How can good physical wellbeing boost the productivity and happiness of your team at work? We talk to Boom Cycle co-founder, Hilary Rowland to find out what encouraging physical health means for her and her team!
To the early morning tube dwellers, the lunchtime workout listeners, the before bed wind-downers and everyone in between: We’re so happy to announce that we’re back with series 3 of our podcast!
Our new series, Work Happy, is centred around workplace happiness in all its glorious forms.
We’ll be exploring the landscape of workplace happiness to gain tips on how to move, eat, sleep and work better. Entrepreneur, Angelica Malin, will be talking everything from transformational breath work to digital nutrition with experts, entrepreneurs and coaches who are making happy waves in the wellbeing industry.
We’re kicking off the season by picking the brains of Hilary Rowland, co-founder of Boom Cycle, a lifestyle company that specialises in spinning.
Boom Cycle is the business baby of husband and wife, Hilary and Robert Rowland. Hilary is passionate about the role of physical wellbeing in our lives and work and has plenty of advice for those looking to use exercise as a positive influence on their happiness and wellbeing: “We create an experience that allows the rider to switch off. It’s an effective workout as well but our focus is on escapism and mental health. Everybody says it’s their reset button”.
Hilary’s fitness journey has been lifelong. Taking up dance at a young age, Hilary then moved to gymnastics and team sports until she started modelling as a teenager where she began exercising to fit an aesthetic, and look a certain way, “after I got away from modelling and was focused on building a business, I discovered it’s much more rewarding to work out without that pressure”.
She’s found using exercise as self-punishment produces fewer results: “you’re going to do it more begrudgingly and probably less. It’s easier to stick with something if it makes you feel good”.
And if your relationship with exercise isn’t serving you? “The thoughts in your mind, your inner monologue are going to affect you. It’s proven that doing exercise boosts your confidence, so say you’re proud of yourself”.
When it comes to running a successful business and creating an environment where people thrive, Hilary looks to instil confidence in every member of her team: “At Boom, everyone pitches in. Whatever position you’re in, everyone has a voice and we let everyone know that their ideas are welcome”.
Along with ‘no suits at work’ Boom operates a policy of face to face communication. She implores her team to try face to face communication first if they need to speak to someone. If this isn’t possible then they should call and follow up with an email or slack message: “A lot of things can get lost in translation, it’s so much better when you communicate with empathy which I’ve found you can only do when you’re face to face or on the phone”.
Hilary also tries her best to hire for fit and train for skill but admits she doesn’t always get it right: “A few times maybe we haven’t met with the individual enough times before hiring and a bad fit just makes everyone uncomfortable […] though it probably isn’t working for them either. You have to sit down, talk it out and give everyone a chance”.
Personally, Hilary relieves stress by teaching Boom classes and using the Headspace app but also raves about the free and easy benefits of being in nature: “One of our studios is by Battersea park, so if I’m feeling stressed, I’ll take a walk and being amongst the trees and by the river always makes me feel calmer and more centred”.
She finds her work happy in seeing the Boom team happy in their jobs, “Seeing that all of us together can provide a service which brings people joy and a service that they need to improve their lives, that makes me happy”.
Click here to listen to the whole conversation and hear much more about the mental benefits of physical exercise and what it’s like when your life partner and business partner are the same person…
