Most people are still working the same 40-hour workweek introduced just under 100 years ago, and gym owners often go way beyond 40. In fact, many work closer to 80 hours a week. This can quickly lead to burnout—a killer of small businesses. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper is joined by John Briggs, accountant and author of “Profit First for Microgyms.” The two discuss John’s latest book, “The 3.3 Rule.” In the book, John pushes back against the idea that entrepreneurs—and their teams—should work until they drop. Instead, they can maximize productivity and avoid burnout by structuring their workdays into periods of focused work and breaks. The structure is incredibly simple but effective—and it’s backed by science. John wrote the “The 3.3 Rule” because he was tired of seeing small businesses close shop; he wants to help entrepreneurs preserve the energy and focus they need to build stable, profitable businesses.Links"The 3.3 Rule"The 3.3. Rule websiteGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 0:35 - Inspiration for the 3.3 Rule8:23 - 3.3 Rule breakdown16:48 - Implementing the 3.3 Framework25:08 - 3.3 Rule and balance31:29 - Challenges with the 3.3 Rule

Virtuosity—it’s the theme of this year’s Two-Brain Summit. But what is it exactly? Simply put, virtuosity means mastery of the fundamentals. In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper discusses the basics that every gym owner should focus on and explains how mastering fundamentals will help you grow your gym faster than searching for new trends. The allure of novelty is strong, but the key to entrepreneurial success is maintaining focus on what matters most—from reading a profit and loss statement (P&L) to improving your close rate. Tune in to learn more, and we hope you’ll join us at the Two-Brain Summit this June in Chicago. LinksTwo-Brain SummitGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 0:53 - Practice virtuosity2:04 - Basics can be boring2:43 - The novice’s curse3:52 - Mastering the essentials5:47- Summary

Two-Brain’s most recent leaderboard tracked net owner benefit (NOB): salary, dividends and anything else the business pays for. Every single fitness entrepreneur in the Top 10 is earning between $15,000 and $25,000 per month from their gym.In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with one of these Top 10 earners to lay out the path to success.Ashley Reese, owner of Defining Moment Fitness in Charleston, South Carolina, shares how he jumped from earning $3,000 a month to $10,000 and beyond just by doing the “simple stuff” consistently well. So what are those simple things? Ashley invests his time and attention in three main areas of his business: leadership, the client journey and staffing. Listen to learn exactly how he leveraged his efforts to become one of Two-Brain’s top earners. Whatever you’re currently earning from your gym, sound, simple entrepreneurial strategies can help you boost your take-home pay. LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:54 - The simple stuff4:48 - Net owner benefit8:07 - Milestones and timelines11:51 - Why mentorship is important16:17 - The big jump

Competition season is approaching—and it can be a stressful time for gym owners, who often take on extra work without seeing a reward.To help, Two-Brain has a step-by-step, plug-and-play guide you can use to reduce stress, boost retention, make money and ramp up the fun during the Open.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper tells the origin story of the Intramural Open and how it’s been continuously improved over the last 13 years. The event has now been used in thousands of fitness businesses around the world, and it’s been proven to drive revenue and retention in gyms. The "2024 Intramural Open Guide" is packed with revenue generators, and Coop shares one with you today: He’s got a simple but effective tactic that will have a significant effect on key business metrics before the Open even begins.To get the full "2024 Intramural Open Guide," visit Gymownersunited.com and ask Coop for it by DM. LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:39 - CrossFit Open 2:08 - The Open is fun but it isn't everything4:15 - Intramural Open8:11 - Revenue-generating tactic10:41 - Copy my plan

As social media becomes flooded with fitness influencers, or “fitfluencers,” a new issue arises for gym owners: cameras in gyms.  Who’s liable when a member is in the background of a photo or video and doesn’t want to be? The gym owner or the media creator? The answer might surprise you. Believe it or not, cameras can cause serious headaches for gym owners. In some situations, they might lose members. In other cases, they could get dragged into costly, tedious lawsuits.  Here to break down the issue is gym-owning lawyer Matthew Becker of Gym Lawyers PLLC and Industrial Athletics in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.As Matthew spells out the problems related to cameras in gyms, he and host Mike Warkentin discuss potential solutions, which range from using specific language in contracts and waivers to installing designated, well-lit selfie stations to mitigate risk when people produce media.  Some gyms around the world have even opted to ban cameras altogether (see the link below for more info). Listen to learn more, and if you want to make sure your camera policy is as strong as possible—or if you have other gym-related legal questions—you can book a free intro with Matthew. LinksGymlawyers.com"Influencer Alert: Cameras Banned in Some U.K. Gyms"Gym Owners UnitedBook a Call06:42 - First scenario11:56 - Second scenario21:18 - Third scenario25:50 - Fourth scenario33:42 - Accepting the risk

Are you grinding all day every day and not seeing progress? Are you tired of pushing through discomfort and stress without any reward? It’s time for you to take action and thrive in 2024. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper shares a New Year’s message to help gym owners like you start 2024 strong. Once you start accomplishing personal and business goals, that success will even trickle down to your community and the people around you. Listen to learn how you can receive tactical, actionable advice nearly every day and make 2024 your best year ever.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:34 - Gym owners' success1:36 - What you can do3:03 - Tactics and action4:08 - Stay connected in 2024

As gym owners, it’s easy to get distracted by shiny new things. You might be tempted to run flashy promos, offer discounts or make strange additions to your service offerings. But the best way to grow your income is much simpler—albeit a bit less sexy. In this episode, host Mike Warkentin is joined by gym owner Nick Beal of CrossFit Casco Bay, who explains how to build wealth that compounds.A couple of key steps: Put systems in place and assess them regularly. Nick shares how consistent—and admittedly un-sexy—actions like these have increased his net owner benefit (NOB) and allowed him to build long-term careers for three full-time staff members. In turn, having dedicated staff and proven systems has freed up his attention to focus on other investments, like real estate, so he can continue building wealth both inside and outside his gym.Tune in to hear more of Nick’s wealth-building tips, and then go apply what you learn to your gym.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:18 - What is "unsexy stuff"?9:43 - Steady improvement and Nick's NOB strategy13:37 - Benefits of mentorship16:32 - A system for acquiring leads23:38 - Next steps for Nick

Imagine bringing home more than $15,000 each month. What would that do for you and your family?   This month’s leaderboard show is all about take-home pay: net owner benefit (NOB)—salary, dividends and any other benefits the business provides.Every single gym owner in the Top 10 is currently earning over $15,000 US per month, and the top earner’s number is even more impressive.These are not one-hit-wonders: Our leaderboard is based on three-month averages, showing sustainable, consistent income. In today’s episode, Chris Cooper presents Two-Brain’s Top 10 earners for November 2023. More importantly, he shares quotes from the leaders so you know exactly how they posted their numbers.Our November leaders had one thing in common—and it might surprise you as much as it did Chris.Listen, then take action to boost your NOB, too.  LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:36 - Gyms 4 to 104:40 - The Top 35:57 - How did they do it?11:34 - Mentorship and accountability

Many entrepreneurs think that their dream lifestyle will just appear when they achieve business success. But creating the life you want is harder than most people realize. It takes serious thought and planning, whether you want to work remotely on the beach all day or carve out three hours to play with your kids every afternoon. In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper chats with Ashley Haun, co-owner of Nika Athletics in DeLand, Florida, and owner of The Traveling Bee Business and Lifestyle Mentoring.In her mentoring business, Ashley helps entrepreneurs define their dreams, and then she helps them work backward to figure out how their businesses can make those dreams reality.Ashley believes there’s no limit to what your gym can provide for you. Tune in to learn how to start planning the life you want today. LinksInstagram: @braveashleyhaunAshleyhaun.comGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:43 - Succeed and keep building7:30 - A day in Ashley’s life13:53 - Feel good about success22:54 - How far can a gym owner go?29:05 - Be comfortable

Joleen and Leighton Bingham have about a million things going on. On top of being parents of three, they own multiple gyms, have an impressive real-estate portfolio, mentor other entrepreneurs through Two-Brain Business and travel regularly. In the last 13 months, they’ve been to Greece, Sweden, Portugal, San Diego and Nashville—to name just a handful of countries and cities. How can they possibly have the time for all this?In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper gets the Binghams to spill the secrets of their impressive time-management skills. They share how they develop an annual plan to map out what they want to accomplish for the year and balance their work, family and personal goals. Then Joleen explains how she breaks her days into blocks, ensuring she gets the most out of her time. Listen to find out how to manage your time better, and if you want to get in touch with Joleen and Leighton, contact them here: joleen.bingham@twobrainbusiness.comleighton.bingham@twobrainbusiness.com LinksInstagram: @joleenbingham and @leighton.binghamGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:04 - What about travel?06:34 - Talking properties14:20 - Build a plan to get there23:56 - Planning your schedule31:19 - Daily and annual planning