Amanda Hensen Co-Founded SAINT as a 'Quiet Escape' From New York City: 'An Experience Meant to Be Savored'

Amanda Hensen, who is a self-proclaimed "sauna" person, loves to be at peace, which is why she knew creating a place in New York City to escape the hustle and bustle was essential for her and others around her.

"We love the quiet, the escape – those moments of pure peace below a busy NYC street. As the world wakes up to the magic of sauna — the focus has largely been on sauna as a social experience, but personally, we love it for the solitude. So, we designed a totally private experience. We’re obsessed with hospitality, design and leisure. SAINT isn’t a wellness hack — it’s indulgent, intimate and deeply personal. Of course, it’s good for you, but that’s not the point. SAINT is for people who love sauna like a great hotel bar or a perfectly made martini…an experience meant to be savored," she exclusively tells Morning Honey.

Hensen, who is the co-founder of SAINT, got the idea to start the business when she and her co-founder met as coworkers at WeWork around 2015.

"It was an era of pushing boundaries in real estate and hospitality, and we caught the bug. We learned how to create spaces that delight people, that make them feel something. That has stayed with us ever since. We reconnected years later having always known we wanted to start something together. So, we got on a call, opened a live doc and started typing ideas. My co-founder didn’t have kids at the time, so naturally, he suggested a bitcoin idea. Meanwhile, I'm suggesting something in the childcare space. We killed each other's ideas and kept searching. Eventually we realized that we both deeply love the hot-to-cold experience and we built from there," she shares.

When Henson and her husband would "hit various bathhouses" around the city before they had kids in 2015, they knew they were onto something.

"I started living for that quiet mind, full body tingle you get after coming out of the cold plunge," she shares. "I go every time I have the chance but therein lies the problem, right?! When do you have the chance to go to a bathhouse for a day or a hotel spa? SAINT is created to allow New Yorkers to come whenever they want for an hour at a time. It’s built for daily use. And because it’s totally private — it’s personal space whenever you need it."

Though she wasn't selling lemonade when she was a kid, she has been immersed in the start-up world for some time, "which comes with intensity, autonomy and lots and lots of decision making," she notes. "That led to me realizing how much I love building. And personally, I’ve always had a knack for being totally obsessed with failing fast to learn fast, which is a helpful personality trait for an entrepreneur."

Of course, there have been challenges along the way, including working her full time job while starting up SAINT.

"Personally, I only have the strength to take on such a risk because I’m sacrificing something else: time. The Best part is building something side by side with an incredibly talented friend — from balancing each other out when we have to make tough decisions, to standing up and dancing in a cafe when you land another angel check. Togetherness makes everything sweeter," she says.

Henson is also hopeful that SAINT "becomes part of people's rituals — a place they can go to reset, to recharge and to step out of the noise for a little while."

"We want to redefine what a sauna experience can be. To build something that feels like a secret, but one you can return to anytime," she adds. "Coming from a WeWork background, I’m no stranger to the benefits of community and socialization. But in New York City where you wake up with a roommate, get on a crowded subway to head to your WeWork office, there has to be a solution for when you need a moment of personal space. That's where the world is moving, intentional alone time is taking care of yourself and where better to be alone than in a sauna!"

In the future, Henson wants to have built something she's "proud of — a platform for creatives to contribute their expression of personal space — all over the world."

"My dream is to build and run a company known for how it treats its employees, but I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for WeWork pouring into my development as a leader and giving me incredible opportunities like moving to India, leading expansion globally and giving me a team of 500+," she continues.

"We’re beyond excited to share this with the city. We are opening later this year, and you can visit www.saint.nyc to join our waitlist," she concludes.