We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley & Marielle Hendry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley & Marielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

NEXUS opened in 2020. Yup! We opened a community gym during a global pandemic. Everyone called us crazy and at times I couldn’t belive we were going through with it. But, both our guts told us to and each step of the way we trusted our intuition. We build NEXUS with 100% used equipment to support other local gyms who were permanently closing. We got a call on a location and signed the next day. And we build the gym with our bare hands, sweat and tears. It was one of the scariest things we have ever done, BUT we were right too. Before we even opened the doors, we had brought in $10,000 in founding member memberships, had 10 founding sponsors, and 20 active members to start taking classes. How? We had a clear vision/mission, unique programming, injury prevention & corrective fitness education, and mindset coaching. We offered what everyone was missing during the pandemic which made NEXUS the sussesful gym it is today. Our community is everything to us and that started day 1.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The NEXUS Community is a place about fitness opportunities for all. NEXUS’s vision is to re-establish a true sense of community through fitness, health, and wellness. We believe connection and community spreads beyond the four walls of their gym, benefiting Colorado Springs as a collective. We are committed to equality, integrity, and personal growth, alongside all levels of fitness. NEXUS at its core is about building a better, more inclusive fitness community in Colorado Springs. NEXUS’s mission is to bring fitness education, body awareness, and injury prevention techniques into each class, creating a solid fitness foundation for our athletes. The word Nexus means connection. With a connection of any kind, we bridge the gap for understanding. We See You, You Matter, And We Have Your Back Every Step Of The Way. This is what The NEXUS Community represents.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I am lucky in the sense that my business partner is my life partner. Marielle and I actually met in High School. She was a drummer for the Marching Band and I joined the Color Guard. Over those high school years, we spent a lot of time together building a solid friendship. We shared the same passion for music but I must admit, she taught me everything I know about it. We supported each other’s hobbies and would go to each other’s performances/shows. Yet, we never thought of dating each other. Off to college we went, but to different schools. It was about 4 years later that we reconnected. It was like picking up right where we left off. I had joined a dance team in Denver, not too far from where she worked, so we got to see each other all the time turning our friendship into a deep connection. It wasn’t long before we decided to date and have been together ever since.
We have been through a lot together over the last 10 years, with NEXUS as one of our latest adventures. NEXUS represents everything we value and is our way of giving back to the springs.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We are an injury prevention and corrective fitness-focused gym. This immediately sets us apart from other gyms as it reflects our focus on safety first. We also share our education with our community through classes and trainings. We offer mindset coaching which pulls the aspect of the mind over matter dynamic of fitness. However, what truly sets us apart and has built our reputation beyond belief, is our fantastic community. We are so blessed to have the members we do. They show up, participate, bring their friends, and come into each class ready to work hard with a smile on their faces! They show up for us the same way we show up for them and it is the best part of what makes NEXUS special.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thenexuscommunity.com
• Instagram: thenexuscommunity
• Facebook: thenexuscommunity