Enabling the Change
What it Means to “Never Settle” for User Acquisition Team Lead Dimitris
“Always look for the next step and be open to new opportunities. Being in this role reminds me to continuously push for better and look to the future.”
Next up in our #neversettle career development series is Dimitris. He joined the company back in 2019, when Freeletics was serving 40 million Free Athletes worldwide.
Flash-forward almost three years and many ad campaigns later, this number has leveled up to 52 million. And while there are many success factors to growing our user base, it is clear that Dimitris and his team have been major stakeholders in this achievement.
Today, we sat down to ask Dimitris more about his journey to Freeletics and what drives him to be better every day.
Where He Started
Dimitris first discovered Freeletics during his semester abroad in Munich, where he came to study economics and business administration at the Ludwig Maximilian University. During this time, he started using the app to stay fit and was one of its early adopters. “Because I used to live right next to Maßmannpark, one of the main meeting points for Freeletics groups, I got to see first hand just how dedicated these people were to their training. And although I was too shy to join them, I always admired these people training in the rain and snow, not caring about the circumstances.”
Dimitris had such a great time in Munich that after his Erasmus was finished, he went home to finish his studies in Greece and then made plans to move right back. This time, he would take on a digital marketing internship at a startup.
In this job, Dimitris dove deep into the world of SEO and Facebook advertising, learning how to best craft and optimize content to garner interest to the right audience. “I found it so interesting that I could target people with very specific interests and give them personalized ads for products or services that could actually make their lives better. It was also gratifying to be able to do this for a small startup.”
During the next four years, Dimitris’s love of learning new skills blossomed. His hard work and dedication allowed him to work his way up to a senior level and even lead a small team along the way. However, after some time he realized it was time to pivot into a new opportunity. Upon resigning from his position, he headed for a three-month sabbatical in Central America and directly after, signed a contract with Freeletics. “I always thought that Freeletics would be my next move in Munich, the next company that I would like to work for. So saying ‘yes’ was a no-brainer for me.”
Why Freeletics?
“The Freeletics culture really drew me in. My previous company had also offered a multicultural environment and a strong team vibe, but I saw this here more than ever. Every day (pre-pandemic) we would sit down at the same lunch table speaking all different languages and just enjoy our break together. You don’t get this benefit at a normal company.”
Dimitris’s first role at Freeletics was working as a Senior User Acquisition Manager, where he provided his expertise and creative ideas to help spread the word about Freeletics. “From the get-go, I loved being able to help people learn about Freeletics. There are so many people out there that struggle to keep up a consistent fitness routine and having a positive effect on another person’s life was just a great feeling.”
From the beginning, Dimitris was a natural leader and someone his team looked up to in periods of change. “Throughout my time at Freeletics, there have been many transitions, both within our team and marketing department as a whole. From my perspective, this only intensified our bond.”
Growth at Freeletics
When Dimitris’s manager was promoted to the User Acquisition Team Lead, he was eager to jump on the chance to lead his team. This would be another way to challenge himself and grow professionally. “It was actually a very nice transition, as I was able to directly learn from my predecessor. Our team accepted our proposal straight away and was 100% on board. They made the transition as seamless as possible.”
His responsibilities have definitely changed since his promotion. “I went from a strictly operational role to a more hands-on leadership position. As I was working at a senior level for the last six years, it was the challenge I had been looking for.” Not only this, but Dimitris was also thrilled to help grow the team. “I’m there for my colleagues to move forward. Of course, now I am in charge of budgeting, managing, and planning, but helping people realize their own potential and empower them to fly is one of my favorite parts.”
What Comes Next?
While I’m still 100% finding my leadership style, I would say that I’m striving to be an enabler. Enabling the team, growing the company, and helping both our users and colleagues to be the best version of themselves. That’s the long-term vision I have for myself in this new role.”
With his growth mindset, we are confident that Dimitris will lead the team into the next era of the fitness industry. “To me, never settling means always wanting more and eliminating the phrase ‘good enough’ from your vocabulary. Being in this role reminds me to continuously push for better and look to the future.” This advice also has manifested its way into Dimitris’ personal life through his newfound hobby of surfing at the Eisbach in Munich. Pretty impressive, huh?
If you’re ready to enable change at Freeletics and help us revolutionize the fitness industry then we invite you to learn more about our first-class team at Freeletics HQ. Connect with us on LinkedIn and follow @LifeAtFreeletics on Instagram and be sure to check out our open positions now!
