A party on a bike to sweet tunes with candle light is no regular work out. Yet the fun aspect is part of what makes Rocycle so dam popular. Based in central Amsterdam they've recently opened a new studio out South.

Roxy van der Noordt one of Rocycle's owners says her goal is to keep the team and riders happy and healthy. We had a chat with her about their company culture and got some tips for entrepreneurs and managers. 
 
Rocycle is a relatively new company, why do you think it’s been so successful so quickly?
We spend a lot of time on finding out what our riders want and doing our best to give this to them. We believe workouts should be fun and so do our riders. The same goes for the team, we like to make a big effort to listen to them, they come with great solutions and new ideas all the time. 

What makes Rocycle company culture so strong?
We have a strong family feeling within our team, I think this is thanks to starting the new business with likeminded people and by giving each individual a voice. 

How does one cultivate a great company culture?
I believe it is important to build a structure and discuss with your team what your core values are in order to help grow your company culture. At first we called this our Rocycle Behavior and over time this has developed in a more strategic and on-brand frame work for who we are at Rocycle. 
 
What three tips would you give to entrepreneurs starting a new business?
Embrace change and always turn it into something positive!
Find people that compliment your skillset. 
Be brave. Just go for it! 

How important is social media and online presence in today’s world?
To Rocycle it is great. It helps showcase what it's all about and brings in new customers. You can get a real flavour of the atmosphere, the workout, the instructors and you can stay in touch with the riders. It helps us keep up that connection with people that go to Rocycle already and people that haven't been (yet!)
 
What are some of the perks of running your own company?
Having the freedom to build your dream team and own company culture. We feel very blessed to work with such a great bunch of people.


What are some of the difficulties with running your own company?
You are always 'on', of course you have your days off but there is no stopping really. You just keep going no matter what. It is what you get out of bed for every morning! 
 
How do you deal with challenges like people not showing up etc?
Thanks to regular chats with each individual team member, we most of the time know what's going on also in their personal lives. This helps us understand why they for example have missed a shift but mostly helps us prevent people not showing up. 
 
How do you motivate and get the most out of your staff?
Make them feel special! Our instructors and studio team are our core business. They make sure our riders have the best workout and step out of the studio with a massive smile. So we listen to them, ask them what motivates them and try build personal projects around their interests. 
We have all kinds of projects going on to help motivate the team to stay involved. One example is The 'Instructor of the Month', each month we choose an instructor based on how they live and breath our core values.


What qualities do you look for in someone when building your team?
For us it is very key the person fits with the brand and works well with the team. We like friendly nice people and positivity is a must.
 
What are three tips you’d give to someone in a managerial position?
Read 'The One Minute Manager' Book by Pierre Blanchard
Listen to podcasts, my favourite guy at the moment is Tony Robbins
Find a mentor, it is so worth it to ask for advise or help from other professionals
 
How do you keep a work life balance?
Just plan it in. Plan in your work and plan in your personal life. I actually use google calendar for not only appointments but also all of the tasks on my to-do-list!
 
What role does health and wellbeing play in your life?
A Ro'Ride or any workout for me is a fix. It makes me feel happier and stronger and I basically cannot go without! In all honesty, I have this less with healthy food. I get most of my nutritions from The Cold Pressed Juices - my favourite one is as you can guess,The Fix ;)
 
What’s your number one escape if you’re feeling stressed?
Join a Ro'Ride! It's nice to be around people and alltogether focus for 45 minutes on nothing else that the music and the moves. Sweat it all out and leave the studio with a smile. I personally always loose myself in the moment, really be in the now. 
 
What juicery product would you recommend to cyclers for before and after a work out?
Where I love The Fix during the day, I believe the Mango Green is perfect for post workouts. It has the most protein of all TCPJ juices and if you'd ask me tastes the best also. 
 
The Rocycle team is always growing so if anyone fancies a chat reach out to Roxy to find out more.
roxy@rocyclestudios.com
www.rocyclestudios.com