Ride or Die: Jess Rothschild Spills on SoulCycle's Inner Circle
Summary
Hosts Sarah and Nippy welcome Jess Rothschild, host of "Cult of Body & Soul," to explore the controversial "cult status" of SoulCycle. Jess shares her personal journey as a rider, detailing how music, choreographed rides, and charismatic instructors created a transformative, addictive experience. The discussion delves into the deliberate instructor training, the psychology of transference and limerence, the business strategies behind its success, and the problematic elements that emerged, particularly after its acquisition by Equinox.Episode description
This episode is sponsored in part by BetterHelp. This week, we’re clipping in with Jess Rothschild to talk about SoulCycle: the high-octane, candlelit cardio craze that once had New Yorkers dropping $20k to ride front row. With $100M+ in revenue, instructors trained like pop stars, and a tightly curated sense of belonging (read: exclusivity), SoulCycle pedaled its way into cultural obsession—and, depending on who you ask, cult status.
Jess, a former SoulCycle regular and host of the GLAAD-nominated Finding Fire Island and new docu-podcast Cult of Body & Soul, joins us to unpack the seductive psychology of the SoulCycle experience: from spiritual monologues to the sweaty transference happening mid-sprint. We talk about limerence, manipulation, performance, and yes, the merch.
Whether you’re a front-row devotee or just cult-curious, this ride gets personal. For more from Jess, check out her podcasts Hot Takes & Deep Dives and Cult of Body & Soul, or follow her on Instagram @jessxnyc. Also… let it be known that:
The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.
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CREDITS:
Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames
Production Partner: Amphibian.Media
Co-Creator: Jess Tardy
Associate producers: Amanda Zaremba and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media
Audio production: Red Caiman Studios
Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin
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