SoulCycle: 6 fun Insights which made 2 moms turn a dingy funeral home into a multi-million dollar fitness empire

Hey rebel solopreneurs

Ever felt like your big idea was "dead" before it even started?

That's exactly what people told Julie and Elizabeth when they wanted to open a bike workout studio.

"Spinning is dead," their friends laughed.

But these two moms with tiny babies didn't listen to the haters.

You might be feeling the same right now.

That little voice saying your idea isn't fresh enough or that too many people are doing it already.

If you listen to those voices, you'll never launch your cool thing.

You'll stay stuck in dream-land forever.

What if Julie and Elizabeth had listened?

We wouldn't have SoulCycle's $112 million empire that sold for $180 million!

Their story shows how two regular moms with zero business training built something amazing by making what THEY wanted as customers.

SoulCycle is a luxury indoor cycling studio where people pay $34 per class to ride stationary bikes in a candlelit room with amazing music and inspiring coaches.

Ready to turn your "dead" idea into gold?

Let's dive in.

1. Find your perfect business partner by sharing your crazy vision

🔥 Problem

• Julie and Elizabeth both moved to New York and couldn't find fun workouts like back home.

• Julie missed LA's fun exercise scene, while Elizabeth hated boring cardio but needed to lose baby weight. They each had the same idea but didn't know each other yet.

🌈 How they solved it

• They met through a friend and clicked instantly during lunch — calling it "the best blind date ever." They drew their whole plan on a napkin right there! • They split jobs based on what they were good at: Elizabeth (who just got money from selling part of a juice company) handled money and buildings, while Julie used her people skills for running things. • Before leaving lunch, they already had their first to-do lists — Elizabeth would find space, Julie would figure out towels. They both wanted the same thing: make sweating fun, not a chore.

💎 Your game plan:

• Next time you share your business idea, don't water it down! Go all-in with your wildest dreams - the right partner will get as excited as you are. Meet up with possible teammates and watch for who lights up with the same spark you have.

2. Turn your digital disadvantages into standout features

🔥 Problem

• With their vision clear, the next challenge hit: finding a home for SoulCycle. With crazy-high New York rent and no business history, Julie and Elizabeth couldn't find anyone willing to rent them space.

• When they finally found a spot, it was hidden in the back of an old funeral home, under a gym, and they couldn't even put a sign outside!

🌈 How they solved it

• They bought a bright yellow rickshaw on eBay, painted their logo on it with an arrow pointing to their hidden door — free advertising on wheels! • They built their studio with their own hands, making 13 IKEA trips with Elizabeth's car, building the front desk themselves and adding a glass wall to make it feel fancy. • Their hidden location actually became cool marketing! People would tell friends, "I found this amazing secret cycling studio you can barely find." Word spread about the exclusive spot that was hard to discover - creating buzz they could never afford to buy.

💎 Your game plan:

• What if the things that bug you about your digital setup are actually your secret weapons? The SoulCycle founders turned "we're hard to find" into "we're exclusive" - you can do the same with whatever digital limitations you're facing today!

3. Create an experience worth paying premium prices for

🔥 Problem

• With their studio built but hidden away, Julie and Elizabeth faced a pricing dilemma. When SoulCycle charged $34 per class (when gym memberships were $25 per MONTH), people freaked out.

• Julie's own dad worried she'd go broke because the pricing seemed crazy. How could they justify charging so much more than established gyms?

🌈 How they solved it

• They created a mini-vacation feeling with candle-lit rooms giving riders a spa vibe and just enough darkness to forget their worries. • Each teacher made special playlists where "the music flow matches the emotional flow matches the physical flow" — turning a workout into a mood journey. • They added tiny touches nobody else bothered with — hair ties and gum at the desk, perfect-smelling towels, staff who knew your name, and special bikes that let you close your eyes and truly escape the world.

💎 Your game plan:

• Instead of cutting your prices, find 3-5 small touches you could add that would make customers feel like VIPs. Could you send welcome videos? Surprise thank-you notes? Birthday gifts? The feeling you create matters more than what you're actually selling.

4. Make smart choices when money is running out

🔥 Problem

• Despite their beautiful experience, in the early days SoulCycle classes were ghost towns. Sometimes only one or two people showed up when they needed 100 daily riders just to keep the lights on.

• Their bank account was shrinking fast, and they needed customers now.

🌈 How they solved it

• With just $2,500 left, they made 200 SoulCycle t-shirts for friends to wear around New York — turning buddies into walking billboards instead of buying boring ads. • They literally knocked on doors and sweet-talked doormen to let them into apartment buildings to hand out flyers. Between marketing, they cleaned shoes, fixed bikes, painted bathrooms, and took out trash themselves. • They only hired people who could also babysit their kids between shifts! Julie even lived across the street and would pop in late at night to make sure candles weren't still burning.

💎 Your game plan:

• When cash is tight, find the one marketing move that brings in customers without costing much. For online creators, this might be guesting on podcasts, making super-helpful free stuff that shows your skills, or focusing hard on just 5-10 perfect potential clients.

5. Fix problems like they're cool lessons, not disasters

🔥 Problem

• Just as customers started coming, physical problems threatened the business. Their soundproofing was so bad that the noise from the gym above them kept interrupting classes. Neighbors and landlords complained constantly.

• Then the 2008 money crash hit just as they were gaining speed — Elizabeth's husband even lost his job at a big bank.

🌈 How they solved it

• They saw each problem as a "college class" for their real-world business school. When their soundproofing failed (they'd hired a guy who built movie studios, thinking he'd be perfect!), they just kept trying fixes until one worked. • They used a buddy system for problems — Julie took five tasks, Elizabeth took five, and they checked them off together. This made huge headaches feel doable. • When the economy crashed, they found a surprise — people needed SoulCycle MORE during tough times, not less! Their focus on making money (not just raising it) helped them thrive while others struggled.

💎 Your game plan:

• Next time disaster strikes, ask "What cool thing can I learn from this?" instead of "Why me?" Start a "lesson notebook" where you write down problems and what they taught you — turning oops moments into valuable know-how.

6. Get creative with zero-budget marketing that creates super-fans

🔥 Problem

• After surviving construction challenges and the economic crash, SoulCycle was growing but still needed more buzz. Without ad money, they needed smart marketing. When they got mentioned in the New York Times, they excitedly waited for phones to ring like crazy — but barely got any calls.

• They needed to find a way to stand out in crowded New York.

🌈 How they solved it

• When Bill Clinton came for a fundraiser, they begged a sign company to work all night making a giant SoulCycle logo for their doors — getting their brand on TV shows, newspapers, and all over the news. • Instead of ads, they offered experiences. For new studios, they'd invite local cool kids to try free classes, creating natural buzz money couldn't buy. • Their classes became emotional journeys with teachers who were "part DJ, part guru." When stars like Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper became regulars, they never bragged about it — they let riders spread the word. As Julie said, "Our best marketers don't work for us; they're the ones riding the bikes."

💎 Your game plan:

• Find 10 people who could become your biggest cheerleaders if they loved your product. What amazing experience could you create just for them? Could you offer special access, one-on-one sessions, or surprise bonuses that would make them tell everyone about you?

That's it, my rebel friend!

Remember what Julie and Elizabeth discovered?

People told them spinning was DEAD.

But they trusted their gut anyway.

When you mix what you know with what you feel, magic happens.

Julie says, "Just take one tiny step at a time—give yourself small, easy goals instead of huge scary ones that freeze you up."

Today, create ONE thing that showcases what makes your approach special.

Just ONE.

Your SoulCycle is waiting to be built, one baby step at a time.

Keep zoooming 🚀🍧

Yours "rooting for your success" Vijay Peduru