The Beginning: A Shared Vision
Every great business starts with a foundational belief. Ours was simple yet powerful: fitness has the power to change lives—not just bodies, but also confidence, community, and how people show up in the world.

In 2017, after eight years of working together—first as colleagues at a corporate gym, then as independent trainers at the same studio—Kyle Davis and Matt Holland made the decision to merge their businesses and open NW Fitness Project. The partners shared a dream of creating a facility that upheld their high standards and fostered the fitness community they had each built over nearly a decade. They envisioned a welcoming space for effective, sustainable training that prioritized relationships over transactions.

Building Something Different: The Early Days
Starting a fitness business based on quality isn't easy, and launching NW Fitness Project was neither quick nor straightforward. Kyle and Matt spent almost two full years planning, saving, and networking with the best trainers in Seattle. They were determined to build something that would last—not just survive the notoriously high failure rate of fitness businesses, but thrive as a sustainable model for both client success and trainer careers.

Their patience and preparation paid off remarkably. Only one month after opening their doors in Fremont, NW Fitness Project was operating in the black. Members were eager to join, and independent trainers lined up to train in the new space. It was validation that their vision of community-centered, expert-led training resonated soundly with Seattle's fitness community.

Testing Our Values: Standing for What's Right

While having a successful launch was a big win, not all challenges could have been anticipated. The media attention and backlash resulting from banning the leader of a white supremacist movement from their gym taught Kyle and Matt that running a values-driven business sometimes means taking difficult stands.

"NW Fitness Project rejects hate speech in all forms, and the violent ethnic cleansing, anti-Semitism and racist ideology that he espouses and advocates for are antithetical to our fundamental beliefs," Kyle said in a press statement at the time.

The decision sparked a coordinated attack of fake negative reviews that could have destroyed the social proof crucial for a local business. But something remarkable happened: their community fought back. Within 24 hours, clients and supporters had submitted over 150 five-star reviews, showing the broader Seattle community what NW Fitness Project really represented. Google, Yelp, and Facebook quickly removed the fake ratings, but the real victory was seeing how the crisis strengthened their community's bonds.

"That moment defined us," Matt reflects. "Our clients knew we would defend everyone's right to have a safe and welcoming place to train, no matter what."

Adapting and Innovating: The COVID-19 Challenge

When COVID-19 forced gym closures in 2020, NW Fitness Project faced its biggest test yet. Rather than simply waiting for reopening, Kyle and Matt got creative to keep their community connected and fit through quarantine.

They pivoted their small group training classes to Zoom, learned video editing to create on-demand content for their website, and set up an equipment lending program with dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands. The goal wasn't just to survive—it was to prove that their community-first approach could adapt to any challenge.

"The decades of experience that we bring to our programming at NWFP allowed us to offer something unique: at-home workouts with minimal equipment that would challenge you and never feel repetitive, all in a supportive community environment," Matt explained.

The pandemic reinforced their belief in human-powered change. While many fitness businesses struggled with impersonal virtual offerings, NWFP's emphasis on genuine relationships made their online community feel more connected than many in-person gym experiences.

Growing Through Mentorship: Investing in People

From the beginning, Kyle and Matt understood that sustainable business growth meant investing in people, not just facilities. They developed an internship and mentorship program that allowed passionate trainers to grow within the NWFP system, learning not just technical skills but the art of building lasting client relationships.

Several team members who started as interns or part-time trainers have grown into full-time professionals and now leaders within the organization. This wasn't accidental—it was intentional cultivation of a culture where career growth and personal development were valued as much as client results.

A New Model for Growth: Expanding Ownership

In 2025, eight years after opening, NW Fitness Project took its most significant step yet: expanding ownership to include three longtime team members. Jeremy Stewart, Alec Bulat, and Norah Davis were promoted to owners, creating a five-person leadership team committed to sustainable expansion.

"The fitness industry has a sustainability problem—both for businesses and careers," Jeremy explains. "We're proving you can create meaningful career paths for trainers while building something that lasts for clients. This ownership structure means we're all invested in the long-term success of our community."

This approach represents a deliberate rejection of typical fitness industry expansion models. Rather than franchising or bringing in outside investors, NWFP chose to grow from within, ensuring their core values—high standards with low ego, person-over-program training, and inclusive community building—remain intact as they scale.

Eight Years Later: Proof of Concept

Today, NW Fitness Project serves nearly 300 clients through a combination of personal training and small group classes (capped at 10 participants). Their team includes both Core Team and Independent Trainers, all united by shared values and commitment to sustainable, empathetic training.

"Our core values aren't just marketing speak," Norah Davis, Director of Marketing & Experience and now owner, emphasizes. "We genuinely believe in raising the bar while reaching back down, creating human-powered change, and building inclusive community. The fact that we're expanding through internal promotion rather than outside investment proves these aren't just words on a wall."

The numbers tell the story: multiple trainers have grown from part-time coaches to full-time professionals to ownership positions—a rarity in an industry known for high turnover. Client retention rates consistently exceed industry standards. And the waiting list for small group classes proves that their "person over program" philosophy resonates with Seattle's fitness community.

Looking Forward: Fitness Built to Last

What started as Kyle and Matt's belief in the transformational power of fitness has become a proven blueprint for sustainable fitness business growth. Their model prioritizes relationships over transactions, long-term development over short-term gains, and community building over aggressive expansion.

"We're not expanding because we can—we're expanding because our community has grown organically," Kyle reflects. "This isn't about aggressive growth; it's about following our people and staying true to what's made us successful: genuine relationships, expert training, and a commitment to meeting people exactly where they are."

As NW Fitness Project looks toward its next chapter, the foundation remains the same belief that started it all: fitness has the power to transform lives. But now they have something even more powerful—proof that sustainable, values-driven business growth isn't just possible in the fitness industry. It's the future.

Ready to be part of our story? Whether you're looking to start your fitness journey or grow your training career, we'd love to meet you where you are.

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From Belief to Blueprint: The NW Fitness Project Story