We were actually having this conversation before I came out here. Theres no question that people are waiting longer these days. Zukerman: I believe resilience and reinvention go hand-in-hand. Thats only when the reinvention can happen. Unlike SoulCycle, Flywheel makes it possible for members to track their performance by displaying their score on a. Her entrepreneurial efforts have made her the theme of several articles but this time, the celebrated instructor is now making headlines only this time not for her passion but for some rather disgraceful news. I was a fish out of water. In 2006, Ruth co-founded the first exclusive indoor cycling studio in New York City, and is widely credited as the driving force behind the surge in indoor cyclings popularity in New York and beyond. How do we see our future?. And it was the first time in my life that someone said to me, Do you understand that thats actually unacceptable behavior? And I think I just broke down in tears. Sheila shares an early investor with Interos, Nick Beim! Now 60, Zukerman is adding author to her list of accomplishments. And I connected with the Flywheel clientele pretty much in the same way I did with the SoulCycle clientele. in the courts fredericton daily gleaner. And I always say, I probably grew gray hair every single day, and it was torturous, and it never got any less torturous for two years. The major reason that people started to feel comfortable connecting with me, because I can only speak for myself, was because of my willingness to be vulnerable in front of people. Mike: To bring the conversation back full circle, one of the things we spoke right before coming on stage about was what lessons you would give yourself as a teenager thinking about the course of your life as an entrepreneur, the business takeaways. But especially, again, in this business because with instructors, youre dealing with a very creative, ego-driven group, and that can be a slippery slope sometimes. We thought youd just be an instructor is what she said to me. I got off the bike at the end of the class and felt empowered and felt that I could really conquer my day and the challenges that presented themselves. You couldnt see us from the street. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. But another phenomenon thats taken place is a lot of the kind of bigger businesses and corporations are now getting into this sector. What I saw very early on was that there was this very strong mental component that kicked in during the 45 minutes in class. As a former dancer with a background in anatomy and physiology, Zukerman has long been. Mike: Going into Flywheel, youre now at a point where youve pioneered spinning and spin classes and that sense of community, and youve built a brand around it once. They never sacrificed ingredients and the work that went into it. When I left, I met my future partners that came up with this idea of adding metrics to the whole experience to make the experience that much more effectual and allow the rider to be more accountable. What did you feel like you could do different in a space that you defined and built already in now what would be a competitor? Leibson: What entrepreneurs today inspire you the most and why? In terms of entrepreneurship, I think it's something in our blood because we get passionate about ideas and we want to see them through. You touched on it a little bit, but maybe if you could talk more in-depth about what are some tangible things to help people understand what mental fitness could look like? So in retrospect, when I look back, it made sense that I got so addicted to dancing because it became my way of expressing myself without words, without a voice. The health, wellness and fitness guru from New York City, has been a leading fitness instructor on the East Coast for the past 30 years. Ruth Zukerman is the Co-Founder of SoulCycle and Flywheel. Mike: This was an inspiration or that was an inspiration for the game. And I thought, that looks interesting. He used to be a big Flywheeler and SoulCycle. Ruth Zukerman used her heartache-at the death of her father, the end of her marriage, and the dissolution of her first business partnership with SoulCycle, as the inspiration to reinvent herself. Ruth Zukerman: I have been going out to the Hamptons for 22 years. After failing at a professional dancing career, she picked herself up and reinvented herself as a force in the fitness industry. Here I am after creating two businesses, and the truth is I feel like I have to keep creating. Mike: So we have one last thing to do, which is somewhat of a tradition here called the Lightning Round. Zukerman become a co-founder of cycling fitness giants SoulCycle and Flywheel. But you also cautioned to use it in moderation. I think the power of storytelling is that there might be a nugget you can share that maybe tomorrow, maybe in five years or 10 years you look back on and think, That was actually really helpful. I have to say one thing first. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about some of the leadership principles or lessons that you took from being an instructor on the podium and you carried into the boardroom as a CEO. So Im curious how you think accessibility can be incorporated into the wellness industry and boutique fitness particularly. Zukerman: For me, theres really no such thing as burnout when it comes to fitness. Being second in an industry was a huge advantage in many ways because I got to see what worked at SoulCycle and continue that and what didnt work and improve upon it. Leibson: Do you have any tips on navigating cofounder relationships? What was the landscape like, because I imagine it was very different than today? And Ive heard a lot of complaints about that from riders at both SoulCycle and Flywheel that the miss the way it used to be, and they miss the community and the attention that was given to the individual because its been lost. She recently authored Riding High: How I Kissed SoulCycle Goodbye, Co-Founded Flywheel, and Built the Life I. And Elizabeth, one of my cofounders, came up with the idea of just putting this rickshaw outside, painting it yellow and putting the name of our business on it to attract attention. Lets go to questions. Duh. And really, to a certain extent, what I did was I just transferred that experience onto a bike. Tue, Aug. I discovered ballet classes when I was 8 years old. I had a very difficult marriage. The boutique fitness industry is booming, and one woman, Ruth Zukerman, has had a groundbreaking role in the growth and change of it. Early life [ edit] Zukerman grew up in Roslyn, New York to a family of Polish, Russian, and German-Jewish heritage. Ruth Zukerman's new book is out now. And again, at that moment, I had no idea what a huge part my experience with dance would play in my future career. Ruth Zukerman: So, its a good question because its thinking about the future of all of this. "Flywheel had a presence at the Sag Harbor Gym for several summers during our early years," says Zukerman. Ruth pioneered the boutique fitness industry by creating the "studio" with a pay per class structure, modeling them after the dance studios she would frequent when she was pursuing her dance career. Ruth Zukerman is the co-founder of Soul Cycle and Flywheel, both wildly successful companies that innovated the studio cycling movement. Manage Settings A few years later, she left that partnership and co-founded spin studio chain Flywheel. I knew it would be a way to change the industry. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. There are people in all of our lives where they demand something that we feel we have to go uphold. And I found it very intriguing. This is how I gear my mind. A Long-Island native, Ruth had no exposure to business growing up. Ruth Zukerman net worth 931 Thousand Millions of dollars 79% Net worth score Disclamer: Ruth Zukerman net worth displayed here are calculated based on a combination social factors. And literally within the first class I knew that this was something beyond exercise. Check Background Get Contact Info . It was literally a hole in the wall on 72nd Street. I think theres something to be said for putting off having a family to a certain degree, because its so important to go through your own evolution, building self confidence, and achieving some degree of success before you start a family. And if I could do that, and if I could go back, the message would be to relax, that we just are not going to have the answers when were 16. Right now, he is the most trending person in social media. . Despite my career and successes, and how incredibly fulfilling they were, as far as Im concerned, theres nothing more fulfilling than raising children and bringing incredible people into this world. Leibson: How do you avoid burnout, whether it be with your personal fitness regime or entrepreneurship? Cohn has been married to 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas since 2002. But again, it eventually became just what you said; people had to know about it to go there. Ruth pioneered the boutique fitness industry by creating the "studio" with a specific, highly curated offering and a pay per class structure, modeling them after the dance studios she would frequent when she was pursuing her dance career. She credits her time in therapy with giving her the strength to finally get divorced. I actually just heard a story of two friends who started a business and knew each other for 25 years, and sure enough, they started the business, money gets involved, the relationship fell apart, and the business partnership dissolved. And at the moment it fell through, I felt like nothing but a failure. Here, we speak to Founder Ruth Zukerman, and learn how her wildly-popular concept has found its way into the lives of fitness pros and novices nationwide: 1. According to Page Six's secret sources, Marc was spotted with Ruth Zuckerman, co-founder of Flywheel in NYC. I will say a quote, and you will have the option of saying, Is it a quote said in a SoulCycle class or by Plato? And then if you want, we can then ask the audience, kind of like an ask-the-audience question. We want to share them with everybody else. Mike: As a quick time out to that, I love how in business school we do cases and courses and six-month learning programs to try to have a light bulb moment that you got getting on a bike one day. I very easily slipped into that role. Its mind boggling what she went through. I really hadnt done that kind of exploration. Because I think we tend to glorify entrepreneurship as its a no-brainer, must do, dont look back. Presenter: Please join me in welcoming Ruth Zukerman to the GSB. But I would hit the play button, my class would start, and all of that negativity would just go away for 45 minutes because I was just up there doing what I do, which was connecting with my people, they connected with me, and we all had this cathartic experience together, and thats what got me through it. Mike: When I wrote these down, I actually couldnt remember who said what, so I had to go back. Weve all been through traumas, you know? I mean, that was a life-changing moment for me. And that really started my ball rolling in terms of not only leaving the marriage, but starting to really learn about who I am and who I was. I believe [unintelligible] as an instructor for Soul, which must have been weird. And it was just about making it personal and making people feel noticed. Work Out! Exercise And Pain: Whats Normal? Exercise Tips For Every Age 10 Ways To Stay Motivated To Work Out The Truth About Indoor Cycling. And I do feel that there will always be room for the group fitness part of the fitness industry. While I was working there, I was set up on a blind date and met my future husband. So, again, customer service is huge. SoulCycle was acquired. Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato or SoulCycle? And I dont have the answers actually. That idea fell through. Wealth Milestones. At 51, she co-founded a new business, the highly successful Flywheel, and built the life she'd always dreamed of. It was a scary moment and it was so depressing to me to give up this dream. I had the confidence after having built my spin class for the past five years, I knew that I was on to something. Here are some highlights from our conversation: Hayley Leibson: For Forbes readers that haven't yet read your book, can you please give an overview of your background? It was a cathartic experience. Other names that Ruth uses includes Ruth M Zuckererman, Ruth M Nm-zuckerman, Ruth I Zuckerman and Ruth M Zuckerman. Ruth Zukerman- Elizabeth Vargas husband Marc Cohns Affair, Pam Baker Cocker: Singer Joe Cockers Wife, Melinda Trucks Allman Brothers Butch Trucks Wife, Armstead Edwards: Patti LaBelles Ex- Husband, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue- Porsha Williams New Rich Boyfriend, Jeffrey Corzine- New Jersey Gov. Can I see a raise of hands of anyone who saw the Saturday Night Live SoulCycle parody? Flywheel co-founder Ruth Zuckerman says the answer is absolutely-- and there's a formula to make it worth your while. Thats just a simple thing that I learned from dance class. So a good way to answer the question is when we started Flywheel, we wanted to make signup more efficient. Question number one. I highly recommend it. We can see how this works. I went to Mount Holyoke College because they had a great dance department and it was a strong school academically. Since then, Ive been doing speaking engagements around my book, Riding High, and figuring out whats next for me. Im a first-year MBA. So that kind of speaks to wanting to bring it back full circle to a certain degree. "Riders loved making a morning of it. You described some very key moments in your childhood as being pivotal to the successes and challenges and the obstacles you ultimately overcame both personally and professionally. Ruth Zukerman: [Laughs] Thanks for that perspective. Her wisdom has been featured on several articles on the huffpost, she has written more than a dozen blog entries dating from 2011, titles include Kids and Exercise, Love Thy Self, Inside and Out,, Stressed Out? There wasnt much room for me, wasnt much room for my voice. So it really meant I would have to go back to one of the big box gyms and teach classes for 40 bucks a class. Zukerman: Five years into teaching at Reebok, I built a following. Thats what keeps me going, certainly in terms of having a regime and not falling off of the wagon. They didnt have to wait in line to get shoes. Just kidding. You got into the health and wellness space when it was really nascent. Ruth Zukerman: Yes. And were actually friends. It felt like an experience for me. I have to take a deep breath before this answer. Leibson: Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or blogs you would recommend? SoulCycle took on a certain kind of Im blanking on the word. I decided at a pretty young age that I wanted to become a professional dancer. And the businesses have changed a lot because theyve gotten more corporate, and theyve gotten less personal. Macro-Finance, Initiative on Business and Environmental Sustainability, Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, Stanford Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate, Gwynne Shotwell on Aiming High and Taking Big Risks, Malala Yousafzai on How Everyone Can Inspire Change, Overview of Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Overview of Certificate & Award Recipients, Public Policy Lab: Homelessness in California, Overview of Real-Time Analysis and Investment Lab, Overview of Facilitation Training Program, Overview of the Impact Design Immersion Fellowship, Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships and Prizes, Personal Information, Activities & Awards, Overview of Operations, Information & Technology, Driving Innovation and New Ventures in Established Organizations for Teams, Harnessing Data and Tech for Ocean Health, Junior Faculty Workshop on Financial Regulation and Banking, Quantitative Marketing PhD Alumni Conference, Theory and Inference in Accounting Research, Overview of Centers & Research Initiatives, Overview of Corporate Governance Research Initiative, Overview of Corporations and Society Initiative, Overview of Policy and Innovation Initiative, Overview of Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, Overview of Value Chain Innovation Initiative, Alison Elliott Exceptional Achievement Award, John W. Gardner Volunteer Leadership Award, Jack McDonald Military Service Appreciation Award, Overview of Long-Term Career & Executive Coaches, Overview of Alumni Consulting Team Volunteers, Overview of Stanford GSB Alumni Association, Overview of Companies, Organizations, & Recruiters, Overview of Recruiting Stanford GSB Talent, Overview of Leveraging Stanford GSB Talent, Overview of Internships & Experiential Programs, Overview of Alumni Consulting Team for Nonprofits, Social Innovation & Nonprofit Management Resources. Leibson: How has reinvention played a role in your life? Zukerman: I had my family by the point I started businesses. There werent the SoulCycles and other brands out there. And let us thank you, Ruth, for joining us today. And so she put me in dance class. I discovered at an early age that fitness and exercise is so key to keeping ourselves calm, controlling our moods, and allowing us to approach our stresses in a much healthier way. I think it was a combination of my own evolution and the right circumstances at the right time. On this podcast episode, the Flywheel cofounder talks about staying strong in turbulent times and defining her own success. Im curious about other elements you wanted to bring into both of these brands as you were thinking about the concepts and how you brought them to life in the brands that you did create. And then theyre going to Barrys twice a week. It was unique, amazing, and delicious. And then they might be boxing or couple days a week on their Peloton at home. I think the reality is thats not accessible just based on different income levels. Being a dancer, I choreograph to music. What does the audience think? Tricky, right? Early life Zukerman grew up in Roslyn, New York to a family of Polish, Russian, and German-Jewish heritage. I really need to figure out myself first before that falls into place. On this podcast episode, Diane Von Furstenberg, founder of the DVF clothing line, discusses the importance of character in bouncing back from setbacks. Required fields are marked *. And the industry is definitely changing. Ruth Zukerman and Sadie Kurzban, founders of Soul Cycle, Flywheel, and 305 Fitness, will discuss their origin stories and how women can achieve success and build economic security in any industry. And I stayed in it for a long time, way longer than I should have, but I cant really think of it that way because its who I was at that time. And one of my SoulCycle cofounders looked at me and said, Where are you going? And I looked at her like she has three heads. Can we spend a minute just on those types of setbacks? Mike: Just staying on that point for a minute, you describe in your memoir that years later after launching very successful brands and being a very successful entrepreneur in almost any dimension that you look at entrepreneurship from, you were divorced and not yet remarried. Ruth Zukerman: Well, my cofounder of Flywheel made it very easy because he came up with this idea of attaching technology to the bike and bringing this little computer screen to the bikes so that we could finally measure exactly what we were doing on the bike, how hard we were working, what our resistance levels were, how fast we were going. Where was the tension ultimately in terms of thinking about growth, what you all wanted? Mike: But a little bit of disagreement there. At 48 years old, Zukerman followed her entrepreneurial spirit and co-founded spin studio chain SoulCycle. We were about including everyone, every shape, size and color. Mike: Thank you, Ruth. Ruth Zukerman, Cofounder of SoulCycle and Flywheel. We all experience stress at different levels and some days are better than others. I mean, we signed the lease, and it was after we signed the lease that the landlord said, Oh, by the way, no signage. And we thought, Oh my god. And it wasnt until therapy in fact, my first therapy session ever where I sat down and my motivation was my father was dying, and I had no idea how I was going to go on with that. Mike: That type of learning I think in a school like the GSB where theres a very touchy-feely mentality to approaching business, that resonates, Im sure, with us in the audience. If we have to focus on numbers, we might compromise that mindful component, and thats so important to me. They just begged me, Just get on the bike, and just go in there by yourself and work with it and see what you think.. She is currently Flywheel's Creative Director and continues to teach several sold-out classes every week nationwide. So she definitely appreciated it. Zukerman left SoulCycle in 2009 and started Flywheel the following year. You may opt-out by. It was an escape. I'm among the legions of Flywheel fans who make Ruth's class part of our regular . Ruth Zukerman is co-founder of indoor cycling businesses SoulCycle and Flywheel Sports . I think its important to have that experience under your belt before you become a mother or a father. And I find it interesting to myself that it took me a long time after divorce to really settle into a relationship with a man. I thought I was good. Have the courage to say, This isnt working and its time to figure out whats next. Its not easy, but thats where resilience kicks in. We have no choice. Would you believe she is in her 50s but looks 30-ish! What were the learnings there from doing it yourself and not raising capital?