The Power of Shoutouts

You know that feeling when someone truly sees you for who you are, acknowledges all your hard work, and actually recognizes you for it? Yeah, I’m talking about that sensation. The one where you feel like a million bucks.

Being recognized plays a major role in helping us feel deeply connected, energized, and motivated to continue doing great things. And yet, how often do we fail to do this for the people in our lives? Recognizing others is so simple and so seemingly obvious, and yet so underused and underappreciated. Keep in mind recognition does not require grand gestures or monumental acts of gratitude; rather, I have found that even a simple shoutout is profoundly powerful and can make a world of difference.

I experienced this phenomenon last Friday during a Peloton class[1]. It was my 800^th strength class, and I had decided to join live with a friend in the hopes of getting a shoutout from Jess Sims, a total badass and one of my favorite Peloton instructors.

A quick note about shoutouts: When Peloton was still relatively new and getting off the ground, milestone-related shoutouts were relatively common. Because the fanbase was still growing, there was a greater likelihood that an instructor would see your username pop up on their screen when you hit a major goal (100 rides, 150 strength classes, 500 rides, you get the picture), say your name, and even share some personalized words of encouragement in front of the entire class. And, because everyone loves a good shoutout, this quickly became one of the many elements that comprises Peloton’s “secret sauce.”

Now, Peloton has practically exploded in scale and influence. The fanbase continues to grow rapidly, and, as a result, it has become increasingly more and more difficult to actually receive a shoutout when hitting a major accomplishment. And while this can be a bit frustrating at times, it only ups the ante for Peloton fanatics: These days shoutouts have become even more special and perhaps even sacred in nature. Indeed, from using special tags in an attempt to attract an instructor’s attention, to aligning major achievements with other milestone moments such as birthdays, to striving for even more impressive numbers and accomplishments, Peloton members work hard for their shoutouts, which means it’s even sweeter when we actually get them. Shoutouts have become the illusive holy grail of this beloved workout cult: Yes, many Peloton members have intrinsic motivation, and yes many of us derive value in simply riding the bike without receiving external validation, and yet there’s something so magical and deeply motivating when an instructor acknowledges what you bring to the table, sees you working your ass off, and then recognizes you for it.

In other words, recognition is profoundly powerful.

But this isn’t just some feel-good mumbo jumbo: There’s real science behind the power of recognition. Whether at work, at home, or in doing things that we love, acknowledgement or praise for our achievement is a fundamental human need. Recognition helps with self-esteem and in turn fulfills our personal potential and ultimately encourages us to continue to strive for greatness. When we feel appreciated, valued, and recognized for our contributions we are more likely to put forth more effort and step into our higher potential. Recognition also builds stronger bonds and an overall greater sense of community: We experience a heightened sense of connectedness and camaraderie with those who recognize us – we make a difference and our contributions matter – and, as a result, we continue to show up not just for ourselves, but for the greater collective team.

Anyway, back to Jess Sims. I joined her 30-minute fully body strength class last Friday surprisingly anxious for and unapologetically excited by the prospect of a potential shoutout. If I’m being honest, I didn’t think it would happen. I already knew thousands of people had already opted in to take the class live, and surely many more would join in spur of the moment. Contrary to everything I’ve learned from The Hunger Games series, the odds were not ever in my favor in this particular instance, and yet I still showed up. I was proud of completing 799 strength classes to date and silently hoped Jess would recognize my milestone and celebrate it with the larger Peloton community.

Enter the pre-show, that brief window of time leading up to the live class where the instructor is on camera but the class has not yet officially begun. The pre-show is essentially a limbo or holding tank of sorts: It creates additional space for the instructor to interact with the Peloton community, but because it is not considered part of the scheduled class it doesn’t make it into the recorded content that then becomes more permanently available on-demand. In other words, if you get called out during the preshow, it’s not captured in the on-demand class. The shoutout still happens and yet you don’t have the ability to go back, retake the class, and continue to revel in all your sweaty recognized glory.

So I joined the pre-show, and Jess is doing her usual thing – telling stories, recognizing a few members, and getting ready for the upcoming live class. The countdown until class is ticking, and she’s striving to sneak in a few shoutouts before things really get rolling. And then I hear it: “FeelnGOODasHELL, happy 800! Ooh, I really like that name!”

I nearly choked on my own breath: Did Jess Sims really just say my username? Did that actually just happen? I was entirely caught off guard and freaking ecstatic. And while a tiny part of me was bummed that she said my name in the pre-show – after all, what was the likelihood that she would now repeat my name in the actual live class? – in that moment I felt seen, I felt validated, and I felt immensely proud of everything I had accomplished in this workout community I have grown to love. Thinking about how hard I’ve worked and how far I’ve come gave me goosebumps, and I almost broke out in tears as the timer counted down and I grabbed my weights for the start of class.

I love anything Jess Sims teaches, but this class in particular lit me up inside. Maybe it was that sense of accomplishment, maybe it was the pre-show shoutout, or maybe it was the killer music playing on a Friday morning, but I was pumped. As I worked my way through each exercise I was overwhelmed with a profound sense of gratitude and thankful to be present in that current moment of accomplishment.

And then the seemingly impossible happened: Jess said my name. Again.

We were in the middle of an exercise about halfway through class, and SHE. SAID. MY. FREAKING. NAME.

“FeelnGOODasHELL, I feel that with those capital letters… happy 800!”

Ladies and gentleman, I kid you not: I literally screamed with pure joy. I have completed 1,600+ workouts on Peloton, and until this point I had never received a shoutout. And now twice in one class? I was practically floating: This was too good to be true! It was 7:45 in the morning, I was drenched in sweat and alone in my apartment, but I was the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Jess saw me! She said my name! Speechless, I made my way through the rest of class a little bit lighter, a little bit stronger, and a little more validated: I was tremendously proud.

Upon revisiting the class on-demand I heard something I had missed during the live experience[2]. As she wraps up her list of shoutouts Jess says something important: “Celebrate every little thing in life, every milestone, and then take that butt back to work!”

I love this. It’s tremendously important for us to work hard, but it’s also equally important – if not even more so – for us to pause every once in a while, take a step back, and actually celebrate how far we’ve come. And this isn’t just reserved for the big victories either: The micro moments, those little wins, count just as much.

And yet, we also can’t let ourselves get so sidetracked in the celebration that we then fail to move forward: We need to “get our butt(s) back to work” and continue to show up, work hard, and recognize others for their accomplishments, too.

So, who is someone in your life that is showing up and working hard, day after day? What about this person are you thankful for, and what larger impact are they having? And, how might you share this with them so that they feel fully seen, recognized, and valued?

Whether it’s a thoughtful thank you note, a celebratory meal, or even a virtual high-five in workout class, it’s the little things that add meaning to our lives and deepen our sense of identity, camaraderie, and human connection. Give your people shoutouts, and give them often. The time is now, and the moment is fleeting. Recognize the individuals in your life that matter most and let them know how much you value you them. It may mean more than you know.