Heat up, cool down, relax. repeat.
Welcome to Waterstruck Wellness, a community Nordic spa in Newcastle, Maine. They offer traditional thermal circuit experience with sauna, hydrotherapy, and rest – all in the respite of the east-coast wilderness.
The founders, Ashley and Kyle, are two humans with a deep love for Maine (especially in the winter!), their community, their natural places – and finding warmth in it all.
After many years of careers behind screens, they both dealt with issues that so many are currently experiencing—burnout and work-related stressors. It was during this time that they began delving into the realm of hydro and sauna therapies, seeking solace and rejuvenation in these practices. Their experiences led them to create regular personal rituals around the sauna and share them with their friends and family.
From this, Waterstruck was born to craft a community space centered on hydrotherapy and wellness practices rooted in nature and tradition. They’ve found such a vibrant and beautiful community in Midcoast Maine, and are so wildly excited to share this space and ritual with you all.
Getting Started
But Ashley and Kyle didn’t have to go at opening their business alone. Along with the support of loved ones, they found the Cedar & Stone Sauna Business Accelerator program to help get them started, in a community of like-minded entrepreneurs doing the same thing at different scales across the globe.
“Working with Cedar and Stone has been so helpful in…crafting our business plan and putting it into action.”
They shared, “Working with Cedar and Stone has been so helpful in figuring out the ins and outs of our business, crafting our business plan, and putting it into action. Having a cohort of folks doing the same thing but in different stages of ideation and business-building process, is immensely helpful in the initial build stages of a business.
“We continue to go back to course material at different stages of our business build – it’s so helpful to have someone who has done it before and has written it all down to refer to. Access to the course material has been crucial in answering everything; from tough questions during our sauna build to figuring out our packaging options.”
Setting Themselves Apart: Creating an Eco-Spa
At Waterstruck, they strongly believe in the restorative nature of the Nordic circuit methodology. They also believe that this style of enterprise lends itself to being interactive and symbiotic with the surrounding landscape. They believe that businesses can do good – both for the environment & the local community, leaving places and people better than they found them.
They don’t call this an ‘eco’ spa as a marketing gimmick or a way to greenwash the business. Their goal is to foster being stewards of a landscape that could otherwise be disturbed in a greater manner.
So, how are they doing this?
Continually exploring avenues to use solar/thermal/wood energy wherever possible. For example, choosing wood-fire to heat their saunas allows them to use sustainable forestry practices on the property. This, in turn, leads to a benefit in the surrounding ecosystem.
They are also looking to utilize modern innovations in spa technology & otherwise to:
- Reduce water waste
- Reduce use of unnecessary chemicals
- Reduce our dependence on non-renewable forms of power/energy
- Reduce the disturbance of the native soil
It’s vital to them to be as low-impact as possible – they have purchased a larger parcel of land on waterways of interest (Damariscotta River) that otherwise would have been developed or subdivided.
They aim to conserve most of the land and build a trail network for the community while operating this business from a small portion of the whole.
They are also exploring the possibility of being members or at least operating similar to enterprises that are 1% for the planet – where 1% of overall revenue is donated to a conservation organization.
Plan your visit to Waterstruck Wellness: https://www.waterstruckwellness.com/
Don’t Let Your Dream Stay a Dream
Do you have your own unique idea for a sauna, bathhouse, or spa business you’re looking to bring into the world? If you’re stuck on where to start, then getting clear about your “why” is the first step.
From there, everything unfolds a lot easier.
In our Sauna Business Accelerator program, we help you get crystal clear about your motivations and then help you build a profitable business in alignment with them.
This 12-month program focuses on six key areas that every sauna entrepreneur needs to launch a successful business: vision, experience design, sauna build, business model and plan, operations, and marketing. Through our thoughtfully conceived coursework, small group coaching, lectures, check-ins, and networking events you can chart your path toward opening a profitable business that also aligns with your core vision and values.
If this is the kind of support you’re looking for and you’re starting to get serious about your sauna business, then let’s chat. Book an interview with our team to learn more about how we’re coaching entrepreneurs daily.
Photos by: Melissa Keyser Photography
