#intros

Hi everyone,

Great to meet you!

My name is Tom Barten, I’m 37 years old, and I’m from the Netherlands. I’ve been active in the Sports, Fitness, and Health industry since September 4, 2006. English is not my primary language, so I might come across as a bit direct (that’s what they say about the Dutch, right? 😉).

Location
I split my time between the Netherlands and Cape Town. Right now, I’m in Cape Town, but I’ll be back in the Netherlands in March because my girlfriend and I are expecting our first child—a son named Daxx—in May. Super exciting!

What experience do I have?
In 2008, I bootstrapped an online fitness coaching technology platform from my attic in a small Dutch town, born out of my own mental and physical challenges. That company and app, called Changing Life, grew to over 100,000 paid members in the Netherlands and, at its peak, had 40-50 employees and 350 freelance coaches.

I served as the Founding CEO. From 2016 to 2022, we also operated a 1,600m² physical location in Amsterdam called the Changing Life Hub, designed to merge online and offline into a ‘Complete Lifestyle Experience.’ In addition, I launched an activewear line (FRVR), a supplement brand (FORE Lifestyle), and a ready-to-eat food delivery service (DoorMeal).

What am I working on now?
Six months ago, I decided to step back from daily operations at the company (I’m still a shareholder). After several tough COVID-19 years—our physical location was closed for 10 months while we still had to pay rent—I felt the need to grow in a different way. What excites me most is creating, growing, and scaling brands.

That’s why I’m currently working on launching an Integrated Brand Studio called Outcome.Builders to help brands in the Sports, Lifestyle, and Wellness space turn their brand aspirations into real business outcomes. I do this by helping with Brand Strategy (Thinking) and Brand Building (Doing). The launch is planned for Q2, but I’m not in a rush.

How can I add value to WGM?
As a founder, I know that building and scaling a brand can be both mentally and physically challenging—especially when your brand is closely tied to your personal identity. If the brand is doing well, you’re doing well, and vice versa. Based on my own experiences, I can offer a listening ear and support in making strategic decisions.

I’m also creating free content around Brand, including writing my online book, The Brand Advantage. In the marketing world, there’s an ongoing debate between ‘Brand Building’ (Brand Marketing) and ‘Sales Activation’ (Performance Marketing). From my perspective, this is a false dichotomy.

I believe the best business outcomes come from integrating both. Just like in training, different zones lead to different adaptations, and the integration of all zones leads to peak performance. The same applies to marketing—it’s not either-or or even both-and; it’s a multiplier effect.

Why did I join WGM?
I want to connect with other people in this industry from around the world. I’m always looking to grow and develop, and I hope to gain inspiration and insights from others in the field.

I also hope to add value to this group with the free content I’m creating. At some point, I’d love to get feedback on it. Does it resonate? Does it help you make decisions? Does it help you generate real business outcomes?

Where can you connect with me?
I’m most active on Instagram. I’m not active on LinkedIn yet, but we can connect there. Of course, you can always send me a DM here or an email at hello@tombarten.com|hello@tombarten.com.

I’m really looking forward to getting to know all of you, and I definitely plan to visit the U.S. at some point for an in-person meetup.

Have a great weekend!

Best,
Tom Barten

PS: If you think it’s interesting, you can request a free copy of The Brand Advantage here.