Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Mayo.
Hi Will, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My relationship with water began in New York City, where I grew up surrounded by the city’s iconic wooden water towers. That early fascination stayed with me. It deepened during a family trip to Europe in the summer of 2000, where I experienced a culture of thermal bathing shaped by time, temperature, and shared ritual. The contrast with bathing experiences in the United States was striking and left a lasting impression.
For more than twenty years, I searched for that same quality of immersion and rarely found it. Eventually, that absence became an intention to build it. Nordsprings began as hands-on exploration, shaping wood, studying water, and understanding how form, circulation, and temperature influence the body in immersion. What started as a single handcrafted barrel evolved into a proprietary thermal bathing system designed to support ritual and long-term use.
With a background in engineering and product design from founding and running tech companies, and a long-standing practice of yoga and meditation, my focus has been on balancing thoughtful engineering with material craft. My interests and obsessions with art, engineering, and wellness now informs how I approach systems, durability, and stewardship.
Today, based in Austin, I work with our team to craft our enriched thermal bathing systems using elemental materials and heritage techniques. Each system is shaped to support pristine and continuously circulating water, complete thermal control, and meaningful immersion across all seasons.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road, and that has been essential to the work. Early on, nothing behaved the way we expected. Wood split, finishes failed under heat, proportions felt wrong, and more than once a barrel simply did not hold water. Those moments were frustrating, but they were also instructive. Working with elemental materials leaves no room for shortcuts. Wood, stone, stainless steel, and water respond directly to how they are shaped and handled. They demand patience, attention, and repeated adjustment in a process we’re committed to – progressive refinement.
A large part of the challenge has been understanding water itself. Supporting pristine, continuously circulating water that remains clear, stable, and nourishing over time is a process of continuous learning. Natural springs offer the most refined bathing experiences, shaped by flow, balance, and mineral composition. Translating that quality into our enriched thermal bathing system, one that can exist in a private bathing space and perform reliably across seasons, requires deep experimentation, testing, and iteration. Every Nordsprings system today reflects those early lessons. They are not the result of perfection from the start, but of intention, listening, and careful refinement over time.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Nordsprings?
Nordsprings designs barrels that reconnect people to water, nature, and each other. Crafted in Austin using elemental materials and heritage techniques, our work brings together sculptural wooden barrels, water treatment systems, thermal control, and mineral enrichment into one cohesive system. Each bathing environment is shaped to support immersion, communal bathing, and shared moments of restoration grounded in material integrity, natural rhythms, and timeless ritual.
Our approach is built around the belief that bathing is more than a utility or a wellness trend. It is a timeless way to restore the body, slow the mind, and bring people together. By designing enriched thermal bathing experiences grounded in natural principles and thoughtful engineering, we steward water with care, intention, and respect. Every system is designed to deliver pristine, enriched water that remains clear, stable, and nourishing over time.
Nordsprings systems are built around four core pillars that work together as a complete bathing system. Handcrafted barrels shaped using traditional coopering techniques form the physical space for immersion. The Loop supports continuously circulating water through flow, filtration, balance, and disinfection. The Core provides complete temperature control across the full thermal spectrum, enabling thermal bathing in any climate, year-round. Mineral enrichment completes the system by creating a restorative, spring-like bathing experience.
Together, these elements are designed to support restorative water and meaningful bathing experiences. Rooted in craft and progressive refinement, Nordsprings exists to elevate spaces and rejuvenate communities through bathing environments designed to be lived with, cared for, and experienced over time.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I appreciate most about Austin is the people. There’s a real sense of honesty and authenticity in how people show up, connect, and work together. It’s something you feel quickly and something I value deeply. I also love the city’s music scene, the food, and the way very different architectural styles coexist side by side. What I like least is that I can’t go skiing around here – thankfully it’s a quick flight to get to the snow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nordsprings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nordsprings
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wrmayo/
