Trainer Space is More Than Just a Gym. It’s a Real Veteran Success Story.

You get out of life what you put into it. It really is that simple. As veterans we’re all aware of what it means to sacrifice. Serving in the armed forces meant there was no time clock to punch, every promotion was truly earned, and the demands of the job were far greater than most anything our civilian friends could ever hope to experience. That’s okay, because though the challenges are tremendous, the rewards can be monumental.

Forged within every veteran is a unique and relentless motor. That motor reliably drives us towards achieving our goals. It’s a simple value system. An idea that hard work can equal great rewards.

Real Veterans. Real Success.

Logan Skees and Cary Reichbach are more than just fitness gurus, they’re also veteran entrepreneurs who are busy redefining the entire gym experience. After a mutual friend introduced the two, a friendship quickly grew and from that friendship an entrepreneurial idea of what it means to reshape an industry.

We talked to Logan Skees, a former Infantry Marine, and co-owner of Trainer Space Gym in Boca Raton, Florida to find out what it takes to find success in Florida.

Veterans Florida: Hey Logan, Trainer Space is amazing! Can you tell us a bit about yourself; what branch did you serve in, and where are you from?

Logan: I’m a United States Marine. I served from 2010 to 2014 in 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. I was stationed up in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina but I’m originally from Orlando, Florida.

VF: Awesome, Semper Fi brother! So, of all the branches, what motivated you to join the Marines?

Logan: Well, I wanted to join the Marines because I knew there was so much more than college out there for me. At the time I wasn’t feeling compelled towards pursuing traditional academic studies…honestly, something just drew me inside the recruiting office.

VF:  Coming out of the Marine Corps, did you know that Trainer Space was in your future?

Logan: I was always inclined towards fitness, but no, it wasn’t always Trainer Space. It wasn’t always a great blue gym, with awesome people. You know, a lot of people say that when veterans get out of the military, they struggle because they don’t have a superior officer or someone telling them what to do. But, I’ve always felt like there’s this internal motor, a drive, or discipline that a lot of the service members tend to have…and our greatest challenge is just tapping into it.

VF:  So how’d you and Cary meet up?

Logan: So, I met my business partner, Cary very serendipitously, almost completely by coincidence. A mutual friend knew we were both fitness guys and personal trainers. Our friend basically told us we had to meet. So, we linked up and right away we connected over fitness and business and personal training, all the things we’re passionate about. Cary had this amazing vision of what Trainer Space could be and I knew that as soon as I jumped on board we could really take it to the next level.

“I’ve always felt like there’s this internal motor, a drive, or discipline that a lot of the service members tend to have.”

VF: Speaking of taking things to the next level, you went through the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program, what was that training like and how has it helped you in bringing the vision you and Cary had for Trainer Space to life?

Logan: One of the biggest benefits that we found in developing our business with the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program was we could take real world problems that we were experiencing then and there, and take them to the mentors, go to the instructors at the university, utilize their resources and experiences, and ask “what do we do with this? How do we maximize this outcome?” And then we would all pour ourselves into that, just like a battle plan and develop a strategy and a tactical outcome for it and hit the ground running with accountability afterwards. So, it really helped us gain new vantage points on challenges we were facing and overcome them effectively and with as little pain as possible. Basically, if I could summarize the largest benefit of going through the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program, it is having the qualified, outside mentorship that we could bring real-time challenges to and they could help us develop creative solutions that could work in the business sector and ultimately be verified in the market.

VF:  Wow. Obviously the Entrepreneurship Program is a huge benefit. It has proven to really provide some invaluable resources needed to jump start your business. We talked a bit about that internal motor a lot of veterans have. Beyond your own ability and drive to get things done, how has Veterans Florida and the training you received from the Entrepreneurship Program continued to provide opportunities to grow your business?

Logan: It’s the mentorship. It’s that ability to take the real-world problems that we’re experiencing, and in real-time, talk to experienced professionals who are able to provide real-world solutions that keep us proactive and not reactive. Everything we were dealing with while getting Trainer Space off the ground was real life; real life funding, real life business plans, real life marketing. The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program has been incredibly helpful for us as we’ve developed this business from scratch.

VF: Last question, for all the veterans or service members out there who are trying to figure out the next chapter in there lives and they’re maybe considering making the move to Florida, what would you tell them?

Logan: I would say to all my fellow veterans, if you feel that calling, that same engine, that discipline inside of you being awakened by the thought of realizing your dreams; go after it. It is possible to see your vision come to life and with the kind of support that you’re afforded through Veterans Florida you can do it. You’ll have an entire team, a civilian division of veteran entrepreneurs throughout the state who care about you and will pull together to help make sure your dreams come to reality.

VF: Thanks Logan. Best of luck to you and Cary with Trainer Space.

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Working Hard For Veterans

Florida truly does love our veteran community. Veterans Florida is a non-profit created by the state of Florida to help veterans transition into civilian life by taking advantage of the benefits of living and working in the Sunshine State. We know what you’re looking for:  real opportunity. We are dedicated to supplying the kind of resources that help veterans like you, achieve your goals.

The Entrepreneurship Training Program is completely free of charge for qualified veterans. We offer intensive online and on-campus training designed to help you prepare for successfully running your own business. The veteran community in the Sunshine State is a network unlike anywhere else in the country. It’s a resource of like-minded individuals who work together to create meaningful opportunities needed to succeed.

Real Veterans. Real Success. That’s Veterans Florida.