It started off as a way to make ends meet in between agency gigs, but then became a great way to meet people, some of whom proved very useful allies when it came to nailing down advertising work.
Coaching spin classes was a way to pay my rent as I tried to land my first proper job in advertising. Back then, if you wanted to get into a top agency, you started on placement. And it wasn’t unusual to get £50 cash in hand and be expected to combine it with the dole or a bar job.
So, alongside my long day job in advertising, I taught spin classes all around London at weekends and early mornings before work. It paid better than bar work.
I stuck with spinning even after I started to earn a living from advertising, because I loved it. I got to meet interesting people. From Bond actors to Olympians. Popstars to Michelin-starred chefs. And from royals to adland glitterati.
Coaching in and around Soho meant I often got recognised in other parts of my life. In a client meeting or pitch someone would say: “You look a lot like my spin instructor.”
One senior exec from a pitch intermediary took my classes for months before we realised we worked in the same industry. But a few years, and a lot of classes later, he’d mentored me through two job moves. Thank you Mr P.
Being a spin coach also helped me develop useful skills for my day job. No one really trains creatives to do client presentations. You learn from doing. Standing in front of 50 people at seven am trying to convince them to push their bodies (often tired or hungover) can feel a bit like a pitch.
I soon learned that the classes I prepared for in advance always went better. Which is why I plan meticulously for every meeting at work, focusing on how I want the experience to go.
As I started to take on responsibilities for other colleagues, spinning helped me understand how to coach people to be their best version of themselves. Great leaders, such as (British cycling coach) Dave Brailsford, take time to understand the individuals they work with then help them grow. And I’ve been fortunate enough to get to meet and learn from coaches like him.
Not surprisingly, I try to encourage teams to prioritise their health and wellbeing because I’m acutely aware of how important fitness and exercise is to physical and mental health.
Anytime I talk to a high-performing business leader I ask them how they handle stress, and the answer is nearly always the same: exercise.
In the past few years, I’ve started applying my performance marketing skills to cycling. Twenty years ago, you just had to push riders until they felt a bit sick. But most cycle programmes and studios now use data to structure classes.
Wearable tech tracks output, heart rate, calories, sleep, blood pressure, breathing and so on. The entire rider experience can be shaped by data.
I think I’m lucky that all the agencies I’ve worked for have supported me. Rapp even gives me paid time off to focus on doing something for me.
Recently I worked on the launch of a boutique studio focused on data-driven classes. And I’ve been working with the David Lloyd Master Trainer team on a product that personalises rider experiences within group classes. It’s wonderfully inclusive.
I’ve seen pregnant women, including my wife, cycle right up to their due date and beyond. Two women gave birth hours after taking one of my classes. In the same class I had a serious ironman competitor who would regularly fly into London from Singapore and come straight from the airport.
Nothing beats walking into a cycle studio and connecting with people. You meet so many dedicated and interesting characters who show up even if they’re knackered or jet-lagged because they know how important it is to their wellbeing.
People like this bring an amazing energy. When you combine it with a solid ride plan, some great tunes and a few persuasion techniques, it can really unlock that energy. It’s so much fun.
Al Macie is CCO at RAPP UK
This Article originally ran in Campaign in August 2022
