Salem Rising Star: From Small Beginnings to Major Success: The Journey of Alex Whitaker
From starting as a teenage gym employee to owning a chain of gyms across Oregon, Whitaker’s journey has been defined by perseverance, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Whitaker’s professional journey began at the age of 17 when he landed a job at a local gym. It didn’t take long for him to dive into personal training, a career move he credits to a supportive boss who provided early opportunities. “I had a boss who gave me an opportunity to get into training really quickly,” Whitaker recalls. His passion for fitness only grew stronger as he continued his education balancing his studies with training and coaching athletes. This experience eventually led him to become the head strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater.
By 2011, Whitaker had opened his first business. Over the next years, he honed his skills, working with a diverse range of clients, including professional athletes and bodybuilders. His expertise as a strength coach became well-known, and in 2018, he opened his first gym in West Salem. Today, Whitaker’s gym empire has expanded to six locations, with a new health club set to open in Springfield this fall.
Reflecting on his career, Whitaker emphasizes that his first gym was the most challenging project he had ever undertaken. “I’ll never forget that first gym, that was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done,” “I still credit our ability to do these things off of everything we learned in our first gym.”
Whitaker’s success, however, hasn’t come without its challenges. “At first, I used to micromanage a lot,” he admits, but he learned to delegate effectively. This shift in approach has been instrumental in the company’s growth. “My team and the people that work for me, my managers, all of them… are really responsible for our success.”
Mentorship has also played a critical role in Whitaker’s development. He credits his grandmother, Carol Hahn, a business owner and consultant, as his most significant influence. “She taught me everything about finance and credit,” he says. Her lessons in resilience and financial acumen have been invaluable as he’s navigated the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.”On a financial side, really, all of my basics come from my grandma. She’s the toughest person I know, she’s been through an incredible amount of adversity. So I had a really good role model and example of how to be tough, how to take a punch, but also to be able to throw one back.”
When asked about the qualities that have contributed most to his success, Whitaker points to resilience, “The first thing that comes to mind is resilience, the ability to adapt and endure and withstand stress and hardship and still be able to maintain the course. That’s always been the biggest thing for me.” he explains. Over time, he has also developed a deeper understanding of the importance of empathy in leadership. “I can’t manage or lead people if I can’t relate to them or understand them, which requires you to care about who you’re working with.”
Whitaker has ambitious goals for his business. Short-term, he aims to standardize operations across all locations, ensuring efficiency. Long-term, he envisions his gym chain expanding nationwide, determined to maintain the values that have brought success. “We don’t want to be corporate. Don’t want to sell out to private equity. We want to do it the old-fashioned way—just work hard and take our time and build an incredible company brick by brick.”