Franchisee Stories
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First-time franchisees Brenna and Kevin Dorsey turned a kitchen-table conversation into a family-centered recovery business, backed by a hands-on franchisor and a peer network that moves fast.
Brenna and Kevin Dorsey opened their first SweatHouz in North Bethesda, Maryland, in April and committed to three licenses on day one. The plan balances a lean operating model, private-suite recovery and a support network they can reach by phone, text or Slack when it counts.
With two daughters — and a son on the way — the Dorseys took a hard look at how their work and time lined up with family life. “I used to work in real estate and Kevin still works for the Government,” Brenna said. “After our second daughter was born, we sat down at the kitchen table and had that talk: What does life look like going forward after having both of them?”
An unexpected listing for a local Pure Barre studio sent them down the research path. They didn’t win that deal, but Brenna credits the experience for eventually leading them to SWTHZ. “Everything happens for a reason, and during that process we realized franchising makes sense,” she said.
COVID-era labor shortages pushed them toward concepts that don’t require big teams. “One of the biggest things people said was that during COVID, staffing was the hardest issue for any business. We looked at low staff requirements,” Brenna said.
SWTHZ’s combination of infrared sauna and cold plunge aligned with Kevin’s background as a college and professional football player. “Once we came across cold plunging, it was becoming mainstream. He’s a testament to ice baths and cold plunges from his football career,” Brenna said.
The timing was right as well. SWTHZ was in the process of moving from its early layout — separate infrared saunas and a shared plunge — to all-in-one private suites. “No one had done that,” Brenna said. “It was a game changer. A lot of our clients say, ‘I would never get in a cold plunge with a stranger.’”
The Dorseys wanted a culture where owners problem-solve together and leadership is reachable without layers, and they found it with SWTHZ.
“The franchisee group is smaller. It’s not a massive, thousand-owner network,” Brenna said. “We have a franchisee Slack where everyone throws ideas out. If someone’s struggling with a shower handle or an installation, it’s a quick message. Everyone’s in constant communication.”
That access extends to the top. “We can call the CEO. Everyone has everyone’s cell phone number,” she said. “It’s not like we have to schedule a meeting. If I need to call [CEO] Mike [Tan], I can shoot him a text.”
During discovery, the couple also tested whether they genuinely wanted what they’d be selling. The cold plunge was already a part of Kevin’s routine; Brenna came around to it after opening but had been all-in on heat for years. “I was a big believer in the infrared sauna,” she said. “I used it after the birth of my first daughter, and that’s when I started working it into my routine. Infrared sauna compared to standard sauna is a game changer,” she said.
A meet-the-team day in Atlanta locked in the fit. “We were sold. We loved them all, and here we are,” Brenna said. “It wasn’t formal or daunting. It felt like I could talk to anyone about anything, from marketing down to construction.”
North Bethesda works for the business and the family. The studio is five minutes from home, and the proximity makes the inevitable fixes manageable. Brenna says their two daughters are already a part of the routine. “They’re a big part of SweatHouz,” she said “They call it their SweatHouz.”
With the first studio stabilized, their focus has shifted to a second location. “We’re still working on the lease,” Brenna said. “We haven’t signed it yet, but hoping — as long as permitting takes — we can get it open by the second quarter of 2026.”
It adds up to a simple playbook: private, consistent sessions for guests; a franchise network that trades answers quickly; and ownership that fits the rhythm of home. “All good things,” Brenna said. “I can’t complain.”
For the Dorseys, the hard part isn’t launch day; it’s the quiet maintenance that follows — keeping standards tight when a pump fails, keeping energy high on slow afternoons and keeping perspective when plans slip a week. That’s the filter they use when people ask how to make it work.
“First and foremost, believe in the product. Be a full-blown believer in the business you’re opening,” Brenna said. “Aside from that, with business ownership there are no days off. Just be prepared for any and everything, quite literally.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sweathouz.
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