myostyle and Female Empowerment: How Diba Nazar-Czaplinski is revolutionizing the EMS market
Eine Unternehmerin mit visionärem Weitblick
Das Bild spiegelt ihre entschlossene und zielgerichtete Art wider, mit der sie ihre Vision eines modernen, technologiegetriebenen Unternehmens umsetzt. Im Interview spricht sie über die Herausforderungen, als Frau in der Technologiebranche wahrgenommen zu werden, und darüber, wie sie es geschafft hat, sich mit myostyle als ernstzunehmende Innovatorin zu etablieren. Sie zeigt, dass auch im Bereich der Technologie Female Empowerment möglich ist.
myostyle and Female Empowerment: How Diba Nazar-Czaplinski is revolutionizing the EMS market
Vielfalt bei myostyle Ein Trainingssystem für jeden
Im Gespräch erzählt Diba Nazar-Czaplinski von ihrem Werdegang, wie sie zwischen verschiedenen Kulturen aufwuchs und dabei gelernt hat, sich flexibel und anpassungsfähig zu zeigen. Diese Eigenschaft half ihr nicht nur beim Aufbau von 21 EMS-Studios im Nahen Osten, sondern auch bei der Entwicklung eines Trainingssystems, das die individuellen Bedürfnisse verschiedenster Menschen berücksichtigt.
myostyle and Female Empowerment: How Diba Nazar-Czaplinski is revolutionizing the EMS market
Erfolg durch Leidenschaft und Disziplin
Diba Nazar-Czaplinski steht vor ihrem German Design Award 2024 – einer Auszeichnung, die ihre Innovationskraft und ihr Streben nach Perfektion würdigt. Die Unternehmerin hat es geschafft, ein Produkt zu entwickeln, das nicht nur funktional, sondern auch ästhetisch überzeugt. Im Interview spricht sie darüber, wie Disziplin, Ausdauer und ein klarer Fokus auf Qualität sie dorthin gebracht haben, wo sie heute steht: als erfolgreiche Unternehmerin in einer Branche, die von Männern dominiert wird.
myostyle and Female Empowerment: How Diba Nazar-Czaplinski is revolutionizing the EMS market
Innovationskraft und Freiheit durch myostyle
Diba Nazar-Czaplinski präsentiert ihren revolutionären myostyle EMS-Anzug, der für absolute Freiheit und Flexibilität im Training steht. Im Interview beschreibt sie, wie sie durch ihren kulturellen Hintergrund und die eigenen Erfahrungen immer wieder Grenzen durchbrochen hat, um ein Produkt zu schaffen, das Menschen unabhängig von Zeit und Ort ein intensives, gesundes Training ermöglicht. Der EMS-Anzug ist Ausdruck ihrer Vision: Freiheit und Eigenständigkeit, auch im Bereich Fitness und Gesundheit.
We are delighted to introduce an extraordinary role model to our community today: Diba Nazar-Czaplinski, founder and managing director of myostyle.
Dear Ms. Nazar-Czaplinski, thank you for sharing your extraordinary and inspiring story with our community.
1. your entrepreneurial journey is initially based on a very different kind of experience, namely the experience of having to leave your home country of Afghanistan with your parents and five siblings in 1979. Can you give our readers a brief insight into how you experienced this particular part of your story in retrospect?
To summarize, I would describe this time as very turbulent with many ups and downs. Even before the war, we grew up in other Asian countries due to my father’s profession. Nevertheless, it was extremely dramatic and sad to experience the events. War and flight at such a young age leave deep scars. To be honest, I don’t know this typical feeling of ‘home’. Basically, I still feel ‘foreign’ in every country to this day. But I don’t see that as a negative thing, because it teaches you to find a home within yourself and gratitude plays a very big role in my life. All in all, I was lucky!
2. to what extent would you say your past and your cultural roots also shape you as an entrepreneur?
These experiences have had an incredibly positive impact on me. When you always live in comfort, you often don’t appreciate what you have and don’t realize how well off you actually are. My drive is very strong – if necessary, I will fight my way out of any situation. My father modeled incredible discipline and perseverance for me, which are deeply rooted values in our culture and have become particularly important to me as an entrepreneur. However, one negative aspect of our culture is the issue of equal rights for women. The pursuit of freedom and the desire to make independent decisions are still my greatest driving force today. Incidentally, these values are 100% reflected in my myostyle EMS system: the freedom to train when, where and how I want.
3. you have had an incredible educational and training career. You graduated from the German Trainer Academy in Cologne, trained as a nutrition and diet consultant, opened your own fitness studio, were a personal trainer and also gave courses at the adult education center before you took the leap to Dubai with a new business idea. Have you always been interested in health and fitness?
Sport has always been my absolute passion. No sport was too crazy – from climbing, jogging, martial arts and bodybuilding to two 100 km runs, the last of which was in 2022. However, I was particularly fascinated by EMS training, which I discovered in 2008. From that moment on, everything revolved around this topic. When I installed the EMS training device in my first studio, the success of my clientele was incredibly fast. There were suddenly more participants in my jogging classes and everyone lasted much longer. Exercises like the plank in my Pilates classes were suddenly no longer a problem for the exercisers – they were much stronger and no longer skipped classes, as was often the case in the past. I thought to myself: ‘That’s like winning the lottery! I had finally found something perfect for my clients and no longer had to order them into my PT studio 4-5 times a week. Even my clients who were overweight could build muscle gently, without any strain on their joints. When I looked after my PT clients outside the studio, my EMS device was always with me.
4. you lived and worked in Dubai for 10 years and built up several EMS studios in the Middle East before returning to Germany. What differences did you notice in the corporate culture?
Culturally speaking, it wasn’t a big change for me. Customers’ wishes are also almost identical worldwide – to lose weight and look good. I feel comfortable in my job everywhere. Nevertheless, it was an enormous challenge to implement the structured systems of a German training system or franchise provider in the Middle East. For example, I designed special training clothes with longer sleeves and legs. In our studios, appointments were allocated every 30 minutes. Arab culture and punctuality? That often created challenges and I regularly had to defend my team. However, after a few years, the customers got used to our rules because the EMS training was so incredibly successful. I grew from one studio to 21 studios, including in Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, etc. Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city, and the European business culture is also clearly recognizable there. That’s why expats from all over the world feel very much at home there.
5. our magazine deals explicitly with the topic of “female empowerment” and even though there are some very famous female influencers in the fitness industry, there is also a fairly homogeneous male dominance when you look at the industry as a whole. As a woman in particular, have you noticed any differences in the way you are perceived or treated?
Yes, absolutely. This topic is always with me. It’s mitigated in Europe, but the perception is often that a man is more trustworthy in negotiations, finance or technical jobs like mine – even if it’s unconsciously. My background certainly makes me more sensitive to such differences, and it was definitely more difficult for me to become successful. I’ve had to prove myself time and time again and have consciously put more effort and additional qualifications/certifications into it than others.
It was particularly challenging because fitness is often associated with a male bodybuilder and a six-pack. But which gym guest really has this extreme goal? Especially when 58% of my members were women! That’s why at myostyle you don’t see unrealistic models with a six-pack, but healthy people who can train up to size 5XL. This realistic and inclusive approach has paid off. Thanks to my experience and training, myostyle was able to attract the best investors, who are still firmly at our side today.
6. what do you think are the biggest misconceptions about female entrepreneurship and how can we overcome them?
We simply need more trust. It would be desirable for the separation between male and female entrepreneurship to increasingly disappear. I often observe that women’s groups withdraw from each other. In doing so, we set ourselves limits. We don’t have to hide or believe that only women can help each other. We women may act faster, but the male-dominated world has also long since recognized the potential of the feminine. In the end, what counts is what a person achieves – regardless of gender. Knowledge and ability are absolutely independent of gender, as are mistakes. Nevertheless, women and men often have different abilities, some of which are inherited – I’m not talking about genetics here! Women are incredibly talented at recognizing multiple aspects of a problem at the same time, have a strong sense of fairness, are thorough in everything they do and think through risks in much more detail. These qualities provide us with great opportunities as female entrepreneurs. There are no limits to what we can dare to do. If we dare, we can achieve anything.
7 We in the team found it very remarkable that you are now venturing into another area that is also quite male-dominated, namely the AI/technology sector. You have developed an electronic tracksuit that has even won you the German Design Award. Would you like to give us a little insight into what makes your suit so special and what makes it different from previous EMS suits?
I have set up 21 studios and analyzed over 3000 customer data. Over the years, I have found that most systems only contract the muscles and cause muscle soreness – and that’s it. That alone is not a meaningful measurement for effective training. Yet ‘electricity’ has a much greater potential, especially in the therapeutic area for health. The EMS studios made users completely dependent – I wanted to change that. Users should be able to train freely and independently. The myostyle system is 100% safe, easy to use at home and incredibly effective and fast! All that is needed is more educational work, because electricity is omnipresent in the body and familiar to the body.
That’s why, together with a professional team, I have rethought all aspects of EMS training and developed the EMS device, the suit and a versatile app that is 100% tailored to the needs of EMS users. Not only do we offer one of the safest EMS devices that is wireless and easy for home use, but through the app we also offer a completely new health support with expert forums, meditations, nutrition plans and more. The biggest difference, however, is the use of mid-frequency technology, which makes the training particularly gentle on the skin, has a volumizing effect and is also suitable for people with physical limitations. It is ideal for counteracting muscle atrophy or strengthening skeletal muscles. You train ‘like Arnold Schwarzenegger’, but gently and without strain on the joints – even as a beginner.
Another important aspect is the sustainability and quality of the myostyle system, which is manufactured in Germany.
8. do you have an exciting tip for young women who want to enter the technology and/or fitness industry but are still hesitant?
Yes, sure! Just go for it! Why hesitate at all? The fitness industry and technology, especially in my field, are the future. I think I’m more passionate about electrical engineering than many electrical engineers. People often think of this subject as dry and theoretical, but it’s not at all. Technical professions are very practical and can be found everywhere in everyday life. The possibilities in the fields of IT and AI take the whole thing to a whole new level.
Another important point is to build up a network early on and look for mentors. Exchanging ideas with experienced people in the industry can be incredibly valuable – both in terms of knowledge and opportunities. Mentors can help you avoid stumbling blocks and find the right path more quickly.
9. you bring the topic of “female empowerment” to life for yourself in a very special way, for example by appearing as a speaker at schools and encouraging young women with intercultural roots in particular to go their own individual way. What drives you in particular to get involved and become visible in this area?
As already mentioned, it is often an additional hurdle to assert oneself as a woman in the workplace. Then there are cultural barriers, language problems and the feeling of having lost your home – possibly also the trauma of war. I know how difficult it can be as a woman, but I think you have to show that everyone deserves freedom and can shape their life according to their own wishes – regardless of where they come from or what gender they are.
I want to encourage people to take on the challenges and fight for themselves, even if their family or culture is absolutely against it. There are many people out there who are helpful and give you a chance, even if you sometimes feel like an “alien” in a foreign country. The topic of female empowerment and the principle of not giving up are completely reflected in myostyle’s philosophy: taking care of yourself and your body independently – pure freedom. I decide for myself because I know my body and my needs best, not the personal trainer.
10. how important is networking for your professional and personal success and which networks have helped you in particular?
As already mentioned, it is often an additional hurdle to assert oneself as a woman in the workplace. Then there are cultural barriers, language problems and the feeling of having lost your home – possibly also the trauma of war. I know how difficult it can be as a woman, but I think you have to show that everyone deserves freedom and can shape their life according to their own wishes – regardless of where they come from or what gender they are.
I want to encourage people to take on the challenges and fight for themselves, even if their family or culture is absolutely against it. There are many people out there who are helpful and give you a chance, even if you sometimes feel like an “alien” in a foreign country. The topic of female empowerment and the principle of not giving up are completely reflected in the philosophy of myostyle: With myostyle, I don’t just offer a product, but a tool that enables every person to take control of their body and well-being – regardless of external circumstances or constraints. It stands for the freedom to live, train and look after yourself in a self-determined way.
11 Becoming an entrepreneur is often not that difficult, but remaining one is usually a major challenge. In addition to the bureaucratic hurdles, motivational difficulties or loneliness often play a role. What inspires you to keep taking on new entrepreneurial challenges?
Oh yes, you’ve just hit on a very topical issue for me. That is indeed the most difficult and most important task: NOT GIVING UP. Often you just want to bury your head in the sand. During the last three years of development, I have totally turned into a nerd – work and sleep, that’s it. There were often tears when something went wrong. The stress of not doing justice to the investors is also very strong. Tears are okay, but you have to make sure you don’t lose sight of the vision and fall into a downward spiral. The trick is to get up every morning anyway and be fully there. Deep down, I had this confidence that this time I was doing something really great that had a future. The myostyle training system will continue to develop over the coming years and open up new areas of application.
I am particularly grateful to my husband, who has encouraged me to keep going and trusts me.
12 Dear Ms. Nazar-Czaplinski, to conclude, we would be delighted if you would give us a brief outlook: What will move you in the coming years and where would you like to develop personally and as an entrepreneur?
Professionally, I want to position myostyle as the EMS market leader. My goal is that in a few years everyone will own a myostyle EMS suit and use it as a personal health advisor in everyday life – whether for skin tightening, weight loss, back training or simply for relaxation through massage. I hope that everyone understands the ‘current’ in the body as an absolutely natural process and makes use of the enormous benefits. It is already worth trying out this system and integrating it into your everyday life. For the first time, there is a solution for everyone who can achieve their goals with just 2-3 training sessions of 20 minutes per week – even if previous attempts have failed.
We all know the problem: paying for memberships for years and then not going. That doesn’t have to be the case! I can assure everyone that after the first three sessions you won’t want to do without it. Just take a look at www.myostyle.de. As myostyle is my second skin, I’m perfectly happy when the company and everyone who supports me is doing well.
I still have one small personal wish: to finally get better at playing the electric guitar and one day play in a band.
We are delighted to introduce you in our interview. Your story, your commitment and your entrepreneurial journey are a beacon for all women who still want to make their way or who have been waiting for an important impulse to take the plunge. We are certain that this impetus has now been provided, thank you very much!
About the author
Kinga Bartczak advises, coaches and writes on female empowerment, new work culture, organizational development, systemic coaching and personal branding. She is also the managing director of UnternehmerRebellen GmbH and publisher of the FemalExperts magazine .