SHOW NOTES
Episode Summary
Julie Dermer — SoulCycle master instructor and founder of the Reinvention Project — joins Jen Aks for a conversation about what happens when you finally stop trying to fit in and start following your body’s pull instead. Julie shares how she found herself at 40 on a bike, feeling more like herself than ever. She traces the path from headhunter to antiques dealer to SoulCycle instructor (on her second audition), through Pulse by Julie D during COVID, all the way to launching TRP — a lifestyle brand and daily practice for anyone stepping into their next chapter. Equal parts inspiring and practical, this episode is a reminder that reinvention isn’t starting over. It’s building on everything you already are.
What You’ll Learn
• How Julie discovered her true self on a SoulCycle bike at 40 — and why she almost talked herself out of auditioning
• How she used music as a tool to override self-doubt before her first class — and why music is a portal to the soul
• What Pulse by Julie D was, how it was born during COVID, and what it taught her about having something of her own
• What the Reinvention Project is, how it works, and why reinvention is a daily practice — not a starting-over moment
• Why being put in a gifted and talented program at age 9 created a struggle to fit in that took decades to overcome
• How vulnerability — even when it still feels hard — becomes the thing that connects you most deeply to others
• What it means to lead your children by modeling the life you actually want to live
Quotes From This Episode
“I’ve never felt more like myself than I do right here.”
“I set myself up as best I could for success by giving myself the tools that would help me with confidence.”
“Reinvention doesn’t mean starting over. It’s really building on things — this evolution where you’re never done.”
“The way I teach is the way I live.”
“There’s so much more we could be bringing to so many others if we just got past our own little walls.”
CHAPTER MARKERS
Note: Timestamps are estimated based on transcript pacing. Update with exact times from the final video.
00:00 Opening: Jen’s Introduction
Jen sets the stage — a heartfelt, inspiring conversation with SoulCycle master Julie Dermer and the story of the Reinvention Project.
01:40 Introducing Julie Dermer
Master instructor, lifestyle influencer, and founder of TRP — a modern brand for anyone stepping into their next chapter.
03:21 From Headhunter to SoulCycle
Julie’s winding path — staffing, antiques, interior design, motherhood — and the moment she got on a bike at 40 and felt most like herself.
04:58 The Audition She Didn’t Get
She wanted it badly, didn’t get it the first time, and was told to come back. She did. The rest is 15 years of history.
06:05 Founding Adjacent
SoulCycle turns 20. Julie has been there almost 15 years. Friendships, communities, and a career that became personal.
07:14 Your Body Was Happy on That Bike
Jen pauses to acknowledge the moment: Julie listened to her body at 40 and followed its pull — regardless of what her mind was saying.
07:55 The Fear of Public Speaking — and How Music Fixed It
Lose Yourself by Eminem. A John Mayer song. Julie chose the playlist that would give her the strength to show up.
09:41 Music Is a Portal to the Soul
Jen connects Julie’s story to the bodyset practice — music as an alignment tool, an awakening tool, and a portal to your power.
11:05 COVID, Instagram Live, and Pulse by Julie D
One of the last SoulCycle classes before shutdown. Riders reaching out. A 9 a.m. Instagram live with wine bottles and yoga mats.
12:35 The First Thing That Was Truly Hers
Pulse by Julie D — organic, genuine, her own. The experience that taught her what it felt like to own something.
13:45 Double Nickels and the Reinvention Project
Turning 55. Thinking bigger. How do you bring the SoulCycle experience to people who can’t clip in?
15:00 Reinvention Is Not Starting Over
TRP defined: a daily practice, a platform for thought-provoking questions, and an evolving invitation to step into your next chapter.
17:25 What Inspired the Courage to Be Vulnerable?
Jen asks the deeper question. Julie’s answer connects back to Jen’s own story — and a gifted and talented program at age 9.
19:44 The Phone Call That Changed Third Grade
A principal calls. Her parents say yes. Julie is pulled out of her school, her friends, and her comfort zone.
21:30 It Was Cooler to Be Bad Than to Be Smart
The pressure of being labeled gifted. The desire to fit back in. A struggle that took decades to untangle.
22:55 From Fitting In to Paving Your Own Path
Jen reflects on the arc: from wanting to blend in at 9 to launching a brand and standing in her own voice at 55.
24:59 Somatic, Kinesthetic, and Emotional Intelligence
Jen introduces the three innate forms of intelligence — and how restoring them is exactly what the Reinvention Project is doing.
26:13 Reinvention Is a Daily Practice
What TRP actually looks like: weekly Instagram questions, a fishbowl event in the Hamptons, and exercise for your brain.
28:30 Being Provoked in an Exciting, Curious Way
The thing we stop doing after school. The wheels that stop turning. TRP as a room that keeps them spinning.
30:00 The Hamptons Event and What’s Coming
The first TRP session — a thought-provoking experience designed to leave you with a new perspective or stir something inside.
31:08 Clip In With Me — Just Differently
Jen reflects: the Reinvention Project is the same invitation as SoulCycle. Just without the bike.
32:07 How Has This Impacted Your Children?
They’re proud. They follow their passion. And the night before college decisions, they turned on music and danced.
34:11 The Way I Teach Is the Way I Live
Julie’s most quotable line — and how it extends to motherhood, riders with mommy issues, and staying scrappy.
35:55 Every Parent Is a Leader
Jen reframes leadership: anyone influencing another human. The most important kind is what you model at home.
37:16 You’ve Got Howard Stern Pipes
Julie’s parting compliment to Jen — and Jen’s reminder to herself: follow your body, show up, and have a real conversation.
38:12 Where to Find Julie
@thereinventionproject and @juliedsoul on Instagram | @juliedermer on TikTok | SoulCycle NYC & Hamptons | TRP launch event June 23 at Wolffer Estate.
CONNECT WITH JULIE
• Instagram: @the.reinvention.project_ | @juliedsoul
• TikTok: @juliedermer
• SoulCycle: New York City, Hamptons, and Palm Beach
• TRP Launch Event: June 23 at Wolffer Estate Wine Stand, Hamptons
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s been waiting for permission to step into their next chapter. This might be the nudge they need.
