In every industry, business, and career there are challenges. Everyone’s challenges are different, but the way you get through them defines success. A couple months ago, I was thinking about what I would be doing if City Cycle didn’t work out. If when we first opened up and no one came in to ride, no one bought packages and it just didn’t work – what would I have done instead? That was when it hit me that I never planned for that idea. While in the process of opening a business, failure had never even crossed my mind. In the years it took me to open the studio, I never sat down and said “What if this fails?” Looking back on it, I think that is really powerful. If you never plan for failure, it’s never an option.
What was my biggest challenge in starting City Cycle?
The biggest challenge I faced when starting my business was being taken seriously. I was 25 years old, a woman, I had bright blonde hair and my work clothes included yoga pants and a sports bra. I understand the cards were stacked against me, but I was still blown away at how many people were rude to me along the way. Real estate agents blew me off, accountants literally laughed at me (well…it was only one accountant), I even had an ex-boyfriend tell me I wasn’t smart enough to figure it out. HA. No joke, I started having my meetings at my studio (while it was under construction) so my contractor would be there just to have a male presence in the room. I knew what I was talking about, but people doubted me every step and that starts to cloud your mind at some point. You ask yourself, “am I capable of this?” The great thing about business is that nothing is given, every single inch of it is earned. So no one else gets to take credit for the success and no one gets to put you down when you arrive there – you earned it, fair and square.
To whoever needs to hear this – there isn’t someone out there with all the answers. You can figure it out as you go. It’s okay to do things your own way. Know your truth, stay the course, defend it with conviction.
Looking back, what would you tell yourself when you were first starting out?
- The first year that you open a business, your focus needs to be solely on getting people in the door and making sure they have an amazing experience. Focus on getting your name out there. If you do that correctly, the money will eventually come.
- Second, I would have told myself that I was killing it and I need to give myself more credit! As women, I think we rarely give ourselves the credit we deserve. I look back at how much I was doing and taking on when I was only 25 and I am so proud of myself – I just wish I felt this proud in those moments.
What was your biggest struggle?
My biggest struggle was forming a brand identity and holding onto it with conviction. It is something I have gotten way better at executing, but it still takes work. This piece of advice applies to anyone starting a brand or someone who is just struggling with self-confidence! As a person or a brand, you have to decide who you are. Decided how you talk, decide how you interact with people, decide what your values are. Once you have decided that, do not change for anyone or anything.
When I first opened my business I obviously wanted everyone to have a great experience and I wanted everyone to love it. I was really paying attention to every single person that was in my cycle class and I started to change my music selection to what I THOUGHT they wanted to hear. I was in the middle of teaching a class when I thought to myself, “Why am I playing this song, I don’t even like it?” I was so worried about wanting people to like me, I forgot to be me. READ THAT AGAIN. Please hear this: not everyone is going to like you, but if you change who you are or what you offer, you are not going to like you in a year and that is harder to sleep with.
Decide what you offer and offer it boldly. Do it with conviction and keep moving forward. If you do that correctly, the people that will follow you will be more loyal and in turn your community will become stronger. Build a brand that represents your values and your vision. Let some customers go, let some people go, it’s okay! Stay on your path, stay true to your vision.
Don’t be afraid of risk – you have to take risks to move forward.
Don’t be afraid of failure – it’s not always a bad thing.
Don’t be afraid of someone not liking you.
