- December 3, 2024
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After Alexis Pennington lost her CrossFit Lakewood Ranch business space in September, she began looking for a new space the best way she knew how.
She knocked on doors.
It didn’t take a lot of pounding. Pennington quickly met Amy Whittington, the owner of Drive SRQ in Lakewood Ranch.
Whittington, 40, had the space, and the interest, to add a personal trainer, but she didn’t really mesh with most of those who had been interested in joining her at the 5-year-old business. Then she met Pennington.
“Alexis came here two months ago and asked if I had room for her,” Whittington said. “It ended up being great for both of us.”
Although they both are in the athletic training businesses, their styles and disciplines are different.
Whittington has been so impressed with Pennington, she now plans to expand Drive SRQ, almost doubling the space of the 1,200-square-foot facility early in 2018.
“I have never marketed myself, but now that (Pennington) is here, she has helped me with a lot of the social media,” Whittington said. “I have had the same people forever, and I never pushed for more because I didn’t know if I could handle it all. Now we are going to be able to offer more.”
Although Whittington remains the sole owner, Pennington, 33, has been like a partner.
“It has been helpful to be able to talk ideas with someone,” Whittington said. “We make joint decisions. We are here all day together — I am here from 4 a.m. until 7 p.m., — and now I finally have someone to sit on the couch with. She’s younger than me and we are like sisters.”
Pennington brought some of her former clients to Drive SRQ. Whittington is totally OK with it.
“The type of equipment I use is a lot different than the type of equipment she uses,” said Whittington, who is a high-intensity personal performance trainer.
Pennington concentrates on CrossFit as well as yoga.
“With the expansion, we can run two things at the same time,” Pennington said. “I could be teaching a yoga class while Amy is teaching a corporate class. We will have the ability to provide more services.”
Whittington is glad she knocked.
“For me, the energy is better and it feels more alive in here,” Whittington said. “Just having another woman in this industry with me has been awesome.”
