“Don’t be afraid to take risks if it means something to you,” says Bijan Bolouri, BEng 08.
Bijan Bolouri
Fitness fuels career success
Bolouri’s path to b.cycle started at Pratt & Whitney, where he worked as a manufacturing engineer following his Concordia degree.
Having completed two internships at the company through the Concordia Institute of Aerospace Design and Innovation, Bolouri thought the learning curve at his new employer wouldn’t be that steep. Instead, he found himself struggling early on.
“It was different than when I was a student,” he says. “As an employee, I had to manage important things and people took me very seriously. I worked hard and tried to do well, but I just wasn’t good at it at first.”
Fortunately, accomplishments outside of the workplace boosted his sense of self.
A few years earlier, Bolouri had completed his first marathon. By the time he was at Pratt & Whitney, he had finished multiple marathons and was training for an Ironman triathlon.
“I was doing things that I didn’t think were possible and it just fueled my confidence,” he says.
Soon enough, Bolouri was excelling at his job. Then, more than two years later, he decided to leave Pratt & Whitney for an opportunity at L’Oréal as a manufacturing engineer.
‘Have a purpose that drives you’
Bolouri had an even harder time adapting to the French cosmetic company’s culture but eventually rose through the ranks to become a manager in less than five years.
That’s when his father approached him with the idea of starting a spin studio.
“There was potential for us to make something that was really fun,” Bolouri says. “Through my story of having all this success with running and Ironman, I wanted to get all my friends to love this — fitness is a life hack!”
Now eight years in as the co-founder of b.cycle, Bolouri has no regrets.
“I love what I do, so I don’t plan on changing anytime soon,” he says. “I want to build a company that’s amazing and that can last for a long time.”
When Bolouri thinks back to his days at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, he has nothing but positive memories. He loved applying the practical skills he learned in industrial engineering outside of the classroom, as well as socializing with his classmates.
Bolouri also has advice for students getting ready to embark on their own careers.
“Don’t be afraid to take risks if it means something to you. Have a purpose that drives you.”
