Today we’d like to introduce you to Brett Woldanski.
Hi Brett, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I put some weights in a warehouse and built a community. That’s what I always tell people when they ask about the gym.
I could tell them about the years spent as a strength and conditioning coach at VCU, then doing the same as part of a pilot program for the United States Army, or the the years spent as a personal trainer in a big commercial gym alongside those other jobs. I could tell them about the countless hours of research, the degrees, the certifications and of course the grueling training during my time as a competitive strength athlete.
I could, but I don’t.
I speak on what matters and that is the community we have built around strength training. The community of ordinary people who do extraordinary things. The community full of people like Gabrielle who overcame disabilities to become an 8 time national champion in powerlifting … all before her 18th birthday. People like Linda who survived a car crash and two strokes to go out and win back to back figure contests at 67 and then 68 years old. People like Robert who despite total reconstruction of his knee after and ACL tear has went on to squat 500 pounds, deadlift nearly 600 pounds and pull a moving truck down the road with nothing but strength and determination!
I love talking about the members of the community we have built, this team we have created here at X-Factor Athletic Performance because they are the reason I get to get up every day and make a difference. When we were shut down back in 2020 and I nearly lost the business, it wasn’t even a question of giving up on my team. There was no way I would rob them of their home away from home, their safe space, their friends and family. So I did the only thing I know how to do which is fight as hard as I can to keep moving forward.
And you know what? Just like training, I did one good thing at a time and years later, here we are, bigger and better than ever with even more incredible stories to tell. You don’t notice each rep when it’s happening but years later, you get to look back and be proud of what you have built.
I’m just a regular guy who refuses to quit, just like my clients, and I sure am glad I put some weights in a warehouse one day because it grew into the most rewarding thing I could have ever hoped for.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been the roughest road possible. Most gyms fail within a few years because the revenue is so inconsistent and the lack of cash flow leads to a lot of problems. We have had our fair share of financial hardship and I have sacrificed everything I can to keep going several times, but the community we built is the #1 priority and we do what we must.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
X-Factor Athletic Performance was the first gym in the greater Richmond area to utilize the semi-private model of training and to this day no one operates quite like we do. You get the best of both worlds with individualized programming and coaching to fit your needs while getting to train in a high energy group environment that is scientifically proven to push you beyond your limits. It also doesn’t hurt that we are by far the best value around!
Our speciality is strength training and the amount of state and national record holders we have training here is a testament to the effectiveness of our system. Everything we do is science based and battle-tested.
What does success mean to you?
Success is measured by the number of lives we can improve. If we can enable people to live longer, fuller, and better lives by way of strength training, then we have done our job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xfactorstrong.com
- Instagram: x_factor_athletic_performance
