Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana PIneda.
Hi Dana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Before the pandemic, I worked for a clothing company as a sales rep, with my primary focus on the live event space, including concerts and festivals. In my free time, I worked as an indoor cycle instructor, initially as a side hustle, but with aspirations of opening my own studio one day.
In 2020, I lost my sales rep job due to the pandemic. With no live events, my customers weren’t buying, and the studio where I taught also closed down. Despite the challenges, I continued teaching cycle classes via Zoom to stay engaged with the community.
During this period, I decided to develop a business plan to open my own indoor cycling studio. I wanted to understand what it would take to turn my dream into reality. In late 2020, I explored the possibility of buying into a franchise, seeking their support to navigate the challenges of post-pandemic life.
It took nearly two years to open Cyclebar Sherman Oaks, encountering more challenges than anticipated. Fortunately, I had kept the community together during the pandemic with online classes. This allowed us to open our doors in late 2022 with a solid core group of founding members. Now, we recently celebrated our 3rd year anniversary.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to opening Cyclebar Sherman Oaks has been long and it hasn’t always been a straight line. This is a business that I grew into, but I have a lot of experience that really helps me in what we are doing here. Construction during the pandemic times became a struggle. Opening post pandemic proved to be very different than pre-pandemic. Economic changes, writer strikes and Wildfires have been waves we have had to ride in the last 3 years, but running a business is never easy. We just kept believing in what we were delivering to our community and kept moving forward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My story is proof that nothing comes easy, and you can’t accept “no” as the final answer. I had been a cycling enthusiast for years, riding multiple times a week. One day, an instructor asked if I had considered teaching. While I had thought about it, I never admitted it until then. She encouraged me to try out, and although I failed the audition, the experience gave me the strength to continue and try again. I pursued instructor certification shortly before becoming pregnant with my second child. Again, I had to wait. Once my body allowed, I resumed working and seized an opportunity to audition for a heated indoor cycling studio nearby. I taught there for a year, Then taught at another local studio for three years laying the foundation for my career and building a local following that carried over to Cyclebar Sherman Oaks.
What I am most proud of about our studio is the sense of community. Our studio serves as a sanctuary for our members, a place where they can escape from their daily lives, work, and external pressures. Cyclebar Sherman Oaks provides a space for people to prioritize self-care and challenge their emotional and physical limits. I’ve witnessed our members achieve incredible feats, from weight loss and habit changes to overall health improvement. Amazingly, we even have members who, post-chemo, regain their endurance and strength. Our studio is a place with zero judgement and all love. Everyday someone amazes me and validates why I kept fighting for this studio to open.
What matters most to you?
Bringing Sunshine to peoples lives. Life can be hard, but life is also full of celebrations. Our studio is the space to celebrate the good, and be the space to push out the bad, so they can walk out of our studio feeling whole again.
Pricing:
- First Ride is Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cyclebar.com/location/sherman-oaks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclebarshermanoaks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyclebarshermanoaks
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cyclebar-sherman-oaks-2
