Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Attebery.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I spent ten years in the financial services industry climbing the corporate ladder. In 2014, we moved from Portland, OR to San Diego for the climate and laid-back southern California coastal lifestyle. In the process, I left the big company where I had been building my career for a smaller boutique firm here, and found that there wasn’t much upward mobility and I didn’t really jive with the partners, so after a year, I had started to look for other opportunities. During my first year in San Diego, I found Rush Cycle (then known as just “The Rush”) and was hooked instantly by the amazing instructors and killer workout. Within three months, I started the instructor training program and began moonlighting as a spin instructor. I was spending more of my time thinking about and planning my Rush classes than I was doing my real job so when the opportunity to franchise with the studio came up, I jumped on it. I cashed in my IRA, took out a Small Business Loan, and started Rush Cycle Encinitas. We’ve been open since December 2016 and while we’ve had our ups & downs in the uber-competitive fitness market, we’ve also seen membership grow consistently. My training in high-touch client service provided me with the skills I needed to get off the ground. Financials aside, I’m most proud of the close-knit, supportive community we’ve created among our staff and riders, all of it rooted in positive and welcoming client experience. We’ve been voted one of the best fitness studios in North County as well as a Top Studio by ClassPass clients. I’ve also recently been named an Ambassador for Lululemon (Carlsbad), which is a huge honor.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are so many things they don’t tell you about opening your own business! During the first six months, I worked 14 hour days, seven days a week. In the first month after opening, I broke out in a rash over my entire body due to stress. I permanently damaged the vision in my right eye due to swelling and fluid build-up behind my retina (also caused by stress). In the first two years, I didn’t pay myself so that I could put as much money as possible back into the business and to pay down my loan. I almost didn’t have enough money in the bank for payroll one time – that was pretty scary and I’ve vowed for that to never happen again. Fitness is a tough industry – people have a lot of options and there are a lot of gimmicks; it often feels like a race-to-the-bottom when it comes to pricing and promotions. It’s a slippery slope to compete on price and I’ve worked hard to not have to slash prices just to get people in. It’s also high turnover so there’s a constant need to bring new people through the doors, which makes you never feel quite secure. And like every business owner, I’ve had my share of nightmare clients – each experience has taught me something new about client service.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Rush Cycle Encinitas – what should we know?
Rush Cycle Encinitas is an indoor cycling (spin) studio. We have 44 bikes in our studio and offer classes at various times throughout the day, seven days a week. We also offer childcare, which we are one of the few studios around to do. We run our classes in the dark, under blacklights, and it’s a concert-like experience. The music is the focal point of the workout – the entire ride is synched up to the beat of the music. In addition, our instructors offer so much than just a workout – an important component of every class is a motivational theme to connect and uplift our riders. We like to say that we build more than strong bodies – we build strong minds and strong hearts as well. We don’t focus solely on weight loss or body image or size, we offer our riders a chance to feel their best and become their most confident selves through positive motivation and community encouragement. We’re proud of being known for our friendly and helpful staff and having a welcoming environment to riders of all ages, levels, and abilities. Our instructors are selected through an audition process, then go through a rigorous, eight-week, in-house training program and are hands-down the best in San Diego.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My approach to client service. Having a beautiful studio and good instructors is part of it, but not if clients feel like they’re being treated poorly or unwelcome or not good enough. We’re friendly and welcoming to everyone. My team knows that no one walks through our studio “unseen.” Additionally, I’ve spent two years honing our policies to ensure they’re fair and balance both the interests of the business with the client experience. I enforce our policies fairly and uniformly – I don’t believe in playing favorites or giving special treatment to certain people. Everyone deserves a great experience but everyone is also expected to respect our staff, other riders and rules, and policies. I’m not afraid to have difficult conversations with people who don’t respect my staff or other riders. We communicate proactively and our sales aren’t rooted in gimmicks, false pretenses or hidden fine print. We’re upfront with all the details of our pricing and policies and believe that people will come back because we provide a great experience for a fair price – and they do.
Pricing:
- First Class $10
- Unlimited Membership includes benefits such as free shoe rentals, free childcare, a monthly guest pass and a discount on apparel
Contact Info:
- Website: rushcycle.com/encinitas
- Phone: (760) 452-2131
- Email: encinitas@rushcycle.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/rushcycle_encinitas
- Facebook: facebook.com/RushCycleEncinitas
Image Credit:
Jessica Jaccarino Photography, Z Bella Photography
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
