Drive, Dedication, And Discipline: Meet Vel Bates And Alexis Ackerson The Owners of 3D Fitness- Part 2

By LaCrystele Brown
FWIS Contributing Writer

Part 2 Continued from June 22nd Issue

While finding properties for Ackerson and Bates to tour, Gabbard would stumble upon the location they had once turned down. A second tour was scheduled, and this time, Bates and Ackerson would go in with a different perspective. This time, despite the clutter and condition of the building, the two were able to start visualizing their gym in the space. They spoke about where they could put certain things, and what the different rooms could be turned into. They were finally feeling like this building was the one. Soon after, they would start the negotiation process and settle on a price.

Once the building was secure Bates and Ackerson had about 6-7 weeks to get the gym fully prepared for opening day. With little help, the two of them and a few others start to gut, install, and paint, until the gym finally came together.

In mid-July Bates would upload the first promotional post to his social media with little detail, leaving everyone wondering what his cryptic message meant. Bates and Ackerson went dark for a day before finally coming out and confirming they would be opening a gym. Now they had to decide what services they would offer and the gym hours. Ackerson and Bates decided that though they initially wanted to focus on the personal training aspect of it, they really wanted their gym to be a community. This ultimately led to the gym having 24-hour access and several services from meal planning and personal training to open gym plans.

They had many people reach out to them in support and others reach out voicing their concerns about such a bold move during the pandemic. This was especially concerning for some because there were gyms all over the world closing due to Covid 19. This did not shake Ackerson and Bates faith.

Opening day was 10/10/20 and the ribbon for the official opening of the gym was cut at 10:10am that day. They had an amazing turn out and 45 people joined their gym. They had a food truck, a competition, and an abundance of good energy.

The gym was finally open, and it was just the two of them, but the reality also set in for Ackerson that she had encouraged Bates and pushed him to take the leap of faith, but he’d done it alone because she herself had not done it as well. She was feeling the same passion as Bates by this point, so why was she herself still working a job that did not serve her life?

Being the naturally reactive and ready to go person that she is, Ackerson took no time to leave her job and pursue her love for fitness with Bates. Ackerson got certified as well and joined Bates on the floor as a personal trainer. They had no idea what the future held but they knew they couldn’t let themselves fall off.

They would be having a personal training session with a client while running into the office to sign up new members. Since then, Bates and Ackerson have built an amazing team of coaches who help them keep the gym at it’s best. During this time, they are looking for at least one new coach to join their team. Their ideal candidate would be someone who has the will to learn and help others. You do not need experience; you just need a can do attitude! You can contact the gym about employment by emailing them at Admin@3dfitnessgym.net or visiting the chat box on their site www.3Dfitnessgym.net.

For Bates, the hardest part about following his dream and becoming a personal trainer and gym owner was the lack of knowledge he had going into it. Opening a gym that isn’t a franchise is not something that’s done often so they had to study and figure a lot of things out on their own whereas most times when opening a business, you may be able to find someone to mentor you who has the same or a similar business and this was not the case for them. For Ackerson, the hardest part was creating that work life balance. There was a lot to be done and sometimes sacrifices with their personal lives had to be made. Being parents, making these decisions was hard. Having to decide between renovations and taking a trip to the park was no easy task. Especially with such a short time for them to get everything done. There were times when they would have to drop their kids off at school, go work on the gym, pick their kids up, get food and bring their kids to the gym while they finished their work for the day before going home to retire for the night. There were a lot of sacrifices made.

For Ackerson, the positive at the end is being able to make their own schedules, making those connections with people so they do have someone to go to when they have questions now, running and operating a successful gym, and being able to have that balance to spend time with their children, spend time together, or just take some time to be alone. For Bates, the positive is having that freedom of time and the confidence to not be afraid to take the leap if he ever wants to start a new business venture. They’ve done it now, so any fear that used to exist would not be a problem if the time came to start another business. An all-around positive for both Ackerson and Bates is the result of having the gym and the fact that they never gave up.

When I asked Bates and Ackerson what their advice would be for others who might want to start a business, Bates advice was to do your research to build your confidence, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you know people who have the resources, block out the noise, put on your blinders and lean on the people who are supportive. Ackerson’s advice was to not be afraid to put yourself out there and ask the right people who have done what you’re trying to do questions, and don’t let the outside noise and doubt stop you from chasing your dream.

3D Fitness is open to attending vendor events and partnering with businesses to come up with fitness plans.

3D Fitness offers personal training, nutritional plans, open gym access, skills training, and occasional 6-8 week challenges. To learn more about joining the 3D Fitness family you can visit their website at www.3dfitnessgym.net. Here you can use the chat box feature to ask questions and read detailed descriptions about the services offered as well as the team! 3D Fitness is known for their personal touch. They are familiar with all of their members and they are sure to have several motivational quotes around the building to get you through your workout and life.

The 3D Fitness Mission

Our mission is to transform, enhance, and elevate the health and fitness of men, women, and children in the Fort Wayne area not just for themselves but for their loved ones so they can live a longer and healthier lifestyle. We do this by providing excellent and effective training, nutritional advice, and accountability. We represent our 3 D’s by encouraging the DRIVE to start it, the DEDICATION to stick to it, and the DISCIPLINE to push through even when it gets tough.

The 3D Fitness Vision

Is to be known as the most trusted gym in the Fort Wayne area to help thousands of men, women, and children get in their best shape, learn to live healthy lifestyle, and to ultimately increase the longevity of their lives. We would be trusted to provide efficient and knowledgeable training and help them to accomplish their goals and become the best versions of themselves mentally and physically.