Run a Profitable Gym

CrossFit Mondego has 429 members—and they’re not bleeding out the door.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike Warkentin sits down with one of CrossFit Mondego’s owners, Luísa Mesquita, to find out exactly how she and her partners transformed a gym with high churn into a 400-plus-member powerhouse with great retention.Luísa breaks down the key additions that fueled their explosive growth, including a data-driven referral funnel that consistently brings in new leads without ad spend.In addition to expanding client count, CrossFit Mondego has boosted its revenue with a high-value on-ramp program, as well as small-group and hybrid training.Luísa explains how her Two-Brain mentor, Brian Foley, helped the gym’s owners make gradual changes to move the needle and scale with sustainable systems—without burning out.Listen to Luísa's full story, and then use her tips to build a gym where more people stay longer and pay more.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call  2:12 - How retention has increased5:32 - The impact of on-ramp12:50 - Additional programs driving growth19:47 - Hyrox at a CrossFit gym24:30 - Why Luísa slowed down ads31:56 - Advice for getting more clients

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper presents the leaderboard for gyms with the most paying members.Coop reveals what the leaders have in common: They all focus on improving business fundamentals—such as retention, staffing and repeatable systems—instead of chasing shiny objects such as ad campaigns.Another commonality: boosting average revenue per member (ARM) rather than just adding a ton of cheap, new members. To accomplish this, many have added high-value options such as small group training, personal training and Hyrox programming.Chris also shares real quotes from these leaders, including one from an owner whose gym halved its ad spend while increasing front-end revenue.Tune in to hear tips from top gym owners for growing your client headcount without spending your hard-earned profit on advertising.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 0:01 - Intro1:42 - Gyms with the most clients3:05 - What they have in common4:53 - Quotes from the leaders9:43 - CrossFit gyms in Europe

Gym owner Aaron Scott followed Two-Brain content for six years before finally signing up for mentorship. When he did, everything changed.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Aaron shares exactly how he doubled his revenue at CrossFit Structure in the U.K.—without dramatically increasing his client count.He reveals how implementing high-value onboarding, raising rates with confidence and improving back-end systems helped him grow monthly revenue from £7,500 to over £15,000.With mentorship, Aaron also increased average revenue per member (ARM) by £40 and tripled his length of engagement (LEG).Building the right systems allowed Aaron to reduce stress and buy back hours so he can spend more time with his family. If you’ve been sitting on a pile of free content but still feel stuck, tune in to hear what happened for this gym owner when he finally started working with a business expert.LinksThe Prescriptive ModelGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 1:28 - Before and after mentorship6:00 - Results using free resources7:44 - Immediate changes with a mentor11:60 - Three rate increases15:49 - Aaron’s recent accomplishments

If your gym isn't paying you at least $100,000 a year, you need to listen to this podcast—or check it out on YouTube to see the visuals.Chris Cooper shares the six reasons gym owners fail and provides the tools fitness entrepreneurs need to solve these problems.Coop was a struggling gym owner, too, and this is the exact video that would have saved him 15 years ago when he was struggling to pay the rent as an overworked, underpaid gym owner.The data-backed, battle-tested resources in this video have:Helped over 2,700 gym owners take home 24.9 percent more than the average gym owner.Produced almost 300 gym owners who earn six figures or more.Minted almost 60 new millionaires.There’s no catch. Two-Brain leaves no gym behind. These resources are designed to give you a few quick wins and help you build momentum. Get our A+, gym-saving resource package today.To move faster and accomplish your goals sooner, work with a mentor. A mentor analyzes your business and tells you exactly what to focus on right now so you don’t get overwhelmed.Because all the knowledge in the world is useless without action.LinksFree Tools Package for Gym OwnersBook a Strategy SessionGym Owners United1:11 - Problem 1: Inconsistent Lead Generation4:27 - Problem 2: Charging Less Than You’re Worth7:49 - Problem 3: High Churn15:27 - Problem 4: Underpaying Yourself16:49 - Problem 5: Flying Blind on the Numbers21:43 - Problem 6: Finding and Keeping Great Staff

Robin Sowden-Taylor added Hyrox to his gym and credits it with bringing in 30+ new clients and thousands in extra revenue.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin talks with Rob, owner of ION Strength & Conditioning in Wales, who opens up his books and shares the exact ROI he’s getting from Hyrox. He breaks down what he’s paying, what he’s earning and how the program has improved lead generation and member retention—without changing his gym’s core identity.Rob runs Hyrox classes alongside his existing strength-and-conditioning model, filling underused class times while generating additional revenue and community engagement from Hyrox events.If you’re considering affiliation or looking for a new revenue stream, tune in to hear exactly what Hyrox delivered for ION Strength & Conditioning.LinksHyrox in a CrossFit Gym Gym Owners UnitedBook a Call  1:02 - ROI on Hyrox affiliation6:13 - Rob’s pricing and retention11:15 - Extra revenue from events12:52 - Is it difficult to get started?16:30 - Adding Hyrox to a CrossFit gym

Is affiliation worth it—or is it just another unnecessary expense?In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper breaks down how to measure the true value of an affiliation or licensing agreement, using clear steps and real-world examples from brands such as CrossFit, Hyrox, CNU Stretch and Parisi Speed School.You’ll learn what affiliation actually gives you (and what it doesn’t), how it compares to franchising and where a brand fits into your gym’s business structure. Coop introduces a simple ROI formula to help you determine whether affiliation is helping you attract clients, generate revenue and improve retention—or just adding complexity without a clear return.Whether you’re considering affiliation or questioning the value of your current brand, this episode will help you make a data-driven decision instead of guessing.LinksAffiliation Comparison Chart Affiliation Value FormulaGym Owners UnitedBook a Call  0:01 - Intro0:49 - What does affiliation buy?5:13 - Where a brand fits in your gym9:01 - How to measure affiliation value11:07 - Other revenue from affiliation

Staffing problems can destroy your gym’s momentum—and your sanity. But with the right systems and mindset, they’re solvable.In this episode of Run a Profitable Gym, host Mike Warkentin talks with gym owner Chris Williams about the staffing chaos he inherited when he bought his gym.Chris shares the HR disasters that nearly wrecked his business and lays out the steps he took to rebuild trust, create structure and increase professionalism. He explains how he turned a gym run by friends into a real business and gained the freedom to step away from day-to-day operations. He also breaks down his evaluation system, describes his pathways for staff advancement and explains how he approaches hard conversations with employees.Staffing problems aren't unavoidable, but they are fixable. Tune in to become a better leader for your team!For more help, use the link below to join Gym Owners United and get the free “7 Deadly Sins of Staffing” guide.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 0:37 - Staffing horror stories11:27 - Systemizing the business13:48 - Documenting roles and responsibilities20:24 - Preventing staffing issues28:20 - What gym owners can do today

Staffing is the biggest and most important investment you'll ever make in your gym. Get it right and your business grows. Get it wrong and everything stalls.Today, Chris Cooper unpacks the seven deadly staffing sins that create chaos, kill growth and keep gym owners chained to day-to-day operations.From hiring out of desperation to keeping people too long, each staffing mistake is pulled from real conversations with gym owners who’ve felt the consequences.You’ll probably recognize a few of these mistakes in your own business. You might even realize you’re committing all seven sins. Coop's got absolution and solutions for you. Tune in to hear how top-performing gyms build strong, reliable teams, then take action to do the same.To get the full guide, join Gym Owners United via the link below. LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call  2:22 - Lack of clarity and defined roles7:06 - Over-incentivizing and promoting13:08 - Hiring in desperation16:55 - Keeping people too long19:30 - Abdicating instead of delegating

What if your gym was fully booked and highly profitable all summer long?While many gym owners brace for a summer slump, Debbie Rosslan ramps up with youth programs such as jump training, volleyball development, and speed and agility, which keep her gym full and profitable. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin talks with Debbie about how she uses kids camps to generate consistent revenue during the months of the year when many gym owners struggle. Debbie breaks down how she structures her camps, prices them for profitability and keeps kids coming back year after year. She also shares tips on low-cost marketing and explains why parents happily pay premium rates for her kids programs. Skip the summer slump this year. Instead, listen in as Debbie shares her playbook for a packed and profitable gym. Then take action today.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call  0:35 - Summer opportunities for gym owners3:52 - Revenue from a kids program5:27 - Setting up a kids program10:20 - Filling and marketing a kids program15:18 - How to get started now

Summer is coming, and for many gym owners, that means holds, cancellations and a painful dip in revenue—but it doesn’t have to.The summer slump is natural if you don't take action: Clients go on vacation, they trade your programmed workouts for outdoor activities in the sunshine, and kids who are home from school force routine changes.But when clients stop coming to the gym consistently, they lose the momentum they’ve built, making it harder to get them to restart in the fall.Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper gives you a tactical action plan for getting ahead of the summer slump in 2025.He breaks down practical strategies for improving summer retention and boosting revenue with seasonal programs, such as offseason athlete camps. You’ll also learn how to offer remote coaching and travel prescriptions so you can keep clients engaged even when they’re outside the gym.Tune in to hear a complete plan you can apply to your gym today and use every year to make summer a strong season.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call  3:25 - Pre-sell fall engagement5:00 - Seasonal programs and events7:37 - Camps and programs for offseason athletes9:06 - Remote training programs12:29 - Vacation training plans