Run a Profitable Gym

Every month, Two-Brain compiles a leaderboard of the top-performing gyms so we can find out what the best gyms are doing—and tell you.In December 2023, we focused on average revenue per member (ARM) at more than 1,000 gyms worldwide. ARM measures what clients are paying in return for the value a gym provides, and the businesses on our leaderboard provide a ton of value.The No. 1 gym earned just shy of US$800 per client per month—and that’s a rolling three-month average, not just a one-hit wonder. In today’s episode, Chris Cooper presents the Top 10 ARM leaders for December 2023 and shares the tactics behind the numbers, from Affinity Marketing (referrals) to adding new programs.If you want to hear more from these ARM leaders, our full episode with Kelly Lorenz will air Feb. 1, and Michaela Munsterman’s episode airs on Feb. 8. LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 0:55 - The Top 104:48 - How’d they get those ARMs?7:20 - Creating new programs8:53 - Building value12:47 - What stops gym owners

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin interviews longtime gym owner Ben Bergeron of CrossFit New England and CompTrain. After spending more than 15 years in the fitness industry as a gym owner and coach to CrossFit Games athletes including Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir, Ben says that virtuosity—mastery of the fundamentals—is essential in a successful gym business. He dials in on four basic areas where every gym owner can improve: leadership, product, marketing and finances. To help you build an amazing business, Ben shares his top tactics for continually improving your gym—from hiring the right employees to onboarding new clients to creating a vision and mission statement. If you want to hear more from Ben, he’ll speaking at the Two-Brain Summit this June in Chicago. LinksTwo-Brain Summit TicketsBen Bergeron on Instagram CompTrainGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 1:42 - Meaning of virtuosity10:21 - Someone good people work with20:47 - Creating a great environment33:38 - Building from scratch40:17 - Practical visualization

How do you dominate your local market? The key is focus: Don’t try to offer every service under the sun. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin is joined by Jack Wheeler of 360 Fitness in Red Deer and Sherwood Park, Canada. Jack’s flagship location does over 4,000 personal training sessions per month, and if you Google “personal training Red Deer,” his gym is the No. 1 result. If you just search “gyms Red Deer,” he’s still on Page 1, but not quite at the top. Jack owns the keyword “personal training” in his market because he dialed in and doubled down on his niche. Listen to find exactly how he did that, and learn about great tactics for gaining traction in your community, such as good-will marketing and going where your target clients are.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:31 - What’s changed?7:36 - Dominating the local market19:12 - Differentiate from online competition23:09 - Getting involved with the community34:50 - How Jack does marketing

Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper is a household name in his community of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where his gym, Catalyst Fitness, is located. He’s a true authority when it comes to dominating your local market.  In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin prompts Chris to reveal the strategies behind his success in making his gym the obvious choice for people in the community.Chris doesn’t mention huge ad spends and earth-shaking marketing campaigns. Instead, he talks about offering value to potential clients, having genuine conversations and maintaining a “Help First mindset.” Chris shares how he built a strong referral web and impressive email list long before the days of Facebook ads. And you might be surprised how powerful a simple cup of coffee can be.Tune in for actionable insights and proven methods from a seasoned pro. Then use Coop's tactics to make your gym the dominant fitness facility in your local market.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call 1:20 - Making local connections6:39 - No ads, just buns11:17 - Going where your clients are17:22 - Approaching clients and leads21:59 - Getting clients that don’t sign up right away

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