Thriving in the Challenge

What it Means to Never Settle for Product Guru Alistair

“Freeletics had everything I was looking for. I was thrilled to be there from the first interview until this very day. Each day, I am motivated to keep going and strive to become my greatest self, as an employee and colleague but also personally.”

Earlier this year, we launched a huge marketing campaign inspiring people all over the world to #neversettle for anything but their best selves. If you’re in the Freeletics universe, chances are you’ve probably seen it. We were pretty excited for the launch.

If not, allow me to recap. The campaign brings Big Britney Energy, as the characters from all walks of life weave in and out of their training routines. From early mornings to late nights, each has their own goal and motivation. The one thing that unites them? Their commitment to consistency and growth. Stepping outside of their comfort zone, putting in the work and doing it again and again and again.

This message is applicable for those who want to improve their fitness, absolutely, but it also gives us mega inspiration when it comes to our career development. Be that widening your network, taking a new class or staying up-to-date on industry trends, being intentional about your goals and never giving up on them is key to success.

At Freeletics, growth is one of our strong suits. We strive to be a place for not only our Free Athletes to become their best versions, but our employees as well. And since the campaign was released, we thought it would be the perfect time to sit down with our colleagues and ask what this message has meant for their careers, both at Freeletics and personally. We were inspired to hear about them and are even more excited to be writing this. So let’s jump right in.

First up is Alistair.

Where he started

Alistair’s story begins at university. He chose a subject that he found fascinating, rather than one with a specific career in mind. He studied anthropology, a field that combined his interest for people, their behavior and culture. And if you know Alistair, this totally checks out.

But studying wasn’t enough for Alistair. He wanted something that would challenge him in many different ways. This is when he found his way into the sport of triathlon.

“Being a multidiscipline sport meant there were so many new skills to learn. I could barely swim, had never ridden a road bike or competed in a running race.So there were a lot of new skills to master.” Alistair recalls. “I started to really understand what it was like to work for something you feel very passionate about. As president of my club, my aim was not to create elite athletes, but rather to foster an inclusive and supportive environment, so anyone, with any fitness level could join, have fun, get fit and build an athletic lifestyle.”

Still as enthusiastic about the sport as ever, post-graduate Alistair continued to participate in races and made some pretty incredible connections. Like the CEO of a marketing agency who went on to hire him as a company intern, establishing his career in marketing and communications.

“My first job was much like my first time in a swim lane. I felt out of my depth and like I might drown. There was so much office etiquette, terminology and processes that I was unfamiliar with. I was definitely outside of my comfort zone. But wow, was it a great learning curve!” Over the next six years, Alistair worked for several agencies where he promoted some of the big tech and lifestyle brands including Microsoft, Sony, ESPN, At&t, and more. NBD, right?

And although he truly enjoyed what he was doing, there was a pit in his stomach that urged him to find something where he felt like he was making a positive impact on people’s life. Ideally through fitness.

It was at this time that he knew it was time for a big change.

Why Freeletics?

“I came to Freeletics because I knew I wanted to work for a successful company that showed promise of growth and one with a mission I could stand behind. I wanted to feel just as passionate about my company’s vision as I was about the triathlon club.” The work and company culture were icing on the cake for Alistair’s career decision. He was all in.

“Freeletics had everything I was looking for. It gave me the same excitement as when I was a triathlete but on a global scale. I was thrilled to be there from the first interview until this very day. Each day, I am motivated to keep going and strive to become my greatest self, as an employee and colleague but also personally.”

Growth at Freeletics

Alistair has been with Freeletics for almost three years now and throughout this time has seen some incredible milestones both for the company and himself. Not only has he taken part in past marketing challenges (hello, pullup master), he has also had a direct impact on the product through his work as a Product Marketing Manager.

“I was happy to start in Product Marketing. At the time, it was a new department with many challenges and we had a lot of diverse responsibilities and touch points across the company.” In this first position, Alistair was able to gain an understanding of all the different departments and essentially be the glue between the teams. This, and working with a diverse group of people, was a major driver for him.

But after two and a half years and one promotion later, Alistair started feeling comfortable which started to make him uncomfortable. He was ready to pivot into something new. So, when the position for Product Area Owner for Expansion came up, he was the first to apply. And, as he was so determined to improve the user training experience and help athletes achieve their goals, the job was his.

But, of course, this new role didn’t come without its own set of unique challenges. And here lies the beauty of taking on something new. It can be messy and difficult and yet so incredibly rewarding. With this determined mindset, Alistair chose to never settle. “Settling to me can mean becoming comfortable, and as I mentioned, I like to feel challenged. With that comes a certain amount of discomfort. But I’ve learnt to live and even thrive from the ‘discomfort’. The stress I feel before going into a big meeting, feeling unsure about a document I am about to share with the whole company. But I love a challenge, don’t mind failing, but most of all, I love it when a plan comes together and shows great results.”

Thank you, Alistair, for sharing your inspiring story with us. We can’t wait to see what comes next for you!

If growing through discomfort and challenge and never settling for anything less than sounds appealing to you, then we invite you to learn more about our dynamic, international team at Freeletics HQ. Connect with us on LinkedIn and follow @LifeAtFreeletics on Instagram and be sure to check out our open positions now!