Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leah LaPinta. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Leah , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
From a young age, I was told that as a girl there were things I couldn’t do. That was all the motivation I needed to prove I could do everything.
It started when I moved away from home for the first time. No one believed me until I showed up with a U-Haul one morning and left. Next came the motorcycle and again, friends and family said, “You’ll never do that.” So I bought one before I even knew how to ride, figured it out, and spent 10 years with my Triumph, logging 20,000 miles and even took it around the U.S.
Eventually, I went back to school and earned a business degree. I loved business but wasn’t sure where it would take me, so I kept going and pursued engineering. Midway through, I landed an internship with a major automotive supplier that changed everything. Less than eight months in, the boss discovered I had a business degree and said, “Well, what the hell? Let’s get you on the engineering staff, it’s just number crunching anyway.” I interviewed for a Quality Engineering role and somehow got it. Cue the a nerdy thumbs up.
The first year of my career, a few close friends told me I wasn’t a “real engineer” because I hadn’t finished my degree. It stung. I confided in my mom, tough little cookie she is, and she reminded me: “You ARE an engineer. You hold the title, you do the work. Don’t listen to them.” Her words lifted me, but the comments stuck. Eventually, I realized I didn’t care to finish the degree. I settled for an Associate’s in Engineering Manufacturing Principles and kept moving forward.
I stayed in engineering for 13 years, knowing all along my true passion was business. During that time, I dreamed of building something from scratch, of becoming a ‘real’ entrepreneur. And now, a year and a half into that dream, I’ve already succeeded. I am an entrepreneur. And truth be told, it was a hell of a lot harder than being an engineer anyways.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I always knew I was meant to be in business. My mind has always worked outside the box, sometimes in ways that led to success and sometimes to failure, but always to growth.
At 18, I launched my first venture, an event planning company. I invested $1000 into a party, which felt like a fortune at the time. I hustled with flyers, banners, and word of mouth, expecting 500 people. In reality, about five showed up, one of them being my uncle, who had agreed to be security, ha! That moment taught me resilience and the value of trying, even when the outcome is humbling.
Years later, during my early engineering career, I pursued another idea: a mobile bicycle bar. I spent a week in the library, ten hours a day, crafting the most beautiful business plan I had ever written. I shared it with a close friend, now my business partner, who helped refine it. I took it to the city I was convinced was the only place for it. They approved the concept but rejected the alcohol portion. But where’s the fun in that? The spark was gone, so I scrapped the idea.
Finally, a decade later, I was living in Nashville for a resident engineering position. I didn’t have any friends or family out there so I spent my free time, well, doing whatever I wanted! A lot of that time was spent exploring Tennessee… hiking, biking and cooking which took me down my own personal wellness journey. That’s when I discovered the benefits of cold plunging and infrared saunas. The first time I tried a sauna, it hit me like a bag of bricks: this is it. This was the foundation for the business I had been searching for, a concept that helps people feel good using equipment I genuinely love. It felt like falling in love. As the saying goes, “When you know, you know.” I went home that day and started building the business plan.
COLDsweat Sauna + Plunge Club was born from that vision. It is a space for recovery, whether from the strain of fitness or the challenges of everyday life. We welcome everyone: from a 15-year-old athlete nursing sore muscles after a big win to a 79-year-old who plunges simply for the thrill and energy it brings.
Our environment is vibrant and alive. The front of the club is a coffee shop buzzing with conversation, while the back echoes with laughter and shouts from the plunge tubs. Sauna users only find peace with noise-canceling headphones and a movie, creating their own quiet escape. We are NOT a spa. But we can guarantee you’ll leave feeling like you came out of one.
Every day we see growth, new opportunities, and the joy of a community that believes in what we’ve built. COLDsweat is more than a business. It is the dream I carried for years, now alive and thriving.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Creating relationships.
I have always valued people and the stories they carry. For a long time I thought success meant focusing on myself, but in my early thirties I realized there is far more power in listening than in talking. Everyone has something they want to share, whether it is a story or a burden they need to release. I have found joy in being that person who listens. It is always a win-win. They walk away feeling lighter, and I walk away grateful to have helped while often gaining a new lesson or perspective myself.
OCD tendencies.
As a kid, my quirks showed early. I slept on top of the covers so I would not have to make my bed. I refused to dust my room because it was my way of knowing if my siblings had touched my things. I was always one step ahead, sometimes to a fault, like trying to put my car in park before I had even arrived at my destination. Over time those tendencies evolved into strengths. They made me a multi-tasking, punctual, organized walking checklist. In engineering I may not have been the smartest in the room, but my ability to stay organized, on time, and manage multiple priorities set me apart in a department filled with brilliant men.
Fighting through the fear.
Public speaking was something I dreaded, especially technical presentations. The old advice to imagine everyone naked never worked for me. Instead, I found my own way by humanizing the big wigs in front of me. I imagined our VP laughing with his family on a jet ski, or our director living out his dream of building a camper in the woods with jorts and a long beard. Seeing them as people rather than intimidating titles helped me overcome my fear. That mindset, one human talking to other humans, became a tool I used to push past other fears that could have held me back from where I am now.
Advice for others
For anyone starting their journey, I’d like to share advice that was given to me, with a little of my own added in. Have courage. Question everything but remain kind. Stay in your own lane. And always give more than you take.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Chris, my business partner and close friend.
I knew since we met in our young carefree days of being dumb 20-something year olds, throwing chairs in trees and trying to climb up to sit in them. that he was my number one pick to go into business with someday. We’ve always had similar mindsets, analytical but fun at the forefront. We even joked of buying two bars on opposing sides of a busy street and haggling each other as our famous marketing strategy but no one would know at night we’d both scurry down our underground tunnel to meet up and count our money, ha!
People often warn against going into business with a friend. We talked about that early on and agreed to one rule: it was all a gamble. The money we invested might never come back, but our friendship would remain intact no matter what. That understanding gave us the foundation to move forward with trust.
Chris has been the steady voice I need in every situation. When I call and say I need help, his response is always, “What can I do?” If I admit I made a mistake, he shrugs and says, “We’ll get them next time.” If I tell him I want to bring in extra help even though it will cost us, he says, “Whatever gives you more time to rest.” His kindness, patience, and unwavering support have been invaluable.
Because of that, I am relentless in my pursuit to make sure our venture is nothing short of a phenomenal success. For Chris, I will do whatever it takes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.COLDsweat.Club
- Instagram: COLDsweat.club
- Facebook: COLDsweat Sauna + Plunge Club
Image Credits
ElectroLight Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
