When Tunde Oyeneyin took the stage at the 2025 TAA ONE Conference in Houston, to deliver her keynote, PEAK Performance, she didn’t just deliver a keynote—she delivered a message that energized the room, provoked thought, and moved hearts. Known for her electric presence as a Peloton instructor and also her role as a best-selling author, Tunde shared a deeply personal and motivating perspective on PEAK performance—one rooted in connection, authenticity, and purpose.
With her very first words on stage, Tunde invited us into her world: one where she rides with a small group of athletes, and as she put it, “half-dressed and sweating together in solidarity.” That kind of closeness isn’t just physical, it’s community. And for Tunde, community is the key to performance.
She drew a powerful analogy between a forest and a single tree, explaining that a tree doesn’t survive in isolation but rather, thrives when it is part of a forest that supports, protects, and uplifts. “Everything a tree does,” she said, “it does not do for itself—it does for the entire forest.” The apartment industry, with its owners, operators, maintenance professionals, and suppliers, is no different. “You are each other’s forest,” she reminded us. “You’re strongest when you honor each other’s strengths.”
Tunde’s own story of transformation, which started with a career in the beauty industry and evolved to being a global fitness leader, offered rich lessons in trust and growth. She recalled the moment she looked at herself in a store mirror and asked, “Do I love this job, or am I afraid someone else will do it if I don’t?” That moment of doubt launched her into a new path. It took just three minutes on a Peloton bike in NYC for her to experience a euphoria that made her know she’d found her calling. “The beauty of uncertainty,” she said, “is infinite possibility.”
Her journey wasn’t without setbacks. Tunde auditioned for Peloton and was turned down initially. Eight months later, she was invited back and reflected that sometimes, it’s not that you aren’t ready for the opportunity, but that the opportunity just isn’t ready for you. Her vulnerability when talking openly about doubt, failure, and missteps only made her message more powerful. “Doubt can be a gift,” she told us. “It feels heavy when it enters, but it’s a sign that growth is on the other side.”
In writing her book SPEAK, five words guided her: Surrender, Power, Empathy, Authenticity, and Knowledge. Each of these themes also shaped her TAA ONE talk, during which she offered a roadmap to personal and professional fulfillment. She asked the audience to pause and reflect:
- When do you feel most useful?
- What connects you to your work beyond the paycheck?
- What are you doing when you feel your life has the most purpose?
Throughout her keynote, Tunde reminded us that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice or having all the answers. It’s about creating space for connection and showing up in our truth. She urged us to trust yourself enough to show up in your truth, and shared that while the road to success is rarely linear, the echoes of past experiences, including every failure and every lesson learned, inform who we are becoming.
She left us with a final call to action: to build on the community formed here at TAA ONE, to surrender to the unknown with grace, and to move forward with purpose. And, in a moment that captured her trademark blend of strength and compassion, she shared a final quote:
“There’s nothing wrong with you that can’t be fixed with what’s right with you.”
As we left the room, we didn’t just carry inspiration—we carried clarity. Tunde helped us see that PEAK performance isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up with purpose, leaning into the forest around us, and trusting that our unique voice has the power to make a difference.