In this episode of Behind the Curtain, hosts Steve Luther and Van Hohe sit down with Candice Bruder, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Pure Sweat Studios. Candice shares her dynamic career transition from leading high-profile public relations campaigns in New York City for luxury real estate, hospitality, and entertainment brands to launching a national wellness franchise centered around infrared saunas, float therapy, and cold plunging.

Candice details how her personal sauna practice and a transformative float experience inspired her to leave corporate PR, move to Nashville, and build spaces dedicated to deep restoration, mental clarity, and community. From explaining the ancient history of sauna culture and the neuroplasticity of mindfulness to navigating the challenges of scaling a franchise, Candice offers a powerful look at how betting on your own wellness practice can evolve into a thriving, purpose-driven business.

• The NYC to Nashville Pivot: How the fast-paced grind of New York City PR led Candice to embrace infrared sauna and float therapy, eventually sparking the spiritual "download" to launch Pure Sweat Studios in Nashville.
• Sauna Culture & The Contrast Therapy Experience: An exploration of infrared sauna technology, sensory-deprivation floating ("baby in the womb"), and how pairing hot saunas with 60-degree cold plunges builds mental fortitude and fires up cellular health.
• Entrepreneurship as a Master Teacher: Candice reflects on how owning a business acts as a magnifying glass for your strengths and weaknesses, requiring true grit, operational discipline, and clear boundaries.
• Scaling with Purpose: How Pure Sweat Studios grew from a single local studio into a national franchise across 14 locations without losing its core mission of client care and community connection.
• The Power of Stillness: A discussion on why modern society has lost the ability to sit quietly, and how simple practices of stillness can rewire neural pathways to lower stress and elevate daily life.

"Entrepreneurship is a master teacher. It is going to reveal to you your great superpowers... and it is going to reveal to you your challenges and your deficits... All of that is about growth." — Candice Bruder

Connect with Candice & Pure Sweat Studios:

• Website: puresweatstudios.com
• Franchise Opportunities: Learn more at Pure Sweat Franchising
• LinkedIn: Candice Bruder

#BehindTheCurtain #CandiceBruder #PureSweatStudios #InfraredSauna #FloatTherapy #ColdPlunge #NashvilleWellness #FranchiseOwner #Mindfulness #Entrepreneurship

In this episode of Behind the Curtain, hosts Steve Luther and Van Hohe sit down with Joan Fleming, Senior Vice President at Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company. Celebrating over 31 years in Nashville and 16 years with Citizens, Joan takes us on her journey from starting as a marketing assistant at SunTrust to founding her own firm, Creative Vision Mortgage, and ultimately shaping the mortgage division at Citizens.

Joan shares her passion for serving first-time homebuyers and underserved communities, describing how she views mortgage lending not just as a job, but as a true ministry that turns income into generational wealth. The conversation covers the breaking news of Citizens launching its new mortgage subsidiary, CBN Mortgage, the power of 100% financing programs without income limits, navigating fluctuating interest rates, and why financial literacy is essential for young home buyers.

• Mortgages as a Ministry: Joan shares how a conversation with her 9-year-old daughter convinced her to stay in banking rather than switching careers to nursing during a recession.
• Breaking News (CBN Mortgage): Joan announces publicly for the first time that Citizens Bank & Trust is expanding its mortgage department into a full mortgage subsidiary called CBN Mortgage to bring more programs to clients.
• The 100% Financing Game-Changer: Discover how Citizens created a 100% financing program up to conforming loan limits without location or income restrictions to help buyers walk through the door with zero down payment.
• Pivoting with Joy: From napkin-sketching loan programs with her Chief Credit Officer to adapting through economic recessions, Joan discusses the freedom and flexibility of working with a local community bank.
• Advice to First-Time Homebuyers: Joan explains why young buyers need to look past current interest rates, focus on long-term equity over "dream home" expectations, and practice sound budgeting before taking on a mortgage.

"All I do is at the end of the day to ensure that the American dream is met... My daughter basically said, 'Mommy, mortgages are your ministry. If you leave, then who's going to help all the people?'" — Joan Fleming

Joan Fleming is the Senior Vice President at Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company and a graduate of Tennessee State University. With decades of experience in lending, management, and team building, she is a passionate advocate for homeownership and financial literacy throughout the Nashville community.

Connect with Joan:

• Website: AskJoan.net (for pre-qualification, budgeting, and inquiries)
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joan-fleming-a47563117/

#BehindTheCurtain #JoanFleming #CitizensBankAndTrust #CBNMortgage #NashvilleRealEstate #Homeownership #FirstTimeHomebuyer #100PercentFinancing #CommunityBanking #FinancialLiteracy

In this episode of Behind the Curtain, hosts Steve Luther and Van Hohe sit down with Dr. Wendy Combs, founder and principal of Cedar + Kind. Dr. Combs shares her inspiring transition from a 20-plus-year corporate career—leading enterprise-wide talent development strategies across 142 hospitals and 2,200 care sites for major health systems like Kaiser Permanente and CommonSpirit Health—to creating a deeply personal, grief-informed estate transition service.

Dr. Combs unpacks the complex emotional and practical weight that comes with clearing out a home after losing a loved one or navigating major life transitions like downsizing or becoming an empty nester. The conversation explores the psychology of physical belongings, the power of preservation, and how Cedar + Kind acts as a "forcing function" to help families honor the past while thoughtfully clearing a path for what's next.

• Corporate Leadership to Heart-Centered Service: Dr. Combs discusses her background in clinical psychology, organizational change, and project management at tech and healthcare giants like Intel, Kaiser Permanente, and CommonSpirit Health.
• The Psychology of Belongings: Discover why over 55% of Americans feel overwhelmed by physical clutter and how everyday objects carry complex layers of both joy and sorrow during life transitions.
• "Help You Never Knew to Ask For": An inside look at how Cedar + Kind combines logistical project management with empathetic support to systematically break down overwhelming estate clear-outs into manageable, non-emotional steps.
• The Meaning Behind the Name: Dr. Combs explains how "Cedar" symbolizes preservation, storage, and strength, while "Kind" reflects the core value of leading with kindness and compassion.
• Preserving Legacy Through Technology: Learn how Dr. Combs incorporates digital story-capturing technology to record audio and video memories tied to family heirlooms, creating lasting legacy books with QR codes for future generations.

"Cedar is the idea of... preservation. It stores, saves, and preserves what's most important. And I really wanted to be myself and fully live the values that I think are important, and one of those is kindness." — Dr. Wendy Combs

Connect with Dr. Combs:

• LinkedIn: Cedar + Kind / Wendy Combs
• Website: www.cedarandkind.com

#BehindTheCurtain #CedarAndKind #EstateTransitions #GriefSupport #SeniorMoveManagement #OrganizationalPsychology #NashvilleBusiness #LegacyPreservation #Downsizing #EmpathyInBusiness