How VideoAmp Is Transforming the Landscape of Workplace Health and Wellness
Healthy snacks, daily fitness classes, personal training, freedom to be yourself. These are just a few unique things offered year round at VideoAmp, yet nothing can compare to the hype leading up to our quarterly fitness challenges. Our Q3 Fitness Challenge alone involved 12 weeks of commitment from 5 teams, 100 participants, and 6,000 workouts, resulting in 1 grand prize trip to Kauai, Hawaii. When the last drop of sweat fell, we saw some pretty staggering results: 688 pounds of fat lost and 362 pounds of muscle gained, meaning the average participant lost almost 7 pounds of fat and gained almost 4 pounds of muscle. These were life-changing results, and participants attribute their transformation to their employment at VideoAmp – a company that puts employees’ health and well-being first.
And because VideoAmp isn’t your average workplace, this wasn’t just your average fitness challenge either. Participants were in it to win it. We had a participant rate of over 50% of all employees, making it a fitness challenge for both beginners and those with more experience. Participants were so committed that even meals both at work and outside work had to be healthy. In other words, no pizza, no booze, no candy! This begs the question, can a tech startup really provide a healthy workplace and transform lives? Only if it’s VideoAmp!
In the end, Team AMP, led by Data Scientist Brian Landry, came out victorious. Brian reflects on the fitness challenge results and the goal setting with his teammates:
“Nearly all of my teammates had truly amazing transformations. We all had slightly different goals, and so many of my teammates achieved them. It was interesting to see how goals changed over the course of the challenge. Most of the goals started as an objective to lose fat mass or gain muscle… However, as team members started to acclimate to working out and began to find themselves enjoying different parts of the workouts more and more, these goals were supplemented with goals around what their bodies could do. Goals became, for example, doing a handstand or a pull-up or just getting stronger. In the end, so many of my teammates lost over 10 pounds of fat mass or gained over 10 pounds of lean mass. It was truly amazing to watch these transformations. Ultimately, the credit for this win goes to my teammates. I helped them set a path on how to achieve their goals, but they did the hard work that it took to walk that path. I’m so lucky to have drafted a team that was ready and willing to put in the hard work every day that it took to win this challenge.” – Brian Landry, Data Scientist
Here are some anecdotes from the top performers on his team:
Sarah Greilsamer in Sales Engineering lost 17% body fat and gained 5.5% in muscle mass.
“Before the fitness challenge, I had always had problems managing my weight, and incorporating healthy habits into my life. The fitness challenge gave me the support, structure, and resources I needed to learn about how my body functions, and what I can do to live a healthy lifestyle sustainably. I am very excited to continue the journey I’m on and to celebrate my future fitness achievements alongside my team, whose members I now call friends.” – Sarah Greilsamer, Solutions Design Engineer
Misti Mordoch, Principal Product Manager, lost 30% of her body fat.
“I am so appreciative of this wonderful experience. Activities like the Q3 Fitness Challenge truly demonstrate VideoAmp’s commitment to providing a healthy, positive and team-building environment for its employees. In 12 weeks, with the support of my team and the Health & Wellness team, my health and habits dramatically improved. While it was challenging, it was also uplifting and fun. If you had asked me if I could have completed a 10K trail run, I would have nervously laughed and backed out of the room. But, just last weekend, I did it! Thanks, VideoAmp!” – Misti Mordoch, Principal Product Manager
Luis Manrique, SVP of Solutions, who was our overall male winner, lost 42% body fat and gained almost 21% in muscle mass.
“Most innovative companies invest in professional development programs — but how often will your employer dedicate resources to ensure that you can hit personal goals as well? I could not be prouder to work in an environment that puts such a strong emphasis on both personal and professional improvement. Beyond the amazing facilities and our world-class coaches, I am most inspired by the enthusiasm and dedication exhibited by every employee who took part in the challenge.” – Luis Manrique, SVP of Solutions
Ashley Chang, Sr. Campaign Optimization Manager, who was our overall female winner, lost 26.5% body fat and gained almost 12% in muscle mass.
“A lifelong lesson I will take from this fitness challenge is the importance of tracking my meals. I’ve suffered from migraines for years and knew that while it’s common for women, I felt it was triggered by what I was eating, but still felt like I didn’t have a clue how to solve that problem. With this challenge, I tracked and recorded my diet and began to notice patterns of some foods that were inherently bad for my body. I learned that I don’t react well to certain preservatives and sulfates, which I wouldn’t have been able to identify without tracking everything I ate (and I mean everything!) So while I’m no longer recording everything I eat, by cutting out those foods that I was able to identify during the challenge, now I’m saving myself from all those future migraines, and that’s a long-lasting change I can definitely keep with me.” – Ashley Chang, Sr. Campaign Optimization Manager
There are so many more stories just like these, and we are hungry for more. Our goal as an organization is to foster an environment of self care. We will continue to support our employees and their journey with health and fitness knowing that this will create a productive work space and helpful habits that spread to family, friends and beyond. Our mission here at VideoAmp is to be on the forefront of workplace health and wellness, and the Q3 Kauai Fitness Challenge is just the beginning!
Although only one team got to go to Kauai, VideoAmp still took the time to honor everyone who participated. The winner of the Spirit of the Challenge went to Aria Began, Director, Professional Services. Her team, A Team with No Name pays tribute to her, saying:
“The fitness challenge should be about encouraging one another to be better, work harder and exceed the goals you set for yourself. Aria has been nothing but positive and has worked incredibly hard to make everyone feel part of the team. From weekly emails to daily words of encouragement, she put in a tremendous amount of work not only in the gym, but in challenging our team to work harder. She wants people to improve themselves no matter the team and/or the impact on traveling to Hawaii. This all about how you get your teammates, friends and colleagues on the right path towards a higher quality of life. That’s what Aria has been about, and why she exemplifies the Spirit of the Fitness Challenge.”
To learn more about how VideoAmp first started a winning culture that puts employee health, fitness and well-being first, read our blog.
Check out all the other perks that make VideoAmp special, including unlimited personal training, employer paid health insurance, unlimited PTO and more!
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