Hunter Parrish is the latest addition to our People team, spearheading efforts to create enriching people experiences and Streetsense culture. Before joining Streetsense, he worked for years in indoor cycling, including at SoulCycle in LA and operating his own business in Mexico. Read more to learn about what he thinks makes a quality people experience, as well as what he does for fun when he’s not driving community for our employees.
Q: Tell us about what you’ve been doing before you got to Streetsense.
A: Before Streetsense, I was working in indoor cycling for the past ten years. A very niche world. I started working at SoulCycle in Los Angeles in 2012 and I helped open my own indoor cycling company in Mexico in 2017. We grew from one studio to four studios, and during the pandemic we developed an online platform, and rented bikes to people in Guadalajara.
It was a specific place to be, but it taught me a love for making connections with people. Helping people not only in their careers but helping them through physical, mental, or emotional things too.
Q: How did you end up at Streetsense?
A: Working at SoulCycle, the magic from them was never about the workout. It was about human connection, and creating a space people were gravitated towards. That was led by the employees and instructors themselves. And that taught me to build a community—and I know that’s a buzzword—but the opportunity to keep growing the people experience at a creative, place-based space like Streetsense felt really great to me.
Q: In your mind, what are the most important characteristics to have in a good people-oriented professional?
A: HR has so many sides to it. There’s a buttoned up, legal side. There is a side that is protective of the business and protective of the employee. A good HR professional is someone who is able to see a good 360 view of everything. They can see it from the company’s perspective or the employee’s perspective—so somebody that is empathetic and impartial and patient. That’s so important.
Q: What is working on the people team at Streetsense—such a multi-disciplinary organization—like?
A: Getting to know all the talented and creative personalities on all the different teams has been really exciting for me. There are so many experts here. It’s like opening a new book everyday when you talk to anybody. I think being on the People Team is exciting because I get to work with everyone. And I get to see a bird’s eye view of what each team is going through, what the organization is going through. It’s nice to see how everyone interacts with each other!
Q: How are you working to impact culture at Streetsense?
A: Our job is the people experience. The goal is to build upon what is already there—to strengthen the culture. To bring people together. After the pandemic, people are looking for human connection. And although we have geographically diverse teams, the goal is still to bring people together in the ways we can and foster connection. Because connection fosters better collaboration.
Q: Hard question, how do you like to spend your time outside of work?
A: I lived in Hilton Head, SC for the last year, and I became addicted to playing pickleball. It’s super fun, addicting, and much more fun than tennis. I also love cooking and am excited to explore DC’s neighborhoods and diversity!
BACK TO LATEST
