Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Liza Ritter, owner of Spynergy Wicker Park, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Spynergy Wicker Park is a community-driven indoor cycling studio located in Chicago, IL. We offer fiery rides led by inspiring instructors and energetic music available in-person in Chicago, virtual-live, and on-demand. The classes are beat-based and approachable for all levels. Spynergy's mission is to inspire positivity through fitness, music, and community!
Our clients range from first-time riders to expert triathletes. Because our classes are taught to perceive exertion, anyone who wants to try class absolutely can. If you are a music lover, you'll appreciate our music-centric approach.
Tell us about yourself
I grew up attending class and eventually teaching at my mom and aunt's spinning studio in the Chicago suburbs. The community that they had created was so special that I wanted to offer that inclusive and motivating environment for my peers. After years of teaching and a short career in Marketing, I opened Spynergy Wicker Park in September 2018. Almost daily, especially through the pandemic, we receive emails, letters, and reviews that remind me why I got started. Our riders will express not only the amazing physical and mental effects of the workout but how positively Spynergy has impacted their life outside of the studio as well. People feel welcomed and worthy at Spynergy. Every time I am reminded of that, I am reinvigorated to keep going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When we shut down in 2020 due to the stay-at-home order, we transitioned our entire business online in just five days. We rented out our bikes for members to take home, learned how to teach virtually, and scheduled and executed our entire schedule in less than a week. What I thought was only possible within our four walls turned out to be something we could share around the world, anywhere that you have internet and a bike. We had people join us from the Philippines to London to California, to the next-door apartment building. Not only was this a huge learning experience technologically it was also a testament to my team and our community of members who were able to adapt quickly.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think one of the biggest differences between wanting to start a business and doing it is taking the risk. Business owners need to decide what a calculated risk looks like and be able to go for it over and over again. Once you start, you have to wake up every day and recommit to that risk and your belief that your idea can and will work.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You have to love your idea! You are going to fight for it day in and day out, so make sure it's something worth fighting for.
- Ask for help when you need it. Be excited rather than intimidated by people with more experience in the field.
- Prioritize what is most important to you. Once a business is bigger than just you, it won't always go exactly as you had planned. Being able to prioritize what MUST be the way you planned and where there is wiggle room for new hires will help your business grow in a healthy way.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://spynergystudios.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spynergywickerpark/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spynergywickerpark/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spynergy/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.