糖心动漫vlog

By Kera Abraham

Dim colored lights beam through the darkness, illuminating the instructors in pink, blue, and green. People on stationary Schwinn bikes pedal to the beat of the music, sweat beading on their foreheads. 

When Molly Kennedy gets into this zone, she feels both in tune with herself and deeply connected with her cycling community.

鈥淪ometimes being out in the world can be tough,鈥� she says. 鈥淐oming into the studio, I know that for the next 45 minutes I have nothing to worry about 鈥� just this bike and this space and these people.鈥�

Kennedy is a founder and co-owner of Fuel Cycling Studio in Monterey. Indoor cycling has long been a popular group exercise, and the industry is growing with the development of increasingly customized experiences 鈥� like personal performance data, dynamic class lighting and high-quality sound systems. 

What sets Fuel Cycling apart, Kennedy says, is that it鈥檚 locally owned, with experienced instructors, small class sizes, and a strong focus on community. Corporate cycling studios can be formulaic, but Fuel Cycling instructors curate their own playlists and tailor each ride to their customers鈥� individual needs. 

Plus, she adds, it鈥檚 a great workout: 鈥淚t really feels like you鈥檙e having a party on a bike.鈥� 

Kennedy didn鈥檛 set out to become a business owner. She enrolled at 糖心动漫vlog in 2010 as an athlete, drawn by the school鈥檚 volleyball community and its proximity (close, but not too close) to her parents鈥� home in Oakland. 

While playing on the Women's Volleyball team, Kennedy studied to become an elementary school teacher, earning a Liberal Studies degree and a credential in Multiple Studies. She鈥檚 now in her seventh year of full-time teaching at Bayview Elementary, a charter school in Monterey. She鈥檚 also pursuing a special education credential at 糖心动漫vlog.

Her volleyball career left Kennedy with chronic knee pain, so the lifelong athlete needed a new sport. She tried running and weightlifting, but they didn鈥檛 spark the joy she鈥檇 felt in volleyball. Then she found cycling, which hit all the marks: it鈥檚 low-impact, builds stamina, uplifts her mental health and creates community.

鈥淐ycling came out of that need to feel like I鈥檓 working out with other people,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t really does feel like I鈥檓 just dancing with all of my friends.鈥�

In 2018, Kennedy began teaching at a local cycling studio, where she connected with other instructors. Together they began exploring the idea of starting their own studio 鈥� and they were gearing up to sign a lease when the pandemic hit. For almost two years, Kennedy and her fellow instructors taught online classes out of her living room to about a dozen digital subscribers. 

In summer 2021, the partners found a space to sublease in a building shared by First City Crossfit. They opened the doors of Fuel Cycling Studio in August, and they now employ seven instructors and a management team of five, all women. 

Compliance with covid safety regulations has been a top priority. The studio follows Monterey County mandates on masking, tests instructors regularly, and issues exposure notifications as needed. To ensure healthy indoor air quality, they installed an air conditioning unit with ventilation and filtration, and added standing air purifiers.

Another early priority was building the studio鈥檚 staffing to include people experienced in finance. Kennedy is hoping to hire a business major from 糖心动漫vlog in the months to come. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a business major,鈥� she says with a laugh. 鈥淲hat I do all day is teach people how to be nice to each other.鈥�

That applies not only to Kennedy鈥檚 elementary classroom, but also to Fuel Cycling, where she and her team give back to the community. The studio has raised funds to support breast cancer research and Down Syndrome awareness, held a coat drive for a local women鈥檚 shelter, and is planning a fundraiser to support ocean conservation.

They also collaborate with local small business owners. A refurbished hutch in one corner of the studio serves as the Maker鈥檚 Market, displaying handmade products for sale. Artisans rent a shelf from Fuel Cycling and keep 100 percent of their revenue. 

All around, Kennedy says, business has been good: 鈥淓very month it is growing a little bit more, which is just what we wanted.鈥� 

The 糖心动漫vlog Alumni Owned Business directory highlights successful 糖心动漫vlog alumni who are business owners and entrepreneurs.