In this episode of Sunday Afternoon Smokes, Chris sits down with Woody Liles, co-founder of Sauna House Greenville, to talk about his transition from civil engineering and large-scale infrastructure projects to launching a modern European-style bathhouse in Upstate South Carolina.

Woody shares how long hours, job stress, and burnout pushed him to rethink his career path—and how a single experience at Sauna House in Asheville led to the idea of bringing the concept to Greenville. With no background in hospitality, Woody and his wife took on the challenge of starting a business from scratch, navigating funding obstacles, construction hurdles, and the realities of entrepreneurship.

This conversation covers:

• Leaving a stable engineering career to start a business

• Burnout, work-life balance, and redefining success

• Building Sauna House Greenville from concept to opening

• The benefits of sauna, cold plunge, and recovery practices

• Creating a tech-free, community-driven wellness environment

• Lessons learned in entrepreneurship and resilience
  

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, wellness, recovery, or building something meaningful from the ground up, this episode offers a real look at what it takes.