Meet Benjamin Gleason of Isolate Flotation Center in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Gleason.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started floating ten years ago after I heard Joe Rogan talking about it on his podcast. My first few float experiences completely transformed how I viewed myself and the world. I had been very depressed for most of my life and had struggled with a relatively constant stream of suicidal thoughts for a long time. In my first float session, the sensations that caused my depression were replaced with a sense of overwhelming self-acceptance, joy and calm. I honestly hadn’t felt that way in as long as I could remember. The most liberating and empowering part of the experience was realizing that NOTHING gave me that sensation. I found it in nothingness. If that feeling of universal acceptance was available in the float tank, I knew I could find it anywhere. After my first float, I started changing all my behaviors and thoughts that weren’t in alignment with the universal acceptance I felt in the float tank. I quit smoking cigarettes, started eating healthy food, began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and lost 100 lbs over the year after my first float. I truly was a different person. I changed so much.

It took me years to be able imagine what my face looked like when I closed my eyes. It was the beginning of a life filled with joy and inspiration where before there was sadness and hopelessness. I never thought I could be that happy. The float tank doesn’t just fix people’s problems, I don’t believe anything can do that but our own hard work and determination. What the float tank did for me is it showed me my ability to be happy and my power to change what was preventing my happiness. It inspired me to make those changes because I knew the reward was worth it. I knew I could be happy because I had finally experienced it first hand in the float tank. I started Isolate Flotation Center in May of 2012, a year and a half after my first float. Since then, we have put thousands of people in float tanks and have made a huge impact on our community. We are one of the oldest float centers in the world and we have a tradition of providing true sensory deprivation so our clients can experience themselves as intimately as possible. It truly is an honor to offer this experience to others.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. There isn’t a float center in the world that has had a smooth road. Float centers are a technical nightmare, there are so many things that can go wrong. I have had 180 gallons of saltwater dump on to the floor three different times in the eight years I’ve been doing this. The hardest part is marketing self-awareness. Trying to convince someone to face the years of pain inside them is not a fun task when it comes to marketing. “Come be with yourself for 90 minutes. I know it will suck but you’ll feel better after” isn’t the best sales pitch…

Please tell us about Isolate Flotation Center.
Isolate Flotation Center specializes in flotation therapy. We are devoted to providing true sensory deprivation and we are one of the quietest and cleanest centers in the world.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Watching Star Wars by myself after school.

Pricing:

• Intro Special (locals only) $40 for a 60 min float, $45 for a 90 min float. (90 minutes is recommended for first timers)
• Monthly Membership: 2 or 4 floats per month. 60 min: $80/160. 90 min: 90/180
• Intro 3 pack (locals only) $120 for three 60 min sessions, $135 for three 90 min sessions

Contact Info:

• Address: 643 S Broadway St. Boulder, CO 80305
• Website: www.isolatefc.com
• Phone: 720-256-6518
• Instagram: @isolatefc
• Facebook: facebook.com/isolatefc

Image Credit:
Nick Kropelnicki

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