Briana Thompson
What are your thoughts on:
Barriers to health in the Black community. How can we overcome those barriers?
There are several barriers that exist within the Black community but I believe the foundation of the issue is lack of access and lack of exposure. What I mean by that is many of the communities that are highly populated by Black people do not have adequate facilities for them to workout where they live. Working out can already be a chore and having to travel far distances for an experience that you enjoy can make it even more burdensome. Additionally, there is a necessity to better educate Black people about ways they can better themselves where they are with the resources that are available to them. I understand these issues among many others, which is why I created Spiked Spin, and which is why I have a passion to further this brand and mission to truly benefit and impact all people, but especially Black people.
The impact of Hip-Hop culture on wellness. Why is it important that Spiked Spin brings both of them together?
For me it was important that the brand brings the two together because Hip-Hop culture is not only the culture where myself and many of my peers exist, it's the universal culture around the world! Hip-Hop has provided an outlet for people to be free and expressive and is a resource for where many of learn so much; from swag and style to family life, and even business acumen. I feel that hip-hop is a guide for many of our lifestyles but the one area that it has not transcended in the a that matters is wellness. There are so many innate synergies between the two that I hope to use the Spiked platform to highlight. Merging the cultures and disrupting the current status quo is very important to me.
Spiked Spin being the first boutique cycling studio in Bed-Stuy. Do you feel any additional pressure to succeed because you are a Black woman?
No. I don't feel pressure to succeed because I am a Black woman, I feel pressure to succeed because God has given me this gift to manage and manifest, and to not succeed would mean that I properly honor my gifts. I know that there is only greatness for this brand and so success is the only option.
The importance of community. How has building a community influenced the success of your business?
Community is everything! Having an ecosystem of inclusion and support to uplift people, remind them of their greatness, and to be reminded of yours is what makes our business go around. The health & wellness space has become an exclusive club and I believe that's the complete opposite of what wellness is about. To be well, we need each other, and that's what we want to manifest in the studio, and in every interaction with the Spiked brand. Community is what has gotten the brand to this point, and it is definitely what will take the brand where it will go.
#TheSpikedWay. What are some lessons we can learn from taking a class at your studio?
After taking a class at the studio, you will know that you are capable, that you are deserving, and that you are appreciated exactly as you are! #TheSpikedWay