Marine Veteran ‘On Target’ in Helping Clients

To honor National Veterans Small Business Week, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) NH Office, partners from SCORE, and Optima Bank & Trust visited ‘On Target Fitness’ in Portsmouth on Nov. 5^th. It was a chance to highlight, recognize and celebrate the success of Alec Liberman, a Marine Veteran.

Here is his encouraging story of success

When you walk into On Target Fitness, you get a sense of who Alec Liberman is. The lobby is adorned with enlarged close-up photos from Alec’s deployment to Afghanistan that accentuate the power and strength of what it takes to be your best self.

Alec is a graduate of the University of Maine where he also served in the Navy ROTC program while completing his degree in history in only 3 years. While in the ROTC program, he ran a fitness program to assist his peers. After graduation, Alec served in two deployments in Afghanistan serving as a Captain with the U.S. Marines Corp. After leaving the military, Alec sought out work as a personal trainer pursuing his long held passion for fitness. He worked in several local gyms with the vision of opening his own business someday.

Alec realized early on that he needed a business mentor to help guide him through the process of opening his own gym. He decided to confide in his neighbor and friend who just happened to be a volunteer professional mentor with the SCORE chapter in Manchester. Paul Mondello has been supportive and caring throughout the journey and was extremely helpful in Alec’s search for the ideal location. Paul states, “Alec is passionate and enthusiastic and he lives his life with gratitude. I’ve been working with Alec for years and look forward to continuing our relationship as his business grows.”

In 2015, Alec decided to start his own business ‘On Target Fitness’ which incorporates what he learned in the service and in college to help others in all forms of life. Again, Alex turned to his SCORE counselor, Paul, to help him through the process. Paul was instrumental in preparing On Target Fitness’ financial proposal that led to the approval of a $30,000 SBA Express Loan with Optima Bank & Trust to finance new equipment in 2016.

On Target Fitness is unlike many exercise facilities that primarily focus on the equipment. Alec offers the complete package by providing his clients access to a staff of degreed expert coaches that create personalized plans combining fitness, nutrition and personal accountability goals. Alec has developed this system based on his core values listed prominently at the entrance to his gym. Alec maintains a high degree of integrity in both his personal and business life whether he is meeting with new clients or hiring new staff. The message on his blackboard serves as a reminder and encouragement to all, ‘Remember why you started this Journey.’ In doing so, he emphasizes that people are driven by their own personal experiences and remembering what triggered them to start will pull them through the tough times and help them reach their goals.

On entering the 7000 square foot main gym, you see a space lined with TRX equipment, kettle bells, and kickboxing equipment. The TRX system, which uses gravity and bodyweight to improve total-body strength, stability and cardiovascular strength, is configured daily to provide an array of exercise programs that change based on his client’s needs. The gym offers group and private lessons, has expert yoga instructors teaching three types of yoga, and individualized nutrition counseling. They measure body fat and muscle composition of clients before and throughout the program using a sophisticated bio impedance analysis machine. Each client has their own notebook with their individual plan based on the goals they set for themselves. Alec and his team have now changed the lives of over 125 clients. He now employees eight people on a full and part time basis. He empowers his employees and it shows in the way they interact with clients to motivate, educate, and drive them to live their best day possible.

Talking with Alec about his service experience you begin to understand that transitioning out of the military is almost as difficult as the transition into the military. Alec stated, “As a veteran, you have a ton of hard and soft skills to bring to your new endeavors. With that said, you never get to rest on your laurels. We all have to rise to our new

challenges -- be ambassadors of our service; overcome any stereotypes about veterans; and honor the fallen. Running my business is the most rewarding thing I can imagine doing with my life after serving my country.”

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