This summer, I sent out a short survey to SaunaTimes followers. Just five questions. I kept it simple, with no login, passwords, or two step authentications. Just a quick way to take the pulse of the SaunaTimes community and find out what you’d like to see more of.
I was humbled by the response. Nearly 300 of you took the time to weigh in. That’s a pretty good-sized room full of sauna people. (I was expecting 30!).
Two topics rose to the top: Build and Heat.
That made me happy, because those two subjects are pretty deeply embedded in my DNA.
Build
The sauna-building world has exploded in recent years, and there are more good builders doing interesting work than ever before. I can think of a dozen builders I regularly talk with, follow, learn from and, in some cases, collaborate and play thermal tennis with.
There is a lot to explore here: different approaches, materials, ventilation strategies, design ideas, construction methods and, most importantly, what actually makes a sauna work well.
So expect more Build content.
Heat
Heat is another story. When you feel good heat, it’s all over.
And the older I get, the more fascinated I become with the nuances of heat. How it moves. How it feels. How the rocks contribute. How steam changes the experience. How ventilation shapes the whole thing. As every sauna has its own soul, we can look at it as thermal engineering for poets.
For me, this all comes back to what I call the Holy Trinity of Good Sauna: heat, steam and ventilation.
There is a lot more to say here, and we’ll be saying it.
Who should be on Sauna Talk?
But there was one survey question that particularly interested me:
Who would you like to see on Sauna Talk?
We’ve been fortunate to talk with some wonderfully interesting people over the years—people who are curious, knowledgeable and, in one way or another, thermally aligned.
But rather than me sitting around trying to come up with the guest lineup card, I figured: why not ask you?
Within the 5 question survey, I received a long list of names: sauna builders, researchers, designers, manufacturers, enthusiasts and people doing interesting things around the world of sauna, and its “adjacencies.”
In the video below, I read through many of the suggestions. I’ve also pulled together a shorter highlight list below as a kind of Sauna Talk guest roadmap.
Some of these people I already know. Some I’ve never met. And some may take a little work to track down.
So, if you see someone on the list you know—or someone you think would make a particularly good Sauna Talk guest, thank you for helping me recruit them!
I consider Sauna Talk as much yours, as it is mine.
Thanks for supporting my work at SaunaTimes, and thanks for taking the time to engage with the survey. Nearly 300 responses is a hell of a response, and a pretty good reminder that there is a growing community of thermal enthusiasts aligned in good spirit.
Sauna Talk guests: target list standouts
| 1 | Ashley mason podcast round 2! I would love to hear updates on her research and just listen to her speak in general! |
| 2 | Maybe a popular hockey player? Mikko Koivu? People who do sauna and are popular. |
| 3 | Someone who was in the sauna with Kekkonen and Kroutshev. |
| 4 | Alexander Stubb, Finnish President, “History of Sauna Diplomacy – Finland Perspective, Past and Present.” |
| 5 | Rolf Potts – Would love to hear a podcast on the intersection of vagabonding across Northern Europe and sauna culture. |
| 6 | Owner of Watershed |
| 7 | Dr. Rhonda Patrick |
| 8 | Kasper Strömman (had a great TV show about the history and design of saunas from Finland). |
| 9 | nutrition required after sweating eg mineral loss etc. |
| 10 | Interview your customers the ones that you help build the Sauna. That’s the most most relatable content for anybody anybody. |
| 11 | Dr. Arne Vainio |
| 12 | Derek Sivers |
NOTE: If you missed the survey and have a suggestion for us, please type it in the comments section below!
2 thoughts on “SaunaTimes survey: Sauna Talk podcast guests”
I like the idea of more medical doctors and the benefit benefits of sauna, particularly as it relates to dementia !
And agree w #9 the nutrition. I would love to hear you discuss mineral replacement during and after sweating. Should I be drinking more than just water or electrolytes? My current favorite is Gerolsteiner… .
Hi Madeleine:
I’m so with you! Gerolsteiner is excellent! And subject for future research, yet it has me wondering if minerals already in water harvested and bottled from springs is 64% more effective than, say, reverse osmosis water, which is likely devoid of all minerals, then adding supplements to it.
Also, and this I am sure of, drinking Aquafina and the like, well, my experience is that these waters are doing nothing good in terms of mineral replenishment. Maybe even worse than no water at all, as drinking “dead water” could be worse than “no water.”