by modeling trust, candor, and ownership.

• Urban Sweat: urbansweat.com

• Comfort Imaging (Nashville, Green Hills): comfortimagingtn.com

⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics (approx.)

• ~00:00 — Cold open: When “impact” is missing at work and why that matters.

• ~02:00 — From long-time sauna customer to studio owner; sleep as the keystone habit.

• ~04:30 — Cold plunge = entrepreneurship: fight/flight in the first 30 seconds, breathing through discomfort, pride on the other side.

• ~07:30 — High highs & low lows: seasonality, sales muscle, and saying the message until it clicks.

• ~11:00 — Why not go back to a paycheck? Meaning, discipline, and 4:00am workouts.

• ~14:00 — Speed of action: testing quickly, not letting perfect block progress.

• ~16:30 — Bet on yourself: the phrase that tipped her into quitting (and why it still guides daily decisions).

• ~19:00 — The first 90 days: quitting, brand book on the fly, running too lean, and burnout lessons.

• ~23:00 — On vs. in the business: trusting operators, hiring people smarter than you, and avoiding micromanagement.

• ~27:00 — Comfort Imaging: what a gravity-based breast CT is, and why non-compression matters.

• ~31:00 — The six-of-ten problem: why many women skip annual mammograms; out-of-pocket isn’t always a blocker.

• ~34:00 — Referrals & resistance: learning new tech, finding the right partners, and momentum.

• ~36:00 — Wellness logic: sauna/red light/cold plunge and heart, mental health, and sleep benefits.

• ~40:00 — HSA/FSA & letters of medical necessity; proactive self-care in a “sick-care” system.

• ~43:00 — Life change: less sweating the small stuff (pun intended), more trust, more perspective.

• ~46:00 — Building support: podcasts, walks, EO Catalyst, and why accountability groups work.

• ~50:00 — October & Breast Cancer Awareness: access, speed, orders, and dignity in screening.

• ~53:00 — Where to learn more + closing.

Note: Timestamps are approximate and based on topic flow.

✅ Key Takeaways (3–5)

• Discomfort is part of the work. Like a cold plunge, the first “30 seconds” of any big bet feels awful—breathe through it and you’ll find your footing.

• Meaning beats certainty. Trading the bi-weekly paycheck for purpose and speed of execution created more energy, not less.

• Build people, not just output. Hire for ownership, communicate the “why,” and resist the urge to micromanage.

• Proactive care matters. Better sleep, regular sauna/red light/cold plunge, and dignified, non-compression breast imaging = earlier, better health decisions.

• Community compounds courage. Accountability groups (like EO/Catalyst) and honest peers shorten the learning curve.

🔖 Memorable Quotes

• “Bet on yourself became my mantra. I heard it three times in one day—and finally listened.”

• “Entrepreneurship is a cold plunge: fight or flight at first, then pride when you step out stronger.”

• “Don’t let perfect kill progress. Test for a week, learn, and pivot.”

• “I don’t manage output—I build people. Trust is the word.”

• “Self-care is healthcare. Sleep is the crux of everything.”

🔗 Resources & Mentions

• Urban Sweat — infrared sauna, red light, cold plunge: urbansweat.com

• Comfort Imaging (Breast CT) — non-compression, gravity-based imaging: comfortimagingtn.com

• EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) & Catalyst (Nashville Entrepreneur Center) — peer forums & accountability

• The E-Myth Revisited (Michael Gerber) — on working on vs. in the business

• EMDR & binaural beats — mentioned as tools for anxiety regulation and perspective

(Names and organizations are referenced as mentioned in the episode.)

📣 Call to Action

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