Getting Her Mojo Moving: East student will teach cycling classes in New Jersey this summer

“I’m freaking out.”

A chain of messages lit up junior Lillian Williams’ phone in the middle of her fifth hour Environmental Education class. She got the job. She’d be moving to New Jersey for the summer at age 17 to be a cycling instructor at Stride Sea Isle.

A few months prior, Williams’ best friend junior Sam Stedry sent her an Instagram post announcing job opportunities at Stride Sea Isle, a cycling company in New Jersey opened by YouTuber Tori DeSimone.

“I’ve been watching her [YouTube] videos since eighth grade,” Williams said. “She’s very popular with fitness and lifestyle and beauty. She started teaching at 17 and she’s 23 now. She opened her first studio when she was 21 and I’ve been following her studios ever since.”

The Instagram post announced Stride Sea Isle was hiring for the summer of 2021. Figuring she had nothing to lose by applying, Williams interviewed for a cycling instructor position. Out of nearly 400 applicants, Williams was one of eight to be hired. Despite having three summer jobs already lined up, she accepted the position without hesitation.

“I chose to hire Lillian because truthfully I saw so much of myself in her,” DeSimone said. “She’s young and ambitious, and that’s exactly the type of person I want on my team.”

Williams will wrap up her junior year one week early and head to New Jersey for around six weeks on May 21. There, she’ll be staying in a house with the seven other instructors who she’s met via Zoom, complete a one-week training course at Stride Sea Isle and begin teaching both rhythmic and power classes three to four times a week. 

But this won’t be her first experience as a cycling instructor. Williams has worked at Mojo Cycling Studio on the Plaza for the past two years. Originally working at the front desk for a year, Williams then decided to go through the four-week intensive training program required to become a certified instructor at Mojo in December 2020. She was one of three people picked to join the Mojo staff by owner Amanda Rismiller.

“Lillian has this natural ability to entertain and has a stage presence that I think helped her tremendously,” Rismiller said. “Being younger than the rest of our crew, I think she stood out because she has confidence.”

Williams’ natural skill on the bike is apparent to both her riders and her co-workers. She’s been able to find her energetic teaching style and keep her cyclists coming back with upbeat music and positive affirmations throughout her classes. 

“Lillian is full of talent and she’s only 17,” DeSimone said. “Imagine the woman she’ll be in her 30’s.”

Being the youngest instructor by two years at Stride Sea Isle and the only one hired from out-of-state, Williams is both eager and nervous to travel to a new place alone — with the nearby beach being an added bonus. She’s more than ready for the challenge having already integrated herself into the fitness world according to Williams.

“You get to connect with people you might not get to connect with in your daily life because fitness brings people from all different backgrounds and races and sizes and genders [together],” Williams said. “Everybody’s there for one common goal — just to move your body and feel good.”

With a goal of opening her own studio one day, this teaching opportunity in New Jersey will give Williams a fresh perspective and more drive to make that happen.

“I think what I’ve learned from watching Tori is that age really is just a number and whenever you feel like you’re ready to start working for your future, just start,” Williams said. “You don’t have to wait ‘til you’re like 30 or 20 plus, you can start it now.”

Williams hopes to continue making this job and experience a part of her summers going forward. Working for both Mojo and Stride Sea Isle will expose her to not only different cycling styles, but how a small business runs.

“The goal is to be as big as Peloton and SoulCycle one day, I mean, hopefully I can get there,” Williams said. “Tori is only 23 and already has two studios and is killing it, so nothing’s impossible.”