Scotty Diamond started his founder’s journey by creating Fit Rewards in 2022.
We started working with Scotty when he brought his company into Creative HQ’s 2023 Impact Accelerator. Scotty has an inspirational story about overcoming adversity and giving your all into something you believe in. We sat down with Scotty to help us tell his founder’s journey story.
Backstory
Scotty Diamond’s journey from a seasoned chef to the founder of Fit Rewards is a tale of resilience, transformation, and the pursuit of fulfilment. With over two decades of international culinary experience, Scotty found himself at a crossroads, slightly disillusioned with his profession despite the success he had achieved. His life took an unexpected turn one fateful night in Sweden when he was struck by a car in a near-fatal accident.
It was during this time of rehabilitation that Scotty was spurred to make a big shift in direction; leaving his culinary career behind, going back to university and getting a business degree. It was then over the period of the Covid-19 pandemic that the concept of Fit Rewards began to crystallise, namely the concept to promote exercise by rewarding people for their time and effort with products and services that fit their lifestyle.
This harrowing experience left him hospitalised for six weeks in the ICU, followed by a grueling 18-month recovery period dedicated to regaining his ability to walk and restoring his health.
“I think having that serious accident made me really aware of the time that I have… and wanting to make the most of it.”
A StartUp Life
Upon returning to Wellington, Scotty sought support for his nascent startup idea, leading him to connect with the startup team at Creative HQ. After initial discussions he realised the potential in his concept but also acknowledged his lack of knowledge in the startup space. Encouraged by the positive feedback and recognising the need for guidance, Scotty applied for and was accepted into the Creative HQ Impact Accelerator programme in early 2023. This programme, aimed at businesses promoting social change, provided him with the opportunity to refine his idea, create a prototype and validate his business model with the support of the Creative HQ team, his fellow start-ups in the cohort and the wider start-up community.
Scotty’s experience was transformative, teaching him the importance of simplifying his business idea, validating it with the market, and communicating effectively. In the months that followed the end of the programme, Scotty’s focus shifted towards the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and the continuing work to expand his network. He has been reaching out to venture capitalists, angel investors, participating in networking events, all while navigating the complexities of market competition and product development, raising funding and building a team.
Scotty is travelling through the unknown and it can at times be a lonely journey, but as he says himself – if you don’t try you will never know.
“My goal every day is to try and be a little bit better than I was yesterday, like in all aspects and if I can achieve that, then I’m winning.”
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