Founder and mother of two, Siw Hansson Kaulbach, had her life turned upside down when she became seriously ill. From her sickbed, she created her own sauna universe.
It's autumn outside and hectic inside. At least at the founder's place, who has just dropped her two-year-old son off at nursery. Now she's sitting at the kitchen table with a breast pump in one hand, while the other hand flies across the keyboard. She uses her foot to rock her five-month-old daughter to sleep. Life today bears little resemblance to how things were ten years ago.
– From being healthy and working as Nordic Head of Communications in Copenhagen, I was completely knocked down. The doctors didn't understand what was wrong, and I was sent home with an ME diagnosis without any offer of help.
An indispensable aid
Siw was left lying in a dark room. She describes the complete reversal from being at the top of her life to being unable to look after herself as a shock.
– The pain, the insomnia, the exhaustion were unbearable.
It took several years of doctor's visits at home and abroad before Siw discovered that the ME diagnosis was actually untreated borreliosis. With treatment came improvement, and infrared sauna was to become an indispensable aid along the way.
The founder awoke in the darkness
During her medical treatment, Siw was recommended to try infrared sauna for pain relief and detox. She visited a spa in Oslo. As the sweat poured, she noticed immediate improvement.
– I just thought, wow, she exclaims, laughing.
For the first time since she became ill, Siw experienced a real boost to her health.
– It was amazing. I got more energy and less pain. I started searching online for an infrared sauna for home use, but couldn't find one that met my needs. Either they were too big, or I didn't feel confident about the quality.
In the darkness, the founder in her awoke. Siw began designing her own dream sauna. Through the family business, which her mother started fifty years ago, she got the chance to build a brand at her own pace.
– Your head doesn't stop working just because your body is out of action. If there's one thing you have when you're bound to your bed year after year, it's time to think. I've always enjoyed working, and I got the opportunity to develop a product I could stand fully behind.
It wasn't profit that motivated her, but a desire to help others and to find a way back into life.
Southern warmth in the living room
From her bed, the brand Radiant Health grew. The dream sauna would go on to become a bestseller in Norway and the start of a sauna universe. Today, seven years on, Siw sells a unique range of infrared heat products across Scandinavia, and regularly receives enquiries from around the world.
– Instead of travelling south, you can bring southern warmth home to your living room, she smiles.
The most meaningful thing for the founder is the lovely feedback she constantly receives from happy customers. Whether people are struggling with illness or are healthy, she hears that the heat products bring joy and benefit, depending on their needs. That they contribute to better health and quality of life.
– People with rheumatism report less pain. My doctor lost five kilos in a month without changing his lifestyle other than taking regular infrared sauna sessions. People experience softer skin and better sleep. Elite athletes tell me they use the sauna for recovery. – This makes me incredibly happy and motivated, she exclaims.
Grateful and happy
Personally, the infrared sauna has been one of Siw's best health investments. Three to five times a week, she sets herself up in the living room.
– I watch Netflix while sweating for half an hour. It doesn't look glamorous, but I feel like a new person afterwards. The sauna has considerably improved my quality of life. I'm completely hooked.
Siw sometimes has to pinch herself when she thinks about the journey that has brought her to where she is today. Out of what was a difficult life situation, a great deal of good has come.
– I feel grateful and happy. I have a wonderful family, I've got my health back, and I'm lucky enough to be able to work with my hobby. I truly love what I do, she concludes.
