Interview, Fireside Chat, Podcast
How She Built Her Confidence, and Then an Empire with Krissy Cela | E57
- Core Philosophy: Chrissy Chella asserts that "honesty" and "doing it for you" are the foundational pillars of her personal and professional brand, aiming to provide unfiltered reality rather than glamorized success stories.
- Critique of Perceptions: She challenges the societal assumption that her success as a young, fit female fitness creator is due to appearance, noting that such judgments often stem from the viewers' insecurities rather than her actual achievements.
- Community Focus: Chella explicitly states she has built a "committee" to help women thrive rather than a community centered on herself, finding more fulfillment in witnessing others' success than in awards or external validation.
- Origin Story: Her journey began in the UK as an immigrant who was bullied for having a mustache and being foreign, leading to years of insecurity, eating school dinners in toilets to avoid peers, and a period of deep depression.
- Turning Point: At 18, while taking the train home from a retail job in Potter's Bar, she realized her self-worth was tied to pleasing others; she subsequently signed up for a gym, initially quitting due to fear but returning two months later when she discovered fitness provided a necessary "therapy" from her reality.
- Discipline Transfer: She identifies the discipline, focus, and consistency learned through gym training as the catalyst that allowed her to excel at university and achieve her long-held goal of financial independence.
- Financial Ambition: As an 18-year-old, she wrote in her diary that she would be a millionaire with a Range Rover by age 25; she achieved this milestone earlier than anticipated.
- Relationship with Jack: She co-founded her businesses with ex-fiancé Jack, admitting that running a company together while in a romantic relationship became unsustainable due to the intense pressure, particularly a lawsuit over their app's ownership and code.
- Breakup Details: Chella confirms she and Jack parted ways after nearly marrying, citing the strain of a £50,000 lawsuit and business disagreements as the primary drivers for the split, though she maintains unconditional love for him.
- Dating Standards: She acknowledges being "difficult to date" due to her high drive, neurotic work ethic, and fear of being with someone less ambitious, which she identifies as a result of her immigrant parents' financial struggles and gambling issues.
- Cultural Clashes: She highlights friction between her loud Mediterranean family culture and her partner's more reserved British background, noting the need to find a middle ground in relationships to bridge these differences.
- Mental Health Crisis: Chella revealed a specific low point during the app server migration failure, where she lost 10,000 subscribers in a day, lost significant weight (dropping from 56kg to 49kg), and contemplated suicide due to the inability to pay bills and staff.
- Current Mental State: While she no longer experiences the same depths of depression, she admits to constant anxiety about not having a "normal" life, worrying about marriage, and fearing she is too "switched on" to be present with a partner.
- Entrepreneurial Burden: She describes the relentless nature of running multiple businesses, stating she cannot "clock out" at 5 PM and that her constant mental preoccupation with work can make partners feel lonely even when physically together.
- Upcoming Book: Her book, Do This For You: How to be a strong woman on the inside and out, is scheduled for release in January, focusing on sustainable habits, discipline, and longevity rather than quick-fix diets or challenges.
- Honor Active Launch: She launched an activewear line called Honor Active, designed with a "timeless" philosophy (collections named Classic, Timeless, Effortless) to avoid fleeting trends and build long-term consumer trust.
- Diversity Initiative: Chella signed 200-pound, 5'11" African-American athlete Daniel Wilson to the Tone and Sculpt app, emphasizing representation and mental health over traditional fitness aesthetics, noting that Wilson chose loyalty over higher offers from competitors.
- Community Management: She employs a dedicated support team to manage thousands of daily direct messages, aiming to listen and validate users rather than provide medical advice, particularly for those sharing struggles with eating disorders or suicidality.
- Views on Marriage: She expresses skepticism regarding the institution of marriage as a legal requirement for love, stating she wants a long-term partner and children but does not require a certificate, though she does desire a wedding ceremony that is low-fuss and intimate.
- Regrets and Priorities: Reflecting on the death of her best friend's mother, she realized the importance of not being too busy to connect with loved ones, leading to a resolution to stop making others feel like they are intruding on her time.
- Future Outlook: Chella admits she is happy in her career and community but feels she needs to work on her personal happiness and patience, acknowledging she does not have a clear timeline for marriage or family.
- Sponsorship: The podcast episode is sponsored by Huel, which Chella credits for helping her maintain nutritional balance despite her unpredictable and demanding schedule.
- Business Growth: She highlights that Tone and Sculpt grew from a two-person operation to a 22-person team with a London office in 12 months, achieving 120% month-on-month growth entirely through organic marketing.
- Legacy Goal: Her ultimate aim is to leave a legacy of women who feel heard and understood, prioritizing the emotional impact of her work over financial metrics or awards.