I studied pre-med for undergrad so medicine seemed a logical next move. I was always interested in science and how the human body worked and always performed well in school. I figured it was the best option career-wise so I just went for it. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t end up following that path as I’ve really enjoyed the crazy life I’ve experienced and have had so much fun being able to do things that are different to my original path.

I used to dream of a life of travelling all the time and going to new places. I think my one goal back then was to become worldly and have real knowledge of the options open to me before putting down roots. My career as a model pretty much allowed me to do all of those things. Most of the time it was so much fun but of course, sometimes it was scary moving to cities where I didn’t know anyone but it was always exciting. I loved all the different adventures that were part and parcel of the job, from visiting cool places to meeting and working with new people on almost every job.

I started off in New York with New York Models. I lived there a few times before I started modelling but when I moved there to work, I pretty much lived everywhere: 33^rd and 3^rd, Beach Street in Tribeca, 10^th and Charles in the West Village, Washington between Watts and Canal, Fulton Street in the financial district – the list goes on. I then moved to Covent Garden in London, Paris on Rue Etienne Marcel then Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Hollywood in Los Angeles. I also had agencies in Munich, Hamburg, San Francisco and Miami so I was pretty much always on a plane. It was really eye opening to wrap my head around all the different cultures and perspectives of people, especially as I grew up in a small town in Kentucky.

I went into modelling as soon as I got the offer for representation. It was my ticket out of Kentucky and into the world to see what was out there. During my first trip to New York to visit my first agency, they sent me on a few castings, one of which I booked. I went home, booked another ticket, packed up all my stuff and moved three days later into a model apartment in lower Manhattan. Once I got to New York, I was prepared to do whatever it took not to go back home. It was pretty much all or nothing. I can’t remember how my parents felt about me leaving but come hell or high water nothing could have held me back from the opportunity.

Performing was something I did a lot of as a child so to some extent, modelling did come naturally to me. I started dancing at 3 years old and shortly after, started floor gymnastics and cheerleading. I was always happy to be in front of people. That said, there are quite a few early shots from the start of my modelling career that I look back at and laugh. I was clearly green and didn’t know how to pose properly. No matter how confident you are, modelling really is something you have to practice in the mirror. I learned a lot from being able to see the monitor during shoots and watch each frame. You sort of have to remember how you feel in the moment and what poses flatter you most. In my first model apartment, we all used to spend hours in front of the mirror. Looking back now, it’s absolutely hilarious. I still model here and there in London with a great agency called Leni’s Models. They have the best booking team who are always a pleasure to work with. I’ve always believed that the best agency for any model is the one where you have the best relationships with your bookers. It doesn’t matter how big an agency is because if you don’t have someone there that believes in you enough to push you, it’s worthless.

I decided to move away from modelling because as I started nearing 30, I realised that I needed to think of the next thing that could make me enough money to afford the lifestyle I wanted. By that point, I’d been modelling for so long, it was time to throw something else in the mix. I had had the idea for a spin studio since 2004 when I first moved to London so when I met Robert, my partner in all things, I finally found myself prepared to put down roots and start the next thing.

For me, it’s all about taking the opportunities that present themselves and working it our later. Looking back, I’ve always been a self-starter. I’m not sure if it started as way of  craving positive affirmations as a child but I discovered at young age that you can set a bar for yourself and if you accept nothing less, you will achieve what you want. It gets easier the longer you do it.

The setting up of BOOM Cycle is an interesting story. I registered the company and started working on the business plan in April 2010. My partner Rob was doing his own business plan at the time for a separate concept. We realised we’d never see each other if we did our own things so we decided to join forces on the spin studio idea as it seemed the more scalable of the two. We funded most of the first studio ourselves then went out to raise the rest of the money through friends, family and one corporate investor. We didn’t have much trouble raising the money, but as soon as my bank went to deposit my loan into the business account, the boarder agency stopped them, as I apparently couldn’t do anything but model with the model visa I was on. Luckily Rob and I had lived together for almost two years at this point so I could apply for an unmarried partners visa. That set us back a few months, but I got it and we got back on track, found a property and applied for planning, which took six months. We got the keys to the first property in early August 2011 and, although we hired a contractor, we did a lot of the work ourselves, getting up at 5.30am every day and staying there until 1am most nights for the first 3 months. With help from family and friends, we personally painted the place, laid the bricks that the levels in the studio sit on, and even built the reception desk and attached the light fixtures that are all still there today. It was grueling, stressful and I’ve vowed never to do it like that again.

We definitely had highs and lows when we first started. About a month after we opened the doors to our first location, our corporate investor went into administration so we lost our back up funding. We had to let go of all our staff except the instructors. We even had to clean the place ourselves until we got the business back on its feet. For months, we had to work there 7am-9pm and most weekends until we were ready to go back into the market to raise money for expansion. In 2013 we got investment from our current investors and started looking for our second location, which we found in Holborn.

Rob had some experience running a small business in his previous job but I had never had a ‘real’ job or worked in a team, much less managed people.  It was a learning curve for both of us though as so many things go into setting up a business like this. You have to deal with city planning, landlords, staff, marketing, ordering stock, PR and a thousand other things. A lot of it was overwhelming but we are both quick learners and more importantly hard workers. I don’t think we will ever stop learning but looking back at how we were when we first started, we’ve come so far. We actually know what we’re supposed to be doing now!

We started spreading the word by hiring a PR company for the first six months, starting our contact 2-3 months before we opened. We then just spoke to everyone we knew and left flyers everywhere. The demand was gradual for sure, until we started getting mentioned in key press. The fact that I modelled before starting BOOM Cycle helped, as it was a popular PR story. It gave me credibility as it proved that everything we’re doing is rooted in being fit and healthy. It also helped saved us lots of money for our shoots because we didn’t need to pay for models.

I’d say I’m pretty brazen when it comes to taking risks but they’re always calculated. I’ve always been an all or nothing type of person but I’ve got the determination to always see things through. I get bored really easily so can get incredibly impatient, which is partly why I always move fast with ideas. For me, it’s all about taking the opportunities that present themselves and working it our later. Looking back, I’ve always been a self-starter. I’m not sure if it started as way of  craving positive affirmations as a child but I discovered at young age that you can set a bar for yourself and if you accept nothing less, you will achieve what you want. It gets easier the longer you do it.

There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that BOOM Cycle would work. I had seen how many people in the States, myself included, would race to be the first person to sign up to a spin class and the first in the room to put their things on their favourite bike. The UK is not like the States but I did see that people were getting more and more interested in health and fitness and somewhere deep inside, I just believed that things were changing. It was going to happen or I was going to die trying. I have this ability to sometimes block out the possibility that things my not work out. Luckily, it’s worked for me so far!

Photographs by Dvora exclusively for The Lifestyle Edit with art direction by Naomi Mdudu.