Meet Elaine Hart | Chief Banana Officer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elaine Hart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elaine, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My vision for POWER began in 2012, when I was reflecting on how I could share what helped me recover from anorexia, in 2001, age 19. My recovery was fuelled by connection and community, and my self-practiced mental strength toolkit that I’ve since added to, over the years, navigating life.

I knew the best place for me to do this would be from my bike. I believe I was born to ride my bike; I’ve overcome my biggest challenges and made some of my happiest memories riding my bike. It’s where I make most sense! I also believe movement is key to wellbeing, and shifting energy.

POWER is rooted in movement, mental strength, and bananas! Because, just as the bike is a tool for movement, and a platform for sharing and connecting, the POWER banana is a tool to connect, express, reflect, capture the memory, encourage vulnerability, and PLAY.

Individual wireless headphones, on the handlebars when riders arrive, enable the unique immersive movement experience that is POWER.

When I first started testing kit and rides, in my garage at home, I’d write a motivational or inspirational word or mantra on a banana, and place it on the handlebars in front of the bike’s computer, to inspire riders to focus on the words, not the computer. I then took the computers off the bikes because I want riders to tune in, without distraction, and move in a way that honours and nourishes their mind and body, in the moment. To empower riders further, I stopped writing words on their bananas. Instead there’s now a pen on each spinning bike; it’s the rider’s choice what, when and if they share their word, during the ride. I encourage sharing banana words, and I thread riders’ words into my bikechat – my real time words of mental strength, positivity, and mindfulness, spoken over a high energy playlist.

I was ready to launch POWER – a spinning bike based, music driven, banana-inspired practice of self-emPOWERment – in Spring 2020, just as the world went into lockdown. My plan to deliver spinning bikes, headphones and bananas to unique pop-up locations, workplaces, festivals and out in nature; creating space to connect, move, feel, shift and play, was on hold.

At that time, I remember thinking I could write a few playlists and wait for the world to open up, but instead I launched POWER Online; a Pay-What-You-Can virtual movement experience that connected 3,330 faces, from across the world, over two years. 68% of ‘riders’ didn’t ride a spinning bike. POWER Online was my opportunity to show how POWER is rooted in connection and mental strength, and ‘different’ to spinning.

Virtual POWER continues today, as M-POWER; a play on empower, and M-ovement. M-POWER – delivered live or recorded on Zoom, anywhere in the world – doesn’t require a spinning bike, it’s the rider’s choice of movement, at their pace. Typically ‘riders’ are runners, walkers, cyclists, paddle boarders, skiers, skaters, gym-goers, and dancers.

Delivering POWER virtually inspired me to introduce the lesser known B-Y-O-B (Bring Your Own Banana). In a live group or teambuilder setting, I encourage ‘riders’ to brandish bananas with words on at their Zoom screens. B-Y-O-B not only inspires my bikechat, it inspires on-screen banana exchanges between ‘riders’ moving in the same location, and banana (treasure) hunts; enhancing the energy, connection and play that makes POWER so special.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my career in banking and, via consultancy for charities, I then worked in luxury brands and motorsport for 14 years, before I took the leap to start life as Chief Banana Officer.

A seven year old vision board was just becoming a reality, when the global pandemic turned the world upside down. At first, I couldn’t see how a business rooted in connection could thrive through a screen, but it was the realisation that what POWER was created to be was needed more than ever, it was simply the format that needed to change; which is why I decided to take POWER Online, with huge success.

I’d love your readers to know that (for in-person rides) and as described a rider, “the only similarity to a spin class is the fact you’re sitting on a spinning bike”. I’m often told “you have completely taken my fear away from spinning,” and this comment from another, “I thought of you, this morning, as I did a brutal spin class at a hotel I was staying at. As she shouted faster, harder, all I wanted was a banana class full of kindness”, makes me proud.

Super important for your readers, across the world, you don’t need a spinning bike, to ‘ride’ M-POWER, online, anywhere in the world. I delivered M-POWER, as part of Bacardi’s Advanced Leadership Program, in Miami. Runners, walkers, gym goers and card players, all took part. Some showed their incredible views of Miami and their bananas, on-screen, others had their cameras off, and simply listened through headphones.

I’ll be introducing M-POWER in-person, in 2023 – an in-person ‘no spinning bike required’ ride, anywhere in the world – runners, walkers, skaters, this one is for you!

Ironically, I don’t need power, or WiFi, I can rock up anywhere and everywhere, fully charged and ready to deliver POWER.

POWER is fully inclusive; people with and without disabilities, of all ages, fitness levels and experience, ride together.

Aside from all of the above, what sets POWER apart could also be unique ride locations, the use of immersive wireless technology to deliver impact (a physical, mental, spiritual shift) without impact (it’s near-silent to the external space), as well as the combination of synchronised movement, music and bikechat. But above all, what makes POWER unique, and what I’m proudest of, is BANANAS!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I lived on the West Coast for a while, I’ve visited New York many times, spent time in Washington D.C and Indianapolis, but I’m yet to visit Miami. In-person, at least! Having seen the Zoom views of Bacardi ‘riders’, last year, Miami is on my list to visit, for sure. Miami could be my first M-POWER in-person location!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s a bunch! I’d love to dedicate this story to everyone who believed in me, when I didn’t believe in myself. Specifically, and a name, your readers may know, John Surtees – the first and only person to ever win a World Championships on two and four wheels – was an incredible man in my life; both personally and professionally. Following John’s death in 2017, the two most special men in my life both died in 2021. My Gramps was in his 100th year, and my Dad, six months after a terminal cancer diagnosis. Gramps gave me a tiny Rolls-Royce Motor Cars spanner that has a special story. I carried it with me, in my three years working at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Goodwood. And still carry it with me, as Chief Banana Officer. My Dad’s words, ‘Keep Pedaling’ are inked on my left arm.

Website: www.powerfitnessevents.com

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Linkedin: elainehart-power

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Image Credits
Helen Cawte Photography – vineyard Nadi Lindsay Photography – Elaine, portrait