We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Calli Waddell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Calli below.

Calli, appreciate you joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Starting and building a business from the ground up is undoubtedly the biggest risk I have taken thus far in my human experience. But, you know what? It is also the one of THE best risks I have taken (aside from having children and staying home, because, that is HARD). I am a firm believer that without taking risks and scaring the shit out of yourself you will never evolve and grow into the person you were truly meant to be. Let’s rewind so y’all can get the full picture. I am a former Spanish Immersion Educator, having invested a lot of time and money into my education. After my undergrad years, I got a full-time teaching job and simultaneously started grad school. I acquired several more teaching licenses and my Master’s Degree. I taught the best and funniest tiny humans in my hometown of Madison, WI for eight years, I moved to MN and taught for three more years. I finished out the school year after having my first child and knew I would not return to education. I’ve always had this knowing inside of me that I wanted to do something different. Just because I decided when I was 17 that I wanted to be a teacher, didn’t mean that I had to stick with it and die a little bit more inside each day just because that’s what others expected of me. I was passionate about building, creating, pioneering something more. And while I no longer am teaching children in the classroom, I still am very much a teacher. My mission is to inspire others to become the best version of themselves through leading by example. I always played it safe, until one day I was so fucking sick of being jealous of those people who did have to courage to take a risk and chase their innermost dreams. That day did not come until the stress of not living a life authentic to myself caused me to get shingles, which led to the paralysis of the right side of my face. If that isn’t a wake up call, I’m not sure what is. So, take it from me, do NOT wait until something horrific happens to you to take the risk. You get this one life. Live in the moment, chase your dreams, because if you don’t, you will surely live on always wondering what could have been if you just had enough courage to try. Try and fail or try and succeed, but at least you can say you tried. Let go of others’ opinions, cause they’ll always have something to say. Lean into those who support you and if those people don’t exist, (well then you need new people in your life) I will always cheer you on. Life is too short to worry about what others expect of you, you do you because that is the person you have to live with on the daily.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Calli, a stay at home mom to two bougie little humans (Ty is 7 and Jade is 4), as well as a saunapreneur and yoga instructor. I own and operate Four Elements Nordic Sauna, a mobile
sauna rental and guided experience business.

Health and wellness have always been a huge part of my life. I became instantly obsessed
with sauna and cold plunge after my first experience. I began to dream about how I could
integrate sauna into my yoga instruction and stay at home mom gig, but it wasn’t until a
major health crisis that I got serious about taking the risk of starting my own business.
I am most proud of building my little business from nothing. I am proud to say that I am no
longer scared to take a risk, to ask for what I want, and to be authentically me. It is honestly
still a little surreal that I actually did it/am doing it. The best part is I get to spread my love
for all things sauna to you all. I get to INSPIRE you to be the best version of you.
I didn’t start my business to get rich. I’m here to create a space where you can be your
authentic self, learn about and experience the amazing health benefits of sauna and cold
plunge, and host mindful events that leave participants feel relaxed, refreshed, and
energized.
Whether you are looking to create a wellness oasis at your home, cabin, or Airbnb rental or
take a risk and try something new at one of my events, I’ve got you covered. My events and
collabs range from including yoga, strength workouts, breathwork and meditation to
community sauna sessions at local breweries, wineries, and parks. I strive to have something
that appeals to everyone. So, grab a friend, let down your guard and try something new.
Learn what it feels like to let go and truly be free.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience is a word I have used countless times over the last two years. My journey is basically the definition of resilience, which is defined as the capacity to withstand or to
recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
If enduring shingles in my ear (twice!) to facial paralysis to knowing squat about starting a
business and actually doing it doesn’t equate to some level of resilience, I don’t know what
does.
My identity, the face I used to express myself and interact with the world was forever
changed, and not in a way I favored. As I battled through the loss of function to half of my
face, my mental health as well as my relationships were impacted. In a world where so much
disease is present, I never thought something this significant would happen to me. Those who
know me well often say ‘you’re the healthiest person I know.” I am not sharing this for the
sake of my ego, because believe me, I have gone through a very significant shift regarding the
elusive EGO. It took a concentrated effort over a long period of time to get to the state I live
in today. It took resilience to keep showing up every single day, not recognizing myself,
learning how to advocate for myself on the healthcare front, when no doctor could help me
beyond shoving steroids and anti-virals down my throat. They all just dismissed me and sent
me on my way. Tears, there were a lot of tears. At the time, my children were 2 and 4 ½ and
they often brought me comfort by saying, ‘it’s ok mommy, you will get better.” There were
days when I had to dig deep and manifest the resilience just to show up for my children in the
way they needed.
During this time, which I consider the worst of my life, I relied on sauna and cold plunge. It
was the most comforting place to be and left me feeling simultaneously relaxed and
invigorated, but more importantly, the practice gave me hope. I started to contemplate how I
could integrate sauna into my yoga instruction and everyday life. I had retreated from the
world while I healed and could no longer ignore that fire burning inside of me that screamed
for me to follow my dreams. I wondered if I had been ignoring my innermost voice to do what
I truly wanted. As a leader, I always knew I wanted to work for myself, I just didn’t know what
that would look like. So here I am on the other side of a traumatic health event (though I am
not fully healed), showing up and sharing sauna with everyone around me. I built my business
at my own pace, learning as I went and seeking out those who could help me when I needed
it. My resilience has undoubtedly brought me to where I am today and I am proud to say I
made it through and offer nothing but encouragement, love, and support to anyone I am lucky enough to know.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Many of us go through our lives making decisions based on what others think we should do. What I’ve come to realize is, that for as long as I can remember, other people’s opinions
played a significant role in my decision making.
The real cause of my shingles and facial paralysis will likely never be known, but if I had to
guess, I would say that I was living in a state of stress, caring too much about if everyone
approved of how I was living my life and the decisions I was making. Guess what? IT DOES NOT
MATTER WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
I learned to trust my gut, not overthink, and go for it regardless of others’ opinions. I have
successfully unlearned my need to people please. I learned that the only person I need to
please is myself.
Starting a business is risky and comes with much uncertainty. Throughout the process, I kept
my chin high, learned to walk into the storm, and became much more confident in myself and
unwavering in my decisions. No matter what, people are going to have their opinions, so why
not consciously choose to be authentically you and be unfazed by unsolicited opinions of
others?
You are the only person that has to live with you. Choose yourself, you will not regret it.

Contact Info:

• Website: 4esauna.com
• Instagram: @4esauna
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090818066512