Tatiana Kuzmowycz, the Voice Behind ClassPass

October 28, 2019

Tatiana Kuzmowycz is the voice behind ClassPass, the world's leading fitness network. As the Head of Brand Copy & Voice, she leads B2B and B2C marketing communications, brand voice and copywriting at the company, including everything from micro in-product copy to large-scale advertising campaigns (no big deal right?). Prior to ClassPass, Tatiana worked as Brand Strategy Manager in Viacom's in-house ad agency - rising the ranks through her incredible work ethic and strong self-initiative.

In this feature, Tatiana shares with us how her first job has shaped her career in branding, why she made the switch to ClassPass, and how you should brand yourself in your early career - personally and professionally. Read along to soak up her incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.

Early career

After graduating from Brown University with a degree in English and American Civilization, you became a freelance writer. How did your first job shape your career journey?

I had actually started interning at the company I ended up freelancing for — so the transition there was seamless as I started to look to a full-time opportunity. That being said — it taught me that it’s important to ask for what you want in your career. I was interning, and we were naturally coming to a stopping point. Instead, I pitched my employer on the idea of staying on, and they accepted. Since then, I’ve found many other moments in my career where asking has led to the next — and amazing — opportunity. The worst that happens is someone says no — the best thing that happens is you get exactly what you’re looking for.

After freelancing for a year, you became an Editorial Assistant at Viacom. What skills did you realize were essential in the first few years of your career?

Tough question! The most important thing, early in my career and even now, has been self-initiative. It’s no surprise that everyone is busy nowadays — being the person who spots opportunities and then acts on them, without waiting for permission, has the potential to skyrocket your career, and to identify you as a high performer.

Beyond that — be patient. You need to prove yourself and your work ethic, and not everything will come immediately.

You went up the ranks in Viacom - from Editorial Assistant to the Manager of Brand Strategy. How did your early positions at Viacom help you to land a role in crafting the Brand Strategy for the company?

While at Viacom, I worked in what was effectively our in-house ad and branding agency. I started in an entry level position and reported to the head of the department. That gave me a big-picture look at every project and every business priority. I rose through the ranks there largely because I was willing to work hard, and my bosses understood that growth was important to me. A brand strategy division opened up within the company, and the people spearheading those projects were two of my bosses. It was a natural move into this area — I was able to do more than just write for brands and projects, but to think through what those brands stood for and develop their architecture. This role was fundamental in me becoming more than just a career copywriter, and instead, a brand and creative strategist with an underlying understanding of how creative work can ultimately impact a company’s bottom line.

ClassPass

this message really speaks to us.

987 Likes, 62 Comments - ClassPass (@classpass) on Instagram: "this message really speaks to us."

After 8 years at Viacom, you made the switch to ClassPass as the Senior Manager of Communications & Voice. Why did you make the switch and when did you realize you were ready?

After many years in a role, you naturally come to a point of self-reflection. I decided to take a step back and really think about what I was looking for in my work. Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can do is get out of your head — which is exactly why I reached out to someone else. A friend of mine is a talent and leadership consultant, and she pushed me to understand not only what I wanted to be doing, but what type of place I wanted to be working for. It was in that process I realized two things — I actually wanted to work in the health and wellness space (not entertainment), and that I wanted to work at a smaller company where I had the ability to make an impact more quickly.

That process of identifying what I wanted was instrumental because it became less about seeking any and every opportunity I could find online and about getting out. Instead, it became a patient process of finding what resonated with me and aligned with my ultimate vision for my career. As a mentor of mine said — make sure you’re running towards something not away from something.

And one last thing I’ll say here — with the right role, you’ll never feel 100% ready. You shouldn’t. The next role should scare you a little. It should stretch you. It should make you a little uncomfortable. Those feelings are when growth happens, so embrace them, no matter how terrifying.

You are now the Head of Brand Copy & Voice at ClassPass. How did you land this coveted position at a growing start-up?

I started at ClassPass over 4 years ago when we were relatively small and still somewhat unknown. When I interviewed here, my role was not what it is today. I interviewed for a Copywriter role, which might have been considered a “demotion” on paper. That being said — I saw the opportunity. This was their first hire in this discipline and they were just beginning to build out language at the company. Being the first in meant I would likely have incredible room for growth, and it meant I’d have the ability to shape the discipline from the ground up. Don’t let titles deter you — seek opportunities instead. With a few months on the job, I was promoted into a more senior role because, you guessed it, they realized that the business need they had was much bigger than the role they initially hired for. Trust your intuition!

What do you do in your day-to-day? What gets you the most excited?

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Every day, I’m finding ways for our creative output to help us grow the business. Whether that’s acquiring new customers, signing on new studio partners or creating a stronger internal ClassPass culture, our team is hard at work creating ads, emails, websites, presentation decks, video content and so much more. What gets me really excited about my work is seeing how you can creatively approach a problem that has material impact on the business. You can brainstorm some fun — and wild — Instagram story ads, make them in a week and launch them into the world — and then, thanks to the sophistication of our Growth team — see how those very ads bring in new customers. Having that window suddenly makes creativity seem even more powerful than you ever imagined.

How do you see ClassPass continue to revolutionize the fitness landscape?

In my 4 years here, I’ve seen us grow from being only in a few cities to being in over 2,500 around the world. It’s not just expansion though — ClassPass has done an incredible job thinking about health as more than just working out. Now, the app offers wellness appointments — everything from meditation to acupuncture to recovery sessions — to ensure that you do what’s best for your body and your mind, at all stages of your journey.

There’s so much opportunity to make fitness more accessible for everyone. So many of us don’t know what to do, how to hit our goals or what’s best for our bodies, and ClassPass is well-positioned to support everyone and meet them where they’re at.

Advice

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your career?

To seek out champions. Hard work will get you far, but you need to make sure you have the right mentors and managers in your court. The most career progress I’ve made is thanks to the right people pushing me, or clearing the path for me.

What advice do you have for aspiring business-women hoping to or currently working in a junior editorial or communications role?

Build your body of work! Take on projects that align with what you want to do or where you want to work. And pitch yourself. So many times people have needed a freelance writer or something else, but haven’t known where to look for it. So be that person who presents them with an opportunity.

"A Sunday well spent brings a week of content." How are you spending yours?

813 Likes, 31 Comments - ClassPass (@classpass) on Instagram: ""A Sunday well spent brings a week of content." How are you spending yours?"

You are leading a Personal Branding session with Aspire to Her on November 14th (woo!), what is your #1 tip for branding yourself in the workplace?

Brand is WAY more than your social media presence and way more than a buzzword. Spend the most time (and I mean way more than fun visuals and cheeky tag lines) isolating the thing you want to be known for. That hard work is the foundation on which everything rests, so make sure you know what you want it to be.

**We are partnering with the female-founded Badassery - a curated community of rising leaders who are helping shape the future of tech and media. Badassery gives professionals from diverse backgrounds a chance to share their story on stage, and connect them with their own crew of badasses along the way. We are thrilled to be partnering with Badassery's founder, Danielle Letayf, to bring you an evening with ClassPass's Head of Brand Copy & Voice, Tatiana Kuzmowycz, on a Personal Branding Workshop on November 14th, 6-8PM. VERY limited tickets so don’t wait :)