NOVEMBER INTERVIEW WITH ENTREPRENEUR BRIANA OWENS
For November’s issue of our PrettiPassionate Profiles series, we got to know Health & Wellness advocate and entrepreneur Briana Owens. Hear how she turned a need for the community into a passion she went on to fulfill. We’re inspired by Briana and hope you are as well!
Spiked Spin Owner, Briana Owens
Name: Briana Owens
Location: New York, NY
Title: Founder & CEO
Bio: Health & Wellness advocate and entrepreneur Briana Owens is committed to developing a wellness framework and infrastructure that caters to improving the health of those living in underserved communities for generations to come. Since the launch of her boutique cycling company, Spiked Spin in 2016, Briana has cultivated a community of over 3,000 riders in New York City, opened the flagship studio in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, and has partnered with premier brands such as Nike, Beats by Dre, and BodyArmor among others. As Briana grows The Spiked Company, she continues to leverage her years of experience in the boutique fitness industry and intricate studies of generational health and wellness to educate the masses on social determinants of health and how adopting healthy living practices, balance and consistency can lead to transformational changes.
Q: How did you stumble upon your amazing path with Spiked Spin?
Spiked Spin was created organically out of necessity. I started to consider my experience at boutique studios and I thought about the things I loved and the things I hated. One of the main things I hated was the music. Music is such an integral part of how I experience life and most times I hated whatever was being played, or I would be thinking of what I would play if I were teaching the class. I hated the concept of a versus ride because I felt like it just wasn't authentic -- I knew that women and people like me deserve a space that was genuinely created for them where they could feel comfortable and empowered, so I created it.
Q: When was the moment you knew this was your passion and you had to pursue this journey?
It's interesting because my passion is not spinning, it's the betterment of underserved people and spinning/wellness is the way God is allowing me to fulfill my purpose. There was not one aha moment -- there have just been lots of prayers and asking God to continuously order my steps, and I just keep walking.
Q: Who inspired you into taking this path?
There is not one person who inspired me to take this path, I am inspired by the thought and possibility of positively impacting a system that was not properly built. I want to be a part of Insulting the Standards and transforming generations.
Q: Who was the first person who believed in you?
My fiancé because he's the first person I told. I came home sometime in 2015 after one of the many cycling classes that I was obsessed with taking and I mentioned to him that I was considering becoming certified. He literally told me to just do it! After my certification, I've been doing the work little by little and I must say my unit is really tight! My friends and family have been supportive the entire way.
Q: What was the moment you knew you could be successful at your path?
When I started to acquire customers who weren't my friends! My classes began to be filled with strangers and that's when I started to truly believe in the potential for success.
Q: How do you define success for yourself? How do you define success for the path that you're on?
Honestly, I'm still working through this.
Q: Give us a typical day in your life:
Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl? Night Owl for sure.
When do you get up? I wake up around 6:30am but I definitely try to be up no later than 7am.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? The very first thing I do put on my glasses. After that I can start my morning by giving a quick thanks to God for waking me up, quickly reading my verse of the day on the bible app, and then I get out of bed.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual? Not really, my mornings are typically dependent on my schedule for the day. I must say, I do prefer morning workouts. I feel best when I start my day with a workout before I do anything else.
What do you do from 10am to 1pm? I'm usually at my full-time job from 9:30am - 6:00pm - I work in digital marketing for a major network.
Do you have a pre-bed ritual? This is making me realize that I am much more of a go with the flow type of person. Every day is dependent on what I feel I need for the day. Sometimes that may be simply sitting in peace and quiet, sometimes it could be chatting on the phone with friends or family, sometimes it could be binging my favorite shows or just having a long conversation with my fiancé. I love to live life, not force it and so I try to stay in-tune with myself and my needs, and that's what I trust for how I approach every morning, night, and moment of my day!
How do define a successful day? Coming home to a place to live, with the person I love -- knowing I share so much love with amazing people (family and friends) is the gratitude I maintain which literally allows me to always feel successful. I know that most entrepreneurs define it by a goal list, or a bottom line, which obviously is important to grow a thriving business, but I don't think it's important to my personal success.
Q: What’s been the most important skills you've developed on your path?
Unwavering confidence to show up fully in every space.
Q: What’s been the greatest challenge in your path?
Time. As I mentioned I still work full-time to fund my dreams and there are many things I want to do that just are not feasible. I have to be very strategic and intentional with every second of my day -- this is another reason I don't get settled into routines. I'm always trying to maximize every second to get done whatever needs to happen.
Q: What’s been your greatest reward in the choices you've made to do this?
The greatest reward is meeting people who have been impacted by the brand and hearing their stories.
Q: Do you have a personal motto or a phrase that best represents you?
Insult the Standard.
Q: What is one key takeaway that you would like to leave for our readers?
Life is best lived proactively. I encourage you to drown out the noise of the good and bad of your current circumstances and to just sit with yourself and decide the life YOU want to live, and then proactively make decisions that will align with your ultimate vision for you.
Q: How can we stay in touch or reach out for services?
Website: www.spikedspin.com
Social: @spikedspin | @bri.monee