The high-performance playbook: tactical discipline on the court and in Marketing Recommerce

As the Marketing Operations Lead for Recommerce at Vend, Vendela Fridell directs commercial marketing strategies in the rapidly growing circular economy. Outside of work, she has represented Norway as a national padel player and is a mother of two young children.

We spoke with her about the practical logistics of balancing corporate leadership with elite sport, transferring sports psychology to marketing campaigns, and managing time effectively.

How did your career path lead to marketing in Recommerce?    

I spent quite a bit of time within the Schibsted ecosystem working with e-commerce startups like Kickback and Svosj and other e-commerce initiatives. I later transitioned into the circular economy through working in the FINN accelerator with refurbished electronics. What excites me most right now is the untapped potential in this industry. There is a huge opportunity to grow Recommerce simply by applying the traditional e-commerce playbook – focusing on performance, growth tactics, and seamless user experiences. I absolutely love that intersection of strategy and growth, so when this position opened up, it felt like the natural next step to put those ideas into action.

How do you handle setbacks and build resilience in both sports and business?

Growing up playing tennis taught me resilience early. In tennis & padel, you learn to handle both wins and losses – you can't get too high after a win or too low after a loss. You take the lesson, reset, and focus on the next match.

I bring the same mindset to business. To me, a setback is often just a sign that it's time to change direction or try a different approach. Just because something didn't work before doesn't mean it won't work now with a different tactic, better timing, or new information. My instinct is always to keep moving forward and find another way through.

When we hit a roadblock, I focus on understanding what we can learn from it, making the necessary adjustments, and getting back to execution. I've never been focused on avoiding failure – what matters is how quickly we learn, adapt, and move forward as a team.

Recommerce requires shifting consumer behaviour. How do you use a competitive sports mindset to drive commercial growth in a circular economy?

Changing consumer habits isn't a quick win, it’s a longer rally. I use my competitive mindset to stay relentless. We can't treat the circular economy like a soft, niche project; we have to push it using the exact same sharp, high-performance growth tactics as traditional e-commerce. You win by playing the long game, fighting for every conversion, and simply staying in the rally longer than anyone else.

How do you mentally switch gears from being a corporate marketing lead to being a parent and an athlete? 

For me, it's less about switching gears and more about carrying the same values into every part of life. As a leader, parent, and athlete, I rely on discipline, consistency, and showing up with intent.

Of course, the responsibilities are different. Work and sport challenge me in different ways, but my children are what truly keep me grounded and give me perspective. No matter how busy or demanding the day has been, coming home to them is a reminder of what matters most.

I've found that the habits that make you successful in one area – being present, staying accountable, and putting in the work – translate well to the others. And being a parent has probably made me better in both business and sport, because it constantly reminds me to be patient, adaptable, and fully present.