While conducting interviews for a position at Zephyr recently, one of the questions we asked was “based on what you already know of our organization, how would describe our brand?” and the overwhelming response was “inclusive”. The definition of “inclusive” is “not excluding any of the parties or groups involved in something” and we at Zephyr strive to continue to adhere to this as a part of our brand through our classes, our space and the conversations that we have off of the bike. We all can relate to a time when we didn’t feel included in something, maybe it was just an event that we didn’t get invited to or an inside joke that we weren’t a part of or maybe it is something much more like being put out for being who are but we all know that feeling on the outside is something that we as humans do not like to feel. Using this knowledge and experience, we built Zephyr to be this space where you can walk in and be whoever you want to be. Often times we say in class “meet yourself where you are at today” knowing that it can change every single day but if we create that space to accept ourselves and each other, it will be this domino effect of self-love, compassion which in turn leads to a greater good.
June is Pride month and we are celebrating at Zephyr. A part of our celebrations and conversations means that we reached out to our community members to share their Pride stories and we were blown away. Not only is every story beautiful, but they all come back to the same theme in how Zephyr has helped them feel at home in their bodies and included in this space. These are community members who are a part of the LBGTQ+ community and allies. The first two stories come from Deb and Mickey, two incredible humans who have the best smiles and open hearts to all and we can’t wait to share their stories with you. Stay tuned for more this month.
Zeph Casias
I was fortunate enough to have been raised by a single mom and an accepting household. The flip side to that is I grew up in a small Montana town. At the time it was a very small community where everyone knew of everyone and everything they did. It’s also an ultra-conservative and religious community. Two guys came out about the time I was thinking of doing the same. I waited to see how my classmates and teachers would treat them. They were bullied and the faculty did little to nothing to try and stop it. So I chose not to come out until after I graduated. I didn’t feel a sense of community till I moved to Missoula. It’s extremely important to feel like you’re allowed to be yourself and to be completely accepted at every stage in your life. Zephyr is one of the few places where I don’t feel like I have to hide or look over my shoulder. Bozeman has come a long way in being more accepting but it still has so much further to go. This studio is helping to push Bozeman into the 21st Century and making it much safer for all who live here. For this I am extremely grateful.
Ricky Burns
I was raised in the south in a very conservative household, it wasn’t until I was in my late high school years that I was able to start to understand my sexuality. Once I moved to college, I was finally able to spread my wings and become my true self. I was a large part of the gay community in Charlotte, N.C. while in college. I worked with drag queens and in nightclubs and ended up owning one of the best gay nightclubs in the state. I was lucky to have so many great people in my life to be there to support me. It was a wonderful time in my life. Living in Bozeman it was hard to connect to the community, but I was lucky to have Jake invite me to Zephyr. Finding an accepting place to meet other great people has been a blessing in my life. I am thankful for my Zephyr family and my life is blessed every time I get in the saddle.
Marina Bradley
Jake Steding
Growing up in a town not wildly dissimilar to Bozeman I had all of the typical fears and hesitations known all too well to the entire LGBTQIA+ community. I found myself looking for validation through accolades and accomplishments – if I do enough, succeed enough, then I’ll easily overshadow the aspects of my humanity that others find “undesirable”.
As we know, those walls are not built to last. My coming out story is less of a “coming out” and more of a diving in head first, asking no questions, and hoping for the best! I didn’t sit anyone down and talk to them. I didn’t have big moments with any of my friends. I just literally started dating who I wanted to date and THANKFULLY the universe provided me with a family of friends that were there for me to achieve the best version of myself.
As I grew into myself I slowly but surely understood what it meant to have pride in myself and in my future. When you trust yourself enough to not just see the strides that you’ve taken but also believe in the steps to come, it makes it easier to take the stress off of the present version of yourself and hold more space for the next edition of you. My pride story is less about me and more about the people that have shaped me with their ambitions, their openness, and their energy. Never forget your energy matters and your presence is important.
Having found and been lucky enough to participate in communities like Zephyr, I feel confident in the way I exist in the world and how I communicate my most authentic self. All I can hope is that I’ve been able to represent in a way that shows others how important it is to be 100% you 100% of the time. I was lucky to have people around me with my best intentions at heart. Be the one that people are glad is there when the water’s rough. It takes a village to build a heart.
Emma Wulfhorst
To me, Pride means showing up as your most authentic self, with courage and confidence—if you’ve ever taken a cycling class at Zephyr, you know that’s their motto, too.
Moving to Montana to start my career nearly two years ago, I knew no one. Finding Zephyr felt like finding a family, a wonderful community that embraced me with open, most of the time sweaty, arms.
I’ve always tried to live my life fully accepting of others, but in recent years I found while I was praising and accepting everyone else, I wasn’t extending that same courtesy to myself. Zephyr has helped me feel confident on my lowest days, motivated even when I don’t want to get up, and grateful for my body and everything it does.
Just like Zephyr, the LGBTQ+ community is inclusive—you shouldn’t need to be “queer enough” to feel like you belong. Any identity or self-expression is valid and worthy of respect.
We don’t get to choose who people are, we get to choose how we treat them—I’m learning and working every day to remember that means myself, too.
Debbie Schenk
I’m Debbie and I’m “The Mom”. I’ve worked on LGBTQ+ issues in Montana for the last 16 years. Being an ally has been a privilege that has taught me so much, brought me great joy and profound heartbreak. I’m still learning. In that time, I’ve seen much change for the better and still understand that there is much to do. Raising a son who is gay, in Montana, had its share of challenges but it has made our family’s world a bigger and better place. Today, when there are businesses, like Zephyr, who are inclusive and welcoming to all, it makes my heart smile. I’ve seen times, more than I’d like to remember, when this was not the case. In the spinning studio, mat classes & any event, everyone is not only accepted for who they are but people are celebrated. That matters and is so important. So as June, PRIDE MONTH, rolls around I am proud and excited to be a part of Zephyr’s Pride Month celebration. Love is good, for all of us. Thanks to the Zephyr crew for always leading with love. Myself and many others are forever grateful.
Mickey Smotherman
From a very early age, I sensed that I was “different” from most boys. I didn’t play with dolls or want to wear dresses, but I also was not very athletic – although I tried so hard to be. In those days, there was no such thing as transgender or nonbinary in the vocabulary, so I struggled with who I was.
Fast forward to my post-retirement life after moving to Montana 15 years ago, and I realized that all my best friends had been – and are – female, and that I did enjoy wearing certain clothing that was not considered “masculine.” As I discovered other qualities I liked about myself, I realized that most were considered “feminine” by society (compassion, nurturing, and comforting others – especially outside my family). Since I knew I was not gay, I began to figure out what I was, and a transgender female was what I discovered – and embraced.
Moving to Bozeman 5 years ago – with Bozeman’s weather limiting the season for skinny tire road biking – I decided to check out Zephyr. I quickly fell in love with the studio. I had participated in spin classes in Missoula for 10 years before moving to Bozeman, but the classes were at a “gym” and were boringly similar, so it was hard to make myself show up.
Zephyr was different – I feel inspired, challenged, and most of all accepted for who I am. I love being surrounded by strong women – both instructors and fellow riders – who inspire, challenge, and make me feel special each and every class. On some days, I don’t feel like I can complete the class when I start, but by the end I am positively glowing – with sweat and appreciation for all those around me. Zephyr has been a Godsend for this “gal” who just wants to keep going. Although I’m probably the oldest in my classes, I feel younger when I leave.
Fun fact about Nina: She’s Zephyr’s first official client, EVER! She was the first to sign up for our first 5:30 a.m. class when we opened, and hasn’t left our side since. When she’s not Zephyring, she’s giving otherworldly massages and facials at her business, Complete Body Works. As a licensed massage therapist and esthetician, she offers everything from orthopedic and medically prescribed massage to organic Hungarian facials and sugaring in a beautiful space that feels like home the minute you walk in – not least of all because she’s the one who greets you and makes you feel comfortable and at ease as soon as you arrive.
You KNOW we love this woman. You probably love her too, thanks to the heartfelt ass-kickings she hands out multiple times a week from the bike or the mat at Zephyr. Dev is also an incredibly authentic boudoir photographer who bucks convention (and Photoshop) to capture women as their truest, realest, most beautiful selves. She calls the work she does “empowered boudoir”, which she says “celebrates the radiant beauty and the infinite worth of women. It’s inspired by the way we women can access a power that comes from a deep confidence in one’s value.” Can we get an Amen to THAT?!
Amy, too, is a Zephyr original. She reached out to us before we even opened about collaborating with her business, Pure Barre, and that was our first taste of just how strong and openhearted this community is.
Marissa was Zephyr’s first employee – ever – and helped grow our little studio into a place full of life, heart, light and openness. She eventually vacated her job behind the front desk to focus on building her energy healing business, which was absolutely what she is meant to do.
We first met Whitney at Zephyr when she started coming to class right after our first birthday, in May of 2018. We’ve known her always as a strong, intelligent, infinitely capable human, so it was no surprise to us when she let us know she was beginning her own coaching business. She helps leaders develop their own “authentic leadership brand” through 1:1 coaching, team sessions and group retreats.
Carolyn is the founder and owner of Zephyr. A Montana native, Carolyn’s love for music, movement, words and community created Zephyr’s foundation. Zephyr itself is more than a boutique cycling studio – it’s a community that moves together. Zephyr stands as a sanctuary for everyone to nurture their spirit and conviction, and our deepest aspiration is that people make the strides they need in the studio so they can unleash their best self on the world.
With some of the brightest smiles, personalities and minds we know, Alicia and Amy co-own Millikan Consulting, through which they and their incredible team provide effective, holistic consultation to support their clients’ marketing and sales operations.
Elise and Claire are a sister-in-law duo who own Garage Clay, through which they make the world of pottery and ceramics more accessible to all through the clay, tools and kits they sell as well as the lessons they offer.
Harriet and Sage have been part of the Zephyr family for a long time now, and we couldn’t be more grateful that they’re part of our community. Their family created PKT – a clean, all-natural, dissolvable daily multivitamin that comes in single serving packets – initially as a way to help nourish Sage, who received a Crohn’s disease diagnosis as a child. PKT (which we love dissolving in our water bottles a Zephyr class) allows our bodies to receive their daily dose of vitamins in one simple (not to mention delicious) dose.
We initially met Alaina and Kirsten because several of us are clients of theirs at the Loft Spa on Main Street. Alaina’s a magician with all things hair-related, and Kirsten’s facials are legendary. They also happen to be close friends who came together to create Ceremony, through which they team up to not only style clients’ hair and makeup for big events, but to also give them a dreamy, inspirational self care experience. On top of that, Alaina owns Petite Parlour, through which she is renovating an airstream named Pearl so that she can be used at weddings, parties – any event, really – to transform the entire event through beautiful energy, amenities and vibes.
These two incredibly courageous women created the podcast Bodies in Motion, through which they unearth truths about eating disorders, disordered eating and diet culture in sport through conversational interviews with athletes, coaches, and anti-diet advocates. Julia and Aubrey are honest, authentic and genuine-hearted when it comes to everything they discuss, and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable with themselves, each other and their audience.
Sumner is not only a Zephyr original, she’s also a talented artist who channels her creativity to make the world a brighter place. Through Sumshine Handmade, she designs and paints cards for every holiday, wedding, friendship and beyond. She can custom make just about anything you can imagine, and works with you to ensure that the cards she creates embody the sentiment you’re hoping to express.
You may recognize Shawna as a former Zephyr front desk team member (we miss her behind that ticket booth every day!), but she’s also a talented lifestyle photographer who is “wholeheartedly in love with love stories”. It’s immediately apparent just how much each of her subjects – whether it be a business owner, mother, child, family, bride, groom – trusts her to tell their story, as well as how much she cares about making them feel seen.
Jesine is an artist, teacher, dog lover, passionate advocate for human rights, and PhD in American Studies candidate at MSU – to name a few of her many talents. She specializes in custom pet portraiture, and has a beautiful knack for capturing the essence of animals through her bright, soulful paintings.
What can’t Lauren do?! A talented ceramicist, chances are you’ve seen Lauren’s work many places around town – and she’s now taken it next level by opening her own clay studio and shop, Inner Alchemy, which features local and American-made wares, ceramics made in house, print & original art work. She also offers private, one off, personal & group clay lessons.
We could sing Kelsey’s praises all day LONG! An incredibly talented designer, purveyor of beauty, and photographer, Kelsey’s taste is impeccable her and style out of this world. She’s also one of the kindest humans we know, and her sweet smile lights up any room she enters. She also helps grow and maintain Zephyr’s online brand presence by designing our emails and taking some of our favorite photos (like the ones featured in this series!). She’s the tops, and we’re so happy to know her!
Andrea and her husband Mike founded FreeStone Designs because they “wanted to create comfortable and meaningful pieces for you to bring on any adventure.” And their products – which range from tanks and tees to custom tie-dye (yes, custom tie-dye!) sweatshirts – do not disappoint. The pieces they create become cozy staples in the closets of those who purchase them (we speak from experience!), and we love the intention behind their work – to allow people to be their freest and most adventurous while wearing their apparel. Adventure, ON.
Sarah founded the Refillery to connect the Bozeman community with sustainable products while simultaneously reducing the use of disposable containers and single-use plastics by creating opportunities to fill reusable containers up with quality goods ranging from laundry detergent pods (that actually work, really!) to hand soap to the BEST smelling shampoo, conditioner and body wash.
Sue Stark is the founder and owner of the one and only Wild Blume, a floral design studio that brings the wild of Montana and the world into our lives and homes through artfully designed and seasonally sourced arrangements, installations (if you’ve noticed the moon installation above the water fountain at Zephyr, you’ve seen her work!), wreaths, table settings and more.
Ellie is the owner of Genuine Ice Cream, serves small-batch, premium ice cream hand-made right here in Bozeman. Genuine’s flavors include everything from honey lavender to milk & cookies to peanut butter butterfinger and lemon sandwich cookie (Carolyn’s personal fave!) and not only do their flavors reflect that there’s something for everyone, but the feeling you get when you stand in line downtown (we think nothing of waiting in line on a Bozeman summer night!) or walk into their storefront on West Main is one of arriving at a business where you’ll be welcomed, no matter what (even if you want to try a million flavors – seriously! They’re cool with it).
Mallory is the owner of Heyday, a lifestyle boutique not only IN the heart of downtown Bozeman, but OF the heart of downtown Bozeman. Walking into Heyday feels like a breath of fresh air and a hug from a good friend all at once, and we dare you not to get lost in sensory heaven perusing their mindfully curated selection of gifts, self-care delights, cards, clothes and so much more.
Walk into any hotel or restaurant owned by Hillary and Haylee Folkvord and you’ll notice immediately that you’ve walked into an experience. We at Zephyr have been frequenting Farmer’s Daughters, their eatery connected to RSVP Motel, since it opened for many reasons – they built the menu to include fresh, local, healthy, delicious food that makes you feel good, and the design of the space itself invites you to sit and stay awhile.
Cass Wendell and Kimmie Geer are best friends whose businesses collaborate with and support one another on the regular, so we thought it made sense to feature them together!
