Issue No. 295: Level Up
Connecting top companies to exceptional talent.
If you want to work in health and fitness, here’s how to get noticed.
Help Wanted
We spoke with some of the industry’s most beloved brands for the inside scoop on their hiring processes — and how successful candidates stand out.
Who you’ll hear from: EGYM, SoulCycle, ŌURA, Momentous, AllTrails, Centr, Remedy Place, Orangetheory Fitness, Hyperice, and Athletic Brewing Company.
Lock In
Forging culture, health and fitness companies want employees with an aligned ethos.
Charlotte Moats, VP of Culture & People at Momentous, says her company screens heavily for values, including personality assessments in its process.
Across the board, brands want enthusiastic, adaptable problem-solvers. But SoulCycle’s VP of Partnerships & Strategy Doug Leonard believes natural curiosity should imprint on your attitude.
Seeking hungry candidates, OTF Director of Talent Acquisition Cliff Farrington indexes on “will and capacity” to fight for the job.
Value Prop
It helps if you can imagine—and clearly communicate—how you’ll contribute.
ŌURA’s Global Head of Talent Ginny Cheng recommends being hyper-specific in aligning your experience, skills, and goals with the company’s mission, both in cover letter and interview.
Hyperice CEO Jim Huether insists serious candidates are “fully engulfed,” conveying a deep knowledge of the brand’s past, present, and future throughout the process.
Recruiters say broadly applying to multiple postings isn’t a great look. A smarter approach, narrow in on precise strengths and potential day-one impact for a particular role.
Interest x Identity
Industry experience isn’t always required, but passion earmarks an application.
Athletic Brewing Company’s CHRO Heather Hiddleston recommends addressing résumé gaps head on — using your cover letter to explain why you’re still a fit.
Hyperice’s Huether says candidates should go beyond the company they’re applying for, being able to share their perspective of the entire industry landscape.
Elevate yourself by matching real-world skills and personal interests to the job at hand while asking perceptive questions — and honest brand testimonials are a cheat code.
Track Record
When discussing your career journey, make it personal and avoid cookie-cutter answers, says Remedy Place’s Head of Human Resources, Bridget Cienki.
Momentous’ Moats thinks high-performers “leave a trail of breadcrumbs” through life, and playing up wins through adversity—like being a first-gen college student—is defining.
For Athletic Brewing’s Hiddleston, it’s about patterns of resilience, self-starting behaviors, and consistency, showing how your contributions in key projects led to sustained growth.
Always-On
Ultimately, hiring managers are human too, so every interaction matters.
EGYM’s SPHR Jessica Kaiser prefers when interviews feel like a conversation, not a structured Q&A — and always does a vibe-check with colleagues for off-the-record personality.
Echoing this point, Centr’s Executive Director, People & Culture Lorianna Shedlock knows nervousness is natural but believes transparent conversation puts both parties at ease.
No matter how well early rounds go, AllTrails VP of People Doreen Ghafari advises not to “phone it in” on follow-ups. Instead, prepare questions for your interviewers that show you still care.
Staying at the top of the stack, a general “thanks for your time” email is courteous, but referencing defining points of your conversation shows your heart’s really in it.
Takeaway: Authenticity beats buzz words. No matter your past experience, walking the talk and doing your homework will put you ahead.
🎙 On the Podcast
Ketone-IQ co-founder & CEO Michael Brandt talks scaling its next-gen energy drink.
Bottling “metabolic superfuel,” Ketone-IQ taps science-backed ingredients to enhance mental clarity, physical fitness, and recovery — without the crash of caffeine or sugar.
We also cover: metabolic efficiency, taking a single-product approach, and balancing elite performance with mass-market appeal.
Listen to today’s episode here.
💸 Flo Health notches $1B valuation
With $200M in new funding, the fertility-tracking app will push into menopause and sexual wellness.
In-sync. Counting ~5M premium and 70M free users, London-based Flo is the world’s number-two health and fitness app by revenue — with gross bookings expected to increase >50% YoY in 2024.
Stacking up. Women of menstruating age comprise one-quarter of the global population, and healthtech is finally valuing their needs.
- FDA-cleared birth control app Natural Cycles closed a $55M Series C in May.
- German cycle-tracking app Clue added €7M in April 2023 and crowdfunded >€1M more.
- Syncing with top apps, Oura is prioritizing women with new reproductive health insights.
Navigating privacy risks post-Roe, Flo and competitor Glow have faced backlash for security breaches. In response, Flo developed “Anonymous Mode,” eliminating personal info altogether.
Takeaway: Women’s health is officially proven as a profitable market. Vying for women’s wallets, the onus is now on startups to earn trust and prove more than an opportune cash grab.
Presented by Fitt Talent Partners
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📈 ZOE plots US expansion
The UK-born personalized nutrition company added $15M to fuel international growth.
Data-hungry. With 100K+ members and $118M raised to date, ZOE uses at-home labs, CGMs, and a subscription app to deliver health-optimized diets.
Pairing regular retesting with gamified food scores, the platform’s data-driven recommendations aim to eliminate UPFs and reverse chronic disease.
Pain point. Forced to restructure this spring, ZOE has a retention problem — according to CEO Jonathan Wolf half of users churn within nine months.
Recalibrating, the company is ramping up in the US, where >50% of adults are managing at least one condition.
Get smart. With obesity and diet-related illness on the rise, ZOE joins glucose monitoring and food-as-medicine startups working to curb the crisis.
Punchline: GLP-1s have risen so rapidly because Americans need help and value what works. But weight loss jabs can’t fix a bad diet, and ZOE believes it can.
📰 News & Notes
- CrossFit relaunches online retail store.
- Truemed teams with Blueprint for tax-free supplements.
- Samsung Health integrates Zumba Fitness’s dance workouts.
- Magic Spoon, MUD\WTR investor Siddhi Capital closes $135M fund.
- Dream Performance and Recovery debuts vitamin-infused mouth tape.
- Endurance sport platform TrainingPeaks adds strength workout builder.
- Longevity org Blue Zones allies with lifestyle medicine provider Healthly.
- Equinox plans second Saudi Arabian wellness resort on Coast of NEOM.
- Nutrition brand AG1 elevates Kat Cole to CEO. [Watch: Billion-dollar Rebrands]
- Women’s pro soccer clubs form innovation hub furthering female performance.
💰 Money Moves
- High-protein oatmeal brand Oats Overnight landed $35M in a Series B round led by Enlightened Hospitality Investments.
- British activewear brand TALA added £5M ($6.4M) from Pembroke VCT, Venrex, and Active Partners.
- Immunity-focused supplements maker Big Bold Health raised $3M in new funding.
- Relationship therapy platform OurRitual secured $5.2M in a seed round.
- SoundHealth received $7M for its allergy-relieving wearable device SONU.
- Medtech company Bone Health Technologies acquired Wellen, a digital exercise platform for women with osteoporosis.
- Afynia Laboratories, a Canadian developer of endometriosis diagnostics, raised CA$2M ($1.4M).
- CoachCare, a virtual care management platform, raised $48M in a round led by Integrity Growth Partners.
- Affordable urgent care provider Vitable Health landed $16M in a Series A round.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
