Name: Caroline Limpert and Neda Talebian Funk
Age: Caroline, 31 and Neda, 32
Location: NYC
Education: Caroline - BA, Dartmouth College; MBA, Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania
Neda – BA, Georgetown University, MBA, Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania
Job title: Neda is the CEO/Co-Founder and Caroline is the COO/ Co-Founder, of FITiST.com
How They Got Their Gig: Neda and Caroline dreamed up the idea for FITiST after a series of casual conversations about the fitness market. It was obvious that the workout industry is a booming market that’s constantly evolving, especially for women, and with that comes an endless amount of workouts to choose from. Suddenly, they had an idea: why not help people create a customized workout plan? And violà – the idea for FITiST was born. “I’ve had several business ideas over the years, but none of them ever clicked like FITiST did,” says Neda. “I realized that our passion, ambition, and vision for this brand were completely aligned, and more importantly that we had a great opportunity ahead of us.”
What They Do: Neda and Caroline are the co-founders of FITiST.com, a members-only luxury online fitness and wellness platform. They are currently up and running in NYC, the Hamptons and will launch in L.A. next month. “Essentially, it's an entirely new kind of gym and gym membership… Our members buy goal-oriented membership plans curated by a renowned board of fitness and health experts, then book and manage their schedules on our site. It’s a one-stop shop for fitness that takes all the guesswork out of working out,” says Caroline.
Shining Moments: Both Neda and Caroline agree that it’s inspiring to see “people reach their goal and fall in love with fitness.” Promoting a healthy lifestyle via fitness and wellness encourages them to keep spreading their message and building their brand. “We created FITiST because we are FITiSTs ourselves, so seeing our consumers see results based on our plans and live the FITiST brand makes all the hard work worth it,” says Caroline.
Zone out: Considering that this pair is in the fitness industry, it’s no surprise they vent out their frustration via running and working out. “Sweating through an awesome spin class or long run has always been my go-to,” says Neda.
Words of Wisdom: The FITiST girls realized that the ultimate way to succeed in life is to discover your passion and channel it into a career. “Don't be afraid to take chances with your career. A career is no longer a linear approach up the corporate ladder,” says Caroline. “With every career decision you make, ask yourself, ‘What will I learn? What skills am I building? How is this transferable?’ If you take a leap and continue to learn, you will always land on your feet."
This job’s for you if: You can endure the long hours and sleepless nights and have the will to keep moving forward, as building any business from the ground up requires. The hardest part is not giving up when things get rough. “If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it will drive and energize you. Perseverance will keep you plunging forward no matter what. You need to be nimble and act quickly; decisiveness is essential,” says Neda. “But without a hard work ethic you won’t get very far because this is a sink or swim business – you need to be willing to wear many different hats and just roll with whatever is in front of you.”
