LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) There have always been alternatives to the standard movie star – celebrity chefs, skateboarders, plain old YouTube stars – and now an agency wants to make fitness instructors its bread and butter.
SoulCycle, which made some of its name from its clientele of class instructors, and parent company Equinox have announced a yet-to-be-named talent management company that will focus on the two companies’ portfolios to start with, with William Morris Endeavor in a consulting role.
The firm will represent “leading market-defining fitness talent” with a goal to develop social media personas and score large-scale sponsorship deals.
“It’s a smart move considering consumers’ sky-high interest in exercise – and all the things that go with it, like athleisurewear and sweat-proof cosmetics,” Fast Company said. The magazine noted that fitness instructors can earn as much as $26,000 on a single, sponsored Instagram post while trainers like Kayla Itsiner can have about 10 million Instagram followers.
“We are now poised to offer our star employees an exclusive, monumental opportunity,” Equinox group executive chairman and managing partner Harvey Spevak said in a statement. “With our support, guidance and representation, our top talent can meaningfully grow their personal brands, develop key partnerships and ultimately generate additional income.”
The talent agency is expected roll out in phases with a pilot under way, Fast Company said.
