It’s been a week and I am still grinning ear to ear – what a fun party! I have received many congratulations last Friday and throughout this week and my response, which I believe deep in my heart, is this – Empower was built, not my me and Ronda alone, but by a wonderful community of people. I am so eternally grateful for everyone who were in attendance for the celebration and those in our community who couldn’t make it but have been with us every step of our journey.
Let me again say thank you. I promised I would share what I said at the party – so here it goes.
Good evening everyone,
First, thank you all so much for being here tonight to celebrate with us. Twenty years—wow. It’s hard to even say that out loud. When Ronda and I opened Empower back in 2005, we had more passion than money, more drive than experience, and more questions than answers. But we had something even more important—we had family, friends and clients who believed in us. You all cheered us on, helped us take that terrifying first leap, and made it possible for us to open our doors.
Back then, we didn’t know what we didn’t know—but we did know this: people deserved more than cookie-cutter workouts and big box gym facilities. We believed there was a need for personalized fitness, led by highly educated and deeply caring professionals who weren’t just teaching exercises, but empowering people to live stronger, healthier, and happier lives. That belief became our mission—and it still guides us today.
One of our mentors gave us advice that changed everything: “Don’t be afraid to hire people who are smarter than you.”Ronda and I took that to heart. We brought on Michael Whitehurst as our first manager, and from there, we kept finding incredible people—Paul, Blaine, Nestor, Iman, Amanda, Telese—and many, many others over the years. Each of you didn’t just join our team; you shaped Empower into what it is today. You brought your brilliance, your creativity, your heart, and you made this vision bigger than anything Ronda or I could have built on our own.
To our amazing team—past and present (and oh my, our current team is amazing)—thank you. You are the lifeblood of Empower.
And to our clients—some of you have been with us before Empower was even Empower. The Pottengers, The Irelands, Jane Phillips, John Christensen, Karin Sullivan, Sarah Fish, Michelle Berry, Barry Poss, Michele Paz, the Leebs, Henry Friedman, Jane Phillips, Caroline Rogers, Amy Gregory, Catherine Constantinou… I’m sure I’m missing some OGs. And then there are so many who have been with us since those very early days here in the studio Gene and Grace, Ward, Cindy, George, RJ, Pam, Robin, Jill, The Fennels, Henry and Marilyn, The Gunters, Michael, Marian, Sherry, Sharon, Mike, Deb, Dempsey, Linda, Kelly, Ryan, Holiday, Tom, Ann Taylor, Ann Berger and many, many more. You are the people who give us purpose, and we are eternally grateful that you have allowed us to help you along your fitness journey—many of you for decades. I fully believe that physical strength is a superpower, one of the main keys to living a long, healthy, happy life. And I promise you this—Empower will be here for many more years to come to help keep you strong.
Together, as a fitness community, we’ve been through it all—good times and hard times. We weathered the financial downturn in 2008–2009. We pulled together when our dear friend and teammate Nestor was unbelievably diagnosed with brain cancer at just 34 – and I am so glad he is here today to celebrate with us. We survived the COVID crisis, thanks to the quick pivot of our team and the guidance of amazing medical professionals like Dave Simel, who kindly told me one Friday evening, “You might want to consider closing for a couple weeks.” Little did we know it would be much longer—but virtual training was born, and we made it through.
And then, probably the hardest change for me personally—one day in October 2020 when Ronda told me she was considering making a big career and life change. That was one of the hardest transitions of my life, but like we always did as business partners, we put our friendship first and made it through – still best friends. And in her absence, so many of our current team members stepped up, so I never felt like I was steering this ship alone. I am especially grateful to Blaine for being that grounding force – he keeps my feet on the ground while still looking for push forward. Thank you!
I also want to recognize our allied health strategic partners. Over the years, many of us have been growing and navigating our small businesses together—through the same challenges and victories. First and foremost – Patty and Kelly, with Patty Shoaf Coaching, who have been with us since the beginning, many massage therapists and acupuncturist, Kim and Jason with Bull City Running Company, Jason and Regan with Carolina Pain and Performance, Liz and Michael with Raynor Strength and Nutrition, and now the amazing team at The Obstacle Doc—Chris, Daniela and Cody – you’ve been right there alongside us. We’ve built more than partnerships; we’ve built a community of professionals committed to helping people move, heal, and thrive.
To my family and my FOC—my family of choice—I could not do any of this without you. To my parents, their partners and my brother, to Taylor, Emery, Asante, and Kalei—you are my why. And to my FOC—without blood relatives nearby, we’ve become each other’s family. We walk—and sometimes sprint—through life’s hills and valleys together. Knowing I have you no matter what gives me a sense of peace I can never thank you enough for.
And last but not least—Ronda and Kelly and Taylor. Empower is our creation. It will always be a part of us, and Empower will always be partly yours. (And maybe Kendall’s one day, if her dream of running it with Emery comes true!) None of this—not even today’s celebration—would have been possible without you, Kelly, and your mom, Cecilia. This was our dream, and it lives on. And I am damn proud.
And finally, a nod to the future—because Empower isn’t done growing. We’re currently researching options for an expansion, with hopes of growing our youth athlete performance program and giving our personal training clients more room and more equipment to play. And thanks to our client Scott, who kindly mentioned one day how nice it was to have shiny new row machines and that maybe our tired 20 year old treadmills could use an upgrade as well, we’ve got our eyes on some shiny new cardio equipment too.
So tonight, let’s raise a glass—to 20 years of Empower, and to at least 20 more. We are excited to keep climbing, keep building, and keep empowering this incredible community for decades to come.
And last but not least—Ronda and Kelly and Taylor. Empower is our creation. It will always be a part of us, and Empower will always be partly yours. (And maybe Kendall’s one day, if her dream of running it with Emery comes true!) None of this—not even today’s celebration—would have been possible without you, Kelly, and your mom, Cecilia. This was our dream, and it lives on. And I am damn proud.
And finally, a nod to the future—because Empower isn’t done growing. We’re currently researching options for an expansion, with hopes of growing our youth athlete performance program and giving our personal training clients more room and more equipment to play. And thanks to our client Scott, who kindly mentioned one day how nice it was to have shiny new row machines and that maybe our tired 20 year old treadmills could use an upgrade as well, we’ve got our eyes on some shiny new cardio equipment too.
So tonight, let’s raise a glass—to 20 years of Empower, and to at least 20 more. We are excited to keep climbing, keep building, and keep empowering this incredible community for decades to come.
PS. I wish I could have listed everyone’s name – but I would probably still be at the mic because we have worked with thousands of clients and close to 100 team members – and everyone is an important part of our story.
With love and gratitude,
Jess and the Empower Team!
