I was working for a big accountancy firm where I’d got to a point where I felt I was stalling in my career; it felt as though I’d been put in a box and there wasn’t any development on the horizon. That was when I saw the opportunity pop up at Les Mills. I was extremely  excited when I saw the advert on LinkedIn because I’d been doing Les Mills workouts for years and just loved the brand!

I'd moved to New Zealand from Brazil back in 2016 to do my post-graduate studies in business, and I worked full time for a law firm while studying. Law firms have strict environments. Everything needs to be a certain way. We had rules for everything: from the way you dress to the way you talk. For two and a half years, I was the only black person in a business with 300 employees. Coming from Brazil where more than half the population of black, it was kind of a shock. What was funny was that they initially hired me as a receptionist – which meant that the ‘face’ of the firm was Brazilian, black and gay. But two and a half years later, I was still the only black person there.

When I applied for the position at Les Mills, the recruitment process was super easy and straightforward. The entire process from seeing the ad on LinkedIn to accepting the position took three weeks. The communication was really clear and everything happened just as they promised it would – in terms of timelines and next steps. Initially I had a phone interview, and that was followed by a video interview and then an online interview with the team.

I just fell in love with the team both because of the questions I was asked and the way they were asking them. In every interview I’d done before, it always felt like whoever was offering the job held all the power even though the truth is that it’s really 50/50; as the candidate, you’re choosing them as well. I think that’s something they understood from the beginning. They really took an interest in who I am as a person. During the interview I mentioned that I’d gotten married recently and we started talking about my wedding and then I found myselftalking about my husband and dog. The conversation felt really relaxed; I didn’t feel like I was being analyzed or assessed – it wasn’t stressful at all. They were friendly, gave me time to answer all the questions as well as to ask my own questions.

It was such a nice surprise to see people in shorts and t-shirts when I came to the office to meet the team. It really helped me to feel relaxed and at ease. Coming from an accountancy firm and a law firm before that, I was used to wearing suits every day

The culture is one of the best things about working here. It’s amazing to be who I am; not having to try to fit into a box or pretend to be something I’m not. Being a foreigner, black and gaycan be a lot for some people! But I never feel ‘different’ here. I feel like I’m accepted and can talk openly about who I am, which was never the case at the law firm. At Les Mills we have a DEI committee, we have a rainbow board, and I’m part of it. We do the work and we really want to make Les Mills International the best place to work for everyone, no matter who you are.

A few months after I arrived, I was asked if I wanted to share my story on the Les Mills rainbow blog. Being asked to share my story was amazing, but being able to promote diversity and initiate conversations around it by doing so was something else. Initially I wasn’t sure I’d have anything to say but then the words just came pouring out of me, I guess I felt safe to do so. The response to the article was amazing; I received  so much support from people not only in New Zealand but all around the globe who reached out to me to say they were proud of what I’d done, and felt inspired to share their own incredible stories.

Les Mills is really a fabulous, amazing place to work. ‘Culture’ and ‘diversity’ aren’t just words we throw around; we really mean them. And it’s not only diversity in terms of ethnicity or gender or orientation, but also diversity of thought as well. We want and appreciate people who think differently so we can make things better for everyone.

It’s been so amazing working here. I honestly have my dream job. It’s a safe space to work and I love the fact that I can be myself without fear of being judged or harassed. I never feel like I have to hide who I really am. The people here are who they are and they’re unapologetic about it. And when it comes to my role, my manager really does give me the autonomy to make my own decisions – on how to do my work, where I’m going to be working from, how I deliver the results. She trusts that I’m going to do a good job and I also know I can always go to her for guidance. The best thing is that I’m no longer being put in a box – I can see opportunities for development and continual growth.