Jan 16, 2015

We’re kicking off Entrepreneurs Heart Hartford and the New Year with ElectroSpin University, founded by HYPEster David Rubin. Click play on the YouTube video to get a feel for the type of music ESU uses in their classes while you read the post!

Tell us about ElectroSpin University.

ElectroSpin University is a fitness company with a passion for electronica (electronic music). ESU’s fitness classes perfectly sync music and atmospheric lighting to create the most engaging and effective workout environment. We connect our students and instructors through our mobile application. We are a social enterprise that is mindful of sustainable business practice, and focused on eliminating physical inactivity. Currently, we are rolling out our Indoor Cycling Certification this Spring, and developing Yoga to launch for the Fall.

Why did you decide to start your business in Hartford?

My best friends and business partners and I are all from different towns in Connecticut. When we first started building this, we knew we had a lot to learn. In 2013, we were accepted into reSET‘s Social Enterprise Trust Entrepreneurial Accelerator on Pratt Street. This allowed us to learn business fundamentals and test/build our business model right here at home.

How does your business impact the community?

Fitness is a fundamental human need. “Health is Wealth”. Our business is a vehicle to help anyone of any age learn to get healthy and have fun working out. It’s pretty cool to see teenagers alongside 70 year olds, both unleashing their inner athlete. Beyond the impact we are making on individuals, we look to contribute to the awareness that health deserves in the workplace and at home, and supporting the wellness, health, and holistic communities here in Connecticut.

What words of wisdom would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur who may be hesitant to take the plunge into entrepreneurship?

1. Have passion about why you are creating – enthusiasm is more important than any other trait.

2. Test early and often. Find out what your customers “need”. But remember, customers don’t always know what they want until they see it. Trust your gut of what you know customers will need, and test it now.

3. Understand the “Business Model Canvas” – start there before the official business plan. Read Running Leanfor better understanding. Consume as much information as you can, and never stop learning.

4. There’s no such thing as failure, just first attempts. Fail early and often – the greater you learn and fail, the greater you can grow. There’s pain, but it’s worth it.

5. We learn more by doing than by studying. “We are what we reportedly do, excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle. In other words, maintenance is more important than progress. This took a long time for us to get. Once you know your “why”, focus on the how, and not the what. Also, read Simon Sinek’s Start With Why. Outline a clear system of how you will build and test your product, your sales and your marketing. No success story is created overnight.

6. All of these apply not only to entrepreneurship, but also to exercise. Practice both.

7. The journey is the reward. Take the steps that are the most fun, not the fastest, to the top.

8. Don’t start up alone, there’s always help if you look!

9. Gotta take risks, otherwise there are no rewards. This applies to everything in life.

10. Keep Calm and Rage On!

What is it like being an entrepreneur in Hartford? What difficulties or challenges have you faced?

Being an entrepreneur in Hartford is certainly different than what my friends in tech industries in NYC, Boston, and the West Coast experience. We’re a small state, and a small city. Usually innovation in Connecticut is centered around sciences, industrial technology, and food/agriculture. You don’t hear of music and fitness startups in this area often, but there’s amazing innovation quietly coming out of Connecticut that most people don’t get to see. CT has a close knit entrepreneurial network and we’ve met so many amazing entrepreneurs and have been introduced to so many resources – from professional networks to the college communities. What I like most about Connecticut is the low cost of resources to build and test assumptions with a broad range of demographics. Everyday is a new challenge. The key is having a system to establish consistent growth – that’s persistence. That’s the key to success in everything I’ve learned.

What is your vision for your business venture over the next five years?

Our vision… to save the world one beat at a time. In five years or less, ElectroSpin University will have multiple fitness classes and certifications worldwide. Our music and lights will maximize participant’s exercise output, and we will recapture this energy using small generators to recharge personal portable devices. Rage and Recharge! Biometric feedback devices (Apple Watch/Samsung Galaxy Watch) will be connected to our app so we can track and motivate students further to earn our digital currency. We will have a fully sustainable apparel line made out of recycled plastic bottles – the fibers dry faster, saving water. We will participate at music festivals and host our own, creating awareness of fitness, safety, and world peace, with a mobile tour. We will be an outlet of the best music with our online radio ESU Radio/ESUTube podcast. We will educate the world in Fitness, Music, Sustainability, Philanthropy and Culture.

This blog series, posted in partnership between HYPE and reSET, offers a platform to showcase the commitment that Hartford Entrepreneurs have for their work and this City. It will examine how young entrepreneurs have chosen their work, and give examples of the ways in which they are having an impact in Hartford.