Drs. Sara and Ali Golshani always wanted a second business.
Five years prior to CYCED, Dr. Ali Golshani was coming up with all sorts of business ideas— like a second dental office (something Sara wasn’t too keen on). But, when he brought up the idea of opening a spin studio, Sara was on board.
Why? Well, four years before, Sara Golshani started teaching cycle classes at a local gym. There, she fell in love with the idea of beat-based challenges that ignite your soul and pull your body into the rhythm, one pedal at a time. And, while she loved the aspect that came with teaching at a bigger gym, Sara found herself craving work at a boutique fitness studio.
When her husband offered the idea of opening a cycling studio only a mile down from their dental office, it was like music to her ears. Even better, the reaction from family was just as sound. They were inspired by the pair’s creativity.
After all, health and teeth go hand-in-hand.
Since that idea, Drs. Sara and Ali Golshani opened their spin studio on January 1, 2023, and have seen success already. They own all of it: the branding, the trademark, you name it. In their words, “It’s our new baby.”
They’re not surprised to hear controversy about starting a business hand-in-hand, let alone a spin studio. Despite the naysayers, their business decisions have led to their patients becoming more comfortable. For Sara, it’s fun when patients realize that she teaches spin— but, that said, Sara prefers to separate the two.
How does spin pair with dental care?
Nowadays, Sara practices dentistry Monday, Wednesday, Friday and is teaching at the spin studio Monday evenings, Tuesday/Thursday mornings, and Saturday mornings. She’s found that this schedule splits her time evenly. After all, she has two young kids—a three-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old—so she needs to budget her time as efficiently as possible.
Her husband is more into the backend stuff, like finance, IT, but everything has become much easier with time. All of the small moving parts have transformed into a routine, and life is busier than it has been in the past. For Sara and her partner, the biggest challenge has been finding good employees.
What’s CYCED all about?
CYCED was built to bring people together. It serves as a “head space” to clear your mind, and a “heart space” where you’ll fall in love with the feeling that “clipping in” gives you over and over again. As local dentists and cycling enthusiasts, Sara and Ali have created a space they knew the community would crave. A place where we lift each other up, strangers become friends, and CYCED becomes family. In the end, dentists are entrepreneurs. As time went on and experience grew, Sara came to know that every entrepreneur holds different capacities. No matter what, one thing remains the same: dentists are especially adept at wearing different hats. And, with that said, none of us should ever feel locked into our professions. If you didn’t choose to own a dental practice, what kind of business would you run? Maybe it’s something on the fringes—like a jazz club. Maybe it’s something more stable—like a finance firm. Who knows, perhaps you like the idea of a spin studio of your own?
You’re a dentist. You’re a visionary. Like Dr. Golshani, you have the potential to launch any sort of show you want to be responsible for. What’s in the books for you?
Sara’s advice? If you’ve been dreaming of a second business.
GO FOR IT! It’s okay to be passionate about something else besides dentistry. Wear different hats. Meet new people. Become an even better version of yourself. Just be prepared to commit more time and money into it than you think.
