So can you break down, like, how
this whole thing came about?
As I was working with
a company as an engineer,
I went to school at nights
and got my MBA.
Okay.
At the time, I had switched
over to marketing.
I was at one
of the biggest brands.
I was managing this
$500 million brand.
Globally,
it's a billion-dollar brand.
The brand was in what category
that you were managing?
Consumer goods.
So not that many people of color
manage brands that big.
I've kinda been one of the few
in everything that I've done.
Black, female
mechanical engineer.
One of the few.
I'm sure, yeah.
One of the very few.
There was literally one of us on
each level in the organization.
But out th-- they allowed me
to manage this brand.
I thought, "Well, if he can
manage that, why can't you
just create your own little
tiny brand here in New York?"
Now, I used to love riding
my bike when I was little.
I used to ride outside
all the time.
But riding in New York in the
streets is the scariest thing.
So then someone said,
"Maybe you should just
try indoor cycling,"
and I was like,
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
And it became, like, my
go-to workout,
like, the lose yourself
in the music,
people around you,
the energy.
Yeah.
Four months later,
Harlem Cycle opened.
And thus,
Harlem Cycle was born.
Harlem Cycle. Yes.
Awesome.
And I'm gonna assume that
you're paid quite a nice salary?
Y-- I had w--
You had the goal
that you came here for.
Yeah.
And you left that to start
a cycling studio.
So can you just unpack that
for me?
Like, why?
So, I'd done all the goals,
and I still wasn't happy.
So obviously it wasn't
the money.
And I said, "Well, I need
something fulfilling.
Something that I can pass down
from generation to generation
and say 'this -- you created
this lasting impact.'"
And to me, it was finding
some kind of
health-and-wellness benefit
that I knew was
a little bit more impactful
from a community standpoint,
to make me to go to bed
and want to just jump up in the
morning and get back to work.
And year-to-date,
you'll do what?
Year-to-date,
we'll cross the 200K mark.
Wow.
That's a lot of hustle, man.
It's a lot of hustle.
This year, are you on track
to break even,
slight profit,
still slight loss?
Like,
where are you with what?
We're slight profit.
Okay. Good. Awesome
Which is great.
I'm really excited.
Like, we're finally --
yes!
[ Chuckles ]
Slight profit.
So it's good.
Okay.
But I wouldn't be here
if that were enough.
[ Laughs ] Exactly.
If that were enough for you.
Where are you looking
to take this thing?
So, of course,
growing exponentially,
and growing not only
in the US,
but also internationally.
It's hard as fuck
to do anything,
so you might as well go
for something big.
[ Laughs ]
Go for the gold, yes.
I mean, if you left
your Fortune 500,
we might as well try
and be one.
Might as well.
You know what I'm sayin'?
We might as well, yes.
So I do think that if you carve
out the right lane
and the right white space
in this,
you know, macro trend,
that you could be very,
very successful.
Awesome.
But, you know,
you know what it is.
It's gonna take everything that
you've done till now times 10.
[ Chuckles ]
Times 10. Yes.
That's right.
We're gonna have to 10x this.
I feel much better now,
by the way.
You feel b-- see?
It's like,
I felt miserable...
[ Laughs ]
It wasn't miserable.
...then I felt
really shitty...
It wasn't that bad.
...and now I feel like
euphoric.
See?
Y-- yeah.
And that's --
that's what I want you to feel
coming out of there.
Yes.
I'm there to push you
through it, but you're gonna --
at the end, it's just --
it's getting to the finish line.
We're gonna push
each other.
Yes.
Awesome.
Thank you, John.
