The Ariel Helwani Show - Emma Lovewell

Episode Date: April 14, 2022

Ariel's favorite fitness instructor joins the show! After Ariel thanks her for helping him figure out life last year, Lovewell tells Ariel all about her wide-ranging career, which has taken her to the big stage alongside the megastars of the music industry, boutique fitness studios in New York City, the gardens of Martha's Vineyard, and now to one of the world's leading health and fitness companies, Peloton. In this conversation, Lovewell discusses the role of therapy in helping her improve at her job, the beauty of the collective shared struggle in her classes, and if she expected Peloton to reach the levels of success that it has. Plus, she goes behind the scenes of her life, telling Ariel what it was like growing up in a low-income family in ritzy Martha's Vineyard (16:20), her parents' divorce, a devastating loss she suffered in her mid-20s (45:38), and much, much, more.You can follow Emma on Twitter and Instagram @emmalovewell. To learn more about her, please visit livelearnlovewell.com.Emma Lovewell is a cycling instructor for Peloton, an American exercise and media company that helps people live their best lives. A renaissance woman, Lovewell came to Peloton after several years as a touring professional dancer, where she performed alongside the likes of Drake and The Rolling Stones. Her love for music shines through during her classes, where she offers motivation and positive thoughts to all that participate in her rides.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

Hey everyone, it's Ariel Helwani and it is Thursday, April 14th, 2022. Welcome back to the program. Hope you're doing well. Thank you so very much to my good friends, The Lovely Feathers, for their great theme song. I am very excited about today's episode, my friends. And as I've said several times over the past year, when I started this non-MMA show, if you will, non-combat show, I had a bucket list of guests that I wanted to have on the show. And I've mentioned this a few times because the beauty of a bucket list, if you will, is that there are multiple people on said

list. And I've been lucky enough over the past year to cross a few names off that list. And at the very top, I kid you not, at the very top, like one of the first people that I thought about having on this show that was completely off the beaten path that I'm usually on was today's guest, Emma Lovewell. She is a very well-known Peloton instructor, very famous now, very popular now. And especially over the last two years, her popularity has grown exponentially because of the growth of that brand and people being at home and needing a way to exercise at home and needing that communication, all that stuff. And her story is a very interesting one, a very inspiring one. And she is my favorite instructor.

In fact, she's the only one that I take. I just go back into the archives whenever I am finished with the new ones. I've done over 200. And as I've said before, I don't know how to ride a bike. So getting a Peloton bike last year for me, and this is not an ad, they don't pay me to say this, was a really big deal, something that I was excited to do. And I got it in February, just when I started to realize that

my time at ESPN was coming to an end, like almost to the week. And you know, it was a confusing time, it was a daunting time, it was an anxious time, all those things, nerve wracking. And I started to do these rides almost every day. You sweat a lot. It's a great workout. You don't really think about much. Sometimes your mind trails off into a different spot, but for the most part, you're focused because it's not the easiest thing. And at the same time, I also started to speak to a therapist, which I've talked to you guys about before. And these two things, taking these rides with Emma in particular, for whatever reason, I picked her and I stuck with her. These two things, the rides and the therapy really helped the clouds open up in my brain, in my mind, and helped me realize that it was okay to leave, helped me realize that I should leave, helped me realize that I'd be happier if I left.

These two things, solely these two things really helped me make the decision that I made last summer. And so I'll always be grateful to my therapist and I'll always be grateful to Emma, who in a weird way is sort of like a mental and physical therapist as well. If you've never taken one of these rides, you may not understand what I'm talking about, but you're not just, you know, staring at someone on

a bike. Like it is motivating and uplifting and just inspiring at times. Like it makes you want to be a better person and it makes you feel better about yourself and it gives you clarity on your life and just on your day. It's just a beautiful thing. And so I really wanted to have her on the show and I had to work hard to get her on the show. I think there was maybe a little bit of skepticism. Maybe it was just a little tough to book her. I think maybe Peloton thought like, why is this guy who covers MMA? Why does he want to talk to her? But in the end, they came through. We had a lovely conversation, learned a lot about her background, her ups and downs, a very traumatic event that happened in her 20s, other traumatic events that happened when she was younger, how she has overcome those

events, how she has become supremely successful, the role that she plays in people's lives, and where she wants to go from here. So I loved it. I enjoyed it thoroughly. And I hope you will as well. Without further ado, here's my conversation with the one and only Emma Lovewell. Enjoy. Almost exactly a year ago, February of last year, And I don't usually start my interviews this way. I hate interviews who make it about themselves, but I feel like this is appropriate. Um, almost exactly a year ago, I got a Peloton bike. I've never, I don't know how to ride a bike. Uh, like I have never rode a bike in my life, uh, believe it or not. I've tried, but I can't figure it out. So this was a big deal for me, as you can imagine. And it was a very trying time in my life, confusing time. I was working at ESPN. I didn't know my contract was

coming up. I didn't know what I was going to do. And I did two things that helped open the clouds up in my mind. One was take your classes almost every single day. And the other was talk to a therapist, which I had never done before. And I felt from February basically till June that like my mind was opening, opening, opening. And at times you would say things and it would give me clarity. You know what I mean? And so I just want to thank you for that because I ended up in a great place now a year later. And I don't know if I end up in that spot without your classes and without the therapist as well, which I know you're a big proponent of. So sincerely thank you for that. I know you didn't do anything, you know, know that you were helping

me, but it was, it was a really big part of me kind of figuring out where I needed to go in my life. Well, thank you so much for that note. I mean, I get to, my job allows me to teach to millions of people, which is incredible. So it's really amazing when I get to speak one-on-one with somebody who can tell me, you know, how my classes have affected their life. Cause it's not, I don't have these types of conversations every single day, you know? So it is really nice. I appreciate that. Thank you. Do you hear this often from people? Like, I guess through social media, you probably are hit up. Do you get these types of messages? And if so, how do you digest them? How does that make you feel? I do get messages like this

on occasion and they come in different forms. Some people will write me a letter, send me an email, an Instagram direct message. And sometimes they're quick and short and sometimes they're really heartfelt and long. And they give me details into helping them through, you know, a loss of a loved one, a loss of a job, um, and change in their life, anything. And it's, um, I never want to, you know, let it, I never want to not take those in because there's somebody's life. This is somebody's real life that I'm learning about and I take it very seriously, but it is really overwhelming for me too, to take

in all of that. So sometimes I have to kind of just like read one, sit with it for a few moments and then sort of like, let it, you know, like pass and then like move on, you know, maybe the next day I can, I can read another one. But if I do read too many of them, I'm like very overwhelmed. I think of myself as a, you know, an empathic person. And so it's, it's sometimes it's very overwhelming, but it's, it's all beautiful. It's all like such a wonderful thing. Um, has life changed dramatically for you over the past two years? Because I would imagine you have heard these stories a lot during the pandemic, especially in the early days of the pandemic, people were at home and Peloton exploded during that time. You become a celebrity, a household name, more so than you were beforehand. I know you were well known beforehand, but have you noticed a massive difference in the way people have connected with you, followed you since March of 2020? Yeah, I definitely have. It's interesting because sort of while I became more well-known,

everybody was still in their home. So I wasn't going out to restaurants or going out and living life. I was at home as well. So then it really shifted in like the last six months when things really started to open up. And now I'm going to restaurants and, you know, living my life where I'm just interacting with more people who recognize me, who thank me. And it is really, it is a big shift. It wasn't like this two years ago, for sure. So one of the interesting things about your job is because, you know, I've never taken fitness classes or anything like that, but it does feel at times that you are part fitness instructor and part therapist. Like you talk to people, you say things, you try to make people feel good about themselves, about their bodies, all that stuff about, you know, their day.

And I'm wondering how you develop that skill because the fitness stuff like is something you can work at. You can take on. But like becoming that type of person as well for you guys, for not just yourself, but all the Peloton instructors, I would imagine is something that you have to work at over time. How do you develop that part of the job? You're working. You're tired too. And you're still like giving out advice and all this stuff. How does that come about? I mean, one thing you mentioned is therapy, and I've definitely been in and out of therapy basically my whole life. My parents stuck me in therapy when they were going through their

divorce when I was around 12 years old. And also, my mom is a very spiritual person. She's a Buddhist and she kind of instilled this sort of positive self-talk in me and, and just the impact of, of the way you speak to yourself. And I think a combination of that also, I was on sports teams. I was, you know, in high school, I was the captain of my soccer and lacrosse team. And I think a combination of that also, I was on sports teams. I was, you know, in high school, I was the captain of my soccer and lacrosse team. And so I learned a lot about like team camaraderie and how to like motivate people to get them moving. I was a dancer. Um, so there are all these little ingredients to make up the recipe of, of how I've come to where I am, but definitely, I also think with therapy, a large part of that is like being very self-aware is paying attention to how you're feeling,

you know, being able to put words to it, identify what that means, being able to communicate how you're feeling. And so if I can tap into how I'm feeling and I can speak to it, I know that people listening will also identify with how I'm feeling and I can speak to it, I know that people listening will also identify with how I'm feeling because there's a great chance that you're feeling the same way I'm feeling in certain moments, right? If we're in a challenging climb and I'm doing the climb too, and I tap into, wow, like this is really hard. I'm feeling this type of way. And I can communicate like, listen, I know this is really hard. It makes you feel seen and like you're not alone because you're not. We're doing it together.

So it is kind of a big combination of all these things. But I'm glad you mentioned therapy because that's definitely an important thing. You grew up on Martha's Vineyard. You don't actually hear of a lot. I know people who go vacation there. I don't know of a lot of people. You might be the only one that i've ever heard of that actually grew up there uh could you describe like what is that like what is that like being a young kid growing up there um i didn't know it was weird until i left but yeah martha's vineyard you know there's no shopping

malls no fast food there's no uh stoplights or highways you, the first time I drove on a highway was like, I was like 17, 18. And it was very scary. But we, I don't know. I mean, it was, it's a beautiful place to grow up. I'm very fortunate that I was able to grow up there. But, you know, we grew up, we had a garden. We, you know, grew our own food. My dad was a fisherman and a writer for the local newspaper, very involved in the community. So we would go fishing and clamming.

And you just learn to really appreciate the land that you live on and the community that you're in because it is such a small community. So you go to the grocery store and you know everybody and everybody knows you. And, you know, I had an older brother. So all of his teachers knew who I was when I, you know, went to their classes. And so it was, you know, it's a very safe and beautiful place. So I was very lucky to grow up there. Your father, a local journalist, right, wrote for the paper, which is very cool.

Those are becoming few and far between, obviously, with the death of the paper, which is very cool. Those are becoming a few and far between, obviously, with the death of local papers, which is very sad. Did you ever consider following his footsteps? Were you ever interested in his job enough to think about doing that in your later years? He always told me that I was a great writer. And, you know, I write now as part of my job. I also have a blog and anytime I contribute to, you know, articles or things I'm writing. But I do remember, you know, he would always say, Emma, you're such a great writer. And he said, you should be a writer one day. And I said, yeah, right. That's like having to do homework for the rest of your life. I'm never doing that. And so I was always, you know, not a fan of homework, but,

you know, I respect his job for sure. How, you mentioned your parents got divorced when you were 12. How did that affect you? Yeah, I mean, greatly, I can say now looking backwards, I'm happy for them. They are both in a better place. They were unhappy at the time, but it was, it was very challenging. You know, my, my brother and I got really close over that time. I was 12, he was four, 15. So that was a difficult time for us, but you know, I just, I just can't even imagine them together at this point. And they've changed so much as people. And I, I've watched that and, you know, it was, it was very

challenging for my mom. My mom had a really hard time and I, I watched her, you know, she immigrated to the United States from Taiwan. She met my father right away. She kind of like left her culture and family behind a little bit to move to Martha's Vineyard with my dad to start a family. And so when they split up, my mom sort of just like felt like she had nothing, you know? And so that was really hard. She is, she's an artist, she's a painter, and she's now a gardener. And I remember I helped her start her gardening business

when I was in high school, no, I was in college. And she was like, I think I want to do this on my own. And, you know, it was just very like, we had to be closer, we had to be tighter to kind of like look out for each other. But you know, a lot of, a lot of family, you know, when, when now, when I have friends who are going through divorce, I tell them like, I still look back at my childhood very fondly, even though I went through that. I still look, I still love both of my parents. I don't hate either of them. Like it is possible to live a, you know, a happy, healthy childhood and still have divorced parents. Does the experience that you went through affect the way you feel about marriage? Yes.

I'm, yeah, I guess I just, you know, maybe it's because of this, but I've never just been like, I've never been a little girl who was like dreaming of her wedding. Like I just, that's just not me a little girl who was dreaming of her wedding. That's just not me. And some of my friends are like that. And so I could say that that's because of my parents getting a divorce or it could be for other reasons. But it's definitely not as fairytale to me. It just seems a little more like transactional, but I still am very happy for people who get married. And I still, I still believe in marriage. I think it's a beautiful thing. Um, but yeah, I, I, I guess

I just, I've never been like somebody who like dreamt of a wedding. I've heard you talk about, um, you know, obviously Martha's Vineyard, uh, pretty affluent community. Right. Um, but you didn't grow up in a family that had a lot of money. You would get your brother's hand-me-downs and his clothes, his whatever. I'm wondering how that affects a young girl's confidence when you're growing up around people who have a ton of things, a ton of new things, who are going on trips and you don't have those things. Were you able to turn the negatives into positives or did you feel lesser than your friends, than your peers, because you weren't getting those shiny new toys and those great trips? Yeah. I mean, this is something I write about, I journal about, I think about now, especially as an adult and I've come into my own success and I go back to, you know, my town where I'm from and I have these like flashbacks of feelings of how I used to feel

inadequate as a kid because I didn't grow up with a ton of money. I mean, we were, we were comfortable, we were fine, but you know, my town, you know, I got free lunches because I had a single mom and we shopped at the thrift store and we, you know, grew our food and all that stuff. And I had friends who were, you know, going to the Caribbean for Christmas. And I remember coming home and complaining to my mom, like, why don't we get to go to the Caribbean? And I just think of like how hard that must've been for my parents now, you know, how hard that must've been for my mom, like probably wanted to take me to the Caribbean, but she just couldn't. And I now have so much respect for her having multiple jobs.

You know, I, I think that it has made me the person that I am today, but definitely when I think back on that, like the yacht clubs and the, you know, fancy clothes and the dinner parties and all this stuff, I was, I was there, you know, I, I catered the parties. I was like work. I was the bartender. I was, you know, working. And so I was around it and I got to really like see this type of lifestyle that I wasn't

a part of, you know? And so it is funny now as an adult, like coming into my success, but then still going home and still seeing that type of life and still feeling really far away from it. Hmm. So now like, do you consider yourself successful or are you able to enjoy the fruits of your labor? Or do you still feel like you have that kind of immigrant mentality that, you know, you got to scrap for everything? Yeah, I think a little bit of both. I think some moments I do feel it.

And I, you know, I'm proud of myself. I'm, you know, my parents are proud of me. My family's proud of me. But I don't know that that sort of like hustle mentality of like, it's still within me for sure. And it's like a part of me and I don't know, makes you who you are, makes you work harder, makes you a little more grounded. I'll actually tell you this, this metaphor, because I was just speaking to somebody about, I'm into gardening now, I had to do it as a kid, but then I, it was out of necessity. And now as an adult, it's like a luxury for me that I have a garden, I have a vegetable garden. And I was explaining to somebody that, you know, when you put, when you put a plant in the soil, if you water it all the time, the roots grow very shallow because it has a lot of

water from the top and it just kind of like spreads out. But if you don't water a plant a lot, the roots have to grow deeper and deeper and deeper because it's searching for water. So there's like this element of like not having everything and struggling a little bit that like makes you root deeper, which become, you become a more resilient plant. Actually, if the wind comes, you're less likely to blow over. And I was just, I just think about that. It's like, if you, if you're just giving everything, if you're giving water all the time, it's like you got some roots, but they might not be that sturdy and strong. You know, you take a little like despair and like, you know, dehydration in there. It like makes you really sturdy and grounded.

I love that. That is a tremendous analogy. And I know that gardening has been a big part of your life. You mentioned your mom's business. And you had to kind of take over for a while when she got sick, right? She's a cancer survivor. She's all good now, right? Thank God.

Yes, she's very healthy now. How tough was that for you? Again, your parents are divorced. It seems like my read on you is that you are a scrapper. You are a fighter. Like you don't roll over and let these moments get to you. And here you are relatively young and you're taking over her business while she's getting, um, treatment in Boston, I believe.

So how was that for you? How difficult was that for you mentally? That was like such a crazy time in my life. But at the time it was not, you're just like, I got to do this. Like, this is what needs to be done. I'm going to do the thing. I'm not going to, I'm going to compartmentalize all my feelings so I can just get it done. And now when I look back at that, I'm like, oh my God, like, wow, what a tough time

that was. I was at a time where I was unhappy at my job at the time. I worked at another fitness studio. I was burnt out. I was teaching 15, 18 cycling classes a week and I was tired. And, um, at that same time, my mom had this diagnosis. She had, um, like a tumor in her sinus that was like touching her brain. And, um, she discovered that by having a bloody nose that wouldn't stop. And so I went home and, you know, the hospital's small on Martha's Vineyard. There's not a lot there. So, you know, my mom's confused and, you know, English is her second language. And so she's just needed me there.

And I realized I was like, okay, we got to get you to Boston. Like, what's going on? Like, this is crazy. Like the, you know, the ER wasn't really helping, you know? So I was like, okay, I got a problem solved, you know, called a mass general, you know, big, well-known respected hospital. They have an ear, nose and throat division. And I booked us a, you got to get on the ferry. So the next morning we jump on the ferry. I get an appointment and we go straight to Boston. One thing leads to the next. She has surgery.

They figure out it's cancerous. She needs eight weeks of radiation. And they only have that in Boston. They don't have that on Martha's Vineyard. It's the heat, the height of the summer, which is her working business. And I was unhappy at my job. And I was like, I'm going to quit my job. I'm going to move home. I'm going to run your gardening business for you so you can live in Boston and get treatment.

I knew gardening because of her, but like, I'm not, you know, I'm not her. Um, so I moved home and I, um, I had like seven or eight houses that I would go to garden, you know, rotating throughout the week. And, and all of her clients were super understanding. Of course they, she had been their gardener for many years and these are, you know, affluent homes. And, and, um, and so we, we worked it out. My mom came home on some of the weekends and she would like evaluate my work and give me pointers and figure out what I could do better. And, um, it was so important that I could be there for her at that time. And also moving back to the vineyard, I do still have a very strong sense of community there. You know, my dad's there. A lot of my friends are there. Um, I like needed that too. Like it felt like my friends, I'm still very close with a lot of my friends are there. I needed that, too. It felt like my friends, I'm still very close with a lot of my friends from high school and childhood, and they were there for me.

And it just felt like I needed to be there, too, with them. So, thankfully, it worked out, and she's healthy, and she's cancer-free. So, you quite literally saved her business, right? If you don't take it over, maybe it all goes away. Yeah. That's an incredible thing. Yeah. She's still gardening. She, I mean, I hope she can retire soon. She just turned 70. So, but she loves it. She loves, you know, she scaled back. She's, you know, maybe has like four or five clients now, but she just loves it so much. And it's so nurturing to have your hands in the dirt, you know? As you mentioned earlier, you know, you grew up playing sports.

You're active. I believe you were a lifeguard as well. You see, I try to do, you know, research beforehand rather than going in blind. But I'm wondering, like, when this career path kind of crystallized in your mind, when did you decide that you wanted to devote your life to this? Being a fitness instructor, being someone, I mean, the Peloton job didn't obviously exist when you're growing up, but the idea of doing this for a living, when does that come about? Yeah, it is. I am somebody who I don't set very long-term goals for myself, but I've set very short-term goals for myself.

I kind of like focus in on something that I'm curious about. And I'm like, I'm going to lean in this direction. I'm going to open this door, see how far I can get. As soon as it doesn't feel right, I'm going to like go into a different direction. That's always just sort of been my thing. When I was in college, I studied abroad in Beijing and I studied, you know, Mandarin, reading, writing, speaking. And I thought that maybe I would just move to Beijing after college. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I was always a lifelong athlete. I grew up playing

sports, very active lifeguard. I was a dancer, but I never thought I was a good enough dancer to be a professional dancer. And then my senior year, I did an internship in New York city. I worked for a theater doing marketing and I worked with an all female hip hop dance company in Brooklyn. And I just like fell in love with New York. I was like, this is my place. Everybody's there. There's so much diversity. There's so much energy and ambition and I just was so drawn to it and I was like okay I'm gonna move to New York and while I was you know um doing the internship I was taking dance classes a few people told me about auditions I ended up booking a couple dance jobs I booked um a music video with Bjork and I danced at like the MTVU awards.

And I was like, wait, you know, maybe I can make it as a dancer. Like maybe I can do this. So I moved to New York and this is how pragmatic I am. I'm like, I'm going to give myself 12 months. I'm going to give myself a year. If I don't like make some sort of progress, I'm going to change career paths. I'm going to try something else. I'm going to give myself, you know, one year. If I don't like make some sort of progress, I'm going to change career paths. I'm going to try something else. I'm going to give myself, you know, one year. So I was, you know, studying dance and all these programs, dancing with different dance companies, auditioning. And almost at that one year mark, I ended up signing with a big dance agency. And to me, that was like the sign that I'm doing the right thing. And I was on the right path. So I did that, got into some fitness modeling, because at the time, that's when brands started saying like, oh, we actually want like a more muscular, like shorter model, we don't just

want a runway model. So I started doing, you know, modeling fitness moves in magazines and for brands and commercials and TV and film. And I was taking a lot of fitness classes to stay in shape. And so a lot of my friends were fitness trainers and I had taught dance for a long time. So I was like, let me dip my toes in this. And I was bartending on the side as well. And I told myself, I was like, I don't want to be bartending after I turned 28. I just made up this number in my head. I was like, 28 don't want to be bartending after I turned 28. I just like made up this number in my head. I was like, 28 sounds like a good year to stop bartending. And it was like six months before my 28th birthday. And somebody was like, why don't you audition to be a cycling instructor at this one studio? They've got good benefits. It's like a fun job. You'll learn a lot. You'll meet a lot of

people. And so I auditioned and I got accepted into that training program and ended up teaching cycling. And then from there, I got certified as a personal trainer in Pilates, kettlebells, TRX, all these things. And that's sort of, it just one thing led to the next where I was like, how does this feel? I'm going to try this on. And then once I was teaching fitness, I was like, this is kind of perfect for me. It's all my experience as an athlete and as a kid and a motivator. And like, I just felt like it all kind of just came together as a dancer, my love of music. I was a DJ for a little bit. So I was like, I get to, you know, pick the tracks for the song. Like it all just kind of worked out.

It was a long answer. No. And it's a, it's an inspiring story. You gloss over somewhat the dancing stuff, but did you not dance with like Snoop and Drake and all these guys? Like you made it to the top. I mean that I would consider the top, right? I got to dance with my last dance gig was dancing with the rolling stones and to me in front of 20 000 people and i was like this is so cool where was that at the prudential center in new jersey yeah wow yeah i think it was

on like pay-per-view or something is that surreal for you i, these are icons and you're on stage with them dancing. I can't even singer. Like that's actually, my parents met on a subway platform at bleaker street, um, the six train, uh, because my dad had just played a gig. He had holding his guitar. It's like in the seventies. And my mom was like new to New York. Um, it didn't really speak English and asked my dad for directions. And like, that's how they met. They were like total hippies. Wow um yeah but I just music is so ingrained in you know I just grew up listening to music playing music I studied piano for 10 years and as a kid um so dance to me also felt so natural where like you know in talent, like I'd have to sing or, you know, in chorus, I always felt nervous singing. I was like, singing is not my thing, but dancing,

I was just like, this is my thing. Like, I feel so good moving my body to music. And so then getting to like share the stage with these epic performers and in front of this huge crowd, but it was always so interesting. I did like this tour once when I was out living on a tour bus with an artist for two months. And then I come back and I'm bartending, right? So I'm like out on tour on stage, people are yelling and trying to like reach for me on stage and I'm living my best life. And then I go home and I had to bartend a bat mitzvah and I'm yelling at a 12 year old who wants a Red Bull and I will not give him a Red Bull. Like that was like the reality of my success. And like, I was like, oh no, I'm right back here. Like this is, this is life. Which, which life did you like better? Like, did you, did you like being the superstar or yeah of course i

mean yeah i was like this is so fun not everybody gets to experience this um the energy and yeah you know there's the high risk high reward like there's obviously some some downfalls you you get out you're in the spotlight people can say nasty things to you or they can cheer you on, you know, you get, you get both. Um, but it was just so exciting. The adrenaline, the energy, um, and I'm like getting to do what I love. It was, um, yeah. Favorite, uh, artist or band to work with best experience um i mean i guess i would have to say it's the rolling stones just because that was like the most the largest stadium i'd ever

performed in and the most iconic band um so yeah i would definitely you definitely say the Rolling Stones. Was Drake a cool guy? He was very nice. And I actually met him way before he got really big. I worked with Kid Cudi and Drake was in the Kid Cudi music video, Pursuit of Happiness. And they're like spraying champagne. You were in that music video? I love that.

Wow. That's an incredible, that's one of my favorite songs. I have a photo of me watching back the tape, like with both of them and they're like cracking up because they think it's so like a bunch of teenager boys. I mean, I'm pretty sure they were like 18. I don't even know how they were young. And I'm, and I'm like looking looking like like kind of like rolling my eyes at them but um yeah they were they were super nice yeah that is amazing i think that was the wasn't that the theme song for the uh the hbo show um how to make it in america yeah yeah famous song well done how many music videos have you been in i don't know i was actually i was in a lot of like so many that you can't remember yeah and i was in a lot of um a lot of people thought that i was latina so i was in a lot of like latin music okay and i was like whatever you know i'll play the role like whatever you need you know like i'm an actor i'll make this work um so there was there's a lot of artists like maybe you've never heard of um yeah but

yeah i mean it was and they don't pay well don't don't get it twisted okay how does that work by the way like how do you do you work for the agency and they put you into these things or yeah before i knew like the choreographer who had to cast for it like i even did like a rap music video where it was literally like a bunch of girl women in a mansion with like a marble floor and like a bunch of fancy cars parked out front. Like I was like, you know, it was in the two thousands, but it felt like a 1998 rap music video. I was just like cracking up to myself. I was like,

I can't believe I'm in this. Now when you're, when you're the dancer, you're somewhat faceless, right? You're just one of many. Yeah. When you're doing that, are you looking at the star and saying like, I want to be the star? I want to be the one that people know, that people look up to? Are you thinking like that? You don't want to be in the background. You want to be up front? Right. It is like a very different shift like my job now yeah you're the star yeah i'm i'm the headliner like i'm the person right and i spent so long as like a backup dancer

and um yeah yeah i think i mean i wasn't an amazing singer or rapper or anything, but, um, when you look at like somebody who's just like in the spotlight, you know, being appreciated for their talent, like that just feels really good. It feels really good to be acknowledged for your talent. Um, and so yeah, sometimes when you're a backup dancer, depending on how many there are, you feel like you kind of like fighting for attention a little bit, you know, if there's like 25 background dancers versus like two, you know, um, but I never, I w I was never like, I was never like, Oh, I'm going to be like, I'm going to be the star. I'm going to be the, you know, as a kid though, I, um, I wanted to be a news anchor though. Actually, that was like a thing.

I grew up watching, um, Connie Chung on, uh, on the news and I always, I, I mean, and I, and I say this too, like that she representation matters because I saw her and I was like, she looks like my mom. And I had never seen an Asian woman with authority on television who was like well-respected. And I just remember looking up to her. And so I would, we had like a, you know, camcorder at home where I would pretend to tell the weather or the news or, or whatever. So I'd sort sort of so it is weird that like my job is like ugly performer news anchor like dj all in you know in one in a weird way yeah and uh going back to a previous question you did sort of kind of want to be like what your dad was doing because that is

journalism what she does right right i don't know if right they had you know i didn't put it together right in my mind down no yeah i was like in my mind connie chung doesn't do homework she just right right right right have you ever met her no not yet um that she's i remember when she got that that gig with dan rather that was a huge deal um and so when you, so you were working for another company. You didn't, I don't know if you're allowed to say their name. We shall not name them.

Who cares about them? Then you get the Peloton job. But if you like would have, if I were to talk to you when you were taking that Peloton job, and I understand that you were part of their like Kickstarter and you stayed in touch with,

you know, one of the owners and then you resur owners and then you resurface and then you get this job before Peloton is what it is today. Would you have believed that? Did you think that this would happen? Or did you think it would sort of be like what your previous job was? You're kind of known within a little circle, not making it to Super Bowl commercials and covers of magazines and things like that.

Could you have ever imagined this? Or has this exceeded your expectations? It's definitely exceeded your expectations? It's definitely exceeded my expectations. And or it just shows up in a much different way than I could have imagined. Because you just don't know what it's, yeah. It's just the reality of it is like unfathomable. Like I couldn't have dreamt this up, right?

And like as a kid, there was no Peloton instructor job, right? Like that wasn't something that I idolized or dreamt of it. It's sort of like, we're creating it. We are laying the tracks like as we're doing it. Like we are creating at home fitness, uh, entertainment like at its finest right now, you know? So it's, it's, it is very, it's very surreal. And, and when you're like, you know, something you were talking about this a little bit earlier, you have to be on, right? When, when, when someone clicks on your class, they may be in a bad mood, they may be down. They may be feeling a certain way and they're coming to you to be uplifted. I'm sure there are times where you feel down, where you don't feel 100%. How do you get over that hump?

How do you put it on for the camera? Because there are times where I feel very down, whatever. I just have to sit here and talk to people. I could fake it relatively easy. What you do is physical. So it's a totally different thing in my, it's way tougher. How do you get over that? I mean, similarly, probably to how you do too, though, is just, you got to compartmentalize, you got to like, put it, leave it at the door. Luckily, you know, when you love your job and you get present in the moment,

you tend to forget about other things and you get to just like really focus on the task at hand. I can focus on, and I told you music for me is like everything. So it's, to me, it's like playing the right song and, and allowing the music to, to push me and motivate me and just really trying to get present in the moment. But absolutely there are days that I'm like not feeling good or if I'm sad or if I'm going through something and I'm just like, I know that that worry and sadness and everything will be there in 30 minutes after the class is over. Like I know it will be there for me, but the beauty too of movement is that I usually feel better after I exercise. I say this in class. I'm like, you know, you're a nicer person after you exercise. Like, this is just how it works is you just, you know, you get that adrenaline and

you just end up feeling better. And so I know that I'm like, I gotta, I gotta do my job. You know, I gotta do this thing. And I know that in 30 minutes, I'll probably feel better. Sometimes I'll go back and do the pre-pandemic classes. And it's like a totally different vibe, obviously, because there's a ton. And I came during the pandemic. So I never was exposed to the ones with the people in there. How different is your job now, as opposed to then in terms of performing, so to speak, with a whole bunch? I mean, how many people are in there back in the days? Like 50 people. Okay. And now you're in an empty room. How have you had to change what you do?

So we always, even when we taught with people in the room, we also taught what we call coach to camera classes, which are just the 10 minute classes, five minute classes, because we're not going to have like a full audience for that. So I was used to teaching in an empty room already. But yeah, now that it's been like two years teaching to an empty room is I'm definitely used to it, I think with people in the room, and I came from teaching fitness to people in real time, originally. And so I'm very used to connect, making eye contact with everybody in the room, looking at the back row, making sure their form is right. Um, asking everybody how you're feeling and, you know, waiting for their

response. Like there you feed off of each other's energy. I might even modify the workout if like everybody's struggling in the class. I might, you know, make it a little bit easier. Um, but yeah, now for the last two years, it's like, I, my like camera focus and engagement is so strong. I'm just like really staring at the camera because there's obviously nobody in the room and you miss out on that energy. Um, but there are, there, there are positives and negatives, you know, there were, there were always, if there, when there are people in the room, there was always somebody who would pull out their cell phone and you'd see this like glaring light and it would distract you or some guy decides to take his shirt off in the front row or like two friends are talking

to each other. And, you know, like there was always like a distraction. So you're kind of like, you know, I have to look around. So yes, teaching in a room by yourself, there are no distractions. Do you're kind of like, you know, I have to look around. So yes, teaching in a room by yourself, there are no distractions. Do you like this better? I like both. I think I do miss having people in the room. I think it will be a nice change to like have that kind of energy again. I think it will probably give me like butterflies again of, you know, kind of getting nervous and feeling like I'm really performing. Sometimes, even though I look down at the leaderboard and see that there's like 10,000

people on, I, you don't feel like there's 10,000 people watching you because you're in a room by yourself. Right. Are there plans to bring back people in the near future? Yes. This summer, actually. Yeah, we announced it sometime this summer. I don't know when, but at some point this summer, we are going to welcome people back

in. And you feel comfortable with that? I'm scared. I'm a little nervous. I'm a little nervous. I think I'm excited because I know there will be just so much energy. And I'm excited for that amount of energy in the room and having that. But I think there will be some unexpected things that we'll have to deal with that I don't even know about. Yeah, because it's not like

bringing people back to a restaurant, like people are sweating. And I mean, it's a lot for you guys. And I can understand the, I guess, the anxiety that would come along with that in addition to everything else. I wanted to ask you about something and please tell me if this is, you know, something that you don't want to talk about, but you spoke about it in one of your classes. One of the classes that like really hit me and it was crazy that again, for some reason, it's a weird thing. We probably just like make this up in our mind, but you almost feel like, oh, this piece of advice is for me. Like somebody you say, like, get out of your head. And I was like, that's right. I wasn't really thinking about, you know, it's crazy. Um, and I'm sure you hear that from a lot of people

because we're always in our heads and whatnot, but there was one ride that you did. Um, and I believe it was entitled like a mood ride and you got very emotional in this ride. Do you know the one I'm talking about? I sure do. Um um could i ask you about that ride are you okay talking about it yeah yeah and i yeah go ahead did you want to say um no i'll say that i think i'll end up writing about this i think i'll end up because i want to make sure it's the stories told in the best way possible, but I am happy to like briefly talk about it with you. But I'm just saying that as clarity is that like, I do think it's very healing to write about, um, trauma. Yes. Um, I, I totally believe in that as well. Uh, so you, you, you take, you do this ride and it's a mood ride, and that's different than your other ride, right?

90s ride, all that stuff. Yeah. And so obviously you click on it, and you kind of take the viewer, the rider, on this emotional journey, and you really open up a lot about your past, about your life. And you mentioned in this, and I apologize if you've said this before, I didn't know this, but that your, your partner had passed away. Um, uh, ex-boyfriend, right. He had passed away, um, suddenly and you say this in a ride, right. And so I can't even imagine what's going on with your show. Was that the first time that you had ever said that publicly? Yeah. And why did you feel the need to do that? So we created these mood rides to, um, obviously like most of my rides are similar in the motivation and I'm, I'm encouraging you and I'm, I'm, you know, we're talking about positive, um,

talk and, and like, uh, lifting each other up and, and how strong we are and resilient. And there's also this like other side of motivation and this other type of workout that you can get. There's another type of music that we often don't highlight and which is like sad, you know, sad music. Some people want to just get on the bike and like feel their feelings. You know, people will cry and rides. It's totally normal when you have all of that energy and pent up emotion and then all of a sudden you are given permission to release it. It's like so cathartic. I've absolutely been in like, I took a boxing class and the instructor just said something right and turned all the

lights off. And I was just like wailing at this bag, like in tears. Like I've definitely had that experience and it feels so good afterwards. Like, so we've kind of just wanted to give people a different range of emotions to be like, listen, we know that sometimes you feel sad and rides, but now we're giving you permission. Like here is an actual ride with sad music, with gentle language that will support you, um, through that emotion. And so I took it as like, this is my job to be like your friend, like this is a safe space. Like if you want to feel your feelings and I have said this before, but the way that I think that I motivate people is by being authentic to myself and listening to myself. And if I can share something that I'm feeling,

I know that somebody else might identify with that feeling. And so I have experienced loss. I had a boyfriend when I was in my mid twenties who passed away unexpectedly. And I was like, I've never shared this. And I know I'm just like sharing the tip of the iceberg. And there's like so much more to this story, but I just want people to know that I too have experienced loss. Everybody will at some point, it is a normal thing. And like, how do we move through it? How do we, you know, and I shared in the ride that like one of my friends said to me that helped me a lot at that time of grief was she said, the way that you're feeling right now is, is not how you will always feel. This, it feels so permanent. It feels like you will never experience another feeling,

but she was like, you will, this feeling you will move through and you will not always be this sad. And it was so hard to believe that because I was literally waking myself up crying every day for a week, you know? And so I just wanted to share that to let people know that they're not alone. I know that people, everybody experiences loss at some point of some kind. And, um, that was my way to, to like, just connect. And I got emotional obviously, because how can you not? I was playing Coldplay at the time. And it is, you know, a sad, sad song. So again, it's one thing to say it in an interview or, you know, to write it, but to do it while you're actually on a bike.

Like, what do you remember from when you signed off? How did you, I can't imagine, imagine like emotionally how you felt afterwards. You must've felt exhausted in many respects. I was exhausted. Totally. That's a great word for it. Because yeah, even like when I knew, I like knew, I was like, I think I'm going to share this story. You know, I had it in my head. I was like, I think I'm going to share the story. And I was like, I think I'm going to do, you know, this is where I'm going to share it. And so I did. And then I was like, Oh my God, I did it. Like it's sort of, I do think, and that's why when people say like therapy is important is because it's, it feels good to talk

about things. We like hold these feelings and stories in, and sometimes it just like needs to be let out. It's like, everything is energy and you've got to move it. So in that way, I almost was like, like, I took like this exhale that was like, I shared it. I did it. I felt it every time you can like share the story and move through that emotion. I feel like you're closer to healing from it in a way. Um, so yeah, I mean, after, after he passed away, I was like upped my therapy to twice a week, I like, got an unlimited yoga subscription, and was literally going to a yoga studio every single day, because I was like, I don't want this trauma to haunt me in 30 years from now, I want to I'm gonna like, I got very like type A about my trauma. And I was like, I'm gonna fix it. I'm gonna heal from it now. And I was like, I'm going to fix it. I'm going to heal from it now. And I went through a really intense grieving process.

How did it change you? How do you feel like this life-changing event changed you? In what way? I mean, it's just like life is short. Like, wow, life is short. And don't ever not tell somebody how you feel about them. Like, don't, you know, like just life's too short to like, not tell somebody that you appreciate them and love them. Like you gotta just, it's so important just to, just to say it, to, to be it.

Um, it's not worth it to like hold a grudge or I don't know, it takes too much effort to like hate, you know, and it's, it's so much easier to just, um, know that you have been the best version of yourself, that you have shared the way that you feel and that that person knows how you feel. But yeah, I mean, I, I, it was just like such a, I felt like I got run over by like a hit by a Mack truck or something with emotion. It was like, so overwhelming. I had never like felt all of those feelings all at the same time, you know, but but it's like crazy death is everybody is something everybody's, overwhelming. I had never like felt all of those feelings all at the same time, you know,

but, uh, but it's like crazy death is everybody is something everybody experiences, literally everybody, you know? So I knew I was not unique in that. Um, uh, but yeah, you know, the way my friends like came through and I had friends from home who came to New York to stay with me and like support me through that. It was just like, it was wild. A wild time. And you were how old? Like 25, I think. Oh, wow. Yeah.

And just curious, you know, because you mentioned talking about it. Like there are times where I've shared things that I wasn't planning on sharing. And then you're just in the moment. You're like mentally talking to yourself and you're like, I'm just going to talk about this right now. Was it like that, too? Like, did you plan that or did it just happen in the moment? No, I kind of I had thought about it. I wasn't a thousand percent sure I was going to share it, but I had thought I was like, if I'm going to share this story, this would be the time to do it.

And so I talked it out. I like wrote it, you know, I prepared because I was like, I can't just like go in and like, you know, I actually remember, um, one of my first lessons as a fitness instructor, you know, I had a friend who was in a snowboarding accident and, um, unfortunately was paralyzed, um, from the waist down. And I was like, I want to tell that story in class. I want to say like how, you know, we are so lucky that, you know, we get to move our bodies and all this stuff. And I remember like, and this is, I'm teaching to live people. This was before Peloton, but I was like, didn't really think about how I was going to tell the story, but I'm like in this ride. And I was like, you know what?

I was like, I got to tell you the story. Like recently my friend was in a snowboarding accident and like the way that people looked at me, like they were like up and they looked so concerned. And I was like, Oh God, I was like, but he's fine. I had to like pivot because I, you learned really quickly that you were like, wow, I really needed to prepare before I told that story because you're just like messing with people's emotions. And they're like, they're like, what, what were you going to say? And so I very early on learned that like, if you're going to, you need to have a meaning, you need to wrap it up and like, you know, have a positive spin on it that is succinct because you really have people's attention. Right. And people are really listening.

I would imagine maybe not the type of thing that you share if there's a full classroom, right? Like maybe for that particular one, it was good that you were alone. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Totally. That's very true. Yeah. Just a few more things and then I'll let you go. And thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it. And this is just super inside baseball i'm just curious from like a production standpoint do you decide how many times you you do a show or you know a ride uh every week do you decide the theme is that all you or do you work with a producer and i've always wondered are you wearing an ifb when you're doing it no no one no one's talking to you. You're just winging it.

No one's talking to me. The control room can communicate to us through the screen, though, if they need to send us a note. They can write something. Got it. I work with a producer and we work together on figuring out what the class schedule is. I teach every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday right now. And so we go through the next month and we look through what types of classes, um, do well for me, what types of classes other people are asking for. Um, we

have artists, uh, themed rides too. And so we kind of just go through the schedule and figure out like what we want a diverse, you know, music selection and, and, um, options for people. So we try to just do it that way. Superbowl commercial with, uh, Martha Stewart and, uh, many others that had to be like, golly, um, like a top, the coolest things that you've ever done in addition to the Rolling Stones and all that, that must've been surreal, right? Oh yeah. I got that phone call and they were like, it shoots in a week. And I was like, I was like, they want me to have a Superbowl commercial. This is wild. You know, um, the amount of people who are messaging me, they're like,

I don't even watch sports, but I'm going to watch because I want to see you in this commercial. Uh, that was really, that was really cool. It was very, um, and I, you know, I'm like doing a plank on a lawn. Like that was like me. It was very, um, and I, you know, I'm like doing a plank on a lawn. Like that was like me. And I was like, this is perfect. This is so me. Of course I'd be doing a plank in the lawn. Who came up with live, learn, love well, who came up with that? And by the way, initially when I heard it, I thought your name was fake. Like, like it's just too perfect. Right. Uh, and now you have this great saying that you said at the end, who came up with that? Um, I can't, I feel like it was a friend of mine when I taught,

um, cycling at another studio and they, I think they just made it. I don't know. They, they, they said it or something. And I was like, Oh, that's really catchy. And then at that same time, I, um, created a blog. So I created live, learn, love, well.com, where I share some recipes, some, you know, wellness tips and things. And, and I have a newsletter. And so I, I wanted to like stay in touch with people I knew, you know, I was going to be leaving the studio. So I want to stay in touch. And so that's sort of, I was like, I'm just gonna, I like this catchy name, live, learn, love, Well, I'm going to take it, I'm going to run with it. And so that's, that's been like my motto and my business as well. And it's, it's what I say at the end of every,

every class. What haven't you done yet? What is a dream that you would like to realize? Hmm. Um, I actually think I'd like to write more. So a book is in there. And is it a book about your life or is it a, you know, I think a little bit about like, um, some like motivational stuff, but also some life stuff just to really actually, you know, I say so many short stories in class that I would like to sit down and really take the time to write out the full length of the story that I want to tell. You know, I have, I'm very good at speaking and, you know, 20 second intervals. But to really sit down and like write a full length thing is, is, or speak a full

length thought or story is, is different for me. So I think that would be a fun challenge. I think, um, also getting into television is something that I would love to do. Um, I have all these years of not a thousand percent sure, but I just think I have all, you know, these years of being on camera and, camera and it is definitely, as you know, a skill that can be learned. And what else can you do with it? What other ways can I connect with people, you know, hosting a show or, um, you know, sharing my love of, you know, gardening and fitness and wellness, um, you know, to TBD, but those are some things that are in the back of my brain. Um, you have a, like, again, cause I, I love to pay attention to these things as someone who fancies

himself a broadcaster to be able to i don't think people appreciate to be able to speak um like coherently and concisely um the way in which you do in the midst of an intense bike ride is an incredible skill so i would urge you to know, follow that path because that is not easy. Like it's hard enough to do this, just sitting down like this. It's, it's absolutely incredible what you do. And I would imagine you don't want to like, and maybe I'm wrong, want to be a rider forever. Like someone who does what you do for like, there's, is there a cap? Like, you know, you were talking about 28 this, you know, so is there, and I don't want to get you in trouble. I don't have a number like all the other times, but I do have to say it is challenging as a woman in fitness, I think more so than for men, um, that, you know, it seems like sort of more

acceptable in society for an older man to be teaching fitness than an older woman. And so, uh, and maybe that will change, but I do think about that. And that is something that's like, you know, we have a lot of beauty standards and, you know, ways that we're supposed to, you know, look or, or whatever that I feel the societal pressure of. And things have changed a lot though, you know, for the better. I think we're definitely, you know, I feel like as a whole, we're more body positive. I hope, you know, I think I am, but you know, so I do think I'm like, you know, there, there is, I probably won't be teaching on a bike forever, but I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna roll with it.

I'm gonna ride with it as long as I can. And, um, but knowing that I have these other skills and other interests, um, which are really exciting to explore as well. Well, again, I can't thank you enough. Um, this was a huge, huge deal for me, a huge honor. Uh, thank you not only for the time and for trusting me, because I felt like you guys weren't really quite sure what the hell I was trying to get at here with this. But I hope now I've proven that.

I want to say that the way that you've always spoken about my class on Instagram is you were always so sincere and appreciative of it. And I was like, you just seem like such a nice person. I was like, I would love to have this conversation because I know nothing about MMA, but I know that we connect on another level. So it's really nice to have this conversation. I appreciate all the nice things that you say about my class.

And it's 100% true. And you really did help me last year a lot. So it almost felt like I needed to say this to you, right? I really was in a tough spot there. So thank you for what you do. And I will speak on behalf of so many others who I'm sure feel the same way for all the great work that you and your colleagues do, because you really, truly do help people, not only physically, but mentally as well.

And that's a huge deal for me. So keep up the great work. All the best to you and your family. And thank you again so much for the time. And I would urge everyone to check out your website, which you mentioned. And also, when you write your book, that is going to be tremendous as well. So I would urge you to do that. Thank you so much, Emma.

Thank you, Ariel. All right. There you have it. Love that conversation. I'm so happy that I got to speak to Emma and to tell her how much her work helped me. You know, I've often said that one of the best things that I can hear from someone is when they say to me, you know, your show was an escape. Your show helped me forget about my bad day. Your show helped me forget about the stresses of my life. And I felt the same way about her over the past year. And so I really wanted to do this interview

and have this conversation. And I'm so thrilled that she agreed to do it. And I hope you guys, even if you don't take these classes, even if you don't care about this sort of thing, hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did as well. Please do check out her work. If you're a Peloton rider and you've never done any of her rides, she is great. Highly recommend. They're all great. But if you haven't checked her out, check her out as well. Also, check out her website, livelearnlovewell.com. What a great name, especially for someone who

works in her industry. Incredible. She's on Instagram and Twitter as well. Emma Lovewell, go check out her stuff. Very inspiring lady and one who will make you feel better about yourself. So well done to her. Thank you so much to the Lovely Feathers. Thank you so much to our production team here. And thanks to all of you for continuing to download, rate, review, subscribe, all those things follow. And if you want to watch this interview, go check it out on our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash Ariel Helwani is where you can check that one out and all the other ones that we've been doing. We are going to take, I believe, a break next week because I'll be away for Passover, but we'll be back in two weeks with a brand new episode. So while I'm taking this break from the MMA Hour as well, we'll also take a break from this show, but we'll be back in two weeks with a brand new episode. So while I'm taking this

break from the MMA Hour as well, we'll also take a break from this show, but we'll be back in a big way. I promise you of that in late February, not February, April. What am I talking about? In late April, early May, whenever that time comes in two weeks, you know the drill. Anyhow, have a great break. If you celebrate Passover, if you celebrate Easter, if you celebrate life, I hope you have a great holiday. I hope you are able to celebrate with loved ones and friends and family. And I wish the best to all of you. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. Thank you to Emma Lovewell. Much love, everyone. Talk to you soon. Thank you.