Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Tegeler.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Toni. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started instructing when I was 19 at Rush Cycle – League City, the first Rush Cycle location to open out of the San Diego, California market, in 2017. I was the youngest, arguably one of the least experienced, and certainly the most reserved of my training group- essentially I was THE underdog. I owe a lot of where I am today to Angie Afman (Director of Instructors and Training at Rush Cycle), without her support and ability to lead I wouldn’t have made it past the first week of training, let alone be where I am today.
Fast forward a few months- I was instructing 4-8 classes per week, working the front desk at the studio to make a little extra money, and going to school full-time. If I wasn’t at school, I was at the studio and if I wasn’t at the studio I was at school. I learned a lot about the ins-and-outs of the business and what it takes to make a fitness studio successful during my time at the League City.
Fast forward to 2018- I moved to Dallas, to finish my degree in psychology at UTD, and I eventually found myself teaching at a local spin studio in the city. I soon discovered that breaking into the already-established fitness community at this particular studio was going to be next to impossible. Despite the discomfort of being in a new city and being new to the Dallas fitness scene, I was pretty determined to find a place for myself anyway. The following year and a half involved a lot of keeping my head down, not worrying about the numbers, and simply focusing on bettering myself as an instructor.
Inevitably, that particular studio ended up closing 2 of its 4 locations in early 2019 due to years of poor management and irrecoverable financial damage. And subsequently- nearly half of the staff was let go, including myself. Leaving that studio ended up being my favorite blessing in disguise.
Enter Rush Cycle- Frisco. I had always been planning on finding my way back to working for the brand, I just didn’t know if it would happen so soon and in the suburbs of Dallas nonetheless. I’ve found myself currently working as the lead instructor of an incredible team, and the counterpart of Meghan Saunders our fabulous studio manager. Meghan and I worked together at the previously mentioned studio- and together we have several years of experience in the fitness industry. Rush Cycle- Frisco opened in early September, making us a little over a month old at this point, and I am loving every minute of it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I wouldn’t say it’s been smooth. Anyone who says that progress is smooth is probably lying. It was really hard for me to establish who I wanted to be as an instructor (I think I’m still working on this). I am naturally a pretty reserved and person, so instructing was, and still is at times, horrifyingly outside of my comfort zone. The only way I was able to break out of my shell was through practice. The more I taught, the longer I was out of my comfort zone, the easier it got, and the more myself I became.
Please tell us more about your business.
Rush Cycle- Frisco is an indoor cycling studio that offers 45-minute rhythmic-cycling classes. As the lead instructor for the franchise, I train incoming instructors, provide guidance and establish expectations for current instructors, act as a liaison between the instructor-side of the business and front of house, and regularly communicate with our corporate master instructors to ensure there is ongoing development within the instructor team.
Rush Cycle is different from many other boutique fitness studios because it places a huge emphasis on inclusivity and community. You will find people of all shapes, sizes, fitness backgrounds and fitness levels in the classes. Having helped create a space for people of all walks of life to come and feel welcome is probably what I’m most proud of.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would care less about what other people think. A lot of time can be wasted worrying about how you come off as or about what people are saying, but it worrying about these things is almost never conducive to success. The more yourself you are in this job, the better off you’ll be. It took me a long time to figure that out.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6700 Stonebrook Pkwy. Suite 106
Frisco, TX 75034 - Website: https://www.rushcycle.com/frisco/
- Phone: (972) 292-9753
- Email: toni.tegeler@rushcycle.com
- Instagram: @toni_tegeler / @rushcycle_frisco
Image Credit:
Kelcee Harwood / @harwood_photography
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