“Cult of Body & Soul” is a docu-podcast series created & executive produed by Jess Rothschild which brings to life how the boutique indoor cycling (spinning) phenomenon SOULCYCLE captured the New York City fitness zeitgeist. We will take you behind the curtain of the cult of personality that forms between instructor and rider, the elusive instructor training program, the untold story of how Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler founded the company and the political scandal that extinguished the public's good-will for the brand. Featuring interviews with instructors, studio managers, front desk staff and corporate HQ employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 1: Julie Rice, Elizabeth Cutler, and Ruth Zukerman co-found SoulCycle, but Zukerman was later iced out as an owner because she did not have proper legal protection in place. We trace SoulCycle's origin story back to the '90s Los Angeles spin craze before it revolutionized boutique fitness in New York City 2006. Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch episode 1 on YouTube _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff "Naughty Nadia" performed by: BETTY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 2: SoulCycle takes off in New York City and The Hamptons, with celebrities like Kelly Ripa & Katie Couric becoming superfans. Co-founder Julie Rice's muse Janet Fitzgerald moves to Manhattan to work with budding talent. A beloved 22 year-old party-girl instructor Clare Veronica Walsh tragically dies on Christmas Day. A "wreck the studio" party signifies the end of the 72nd Street era as SoulCycle grows. Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch episode 2 on YouTube Live event July 9 in NYC w/ Janet Fitzgerald & Halle Becker! _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff Additional music: Liah Alonso "One of Us" performed by: BETTY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 3: The gate-kept details of SoulCycle’s instructor training program are revealed for the first time. Servers crash every Monday at Noon during sign-ups. Hurricane Sandy causes chaos when people cannot access classes. Cults of personality form between riders and instructors. Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch episode 3 on YouTube Live event July 9 in NYC w/ Janet Fitzgerald & Halle Becker! _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff Additional music: Liah Alonso, Left on Red "Two Cherries" performed by: BETTY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 4: Instructors make headlines for s*x & cheating scandals with married riders. SoulCycle co-founders Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler resign, walking away with $90 Million each after selling the company to Equinox. The 2016 Presidential election and its aftermath causes a great divide at SoulCycle. Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch episode 4 on YouTube Live event July 9 in NYC w/ Janet Fitzgerald & Halle Becker! _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff Additional music: Liah Alonso, Left on Red "Gangway" performed by: BETTY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 5: News leaks that Equinox Chairman Stephen Ross will hold a Trump fundraiser in the Hamptons. Instructors share their pay structures and how they were fired / why they quit. All of SoulCycle's goodwill and reputation for LGBT inclusivity is extinguished. Has anything come close to capturing the zeitgeist the way SoulCycle did? Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch episode 5 on YouTube Live event July 9 in NYC w/ Janet Fitzgerald & Halle Becker! _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff Additional music: Liah Alonso "Wishing Well" performed by: BETTY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 6: Real Housewives of New York City star Sonja Morgan is banned from the studio. Barry's Bootcamp CEO attempts to poach SoulCycle instructors and is banned. Hard-charging instructor training directors use rough, sexual language to intimidate new recruits. A firehose of Soul gossip! Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch episode 6 on YouTube Live event July 9 in NYC w/ Janet Fitzgerald & Halle Becker! _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff Additional music: Liah Alonso "Cinderella" performed by: BETTY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus episode. We follow three instructors’ careers at SoulCycle — in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. Christina Aguilera surprises riders at her own theme class. An instructor is recruited after a life of crime, addiction and losing 100 pounds at Soul. While some charismatic instructors are paid $1K+ per class, others max out at $150. Follow @jessxnyc on Instagram Watch all episodes on YouTube Live event July 9 in NYC w/ Janet Fitzgerald & Halle Becker! _____ Executive Producer & Host: Jess Rothschild Editing & Sound Design: Caitlin Whyte Theme Song & Original Music Composer: Elizabeth Ziff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices