#Shopsmall, #Supportlocal, #Smallbizsupport. We all recognize these often trendy
hashtags- usually used around the holidays to show our support for the little guys and to prove to our internet friends that we live on the right side of things. We use them as a badge of honor, exemplifying how we are supporting our community, and those small businesses who work so hard to create special things, places, and activities. Especially during the pandemic, it has become increasingly clear to so many of us the impact that we have on our local businesses and their dependence on us to stay thriving. But what about when the hashtags slow down? When the staggering statistics about small business closures are no longer frontpage news, and #smallbusinesssaturday is months in the rearview- are you staying steadfast in your support? Or are you, like we do sometimes, giving in to convenience, immediate gratification, and whatever else? We get it. We use Amazon Prime too much, too, but we are working on it. We think we owe it to all of you, as small business owners, to tell you how meaningful it is when you support the little guy.
Running a small business is hard as hell. It seems like a no-brainer, but actually, unless you have done it, you have no idea. The Inner Cycle is our baby in every sense. It requires endless time, love, sweat, and tears to keep our doors open. We love it more than anything. We live and breathe the business twenty-four hours a day. We wake up fielding texts, emails, and calls from riders, instructors, landlords, and equipment companies. We are up all hours of the night trying to figure out our next challenge, event, or how the f$%k to create a choreographed reel on Instagram when we are forty years old and trying to stay relevant. We give all of ourselves, all of the time. Just two local girls- now women and moms, juggling life and this incredible
business that we have created during a global pandemic, unsure of where we would/will
end up. Thankfully, we are still standing, but we continue to need your support.
It means the world to us when you show up at our studios.
It means the world to us when you take our On Demand classes.
When you bring a friend to class with you, buy a sweatshirt, join a challenge, share a Facebook
post, try a different location, or share us in your stories- it means the WORLD to us.
And conversely, when that sleek black and white van rolls up to your house- it hurts us. We
know that Cody Rigsby is a hip dude. (Is hip a cool thing to say anymore?) But you know who
else loves Britney Spears? Hunter Gillis. Mel C. will make you belly laugh, Kara will help you
bring sexy back, and Lindsay Sutton will motivate you up and down that sticky hill more times
than you thought possible. You will forgo the on-screen high fives and you will create lasting,
real-life, in-person friendships within our walls. On those days where the in-studio schedule just doesn’t work- baby kept you up all night, or you have to stay late or go in early to work? Oh honey, we’ve got you. You can ride with us from home now too, and connect with your favorite instructors with IC On Demand. No need for an overpriced red resistance knob because, lucky for you, any stationary bike will do. BUT if you are one of the many Inner Cyclers who now ride a #pelo, you can still ride with us!
Stick with us, we promise we’ll work hard for you. We will answer your emails and remember your names and help you achieve your personal goals. We will do that because we are not just in the business of fitness, we are in the business of YOU! And we want to stay here- with you. We want to be somewhere you can escape to. We want to host events for you and reach goals with you and remind you why you fell in love with spinning in the first place. But we can only do all of that if we stay open- and we cannot stay open if we lose too many riders to large corporate alternatives.
So, next time you are planning a workout, remember, we are more than a quick sweat. We are a chat in the lobby. We laugh and cry together during class. Our kids go to school together, we know your sister-in-law, and we bump into one another at the grocery store. We are a community, a feeling, and a friend… and we’re all yours.
I just want you both—all of you—to know how important you are to me and how much this studio has meant to me. I have spent my birthday mornings with you, gone to you on my worst days and in celebration of my best days. My personal health journey with infertility has kept me from you in person and I feel like a part of my identity is missing without those in-person rides. I just want you to know that I will continue to support and promote your business and I will be back in FULL force once I’m in a safe place medically.
Remarkable content you guys!!!
The tears 😭
#wegotchu