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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.
Two-Brain Radio: Reporting on Fitness With Niki Brazier
In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Sean Woodland talks with CrossFit Games sideline reporter Niki Brazier.
Niki has been involved with CrossFit media since 2013. Before that, she was a reporter, anchor and producer for a local TV station in Maine. Niki is one of the most experienced sideline reporters covering the Sport of Fitness right now. She talks about how she got involved with the media team back in 2013, some of the unique challenges of being a sideline reporter and where she thinks the coverage of the sport is heading for the rest of the year and beyond.
Links:
Two-Brain Business Free Tools
"Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief"
"Two-Brain Business"
"Two-Brain Business 2.0"
"Help First"
Contact:
Instagram: @reporternicole
Timeline:
1:55 – Before CrossFit: Niki’s work as a local TV news multi-media journalist.
2:52 – What’s really like to work in TV news.
3:48 – Why Niki chose a career in news—and why she left it behind.
4:42 – Finding CrossFit like a true journalist: via a news story.
6:10 – How life in front of a camera prepared her to be a coach.
7:34 – Joining the CrossFit media team in 2013.
9:01 – From canned stories to sideline reporting.
10:02 – Sideline reporting: What it is and what the biggest challenges are.
12:29 – How Niki’s TV news chops prepared her for CrossFit media coverage.
13:35 – Terrifying emails from Sean Woodland.
16:30 – CrossFit Christmas: Late-night drinks and early morning call times.
17:49 – That time Lukas Högberg really had to take a dump.
19:38 – Dealing with the unexpected during live broadcasts.
21:15 – Preparing for a live broadcast.
22:57 – Post-CrossFit Inc. media: being the sole sideline reporter for the 2019 CrossFit Games.
24:34 – Continuing to freelance in the sport of fitness.
27:46 – Predicting the future media landscape of the sport.
31:26 – More than event coverage; it’s about inspiring people.
From Gas-Station Gym to 5,000 Square-Foot-Facility With Jonathan Watt
Jonathan Watt opened Townie: A Fitness Community in an abandoned gas-station garage. He painted the walls, made a post on Facebook and showed up at 5:30 a.m. the next day, praying someone would show up.
Someone did, and the gym soon expanded to the 5,000-square-foot facility it's in today. But when Jonathan found himself still wearing all the hats just before the birth of his first child, he knew he needed to "legitimize our business, and we needed to be able to hire coaches and, you know, really step up our game."
In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, you'll learn how mentorship helped Jonathan build a staff, establish a gym culture and shift his mindset on sales and marketing.
Links:
Townie: A Fitness Community
Level Method
Contact:
Instagram: @towniefitnessco
Timeline:
3:07 – Why “Townie,” and why the name rebrand away from CrossFit.
5:28 – Finding CrossFit in 2010: “It was grungy; it smelled like a gym locker room, but I loved it.”
7:24 – Discovering a passion for helping people through fitness.
9:21 – The first location: an abandoned gas station.
11:53 – Affinity marketing in the early years.
13:54 – Why sign up for mentorship?
15:41 – Putting marketing on hold to solidify procedures and staffing first.
20:07 – From Day One client to first staff member: the culture of the gym.
23:18 – On selling happiness and confidence.
24:24 – Taking the plunge into paid advertising: “It was kind of a big shock.”
26:55 – Shifting perspective on sales.
29:33 – Eliminating staffing frustrations with written SOPs.
31:52 – Reducing No-Sweat Intro no-shows with text-message follow-ups and confirmations.
32:32 – The InBody as a tool for selling nutrition.
33:49 – The key to success? Mentorship and community.
Food for Thought Friday - How Often Are You Communicating Your Values, Mission or Vision?
You know the values, mission and vision of your business. You're pretty sure your staff knows, too—but are you sure?
Even if they do, is it something they think about often?
To keep your vision at the forefront, make sure you're communicating it to your staff regularly.
Two-Brain Coaching: The Second-Degree Course With Josh Martin
Josh Martin is a Two-Brain Business mentor and the creator of Two-Brain Coaching, an international company dedicated to the development of fitness coaches.
Two-Brain Coaching is method agnostic; that is, it teaches the principles of great coaching that can be applied to any methodology. In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Josh explains the five principles of Two-Brain Coaching, the difference between fixed and variable lesson plans and how Two-Brain Coaching develops coaches by layering on complexity over time.
You'll also learn all about the First and Second-Degree Courses, how owners can implement them in either a hands-on or hands-off capacity and the courses' ROI for both owners and coaches.
Links:
Two-Brain Coaching
Two-Brain Coaching Course Registration
For Time Design
Contact:
josh@twobrainbusiness.com
Timeline:
4:43 – Methods vs. principles of coaching.
7:26 – Two-Brain Coaching principle No. 1: Focus, effort and time.
8:19 – Principle No. 2: Learn, design, deliver and refine.
9:10 – Principle No. 3: Sleep, eat, move and manage.
9:59 – Principle No. 4: Power through education.
10:02 – Principle No. 5: Everything is everything.
12:53 – The two variables a coach has to manage: Lesson and audience.
13:52 – Fixed vs. variable lesson plans.
16:15 – Greg’s moment of truth.
17:59 – Set your coaches up for success by adding complexity over time—just like your clients.
22:30 – Free master class for Two-Brain Growth Stage clients.
23:56 – No time? Done-for-you courses provide all the training with no micromanaging from you.
24:47 – The free owner’s handbook.
27:52 – Covering Two-Brain Coaching trainers with Affiliate Guard for just $150 a year.
30:47 – The coach’s ROI.
34:04 – The owner’s ROI.
37:11 – Why you have to take the Two-Brain Coaching courses in order.
39:06 – How to learn more about the courses for free.
Two-Brain Radio: The Morning Chalk Up With Justin LoFranco
In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Sean speaks with the founder of The Morning Chalk Up, Justin LoFranco.
Justin started the daily newsletter in 2016, and over the last four years it has become part of every CrossFitter’s morning ritual—the newsletter now boasts 85 thousand subscribers worldwide.
Sean and Justin talk about how his life working in the government helped prepare him for his current endeavor, how he was able to build the Morning Chalk Up into its current state and what the future of the site looks like as we get deeper into the 2020 CrossFit Games season.
Links:
Morning Chalk Up
"Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief"
"Two-Brain Business"
"Two-Brain Business 2.0"
"Help First"
Free Tools
Timeline:
1:13 – Introduction to Justin LoFranco.
3:58 – Before the Morning Chalk-Up: A career in politics.
6:06 – Why Justin left politics.
7:51 – Finding, forgetting and rediscovering CrossFit.
6:55 – Training in the basement of the U.S. House of Representatives.
10:13 – How a daily political newsletter inspired the Morning Chalk Up.
12:40 – Launching the Morning Chalk Up with no money or staff.
15:57 – Determining the newsletter’s direction and audience.
20:29 – Hitting “go” and building a subscriber base.
22:59 – How Facebook advertising helped get subscribers.
25:13 – Filling the vacuum left by CrossFit Inc. media.
27:52 – How years of due diligence prepared LoFranco and staff to take on new opportunities.
29:32 – From a one-man-band to a growing staff.
32:48 – Just because you can do something yourself doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hire someone else to do it.
33:45 – Dominating the written market and slowly expanding into other mediums.
35:37 – The future of the Morning Chalk Up.
Two-Brain Radio: From $260 in Ads to $5,000 in Front-End Sales With Rachael O'Donnell
In September 2017, Rachael O'Donnell took the leap: She quit her job as a clinical social worker and closed her private practice to open Grit and Grace CrossFit in Gorham, Maine.
Her social-work experience added tremendous value to what she had to offer as a coach, employer and leader, but she lacked the business skills she needed for her business to truly thrive. She was also uncomfortable with sales and marketing.
After joining the Two-Brain family, Rachael learned how to offload low-value tasks so she could focus on the business—and she gained a new perspective on marketing: It's just helping people who need it.
Links:
https://fortimedesign.com/
https://gritandgracecrossfit.com/
Contact:
https://gritandgracecrossfit.com/
Instagram: @gritandgracecrossfit
Timeline:
3:35 – Using CrossFit to quit smoking.
4:25 – From clinical social work to coaching CrossFit.
6:13 – How Rachael’s social-work background helps her as a coach and leader.
7:49 – Why “Grit and Grace”?
8:51 – Turning to Two-Brain after working 90-plus-hour weeks.
12:13 – The first payoff: getting time back and getting closer to Perfect Day.
14:52 – On hiring coaches.
18:28 – When evaluating new or potential staff, watch what they do, not what they say.
20:13 – Grit and Grace core values.
22:11 – Implementing core values into if-then scenario practice.
25:23 – Turning $260 in ad spend into $5,000 in front-end revenue.
26:53 – Leads are just people who need help.
28:24 – Overcoming discomfort with the sales process.
30:55 – The key to success: knowing when you need help.
Food for Thought Friday - What Nutrition Program Are You Running?
Confused about the difference between Precision Nutrition and Healthy Steps Nutrition?
Think of it like the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course and Two-Brain Business: One teaches you the foundations of the program and the other teaches you how to run a business.
Two-Brain Radio: When You Have to Let a Staff Member Go
Today we've got a short—but important—episode for you that addresses one of the most daunting tasks a gym owner can face: letting a staff member go.
It's never fun or easy, but there are steps you can take to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible for all parties. Here, Greg Strauch shares what to tell your staff and clients as well as a checklist of important tasks to ensure a clean break.
Links:
https://foreverfierce.com/
Contact:
greg@twobrainbusiness.com
Timeline:
2:47 – When letting a staff member go, what should you tell your members?
4:35 – What if the staff member still wants to be a member of your gym?
5:24 – What to talk about in the exit interview.
6:48 – Remove access to all business software and communication platforms.
9:56 – Protect your intellectual property.
10:49 – Let them say goodbye, but only through an email that you approve and send.
11:57 – Resources for the situation: client-letter templates and the fire escape plan.
13:21 – Stay neutral with your remaining staff: Don’t bash the former employee.
15:22 – Have more questions? We’re here to help.
Two-Brain Radio: Incorporating Strongman Movements Into CrossFit With Rob Orlando
In this episode, Sean talks with four-time CrossFit Games competitor and strongman subject-matter expert Rob Orlando. Rob has competed at the CrossFit Games three times as an individual and once as a master. He also runs the Hybrid Athletics Strongman Course.
Rob talks about his days as a competitor, why he decided to incorporate strongman movements into CrossFit workouts and what possessed him to do the benchmark workout Grace with a 300-pound barbell.
Links:
https://www.hybridathletics.com
https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSX
Contact:
Instagram:
@crossfitrobo
@hybridathletics
@hybridwods
Timeline:
1:37 – From toy weight set to bodybuilder to strongman to CrossFitter.
4:15 – Finding CrossFit halfway through a tub of ice cream.
5:01 – Rob’s first CrossFit workout: Fran at 135 lb. with strict pull-ups.
6:47 – Morphing from big and strong to all-around fit.
7:42 – Rob’s first CrossFit competition: The 2009 Regional.
9:41 – Remembering the 2009 CrossFit Games at the Ranch in Aromas.
13:24 – Watching the sport evolve into the Reebok era.
16:33 – Sharing video content with CrossFit Inc.
18:55 – Grace at 300 lb.
23:17 – How adding strongman movements to CrossFit workouts gets people fit faster.
25:42 – Scaling strongman for the average athlete.
26:57 – Presenting his strongman seminar to Dave Castro: an exercise in “Drive-by Braille.”
30:09 – How to add strongman movements into your regular CrossFit programming.
32:55 – Resources for programming strongman/CrossFit hybrid workouts.
34:03 – Deadlifting 550 lb. as a masters athlete: “No finish line to the strength game.”
37:36 – Prioritizing long-term fitness over day-to-day results.
38:20 – Wearing the broadcaster’s headset.
39:32 – Looking to the future: Blinders on at the box, inventing new toys and refreshing the seminar.
Two-Brain Radio: From Backyard Boot Camp to Profitable Multi-Gym Business
James Mawson, owner of Tribe Mvmnt in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia, began in 2010 by training one person in his backyard, his only piece of equipment a large rock. But he got results, and one client turned into five—which soon turned into more than 50. Six months after opening a brick-and-mortar gym, he had nearly 100 clients.
But growth eventually stagnated, and James knew he needed to make a change. So he joined Two-Brain Business. Though he was skeptical at first, the investment paid off. After implementing the practices he learned in the Incubator and taking the time to curate high-quality digital ads, James recently raked in $21,000 in front-end sales after spending $1,100 on ads.
In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, you'll learn all about what it was like to grow a gym from a backyard side hustle to a thriving business and how patience pays off when it comes to the Two-Brain Marketing plan.
Links:
https://www.tribemvmnt.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR0M7sUU6cVZ6cMLkWjS5zAcrVMAf_nlE40iJ-wi7B3kYKnzhodxfjl_RaA
https://foreverfierce.com/
Contact:
Instagram: @tribemvmnt
Timeline:
3:05 – A brief history of Tribe Mvmnt.
6:38 – Starting a personal-training business in the backyard.
8:49 – Growing the backyard gym: Kettlebells, tractor tires and kegs from the local pub.
10:31 – Moving into an actual gym.
11:10 – Words of wisdom: Don’t borrow money for equipment.
14:34 – 6:30 p.m.: Train a client. 8:30 p.m.: Have a baby.
17:00 – Why you should always hire from within.
19:09 – Pre-Two-Brain: No job descriptions and no contracts.
23:09 – When the growth stops: “It’s time to make a change.”
24:42 – Skeptical at first: “Flat-out resistance” to Two-Brain Incubator lessons.
27:57 – Putting in the work …
31:17 – … and watching it pay off.
34:15 – During No-Sweat Intros: “Shut up and listen,” and sell clients what they want.
36:48 – Dealing with objections to price.
39:49 – The importance of putting the right person in the sales seat.
43:19 – The results of the ad campaign: 70 leads, 31 No-Sweats and $21,000 in front-end revenue ($14,000 profit).
46:31 – Don’t be afraid when the leads dry up.
48:35 – And don’t be afraid to invest.
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