From Survival To Service: Our Co-Founder's Journey Into Healing, Fitness, and Community

#9: In this deeply personal episode, co-host Warren Gendel gets into the story that shaped him.

Scott and Warren move away from “strategy talk” and into a raw, honest conversation about Warren’s childhood, early trauma, and the often-invisible weight that can exist even inside a life that looks “privileged” from the outside. Warren shares how surfing and the ocean became his first refuge, how fitness evolved into a lifeline, and how bodybuilding gave him structure, discipline, and a way to rebuild self-worth—long before he ever built a business.

From there, Warren walks us through the entrepreneurial road: the early hustle reselling fitness equipment, the painful lessons of a partnership gone wrong, starting over again, scaling a kids fitness franchise to dozens of locations, and navigating the setbacks that came with the 2008 recession and COVID. Through it all, the theme stays clear: resilience, reinvention, and the decision to break generational patterns rather than repeat them.

This is the story behind the man, and a big part of the spirit behind Club Evexia: a place built around fitness, yes, but also healing, belonging, and transformation.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Why “wealth” doesn’t always mean safety, stability, or support

How early trauma shaped Warren’s identity—and his drive to survive

The ocean as escape, fitness as refuge, and bodybuilding as discipline

Winning Mr. Santa Barbara and what that achievement really meant

Entrepreneurship: big wins, painful losses, and rebuilding again and again

The role of spirituality, purpose, and partnership in staying on the path

Why vulnerability is part of the culture Evexia is building

Part 2 is coming: Warren and Scott will go deeper into Warren’s healing journey, identity work, and how personal transformation became a shared mission inside the Evexia community.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who needs the reminder that it’s possible to come through the hardest chapters—and build something meaningful on the other side.

About the Evexia Exchange

A podcast by Club Evexia—a wellness community in Southern Marin focused on fitness, longevity, and belonging. Founders Scott Raymond & Warren Gendel interview practitioners, members, and thinkers on living well together. Produced by Resonate Studio, LLC.

If this episode resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who could use a little more support, connection, and inspiration on their health journey.

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