Tell us about your business: What do you do? What did inspire you to start?
“Fitness-Freak.com is the easiest way to discover and book a fitness class in London. I love fitness classes, and I also teach them at clubs around London. I returned from living in Sydney for a few years and wanted to explore the London fitness market and found it really painful searching online. At that time, I was working in the online restaurant marketing area and worked closely with Toptable (finder and booking platform for restaurants online) & thought it was a good idea to replicate the business model for fitness!”
What is innovative / unique about what you do?
“Fitness Freak was the first online booking service of it’s kind to launch in December 2012. The website works with boutique fitness companies and freelancers to offer drop-in fitness classes that can be found and booked easily online. We also integrate with companies existing booking systems to check for space in classes.”
What were the biggest obstacles launching the start-up and how did you overcome them?
“The obstacles are never ending. There are more downs than ups on the roller coaster as everyone tells you at the beginning, but you don’t believe until go through it. The biggest obstacle so far has been for me to get my head around technology issues. I am not a techie. I’m a marketeer so let’s just say, I have learnt a lot!”
What would you say has been your most memorable experience while developing your startup?
“Our soft launch party. It was the first time I realised that I had created something. We invited all our fitness partners, friends, media etc & it was a very busy buzzing evening!”
Why did you choose Shoreditch to launch your start-up? Or Why do you choose Shoreditch to run your business?
“Being based in Silicon Valley with a digital startup is a no-brainer. TechHub @ Google Campus, where Fitness Freak is based is a fantastic environment for tech-startups to be based in. Opportunities to network, learn and skill swap are never ending!”
What/who should help for the development of Shoreditch entrepreneurial community?
“What this community is still missing? Starting a business is exhausting and hard work. It’s important to keep a life balance. A community to support that would be fantastic. Yoga anyone?”
Who/what are your favorite CEOs/Businesses in Shoreditch?
“I love the fact that there is a new business opening or a new start up launching every other day in Shoreditch! I really admire all the CEO’s at TechHub! Anyone that has taken a risk in some way or another to create something different they are passionate about deserves a high five in my opinion.”
What are your favorite places in Shoreditch? (Where do you hang-out/ dining/ going out?)
“I love Kingsland Rd for Vietnamese food. Night Jar is my favourite cocktail bar in London. Golden Bee & Queen of Hoxton are also great venues for casual catchups! Ozone Coffee is the best brunch in the area (where we host most Fitness Freak meetings). I’m a bit of a coffee snob so can highly recommend, Dose (in Google Campus), Ozone & Shoreditch Grind for great coffee!”
What does the future has in store for Shoreditch?
“More great startups. More great cafes, bars, restaurants and a buzzing community! One thing is certain, there will be less space!”
Short bio of yourself (up to 5 sentences):
“I’m a very energetic person and believe that positivity is the key to succeeding in life (not just business). I come from a retail marketing background and also teach fitness classes around London so I like to be busy. I love to travel, exercise, eat cheese and drink wine! It’s all about balance.”
