Meet Thomas Haderlie | Owner | Iron Warrior Gym

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thomas Haderlie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thomas, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well as for the gym, I wasn’t quite starting my own business but taking one over. That said, it is an entirely new business with all the work that my wife, the members, and I have put into it. Many of the members, or past visitors, tell me how much of a night-and-day change it is.
As for myself, I went to AMU to get my MBA, I do 1099 work currently, and I’ve also had a passion for fitness since I was 17. Overall I thought this would be a good move for myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I originally joined the Army at 17 not knowing what it was that I was going to do with my life. However, that was one of the best decisions I could’ve made for myself. It didn’t come without its costs though, losing friends, struggling with life after war, failed relationships, and trying to find a sense of purpose again after getting out of active duty. But, resilience is all about taking the hits and continuing to move forward. Once I was out of active duty I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life but I knew I needed to pay bills somehow so I got into construction working as a pipefitter for five years in the greater Denver area. During this time I also got back into the Army, as a reservist, and continue to support my PSYOP unit in Fitzsimons; now as an E7. As for construction, I hated the grind every single day that I woke up at 0400 to go to work and then be stuck at apprentice class until 2100 so I was absolutely overjoyed when I made the transition into the independent contractor industry in 2020. I started out in private security and worked my way up into executive protection (EP) until I transitioned over into the government services side and started working on getting my degrees. I still wasn’t sure what to pursue for college but I figured that I wanted to manage and run operations for companies so I decided to pursue business. I got my BBA while working full-time and being a full-time dad and eventually my MBA as well. After that, I started collecting professional certifications; not only in fitness but also in business management and cybersecurity. However, my idea of what I would end up doing for work didn’t quite go to plan which ultimately led me to buy the gym; and here we are today! I think being flexible, resilient, and open to opportunity is truly how I overcame the challenges I was presented with.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well to be honest I’m not much for the city. First place I’d take them is out of the city! Spend some time in the mountains, go snowboarding, hit a hot spring, enjoy all that nature has to offer, and then cook for them at my house. Between my wife and me, I’m the chef and if you ask her, she would say I’m a pretty good one. I will say that before leaving though, I would 100% take them to Denver Biscuit Co.; that place slaps and is never a miss.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
ABSOLUTELY!!! Cory Goodrich, pro strongman and owner of Strength Haven Gym in Chantilly, VA, is the biggest reason I became the owner of Iron Warrior Gym. He was the one who made it known to me that the gym was in a rough spot and the previous owner was looking to sell immediately. That, and his advice/mentorship, also from his wife Cat Goodrich, a pro world record-holding powerlifter, have been critical to the gym’s success thus far. My wife Vanessa has been a HUGEEEEE addition to this picture. While I’ve been sleeping only part-time working on the administrative stuff day in and day out she was also there losing sleep putting in 15-hour days helping revive the place with all the cleaning, painting, and organizing, and finishing touches it needed. Jason Yi, fellow reservist and soldier of mine, who specializes in creating digital content was HUGE in getting the ball rolling with a ton of the gym projects and is still helping me today. I also want to give a huge shout-out to the community at the gym for helping make a difference as well; Armando Contreras, Caesar Sierra, Atziry Apodaca, Ryan Stewart, Senon Ramírez, and Benjamin Bennett to name a few. Other support I’ve gotten was from “The Gym Doc” in mentorship and marketing; their whole team is fantastic and I’ve had the pleasure of working with Robert Schwartz and Caleb Smith directly and I couldn’t be more appreciative of them. Honestly, I could go on and on with the support we have here at Iron Warrior.

Website: https://ironwarriorgym.fit/

Instagram: @IronWarriorGym_Forge.Yourself

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ai4CjGaND/

Other: TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@ironwarriorgym_denver?_r=1&_t=ZP-93csMyXfi2h

Image Credits
Quinton Holley
Mary Shepherd
Static Monsters
Colleen Mulcahy
Gayle Lujan
Keil Fields
Ryan Stewart
Lars Fauskee
Nick Strauss
Crystal Rubio Valenzuela