Feature Friday: Stax Cycle Club
So the thing about spin is - at least for me - when you find an instructor you like, you follow them around. I've been following a couple of my favorite instructors around the city from studio to studio, and I stumbled upon Stax Cycle Club. This little spin shop has been open for a few months now, and I wanted to share a little bit more of their story.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your work. Where are you from? What do you do?
I’m originally a kiwi, shipped over here from New Zealand in high school. Katie and I actually met playing basketball and volleyball at Mount Royal College back in ’07… we instantly became good friends (perhaps due to our height…but more so how our senses of humour just clicked!). I then headed to the University of Saskatchewan to finish my degree and volleyball career, and Katie headed over to Spain on a professional basketball contract. When we both ended up back in Calgary together again, we couldn’t help but start to curate a business plan to help keep our washed-up athlete bodies in shape!
What inspires you to do what you do? How did you start doing this work?
I’ve been instructing spin for 5 years now, and Katie has always been a spin addict, hitting up amazing studios all over the world. We wanted to create a hub for all Calgary’s favourite instructors, where they could be creative with their music/playlists and marketing programs. We knew that the secret for happy clients was providing a space for instructors where they can thrive, and have some freedom, rather than being locked into a regimented spin program.
What inspires you most about your community?
Stax is a place where the health and happiness of our instructors come first, because, at the end of the day, it’s them that pulls people to walk through our doors. We’re all about balance, and we love the hard-core, intense side of our friends, clients and instructors, but also love that we can crack a beer after class and stick around for some high fives and good conversation. We’re not pretentious in any way, and we try not to take ourselves to seriously and keep things light hearted!
If you could give anyone who is starting out in your field one piece of advice, what would it be?
- RESILIENCE!
While the fitness community in Calgary is thriving in such a positive light, it’s also super cut-throat and competitive. There have been multiple occasions where our business and brand was sabotaged by competitors, which could have lead us to “pull the plug” early. It sounds cliché and redundant, but step 1 to success is never losing sight of the end goal & dream (a lot easier said than done!)
- Get a good graphic designer
No, you can’t get away with creating your logos and print media in paint. The initial investment pays off like no other!
Tell me a couple fun facts about Stax Cycle Club.
- We’re sponsored by Mill Street Brewery, so you can bet we’re popping some bottles after our Friday night classes!
- There are more people on our instructor squad with Tattoo’s then not! (like, we’re talking 90%)
- We sent two amazing ladies to Vegas last month to see the Britney Spears concert!
How can people get in touch?
Website: www.staxcycleclub.com
Instagram: @staxcycleclub
Twitter: @staxonstaxyyc
Facebook: Stax Cycle Club
Do you know of a person, business, non-profit or other organization doing amazing work in Calgary? Tell me about it! Visit the Feature Friday page for more information!
