Stay ConnectedWe’ve already helped 3,000 gym owners become more profitable, and we’re the #1 gym mentorship program in the world.
This channel (presented by Two-Brain Business) is packed with business tools for gym owners and CrossFit affiliates. We provide actionable, data-backed business advice for all gym owners, including those who own personal training studios, fitness franchises, and strength and conditioning gyms.
Every year, Two-Brain Business pours a ton of resources into our “State of the Industry” report, which is regarded by many experts and organizations as the best in the fitness space.
We give the report to gym owners—like you—for free every year so they have the info they need to build world-class businesses.
In today’s episode, Chris Cooper highlights some of the key takeaways from our 2023 report, which contains data from 13,444 gyms.
Chris explains how to compare your gym against the average in six key categories: client headcount, average revenue per member per month (ARM), length of engagement (LEG), effective hourly rate (EHR), return on investment (ROI), and net owner benefit (NOB). Then he tells you how to use these numbers to set your next goals and move your gym into the top 1 percent of fitness businesses.
Get the full “State of the Industry” report for free today and start using it to make great decisions for your family, your staff and your clients.
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Get the report: "State of the Industry 2023"
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Gym Owners United
0:01 - The 2023 report
05:23 - Additional revenue streams
08:55 - Access: another option
10:57 - ARM honorable mention
12:49 - Your private report card
Steve Ramsbottom has worked with stars such as Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Jessica Alba, as well as Paralympic medalists and countless other professional athletes.
The owner of Performance Institute in British Columbia, Canada, Steve is also one of Two-Brain’s revenue leaders for September 2023.
In this episode, Mike Warkentin sits down with Steve as he shares the secrets of his success—from how he ended up training some of the biggest stars in Hollywood to how he climbed the revenue leaderboard.
When it comes to boosting profits, many gym owners talk about things like outreach and marketing. But Steve’s primary focus is building a culture of excellence for the clients and staff of his gym, and that’s had a tremendous effect on revenue and retention.
Listen to learn Steve’s top tips for superhero-sized revenue, then take action to improve your numbers.
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Gym Owners United
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0:46 - Working with stars
9:50 - Memberships not sessions
12:57 - Referral tunnel
19:01 - Get to know your clients
23:40 - Care for clients
The best gym owners in the world share three things: They know their niche, they create a culture of discipline in their businesses, and they build and preserve momentum.
Finding your niche allows you to become the best at what you do, which increases client value.
Discipline ensures your gym consistently operates with excellence—whether you’re in the building or not.
And momentum helps you make incremental gains every day so you’re always moving toward your larger goals.
In today’s episode, Chris Cooper breaks each element down so you can take your gym from good to great.
Great gyms get clients the results they want, create good careers for staff members, and pay their owners more than they could make working at another gym.
You can’t take a shortcut to greatness, but you can take actionable steps today to start moving toward virtuosity in business.
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Gym Owners United
1:25 - Find Your niche
4:22 - Your ARM
10:56 - Frameworks and responsibility
16:32 - Incremental gains
Eric Conner is killing it. His gym grosses over US$50,000 a month in a really tough market just outside Los Angeles.
Since 2016, he’s increased revenue by 100 percent. In 2022-2023 alone, he increased his gross by 20 percent. And he’s done it without running ads.
Today, Eric has multiple staff members who are building careers at his gym while they're supported by benefit plans. And as CEO of a thriving business, Eric has time to branch into other areas, such as investing in real estate and mentoring other gym owners.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Eric shares how he used multiple revenue streams and a mindset shift to transform his gym. According to Eric, the meteoric rise began when he decided to turn his hobby into a real business. One of his first moves: He started using Two-Brain’s Prescriptive Model, which is proven to increase revenue and improve retention.
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Learn how to use the Prescriptive Model
Gym Owners United
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0:43 - Growing in a tough market
7:01 - The Prescriptive Model
8:31 - Leadership skills
13:47 - Other revenue streams
25:33 - Call five clients
How much money do the top gyms pull in each month?
You’ll find out in this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym” as Chris Cooper runs through the Top 10 leaderboard for revenue in September 2023.
Every gym on the leaderboard grossed more than US$49,000, and the top gym's number will leave you speechless. The stats are based on rolling three-month averages, meaning this is consistent, reliable revenue.
After serving up the numbers, Chris shares tips from the top gym owners so you can replicate their financial success and transform your business.
Some of the entrepreneurs generate a lot of revenue with very simple tactics—such as selling lots of personal training in addition to group memberships.
And others have found success with creative tactics that include producing merch in house and hosting big competitions.
What these gym owners all have in common: They produce big, sexy metrics supported by sound business fundamentals. Check out their tips, then take action to boost your revenue.
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Competitions at Your Gym Should Generate Revenue
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Gym Owners United
0:49 - The Leaderboard Top 10
7:29 - Comments From Top Performers
10:53 - Different Retail Tactics
15:08 - Catalyst Story
16:57 - Back to the Leaderboard
It’s the end of the year, and you want to generate more revenue for your gym, but Black Friday deals and paid-in-full discounts will hurt you in the long run.
So what can you do instead to boost profit?
In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper shares five tried-and-tested revenue-generating tactics you can use to close out 2023.
The tactics: retail presales, gift certificates, save-your spot promotions, bring-a-friend holiday parties and January kickstarts. Chris walks you through each one, telling you exactly what to do to generate cash.
You can even get a free step-by-step guide in the Gym Owners United group. All you need to do is join and ask for it.
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Get the guide: "Cash to Close out 2023"
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1:04 - Retail presale
3:22 - Gift certificates
6:11 - Save your spot promotion
8:15 - Bring-a-friend party
10:18 - Kickstart specialty group
Black Friday is coming, and it can be tempting for gym owners to slash their rates. But the best gyms in the world don’t offer discounts—and they don’t need to.
In today’s episode, Chris Cooper explains why gym owners should avoid discounts—hint: they'll sink your business. Even better, he tells you exactly how to say no when people request a reduced rate.
Instead of creating a Black Friday discount that hurts your business, you can increase the value of your service and close sales by offering bonuses. After all, added value beats a lower price when you're dealing with clients who are a perfect fit for your gym.
Remember, your mission is to build value for clients, not weaken your foundation with discounts.
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Gym Owners United
1:11 - Don’t Have Sales
4:52 - How to Say No to Discounts
9:18 - Additional Advice
11:14 - Ditch Discounts and Do This
14:40 - Bonuses That Don’t Break the Bank
Chris Cooper has helped thousands of gym owners improve their businesses—so what happened when he found problems at his own gym?
You'll find out in this podcast.
Lots of "experts" paint perfect pictures of their gyms—but true story is often different.
Chris has always been open about the realities of his gym since he first started blogging about it in 2008. So, when he found problems had cropped up in 2023, he jumped in to fix them personally—and he's sharing the story with you.
In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Chris gives a detailed look at Catalyst’s absolute bottom level, then explains why he chose to fix his gym after considering selling it.
To rebuild the business, Chris had to take off his hat as CEO of a worldwide mentorship company and go back to being a hands-on gym owner.
To start, he cut down to the bedrock to discover what was solid, what was salvageable and what needed to be rebuilt. Then, in the ultimate "stress test," he used Two-Brain Business templates—stuff he had actually created to help other fitness entrepreneurs—to revive his own gym.
If your gym is in a rough patch, listen to Chris's story, then take action to improve your business.
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Gym Owners United
1:00 - Expected Dip
3:45 - The Downturn
13:54 - "I Had to Save It"
21:23 - Building up Ops
27:19 - Simplifying Things
Breaking problems down allows you to gain traction and grow your gym instead of just feeling overwhelmed. And Two-Brain has helped thousands of gym owners around the world do just that.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper breaks down three of the biggest problems facing gym owners: bad coaches or staff, not getting enough leads, and not making enough money.
If you ever feel like no one at your gym can do it as well as you, then you’ve got a process problem or a people problem. But how do you figure out which it is?
Or maybe your problem is that you aren’t getting enough leads. But are you sure that leads are really the problem? Try breaking down your funnel: Are leads converting? Do you need new copy?
And you’ll learn how to confront the biggest challenge many gym owners face: “I’m just not making enough money.” Chris shows you how to break this problem down with an annual plan. You'll even get an exclusive look at Two-Brain’s goal-setting template so you can start down the path to a six-figure salary.
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Gym Owners United
02:00 - Bad Coach Example
14:40 - Bad Leads Example
23:08 - No Profit Example
29:30 - Toolkit
Stephanie Fowler of EMPOWERHOUSE Gym was struggling and couldn’t see a way out. She was torn between shutting her gym down or investing in Two-Brain mentorship.
She chose to fix her gym, and she saw a massive return on her investment as she worked through our RampUp program for gym owners: Stephanie acquired a ton of new clients and finally paid herself a comfortable salary for the first time in years.
In this episode, host Mike Warkentin sits down with Stephanie, who shares her experience working with a mentor to supercharge her gym. A few key changes to her business: creating an onboarding program and hiring a client success manager.
With firm business foundations in place, Stephanie is now working toward her next goal: earning $100,000 a year from her gym.
Stephanie’s advice to struggling gym owners who are considering mentorship? “Jump in.”
Links
"How to Bridge the Gap From Day Job to Fitness Entrepreneur"
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Gym Owners United
0:28 - RampUp
5:09 - Invest in Two-Brain
12:37 - Onboarding
17:33 - Client Success Manager
21:05 - Next Steps
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