Day One: Carolyn’s Thoughts on Her First Day as Director of Marketing and Instructor Development

Dear Rêve,

Many of you have heard me tell the story about the first time I walked into Rêve more than two years ago. To make a not-very-long story even shorter, I walked up the stairs with butterflies flitting around my stomach, took a deep breath, marched into the lobby and up to Stephanie (who was sitting cheerfully, as usual, at her post behind the desk), and told her I wanted to teach at her studio. I had already decided that I would not take no for an answer, and I will always be thankful that it did not take her very long to say yes.

I had no idea what I’d started, though. At that time in my life, the phrase “Follow your dreams”, followed by the reassurance that everything would be okay if I did so, was wearing my nerves thin. I was chomping at the bit to follow my dreams, if only I could determine what comprised them. Fitness has been a focus of mine for many years thanks to my mom (whose energy you’ve witnessed in class on occasion). I’ve been gobbling up spinning classes as though they were chocolate covered pretzels since my first year at Bowdoin in 2006, and Maine’s great outdoors provided the backdrop for the first of many runners’ highs. And music has always been as present in my life as breathing. (Thank you, Mom and Dad, for piano and flute lessons, symphony visits, and an appreciation for Paul McCartney from just about day one. Thank you, Bowdoin, for an amazing music department.) But I had never contemplated creating a dream job that combined fitness and music until I saw the French word for dream, “Rêve”, next to the term “indoor cycling studio” (Thank you, Stephanie, for starting a Rêvolution!). When I also began to incorporate my love for writing into my role at Rêve by managing some of the studio’s marketing and social media efforts (why yes, an English major IS a valuable one to possess!), I knew I’d figured out the dream part.

But making that dream a full-time reality involved one final and extremely important component – you. The Rêve community inspires and motivates me every single day. Your energy, friendship, and support have allowed me to make my dream of doing something I love so much every day my job, and I cannot understate my gratitude. Thank you. In my new role as Director of Marketing and Instructor Development, I’ll devote my time to continually enhancing our brand, building our community, and making our stellar instructor team as strong as possible – all while teaching a whole heck of a lot and contributing to the energy that makes Rêve the place we all love so much. I can’t wait. Let’s do this!

Carolyn