Vet Turns Fitness Passion into Career

AthleticBusiness.com has partnered with LexisNexis to bring you this content.


Copyright 2018 Richmond Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

Richmond Times Dispatch (Virginia)

 

Matt Bahen credits his wife, Nichole, with planting the notion to turn his passion for fitness into a vocation.

Bahen recently opened S3E Performance Fitness in an office park at 8002 Staples Mill Road in Henrico County.

Physical training was part of Bahen's lifestyle as a U.S. Navy special operations diver and explosives disposal expert. On the job and off, his friends turned to him for help and advice on getting in shape.

"I was helping people train for triathlons, working out in the gym," Bahen said. "I had a passion for endurance sports."

In 2007, after 11 years on active duty, he transitioned to the Navy Reserve and joined the civilian workforce so his wife could pursue her career.

A Virginia Military Institute graduate with a civil engineering degree, Bahen said he initially worked as a government contractor, training others in explosives disposal. He thought about being a firefighter. All the while, he continued to help friends get in shape.

Bahen said his wife asked him sort of offhandedly, "You know you could get people to pay you for this."

That notion stayed with him when he went on deployment in 2009-10 with his reserve unit. He took along study materials with plans to pursue certification in strength and conditioning training when his tour ended.

Back home in 2010, he got certification and went to work as a trainer, even becoming part-owner of a CrossFit gym. In 2016, after six years, he sold his part ownership to his business partner and went out on his own.

"I just wanted to do something a little different. I had a son — he's 4 years old now — and I wanted to spend more time with him," Bahen said. Initially, he said he worked from home, which gave him flexibility with child care.

Now with his son older and in day care, it was a good time to move from his garage to a dedicated space, he said.

S3E Performance Fitness opened Nov. 1 in 2,700 square feet of space. S3E stands for strength, speed, stamina and endurance. The gym offers personal training and small group classes. Megan Tabib is assistant head coach and gym general manager. Bahen said about 60 percent of clients are women.

"When you come here, you are always going to be led from warmup to cooldown to everything in between for that hourlong session whether it's personal training or group session," Bahen said.

He is in the process of getting the gym a CrossFit affiliation, he said.

IronWill development planned in Chesterfield

W.S. Carnes Inc. is developing IronWill Centre, a new shopping center planned for 9801 Iron Bridge Road in Chesterfield County.

A site plan for Phase I of the project has been submitted to Chesterfield planning officials for review.

"We are excited about the redevelopment at the courthouse bringing quality construction with new life and opportunities to the area. We plan on Phase II evolving in the near future," said Teri C. Pruitt, the company's vice president.

Harrison Hall and Peter Vick of Divaris Real Estate are handling leasing for the development.

Divaris marketing materials describe the overall upscale project as 45,000 square feet with a projected 2019 completion. Individual retail spaces are 1,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet.

Phase I of the project includes redevelopment of W.S. Carnes' current office site, Pruitt said.

Plans show two new buildings, which total 17,000 square feet, planned for the property. Construction is slated to start during the first quarter of 2019.

The center's name, she said, pays tribute to her father, the late William Samuel Carnes, who died in 2010.

Frowny Face sock dolls receiving shout-outs

Local artisan Rebecca Floyd has expanded her custom Frowny Face sock doll line into the celebrity realm and is getting some Twitter and Instagram shout-outs from some of the famous folks.

Floyd said that after posting an image of a Ronan Farrow-inspired Frowny Face doll on her Instagram page, Farrow, a journalist and son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, posted it on his page.

"I also got personal messages from Bo Derek and Mo Rocca saying that they love their dolls," Floyd said.

"I am working on an order now for over 60 dolls for a customer in New York City. I think that companies are getting creative with their holiday gifts this year," she said.

Classic Frowny Face dolls sell for $25 and are suitable as children's toys, according to Floyd's website. Celebrity Frowny Face dolls, which sell for $46, and custom Frowny Face dolls, which sell for $55, are not suitable as children's toys.

Ginger Juice shop opening third location

Erin Powell is opening a third location of her Ginger Juice natural juice shop.

The business has leased a 792-square-foot space at 2061-B Huguenot Road in Huguenot Village shopping center in Chesterfield County.

The juice shop will be between Zoe's Kitchen and Hot Yoga Barre, which is also being built, said Powell, who plans to open the new location in February.

Powell's other juice shops are at 7021 Three Chopt Road in The Village shopping center and at 12171 W. Broad St. in the GreenGate development.

"We will have a smaller location with a line style set-up so that customers can have more customization with their acai bowls, smoothies and avocado toast," Powell said.

The company will continue to make its juices, juice cleanses and other products at its location in The Village for distribution at the three locations.

[email protected](804) 649-6572

Read More of Today's AB Headlines

Subscribe to Our Daily E-Newsletter

  
November 26, 2018
 
 
 

 

Copyright © 2018 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
Page 1 of 466
Next Page
AB Show 2024 in New Orleans
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 19-22, 2024
Learn More
AB Show 2024
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide