Show Notes

• What makes Peloton special
• “We’ll see you on Tuesday.”
• Ally’s role in creating loyalty and connection in the community
• Pressure is a privilege
• Connecting through a screen
• How Peloton innovates, and the role members play in that innovation
• The impact of becoming a mom
• Living God’s purpose for her life
• The impact of almost dying at the age of 9

Connect With Ally Love

✩ Website – Ally Love – https://www.allylove.com

✩ Website – Love Squad – https://www.lovesquad.com

✩ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/allymisslove 

✩ X – https://x.com/AllymissLove 

✩ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/allylovepeloton

Summary

Ally Love is a Peloton instructor and VP of Instructor Strategy & Development at Peloton. She is also a TODAY show on-air contributor, and Founder & CEO of Love Squad, known for turning motivation into momentum. She has hosted Netflix’s Dance 100, the Matrix Awards, and spent 11 seasons as an in-arena host for the Brooklyn Nets. Ally pulls back the curtain on what separates Peloton from other fitness programs, revealing how authentic connection creates a powerful relationship between instructors and the members who show up every day.

Full Transcript

Brian  

Welcome to another episode of LifeExcellence with Brian Bartes. Join me as I talk with amazing athletes, entrepreneurs, authors, entertainers and others who have achieved excellence in their chosen field, so you can learn their tools, techniques and strategies for improving performance and achieving greater success. If you’re part of the Peloton community, then today’s guest needs no introduction. But if you’re not yet part of the Peloton phenomenon, you’re about to meet someone who’s helping millions practice consistency, courage and self-belief, one fitness class at a time. Ally Love is a wellness leader and media personality who has built her career at the intersection of performance, culture and community. She is widely recognized as one of the most trusted and influential instructors in the Peloton community, where her impact extends far beyond fitness. Ally is also an on air contributor to the Today Show and the founder and CEO of Love Squad, a community and platform dedicated to helping people lead with confidence, clarity and connection. She has hosted Dance 100 on Netflix, the Matrix Awards, and spent 11 seasons as an in arena host for the Brooklyn Nets. Bringing her signature presence to some of the biggest stages in sports and entertainment at Peloton, Ally helped shape modern fitness storytelling through marquee series like Sundays with Love and Hidden Hills, creating experiences designed to transform lives, not just workouts beyond the studio. She serves as VP of Instructor Strategy and Development at Peloton, sits on Hyatts Wellness Advisory Board and the JP Morgan Athletes Council, and has served as Chief Hydration Officer for Contigo. Guided by her philosophy, “Elevate your energy, elevate your life,” Ally focuses on small shifts that compound into lasting impact:  how we show up, recover, lead, and sustain success without burning out. I’m super excited for this conversation, and it’s truly an honor to have her on the show. Welcome Ally, and thanks for joining us on LifeExcellence.

Ally  

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for that introduction. I’m like, who is this person? [Laughter]

Brian  

Well, it’s you, and I can’t wait to learn more about you, Ally. I feel we should both be on bikes facing each other, because that’s how I’m used to seeing you.

Ally  

Yes, I feel most people, they’re like, I see you, and I’m sweating away. But I love it, and it’s an honor to see you in person, and now we’re face to face, really, on screen.

Brian  

Well, I love that and and I’m honored as well. Ally, fitness programs and classes aren’t new, obviously. We’ve seen a lot of fitness crazes come and go through the years, everything from Jazzercise to at home workouts led by people like Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons, to intense programs like P90X, many of them were phenomenally popular. All the ones I listed certainly were, but most eventually faded. Peloton feels different though. From where you sit, what is it about Peloton that has resonated so deeply with its members, and why do you think it’s endured where so many other fitness movements didn’t?

Ally  

Well, one, I will pay homage to all of the brands that you mentioned that came before us. I think the thing that sets us apart is that we do have the historical context of those past brands to learn from, and it’s through the hard work and leadership of those past brands and the people behind the scenes that have positioned us to not only do well, but to really thrive and cultivate with our community. Upon that, I think our instructors–the individuals that make up the brand, the story, the narrative, of Peloton–are the iconic factor that makes Peloton, Peloton. You not only fall in love with the product–it’s sleek, it’s wonderful, it does all the things, it’s updating in software, it fits into your home. You’re positioned to find your fitness or find your workout, or find your training and your performance in the comfort of spaces that you occupy. But you get to do it with trusted folks–my colleagues and myself–that are real people on screen talking about things that are funny, that are sincere, that are challenging, that are informative.  I think that, to me, is the secret sauce, that it’s not me. I’m not the only Peloton instructor. I’m not leading Peloton into the future. I’m among 50 plus instructors globally that you can come on at any point and experience your workout with. I think that, to me, has been the true testament of what makes Peloton, Peloton. It’s not to say that we don’t have an amazing company—our corporate environment, hardware and software iterations all matter deeply. But what really makes us special is the intersection of incredible hardware, a company that stays true to its values, and instructors who are fully themselves and genuinely approachable. That combination is what unlocks the magic and it’s what will continue to set us apart as we move into the future.

Brian  

You’ve actually effectively captured the essence of the entire show so I think we can be done now, thanks for… [Laughter] No, we’re going to dig into all of that. You’re absolutely right, and you’re looking at it from an instructor standpoint, but you also take classes. I think probably all instructors have an appreciation from that viewpoint as well, that lens. I want to back up to the origin of Peloton as a company, then when you joined. You weren’t one of the first instructors when Peloton started in 2012. You were hired in 2017, about five years later, and that was, I think, actually a pivotal time in Peloton history, because you were hired with other now extremely popular instructors:  Emma Lovewell, Cody Rigsby, I think, came after that. Of course, the success of Peloton exploded after that, even in 2017, 2018, 2019 and of course, leading into the pandemic. How did you first become familiar with Peloton? Tell us how you became an instructor.

Ally  

I always say I was one of the founding 11 instructors. Peloton started in 2012 and it was one of those things where it’s like, okay, we’re going to take fitness and take this bike and we’re going to put it into folks homes and we’re going to bring fitness to them. The studio was basically a closet with a black curtain and a camera and instructors like Hannah Corbin and Jess King and Robin Arzón and Christine D’Ercole, all of these people. Cody was there first. They all came, and they were working out in this closet with a black curtain, creating content. The evolution of it all occurred where I ended up joining in 2016, more recognized in 2017 as you mentioned. The way it happened was I was a dancer. I moved to New York from Miami. I went to Fordham University and I was a dancer; danced during college with the Ailey Company, got a bachelor’s in fine arts from the Ailey Company in Fordham University, and I started modeling. Then I started doing what is now called influencer work, this was the spearhead. It was a tip of the spear of influencing, an ambassadorship where Adidas had reached out, and I became a part of the Adidas brand as an athlete. During this time of me now making my way into New York, I’m in school, I’m traveling with Adidas and doing all these incredible things, Peloton was starting to get its claws into fitness and hedging a bit forward. They reached out to me, they were looking for cycling instructors. We’d love for you to come audition. The reality was, at the time, I was not an instructor. I’m  now with Adidas, I’m modeling, I’m in school, I end up getting the look for the Brooklyn Nets job. I become the host of the Brooklyn Nets so when the Nets moved to Brooklyn, shortly thereafter, they’re in Brooklyn, I come on and I’m in this arena and I’m doing all these incredible things at a very young age. When they reached out, I definitely didn’t have the fortitude. But I was like, I’m not sure instructor is what I want to be with my life. I’m not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I never conceptualized or dreamed of being a fitness instructor. So when they called me, they’re like, yeah, we heard about you. We’d love for you to come in. We’re trying to find talent in New York City. I said no, thank you. I’ve told this story multiple times, and it gets even more hilarious and comical over the years, because you see where Peloton is and how much impact Peloton has had in millions of people’s lives, and then on an individual level, as an instructor, how it’s changed mine. But me looking back, the reality was, when I received the phone call, I said, I don’t want to be an instructor. I appreciate you all reaching out. Peloton did something that I will never forget. They didn’t take the no for an answer. They’re like, great, we’ll see you on Tuesday. Today’s Thursday, we’ll see you on Tuesday for an interview. That’s how the call ended, a very short call, maybe 10-12 minutes. I remember walking up Broadway–I was a fit model for Victoria’s Secret at the time–I was in the 50s in Midtown, going to the office, and I get this call randomly at 9am, less than a ten minute call. I was like, no thank you, only to end up with “We’ll see you on Tuesday.” So with that, I ended up showing up to the offices on 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue, right in the heart of Chelsea in New York City. I had taken a class before, but I learned more about what they were offering. I said, you know what? Why not? That Thursday I had a 15 minute audition. Now, mind you, it’s completely different than how we hire an instructor now; it takes over a year for an instructor to get a job at Peloton. The process now is a bit more intense than a week and a 15 minute audition. So I am getting on that stage for 15 minutes and as a dancer I tapped into my performance [mode] and I gave the best 15 minute performance of pretending to be a cycling instructor that I could. Lo and behold, the next day, they called and offered me the job. I said, you know what? I’m going to go ahead and take it. I took the job, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. [I became one of the] founding 11 instructors that came in with Matt Wilpers, we came in together at that time. Brian, I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a position where you came into a job or a role and you had no idea what you were doing, and you actually end up coming in with someone who was really good at the job. That ended up being my experience immediately after being hired, as I come in with a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing and who he is in cycling–and I have no idea.

Brian  

I actually have been in the position of being thrust into something that I had no idea how I was going to do it, a job, and it was very much above my pay grade and skill set, unlike you going to Peloton, and also unlike you, I didn’t have a Matt, so I had to figure it out. I have a feeling that if you hadn’t had Matt by your side, you still would have figured it out. What a wonderful fateful decision, not only for you and your family, but also for millions of people, like me, who have been able to benefit from that. So I’m glad you said, yes. Ally, you mentioned a little bit about this, but I know from personal experience that Peloton isn’t like a workout or a fitness class, it’s a chance to connect with a community and with the incredible instructors–yourself included–who are leaders in that community. Again, as you alluded to, they play a much bigger role than a fitness instructor. What do you believe your role has been in creating the kind of loyalty and community that exists at Peloton?

Ally  

Well, my role is definitely to live in the intersection of the responsibility that I have to our community and I make sure that this is very much something that we talk about as an instructor team. What I mean by that–the unique sauce that we talked about earlier with the instructor team–is that we get to show up as ourselves. The way that we do that is that we make sure that we are ultimately being very present in real time; the intersection of where the pendulum swings in society, how we show up as ourselves. Of course, the workout in itself is where we live. It’s one thing to show up and say, I’m perfect, you’re perfect, we’re going to try to be perfect, and everything is going to be perfect. I think that that’s something that makes us and sets us apart from other experiences, is that we don’t do that. I show up as myself and I let you know how I’m feeling, what I’m going through, what you might be feeling or living, in real present day. I think we have a social responsibility to give life. I say that our instructors are so approachable, the level of humanity is so high, because we give life and we speak life as it is existing currently without many guardrails, and it’s inviting to our members. I think it’s refreshing to our community, and I think that is truly why our community ends up being very sticky. They find themselves being attracted to an instructor and saying, this person gets me, or they’re like me, or they tell it to me like it is, or I see myself in them, or I see my kids in them, or I found a sense of belonging by the pure fact that we’re showing up, not ignoring what’s happening in the world, but bringing it with us. This concept of, oh well, we should leave everything at the door… It’s really unrealistic to any human in any role, position or space you occupy to say, I’m going to leave everything at the door, I’m going to go into work and pretend like it doesn’t exist. So I think for us, the social responsibility is that we don’t pretend that it doesn’t exist. We allow our community to bring it with them and then we continue to work together through it or with it, and it makes us all stronger for it. That in itself, is a way that I have brought my presence, my leadership, to our team to create spaces for them to show up, but also for our community to show up.

Brian  

At what point did you have that realization that the impact you have is much bigger than the workouts? You’ve been with Peloton since, you said, 2016, 2017–a long time. Was there a point at which that hit you or did you know that right from the beginning?

Ally  

The point that I think that I recognized that it was a little bit deeper than a workout, I will say–to be completely transparent–when I joined the team, yes, I knew it was a workout in the sense of, wow, this is a fantastic workout. We’re going to give something special to our community, where they’re going to be the healthiest version of themselves–give them the platform to be the healthiest versions of themselves–while laughing, while listening to good music. I often say my classes are like broccoli wrapped in cotton candy. Broccoli wrapped in cotton candy is how I’m going to deliver this. But I think the turning point to which I knew it was something greater was right before COVID, actually, and I started this series called Sundays with Love. Sundays with Love is basically a class that is all about connection, no matter where you are, what you believe in. It’s a space where we can all come in, and it is spiritually focused, it’s driven by conversation, it’s thought provoking, and it’s a celebration of life. I’ve curated this series over the last six, seven years, with many episodes on that premise. I remember after doing quite a few of them–let’s say, first ten classes–they were getting great traction, people are coming in, they’re like, wow, these things are changing my life. They’re 30 minute classes. I have a theme or virtue that we focus on, whether it’s patience, forgiveness, courage, and then I break them down. I break the ride down into three parts on how you understand this theme or this virtue and how we can process it. So we’re working the insides while we’re working the outsides. I had no idea the impact that this series would have on our community, but also on how I was received by our community. Really, the turning point was when there were so many articles written about Sundays with Love and the impact that it had on our members–wow, has Peloton unlocked something here, is Peloton the new church creating a following that’s unlike any other fitness experience, that’s more spiritually based, that’s more internally driven. Now, I can look at those things and see the silver lining or see the upside in it, but at the time, I got so scared. This is supposed to be a good workout with some really encouraging words to make people think about how they show up in spaces to be the best versions of themselves. It has taken on a shape that I was not expecting and that I truly wasn’t ready for, in that it created social buzz and that it created public buzz and that it made headlines in media.  I was like, it’s little Ally Love here teaching a class to make people feel good. In that moment, that was the turning point where I said, I think this is bigger than what I expected. Then obviously the COVID experience, the pandemic, everyone can point to that and say that’s when they either became familiar with Peloton and/or spent so much time with Peloton, a little bit of both, that it changed my life, that it was my outlet, that it was the reprieve that I needed during such an overwhelming grief stricken time, that it was a part of people’s daily routine. That is something that I think most of our community can point to and say that’s when most people knew Peloton was on to something, was in COVID. Because they were there, they were clipped in, they were on their treads, they were present, and it was a part of their daily routine and an option to have an outlet outside of their homes when we were confined in spaces. But for me, it was the year before where I said, there’s something here. There’s something special, there’s something that I didn’t recognize, and something that made me grow up a little quicker than I thought I had to experience it. Think about it this way, to experience the public life at such a young age, and to wear the responsibility of showing up “right” every single time, as we started to skyrocket in membership and exposure was not to say, woe is me, but was a heavy burden that was quickly placed upon me and my colleagues. We didn’t know, I didn’t know, anything. I’m this young kid over here loving my job, knows how to teach a great class, knows good music and wants to make you to feel positive with my words. The impact and the expectation was starting to supersede my experience, and I had to play catch up really quickly. While there was an unlock of, wow, this is something huge here with Sundays with Love, then going into the pandemic, it solidified that. It confirmed it. The thing that most people don’t see, was the underlying current I was dealing with on a personal level, keeping my head above water, like, how do I handle this? How do I stay true to the responsibility, to our community to give them space, so they can show up without saying the wrong thing, or without compromising who I am or losing who I am, while I’m trying to also figure out who I am in this moment. A lot of that was going on that you don’t see in real time during that time, during those turning points.

Brian  

Sure, everything was really evolving over time. So I think even if you had had a thought around this back in 2017 there’s no way you could have contemplated the evolution. The pandemic was certainly a big part of that. But I think even outside of that, there’s this growth that’s taken place in people and in you as an instructor in the community, and that’s caused this amazing and incredible dynamic in relationships and community that transcends fitness. We show up for fitness, and you get lots of other things, including being reminded to go to the Hydration Station to take a drink of water, which is a pretty basic part of our health that we don’t do often enough. But way bigger than that, you mentioned burden; I get the sense that you felt burdened by it, or that it was a huge sense of responsibility. Not that it was weight that you didn’t want to carry, but that it was something you weren’t sure you could carry. I think though, people looking at you weren’t looking to place all of their problems, all of their burdens on your shoulders. They were looking for somebody to be with, to hold their hands and walk them through that. That was certainly with the pandemic, but I think on a day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year basis, whatever people were going through at the time. I’m sure you get feedback, you get DMs or mail, that causes you to really realize the impact that you have on people during a time in their life where they’re not quite sure where to reach. They show up to spin and they get so much more; they walk away with a great workout, for sure, but they also walk away with the belief that whatever it is that they’re going through, they know they’re going to get through that. It’s a powerful responsibility, for sure, and maybe a burden, depending on how you frame it, but it’s great to be in that position of being able to add value that way, to be able to serve that way. I know that you feel that way about it.

Ally  

Yeah, I think Billie Jean King said pressure is a privilege, and I said at the time, this is the way we were conceptualizing it, this was something really heavy, and also we were growing up and experiencing and being an outlet all at the same time. That pressure was a privilege and is a privilege that we were able to… and, you know you live life before you understand it backwards, as Kierkegaard would say. So this was a moment where that was the turning point. It was the turning point of me becoming “an adult,” me stepping out and deciding to own the spaces that I was in and who I was and be of service to our community, and continue to be of service. I think the number one thing is–I love when people come into spaces. I say this at work, I love when people can come into Peloton–they can either clip in or get on the tread or get on the mat, or turn on Peloton, or come into the studio–and they feel good. They feel like they belong. They feel like we get them. As much as I tell my colleagues in my position at work, my number one job is to make sure when you come into the locker room, or when you enter any Peloton space that you love where you work, you feel like you belong, and you feel comfortable in a sense of that you can be yourself. For me, that has always remained true, and I’ve learned that over the years as we’ve evolved and as we continue to grow and continue to expand, that I love when our members can show up and enjoy themselves and be themselves.

Brian  

Ally, one of the things I find so interesting about the dynamics we’re talking about is that you lead online without seeing your audience. I know most of the time you have people in studio taking the class, and that definitely boosts the energy, boosts the vibe, but you also teach classes in an empty studio. How do you create what we’re talking about? How do you create this authentic connection through the screen, literally changing people’s lives through a screen, without being able to see who you’re connecting with?

Ally  

Well, the joy is you put in all this hard work before and this is the fruits of our labor. So taking you back to when I joined, we had our studio out of a Duane Reade. We moved from the black curtain and my colleagues teaching a class in a closet to moving into this old Duane Reade in Chelsea. It was a beautiful, big studio. It was a cycling studio. We had a little cafe at the front and so many people would come in. People would come into this beautiful space, but it was a very, very small space, and the studio itself was absolutely incredible. When I joined, we taught 45 minute classes only. So there were no 30s, there were no tens, there was no short content. You came in, you taught a 45 minute class, and you taught about 10 to 12 a week, so you were on often, and that studio would get filled with members, and the turnover rate in terms of people coming in for every class was so high. We had members all the time. The classes were always filled. The beauty of that is putting in that hard work and teaching 10-12 classes, week on week, month on month. You mentioned, over this duration of four years from when I joined, now we have a model that’s a little different. We do have member classes, but there are classes that we’ve now reshaped that are member-less but live and out to our community or recorded on demand. The luxury is I still have those memories. I still have that experience that I can now re-imagine in the studio, that feeling of knowing that while I can’t see you, I know exactly how you’re feeling. I’ve seen this hundreds of times–when we do a 20-second on 10-second off effort in a Tabata set, that’s four minutes–I know it’s tough. I can imagine those faces in the room with me while we’re doing it. I think the beauty is that I can now reach back on memories, on experience, and contextualize that way. While I may not see you in person, you are on the other side of that camera, you are on your bike with me, and I know when it’s challenging, and I know when it’s easy for most of us, and I can speak to what we are experiencing together. We never lose that connection, because that connection was established in the founding experience of Peloton for me. I’m able to translate that when there’s no one in the room–I know you’re there. Then the luxury is most times–unless it’s a coach to camera, where it’s pre-recorded–in those live moments where there’s no one in the studio, we still have a leader-board. Over the years, you become familiar with leader-board names, and you see these names–Extra Magic Sam–I have no idea who this person is, but I know this person has known me and we’ve known each other since 23rd Street. Cut to six years later, they’re names that I see all the time, and it makes me feel comfortable and at home. Usually I get the question of how do you find the motivation to get up there when there is no one in the studio, or when you’re sick or when you’re tired, or do you always feel positive? Number one, I, like you, have my bad days. I, like you, have my days where I don’t always want to go to work; I’d love to stay home and snuggle with my new baby. But I love my job, because when I get there and I see those names on the leader-board, I feel like I’m among good company. I’m like, they made the time, and they’ve made the time year over year to show up. I can do this.

Brian  

Totally makes sense, and from our standpoint, I can’t explain it as eloquently as you did, but I certainly know that there is that sense of connection, that sense of community. Us meeting here today for the first time is really you meeting me for the first time, and it’s me getting to see a friend who I’ve known for a long time. So it’s a wonderful feeling and a great dynamic that’s been created. Ally, I know Peloton members, which consists of a reported 6 million people worldwide–maybe it’s more than that now–clamor for this sense of connection and belonging that we’ve been talking about and also enjoy new things. We like new shiny things and different ways of doing things. Peloton has been great about coming out with new equipment and different equipment and really catering to a variety of fitness experiences, not only cycling. I’m curious, are there any new developments in the works that might help members to learn and grow beyond the fitness classes? For example–I’ll give you a couple–maybe the instructor sharing what they eat before and after their workouts or other diet and nutritional information, because fitness, diet and nutrition is really important. Or another idea, maybe a forum where members can be inspired by meeting and getting to know other members, maybe hearing lessons learned, or stories of personal growth, or results created through their experience with Peloton. Because there are so many transformational experiences, and you get to hear many of them–I’m sure not all of them, not everybody shares–but it would be great, especially in this community of like-minded people, where we enjoy each other’s company, we like to work out together, we would love to share success stories and maybe nutrition ideas. Is there anything like that in the works? Maybe you can give us a sneak peek into something that I haven’t mentioned that’s in the works.

Ally  

Yeah, I think the beauty of this job–and I love it so much–is that we listen to our members. We hear the desire. We keep our ears to the street on where the fitness industry is going, or what is needed. Longevity comes up, nutrition comes up. We have dabbled in nutrition in a fun way on social media and YouTube of what are our instructors favorite go-to pre and post workout snacks. I talk a lot about hydration, working on projects on how to deliver sustainable hydration, to deliver energy in an accessible way that’s great for the body. All of these things are things that I’ve focused on, but also we as a company at Peloton talk about sleep. Sleep is so important. Your recovery is so important to your overall output. I’m excited for our future. What I can say is that we’ll continue to ideate in nutrition, because what we tend to do is we’ll listen to our members, we’ll serve our members a taste of it, see how they respond, and then go back to the drawing board and say, Okay, now, how do we make this a thing? One of the things that I think we’ve done really well is–and this was feedback from our members programs and training plans–before we would drop an odd training program or a collection of workouts here and there now what we’ve done over the last couple of years is we’ve gotten strategic in how we do that. Whether it’s split training programs from different instructors, whether it’s a bike or a cycling program where it’s Power Zone or specific or if we’re doing marathon training, like couch to 5k training–we’re introducing these programs. I, myself, am doing my first dabbling my toe into strength training, which I used to do when I first joined Peloton, but I’ve only done the bike and bar classes and Pilates and so what I’ve done is secretly put together a program that I talk about, often based–literally based–around rebuilding your body. I’m in a phase of coming off of having a baby and as an athlete–as an everyday person, not even athlete–I’m an everyday person in that sense of I don’t compete at a high level physically anymore, but mentally I do. So how do I go from being at the top of my game going through this transition in life which can be, in many cases, quite beautiful but still personally tough in many ways, and then get back to coming on camera exactly as if nothing ever happened, knowing that I look different, I am different, I’m experiencing life differently. So instead pretending none of those things happened, which I touched on before, I decided to create a program for anyone, not only those who had a baby, but people that are in a phase where it’s just I need to rebuild. I need to get back to the basics. I need to get back to the foundational principles of progressive overload, of getting on the bike and doing endurance work, followed by sprints, followed by high intensity work with a recovery day, of doing something new that I haven’t done in a long time. I did Pilates because how many people say I always do Pilates, so I decided to take all of that information in my experience and wrap it in a program, Call Yourself a Runner. Another program is like you can call yourself a runner, here’s how, we’re going to give you the tools. Nutrition is an area we’re going deep into. Our company is working behind the scenes on what is longevity? What does sleep look like? These things we’ve talked about for years, getting curious on what does that look like and how does it translate into what we’re offering our members. The nutrition is there as we continue to ideate from the offerings we’ve provided to our members. Again, these programs, we’re hearing you, we’re listening to you, we’re excited about them, and we want people to be able to reach their goals. I think that also is something new for us, because you can work out for life and work out for a better life. But sometimes it’s really nice to have benchmarks or goal posts along the way to say, I want to reach this goal. These programs–my program, The Rebuild–these are moments that we can set a goal post and say, I’m going to do this over a three week progression. It’s progressive overload. I’m going to get back to the basics. I’m going to come back to my body. Instead of thinking, my body should be able to form how it used to when I was in college, or I should be able to press what I used to press a year ago after a de-conditioned season, I’m going to get back to the basics so I can work my way to a new space where I still feel strong, or even become a stronger version of myself.

Brian  

I appreciate you sharing all that, and we certainly look forward to the continued innovation. I think the innovation–going back to one of my first questions; the innovation and hearing members and responding and continuing to develop new programs is part of that secret sauce that you describe with Peloton. One of the reasons for having goals–you mentioned goals and getting into that a little more–the main reason I want goals is for the person it takes me to achieve those goals. For me, a half marathon is a goal, but running the half marathon at the end of training is sort of anti-climactic, even if that didn’t happen. The important part of having that goal is what I’ve been doing for the 14 or 16 weeks leading up to the goal. I think the development of those habits around a goal… if I don’t have a goal, then I’m less likely to develop habits that support me in the achievement of that goal. Something to keep in mind. Also, by the way, I should have mentioned this a long time ago:  congratulations on the birth of your beautiful, healthy baby boy. I know he’s not brand new anymore, but he’s still fairly new. I wonder how has becoming a mom shaped your perspective, other than this glow on your face–you’ve always had a glow about you. I do have to say it’s different since becoming a mom and that’s very common, I think. How has it shaped your perspective and the impact you want to make in the world, if it has?

Ally  

I have to say, I was listening to a show this morning, and it was like one of the smartest answers you can give is that you don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know necessarily, if or how it’s shaped, because it’s still new. I’m in a season of my life and I think the feedback that I’ve received is, yes, the glow, I’ll take the glow, I’ll take it. But I had a dear friend to me say, the thing that she’s noticed–and usually some of the best advice or feedback that we receive are from the people closest to us–is that to her I’m softer. I thought that was a compliment, because I don’t think I was necessarily hard before, but I am a very much type-A personality, in that for me, in order to succeed–and given sometimes the construct of the world and society–you only get one shot as a woman. It’s one of those things where, whether for better or for worse, I suffer from the perfectionism that maybe plagues many folks that are listening, where it’s, okay, I won’t put it out there unless it’s perfect. It was more so leveraging those hard skills to get me to the point of being as successful as I desire to be or that I can be, i.e. trying to be in a position to support my teammates and to champion them. Those hard skills led to a great space and a great place for me right now. I think the change that folks have mentioned, is that, again, I’m a little softer. So I do think that for me has been the change [in how] I’m perceived. Whether I am or not, I don’t know. Again, I don’t know, but I’m being perceived as being a little bit softer, and that being actually a superpower right now. I can say that that’s something that’s changed. But in terms of how I look about the future, my son has helped me confirm the thing that I knew existed, which is that humanity is so fragile and so pure and so beautiful. Having a baby, looking at this little baby, knowing the desire is to be loved and laugh and eat a lot and cared for, protected, that those are all the desires of an adult years beyond his age. I recognize that sometimes it’s just that simple in life when it comes to business relationships, when it comes to having a conversation, when it comes to supporting someone or asking for support, it’s recognizing that people want to be heard, they want to be held, they want to be hugged. That is the level of humanity. It confirmed that for me, and I’m able to articulate it a little differently at this point, after becoming a mom. I don’t know how it necessarily shaped me. I don’t have a secure answer that comes from me within but I do know that it’s confirmed. He has confirmed the fragility of humanity and how we should protect each other and continue to say kind things to each other and support each other, and do those simple things that allow people to belong. Again, because we’re all looking for a hug, to be heard, or to be held.

Brian  

Yeah, it really takes you back to basics, doesn’t it? One thing I know for sure is you have given up a tremendous amount of control over your life at least at this point, but there’s good in that too. You were talking about perfectionism, and it’s okay to, I think, ratchet it back a notch when you’re like you and when you’re like me. That’s part of the blessing, I think. Ally, as you know, our show is called LifeExcellence, and you create excellence in various domains of your life and you also model it for others, which is amazing. I’m curious, what does excellence mean to you?

Ally  

I was actually having a very similar conversation about this last night. When I think of the word excellence, I think it’s operating from a place of asking yourself this question consistently:  am I showing up as my best at this time? What I mean by that is high performance. Being the best is a very subjective term, and usually we allow our surroundings or people around us to set that bar. What I recognize is excellence isn’t necessarily allowing the people to set the bar. It’s that we set it ourselves. Every day, when you wake up or before you enter space, before I get on camera, is saying, what would the best cycling instructor do right now? How would they act? What would the best mom do right now? How would they act? Mind you, I can’t always do what I think the “best” would do, or the greatest would do in that moment. However, the sheer fact of having the willingness to ask myself that question, and also having that conversation or that internal dialog positions a person, including myself, to be excellent in that space. You’re using the information, the data, the experience at the time that you’re in to make the best informed decision on how you will react, how you will respond, and how you will show up. That, in itself, is excellence. So I think for me, it’s always coming back to this question. I have to say, in most situations, I ask myself what would the best friend in the world do right now? Or, what does a great wife look like, how is she in my mind? It’s not that I’m pretending to be this person, I’m opening up internal dialog to talk it through myself, to make sure I can show up as the best version of myself–not as an alternate version of myself, but as the best version of myself. When they say striving for excellence, that’s what that is. That is not necessarily I’m going to be better than everyone around me, it’s striving for the best version of yourself by having that internal dialog, by never being afraid to ask yourself that question and really work it through and contextualize it, and do the best you can in the moment that you’re in with what you have.

Brian  

I love that the excellence is in the striving. It’s not in what’s ultimately achieved, it’s in the journey. Ally, you’re a woman of faith, and it certainly seems like you’re living God’s purpose for your life. Does it feel  that way to you? 

Ally  

Not all the time, not all the time. I think that’s the striving, that is the striving. I am. I am a woman of faith, and I am proud of my faith, and it is a part of myself which I’m so grateful that I don’t have to hide at work. It’s a part of my belief system. It’s how I grew up. When I was nine years old, I got hit by a car and I almost died, and having a kid now, a baby, I cannot imagine what my mother went through to see her child in such distress and almost lose my life. It’s a testament of how incredible she and my dad are as humans, that they were able to be so supportive and so present in the midst of–I’m sure–their own emotional heartbreak as I was going into the hospital. But this moment was pivotal in my life, because that’s when I was confident, oh, there’s a God. Like, there’s no negotiating for me after that experience at nine years old, and I’ve always carried that with me. That is something about me that’s not up for a debate. God saved my life, 100%, and the way that I know that as I remember, my mom came in after talking to the doctor, Brian, and she was saying you’re losing a lot of blood. I had been in traction for five days because I broke my hip. I got hit by a car, broke my hip, knocked out my teeth, my body’s all scarred up. They didn’t have the tools to go to surgery right away, because most times adults are the folks that break their hips so they only had things to help adults. They had to make something for a kid, and they had to ship it to to Miami, and that took a lot of time. During that time, I lost a lot of blood. I was really weak. I wasn’t eating and all of these things were transpiring, and it was looking really tough.  The doctor was saying listen, we are trying our best, but we’re in a difficult situation. I remember my mom coming back in, and she said, listen, your dad and I, we can’t trade places with you, and if you want to live, you’re gonna have to fight for your life. I tell you–and I’ve said this multiple times–I decided in that moment that I was going to fight for my life, and I never stopped doing that. I was going to pray that God save my life. My mom was like, you have to pray for yourself, we can pray for you, but you have to ask God. I looked out the window and I remember as a kid, I’m like, okay, I’ll ask God. God was the clouds to me at that point. So I’m looking at the clouds in Miami, Florida, and I’m like, I see God. He’s clouds, my God is in clouds. I’m like, God, can you please save my life? I will fight, I will fight. My mom says to fight, I’m gonna fight. Can you now save my life if I fight? That, to me, solidified my faith; God saved my life. I not only recovered, I thrived after–I became a dancer. Being a dancer moved me from Miami to New York. New York dancing and companies moved me from movement to conversation–I started hosting Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn Nets moved me from sports into fitness and wellness at Peloton. Peloton expands beyond my wildest dreams and becomes a global company where not only are we working out, we’re working in. I get to be who I am. I get to support myself, my family, build a life for myself in a place that I love so much. So for me, my faith has carried me through all of this, because these things didn’t exist. When you asked me when I was a kid, what did I want to be when I was growing up, this was not an answer, because this didn’t exist, and that’s only God for me. So I try my best to keep my faith. I, too, am only human, but it has carried me through, and that’s what I lean on.

Brian  

Thank you so much for sharing that story. I wanted to ask you about your accident, but I really didn’t want to take you back to that place, at least not directly. The reason I wanted to ask you about it–and I’m so glad that you shared it–is because I know that that was a very long time ago, and yet it was such a pivotal time in your life. I know that you carry that with you every day as part of who you are and why you operate the way you do, and why you want to add value to people and impact them. So thank you so much for sharing that. Ally, you’re such an inspiration. It’s wonderful to have you on the show, and I really appreciate the opportunity to get to know you better today. Thanks for all you do in the Peloton community, of course, and also in the world. I’m very, very grateful for our time together today.

Ally  

No, I’m grateful. Thank you. I love conversations like this, because it does put me on my toes to answer questions or think about life a little differently. I often have to tell myself that suffering with the perfectionism is one of those things where conversation is the catalyst of change, and it’s not about having the perfect answer or saying everything the right way. It’s about having the conversations and having the space for eventually someone–or hopefully someone–to listen and for them to feel or to conceptualize or to internalize anything that we’ve discussed today and potentially have a positive thought or impact or experience. So thank you so much. This was so wonderful.

Brian  

It was wonderful. I’m grateful too. You’re such a blessing. You’re amazing Ally. (Ally:  Thank you.) Let’s continue the conversation sometime.

Ally  

Oh yes, I look forward to it. Come into the studio, please.

Brian  

You’re on and I’ll take my wife too, because she was so excited for this conversation and wants to be here, she wanted to sneak in, but you’ll get to meet her in the studio.

Ally  

I love that. I love that.

Brian  

Thanks again for everything, Ally, I appreciate you. Thanks for tuning in to LifeExcellence. Please support the show by subscribing, sharing it with others, posting about today’s show with Miss Ally Love on social media and leaving a rating and review. You can also learn more about me at BrianBartes.com. Until next time, dream big dreams and make each day your masterpiece.