1 hr 17 min
#15 Robert Rowland: Putting the Fun into Sweat and Why the Wrong Hire can Cause Chaos The Startup Blueprint
-
- Business
In this episode, I am joined by Robert Rowland, Co-founder and Chief Boom Officer of Boom Cycle. Boom Cycle exploded onto the London boutique fitness scene in 2011 and is a true pioneer in the market. The brand is grounded in personality and community and carefully balances health and hedonism. The company now has 5 studios, significant financial backing and ambitious plans for expansion. Together with his wife and co-founder, Hilary, Robert has been on an incredible journey - a journey that has seen them leverage their strengths, learn from their mistakes and build a seriously impressive business. It is also a journey that we can learn a lot from. So, what are the biggest takeaways? Firstly, aspiring entrepreneurs should not necessarily expect a dramatic eureka moment. Robert’s decision to start Boom Cycle was the culmination of various experiences, conversations and market research. And even then, Boom Cycle started as a hobby before it became obvious that it was destined to be a full blown business. PR has played a big part in the marketing and growth of Boom Cycle. A lot of startups struggle in the space, typically because of the difficulty of tracking the return on investment. But it is clear that Robert and Hilary had faith in the process from the beginning. At the same time, they know that PR is only one part of the process and Boom Cycle has clearly focused on creating multiple positive touch points at every opportunity, which is something every startup can learn from. Another massive takeaway is the importance of understanding your why. Why are you doing what you are doing? Why does your business exist? Boom Cycle is on a mission to make fitness fun, to introduce personality, to build community and to hammer home that it is about how you feel and not just how you look. Two things struck me when listening to Robert speak about this (1) happiness and euphoria are almost s a KPI at Boom Cycle; and (2) knowing your why saves time and money by making every decision ten times easier. But the biggest takeaway for me relates to recruitment. Robert considers hiring the wrong people to be the most damaging mistake he and Hilary have made. Their approach initially was, in Robert’s words, relaxed and almost flippant - an approach that has the potential to cause chaos within your company. But things have clearly changed and the recruitment process is more considered, structured and professional. And there is even a BoomUniversity. But the biggest sign of the progress made in this area can be seen when Robert describes what he is most proud of - the team he has built and the 72 people that take a wage from Boom Cycle.
In this episode, I am joined by Robert Rowland, Co-founder and Chief Boom Officer of Boom Cycle. Boom Cycle exploded onto the London boutique fitness scene in 2011 and is a true pioneer in the market. The brand is grounded in personality and community and carefully balances health and hedonism. The company now has 5 studios, significant financial backing and ambitious plans for expansion. Together with his wife and co-founder, Hilary, Robert has been on an incredible journey - a journey that has seen them leverage their strengths, learn from their mistakes and build a seriously impressive business. It is also a journey that we can learn a lot from. So, what are the biggest takeaways? Firstly, aspiring entrepreneurs should not necessarily expect a dramatic eureka moment. Robert’s decision to start Boom Cycle was the culmination of various experiences, conversations and market research. And even then, Boom Cycle started as a hobby before it became obvious that it was destined to be a full blown business. PR has played a big part in the marketing and growth of Boom Cycle. A lot of startups struggle in the space, typically because of the difficulty of tracking the return on investment. But it is clear that Robert and Hilary had faith in the process from the beginning. At the same time, they know that PR is only one part of the process and Boom Cycle has clearly focused on creating multiple positive touch points at every opportunity, which is something every startup can learn from. Another massive takeaway is the importance of understanding your why. Why are you doing what you are doing? Why does your business exist? Boom Cycle is on a mission to make fitness fun, to introduce personality, to build community and to hammer home that it is about how you feel and not just how you look. Two things struck me when listening to Robert speak about this (1) happiness and euphoria are almost s a KPI at Boom Cycle; and (2) knowing your why saves time and money by making every decision ten times easier. But the biggest takeaway for me relates to recruitment. Robert considers hiring the wrong people to be the most damaging mistake he and Hilary have made. Their approach initially was, in Robert’s words, relaxed and almost flippant - an approach that has the potential to cause chaos within your company. But things have clearly changed and the recruitment process is more considered, structured and professional. And there is even a BoomUniversity. But the biggest sign of the progress made in this area can be seen when Robert describes what he is most proud of - the team he has built and the 72 people that take a wage from Boom Cycle.
1 hr 17 min