Growing up, Melanie’s goal was to become an architect, and she wanted to study engineering in college in order to understand what was going on behind the walls of a great structure. She intended to open her own architecture firm, but her plan changed pretty dramatically in college. She graduated from college as an engineering and economics major. Melanie served as the Chief Executive Officer at SoulCycle for almost five years. She was the first woman who agreed to an interview for my book! Her relentless drive inspires me every day!
Who do you look up to?
There are so many people that I admire. The truest role models I have ever had were my parents. My father was an entrepreneur, and he created multiple businesses. I watched him build companies person by person, day by day. He was incredibly influential on how I thought about building businesses and teams, the value of hard work, and customer-centric focus as I watched it in my whole living room. My mom as well, in the way that she stayed at home with me and my sister but was incredibly active in our community and in our lives. They both continue to support me as I work to figure things out every day.
When was the time you wanted to give up and what made you persevere through the situation?
When you are building a business, there are a lot of moments when the goals seem unachievable and you want to give up. We had an experience once when we launched a website and our entire booking system crashed, enabling people to book limitless bike reservations. The problem seemed so big that we didn't think we were able to solve it. I think what always keeps me going is our team and ultimately our riders. You have to remember why you are doing something and who you are solving for; when you have high team morale, you can figure anything out.
Have you accomplished everything you have wanted to?
Life is about continually pushing yourself to achieve and accomplish more, so there is a lot more I have left to accomplish. I have accomplished a lot more than I ever imagined I would. I have these two amazing children, and they are the absolute joy in my life. I always wanted to have kids, however, I never dreamed of having kids as awesome as mine. From that to my career and everything we have built here at SoulCycle, it's a dream. With that said, there is a lot of other things I want to accomplish; it is just a matter of time and priorities.
What drives you?
I am a pretty self-motivated person, and I derive great satisfaction from purpose and accomplishments, whether that be helping a customer, sitting with our team to solve a problem, or helping my son with math homework. I am a problem solver at heart, and I love to be helpful which is ultimately what drives me. Looking for places where I can add value and help others motivates me as well.
What advice do you have to others who aspire to be leaders like you?
My advice for everyone is that there is no replacement for hard work and connections with others. Sometimes we get so focused on what we need to accomplish that we forget to put our heads up and network. Building relationships and bringing people along with you is as important as the work you are doing. I often tell young people to do a great job, ask what you can do to help, and make yourself invaluable. Ultimately, you are a sum of the people around you, so you want to surround yourself with great people. Also, it’s important to listen first and start by asking great questions to really understand before you offer your own opinions. I think that helps you make better decisions and better relationships.
What is the greatest factor that helped you become who you are today?
I would say my relentless optimism and the fact that I find it very hard to believe something cannot be done. I feel like if there is a problem that needs to be solved, we can always figure it out. When you are relentlessly positive, you can accomplish amazing things.
