When Did I Join a Cult!?

Why was I buying another shirt? Wait, was that my husband’s voice or my own? Many - just like it - lie clean and folded in my bureau drawer. The shirts taunted me as they hung from the store rack, sucking me into their retail vortex. Must have it. I ripped it from its home and dragged it to the counter for purchase. 

“Do you want a bag today Kerri?” I shook my head from side to side as I was drowning in the silver branded ones at my abode. How many t-shirts force one to admit the obvious? “I’ve joined the cult.” The question I seek to answer in this post is WHY and more importantly, how do other companies inspire similar devotion?

In the business world, it is the aspiration of many CEOs to create a cult-like culture within their organizations to generate greater productivity and success. But, what does that mean? The cult referenced above - and one that I’m now a proud member -  is SoulCycle. With an 85% customer retention rate and 60% increase in revenue since 2010, what can other CEOs learn from the customer obsession created by co-founders, Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice?

In my cult research, the reasons vary as to one’s ultimate submission to such a mindset: looking for something greater than oneself in which to believe; a deep need for community and purpose; belonging to a group with shared attitudes, values, goals and practices; and/or participating in a powerful collective experience. 

Purpose: He has been portrayed in the press as a brutal CEO, often berating and firing colleagues while taking credit for the accomplishments of others. But, Elon Musk’s vision of “accelerating the advent of sustainable energy” is extremely important to his employees resulting in a cult-like commitment to Tesla, SolarCity and SpaceX. This strong sense of purpose (i.e., saving the world) often overrides the negative impact of Elon’s destructive bursts. The same has been said of Jeff Bezos and his persona at Amazon along with Steve Jobs and Apple. Ideally, an organization possesses a compelling purpose AND a supportive CEO to inspire employee devotion. 

Community: Starting a new job, in a new city, away from friends and family, SoulCycle provided me the community I needed during this significant life event. Yes, it is possible to be homesick at the ripe age of 45. Spending most evenings alone at my DTLA apartment with dinner from the Whole Foods hot bar and NetFlix (no sympathy votes please!), I look forward to my 6 a.m. mornings with SoulCycle instructor Danielle. With Mumford & Sons thumping in the background, she questions loudly, “What did you bring to this room!? What did you bring for your neighbor!?” These motivational musings along with 50 “warriors” spinning  in unison have resulted in authentic connections inside - and out of  - the studio. Julie Rice (SoulCycle co-founder) was right, we become obsessed with what makes us feel great. 

Belonging: While President of Commission Junction (CJ), I had the opportunity to attend a variety of client events, including one of my favorites: Intuit’s Annual Partner Summit. Kicking off the affair was their CEO, Brad Smith, who has been recognized by Glassdoor as one of the highest rated CEOs from 2009 - 2017. With authenticity and passion, Brad presented Intuit’s successes, challenges and goals for the upcoming fiscal year. Soliciting input from the intimate audience before him, he listened intently and rewarded those ideas of significance. Shared goals, new challenges, demonstrable progress and positive reinforcement - I felt like an Intuit employee by event’s end. Bingo. That was the goal. Guess which CJ client was always top of mind? 

Speaking to several employees, they concurred that Brad’s enthusiasm permeated the Intuit culture at every level. Persistent and consistent communication across a variety forums was a critical factor in building such a devoted team. Walking the halls, eating lunch in the company cafe or participating on conference calls, interactions with Brad and his extended staff were a daily occurrence for most, which provided an opportunity for personal connections, guidance and recognition.

Upon exiting the event, I smiled as my eye caught the Intuit logo on the shirts of both employees. 

Unfortunately, a shirt is merely a symbol. A reflection of the purpose, community and sense of belonging created with much time and effort by likes of SoulCycle, Tesla, Intuit and others. Although not an easy feat, when accomplished a CEO's definition of success becomes much easier to achieve.