Interview with Freebeat CMO: Abby Zhu

What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

AZ: Coffee lol. After a coffee, I look forward to a full day of exciting interactions, and to-dos for work...start-up life you know. 


What do you believe is your superpower?

AZ: I can really succeed in what I truly believe in and set my mind to.


What's the hardest decision you've made so far? 

AZ: To build the team globally. We currently have teams across 4 different countries. It was quite challenging to manage in the beginning, but once we got the hang of things, the decision to globalize was extremely rewarding and enabled us to optimize global resources.  


What part of your job do you love, and you can’t stop doing? And what part do you hate doing?

AZ: What I love: Hearing customers receive their bike and tell us how lovely it is. I love seeing them ride every week perform better and better.

What I hate: Logistics problems... Customers occasionaly email us saying the box and bike arrived damaged. We're always willing to help our customers coordinate with their local carrier, and try to get them a replacement bike ASAP. But yeah, this is annoying... I hope every customer receives a smooth and satisfying experience - but the logistics side is out of our control, and hard to oversee sometimes. 


Who or what has shaped who you are?

AZ: I would credit that to my diverse background. Having grown up on three continents (North America, Asia, and Europe), I met tons of amazing people and experienced different cultures, languages, and perspectives - all shaping me into who I am today. I push my teams to be creative, inclusive, and to explore different channels for inspiration and ideas, similar to how I was raised. 


What motivated you to start your company?

AZ: I've always valued fitness to the highest degree. I found many fitness platforms, whether online or in-person, were lacking certain details. I wanted to create a platform that welcomes everyone- disregarding fitness backgrounds, commitment levels, or any other entry barrier people may face.

Freebeat is meant to promote a healthy lifestyle, be a stress-free zone, and of course, be fun! Exercising shouldn't be a burden, I want to provide a fun and inclusive environment while keeping fitness as the priority.


Check out freebeat on Instagram @freebeatfit