Franchisee Spotlight: Adebola Adewumi of GYMGUYZ

Adebola Adewumi, a local Beaverton, Oregon, father, is opening the first GYMGUYZ location in the state this June. After spending about 14 years in the corporate world working for Intel, he has decided to follow his passion for fitness and helping others achieve their goals in personal health. GYMGUYZ is a mobile fitness company, that's dedicated to catering to customers in the comfort of their own home or office.

With experience coaching and leading exercise classes, Adewumi has decided to use that expertise and transition from corporate life to franchising as a member of the GYMGUYZ team.

What were you doing before partnering with GYMGUYZ?

I was born in Nigeria but migrated to Chicago as a toddler. I then moved to Pennsylvania and went to school at Penn State University. After receiving both my bachleor's and master’s degrees at Penn State, I moved out to Portland and worked at Intel for 14 years. I worked in a variety of different roles, including industrial engineering, manufacturing innovation, and supply chain management.

In 2012, I helped start the Aloha site group fitness program. My coaching ranges from leading corporate fitness classes to coaching elite youth basketball. I designed and led workouts for multiple age groups (from ages 5 to 55) and believe that almost anyone can partake in this style of training and it can be modified for any fitness level to improve work and everyday life.

How did you learn about GYMGUYZ and what made you ultimately decide to commit?

A few months ago I decided that I wanted to leave the corporate world for good and do something that allowed more flexibility in my schedule and really made a difference. After working with a franchising consultant, I knew I wanted to work somewhere that shared my passion for health, fitness, and helping people achieve their goals.

Once I met with the GYMGUYZ team and talked with some of their existing franchise owners, I knew it would be a great fit. The CEO is extremely passionate about the idea and it really resonated with what I wanted to do with my new career path. In addition, being a mobile brand, the startup cost is very reasonable.

What were your perceptions of franchising before starting the process?

I wasn’t looking at franchising right away after deciding to leave the corporate world but learned it was a way to achieve all my goals. I knew opening up a new business would be difficult, especially since I don’t have any experience working with start-ups. Franchising offered the right flexibility I was looking for with a good support system to ensure a low-risk business venture.

Why is Portland a great market for GYMGUYZ?

Portland is a very active city so I think people will really take well to this new idea. I’ve already had a lot of interest in learning exactly what we do, since there is nothing like this in the area. I’m interested in pretty much anyone who is looking to be more active but doesn’t want to go to a gym for whatever reason. I think this will be great for people working in the corporate world or stay-at-home parents who can’t get care for their child while they go to the gym. I also hope to partner with several companies to do group fitness. A lot of companies are realizing how great it is if their employees are active, healthy, and fit so I hope to tap into that market.

I am the father of two teenagers. My daughter goes to South Ridge High School in Beaverton and my son goes to the local middle school. I hope that this business will be part of the community in Beaverton and the greater Portland area.

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