Run a Profitable Gym

Gym owner Chris Thacker reached over $1 million in gross revenue, but he had a problem: An expansion came with increased expenses, and Thacker was struggling to keep on top of the mounting bills. He wasn't paying himself what he was worth, either. So he called Two-Brain Business. With Two-Brain's guidance, Thacker got rid of discounts on training, shored up his service, increased his rates and ensured he was getting ROI on his expenses. Now with a longer onboarding process, and the addition of group coaching, the gym is running like a top and Chris is finally paying himself a good salary. To help you do the same thing, Chris will pull back the curtain and tell you exactly how he turned his business around to create the life he wants for his family.1:16 - The structure and history of The L.A.B. Gym16:22 - Rent, wages and scaling back25:54 - Working with a mentor33:34 - The steps to profitability39:54 - Goal reviews and retention49:34 - The value of mentorship and the future of The L.A.B.

You're making good money at your gym. You have great client retention and a solid headcount. Things are going well. So what now?In today's episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper helps you scale beyond your current gym. He discusses how to prepare your team to run your gym without you so you can tackle your next endeavor.  Chris also takes you through your options as an entrepreneur. Expand your gym? Open a second location? Start another business entirely? Once your gym's success has given you freedom, the future is up to you. This is what we call "Tinker Phase" in Two-Brain, and we have a program designed to help you find your full potential as an entrepreneur.LinkTinker Phase Mentorship0:51 - Options beyond your current gym01:48 - Testing the resilience of your gym03:00 - The key to long-term success09:09 - A business owner's three points of leverage15:14 - How to level up your staff

Can Two-Brain Business help gyms outside the U.S. and Canada? Yes!Two-Brain is the largest gym mentorship company in the world and has helped over 2,000 gyms all over the globe. We have  clients in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, France, Ireland, the U.K., Chile, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Japan and many other countries. Two-Brain also has multilingual mentors in a host of different countries. The main thing Chris Cooper has learned by helping business owners around the world: Some things translate and others don't. For example, rent rates might be different in Copenhagen and Sydney. But the concept of getting  maximum return on investment for your space is universal. So mentors always start with sound universal principles and then tailor exact business-building tactics to each unique gym.  In today's episode, Chris discusses how Two-Brain analyzes data to determine universal best practices a mentor can use to help individual gym owners all over the world, regardless of their currencies, customs or local situations. Listen to find out how Two-Brain can help you build your fitness business—wherever you are.LinksTwo-Brain Map: current mentorship clients0:33 - Whirlwind Two-Brain international tour2:24 - COVID adaptations worldwide3:06 - Creating systems with a global perspective3:37 - The Two-Brain Map5:07 - Mentors from around the world6:14 - All gyms worldwide: similarities and differences8:52 - Testing new systems in global markets

You want your business to run like a well-oiled machine—whether you’re there or not. But you can’t do that if the systems that keep the machine running are all in your head.In today’s episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper shares a valuable lesson from 2020 Summit speaker and retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink: Discipline equals freedom. The secret to generating more revenue in your gym isn’t raising rates or getting more clients. It’s discipline. It’s having systems and standards in place that staff and clients can understand. These rules will solve problems for them in the long run and leave very little room for mistakes. Instead of frustration, you'll have freedom.To ensure your gym runs exactly how you want it to run, listen to today’s episode and start focusing on discipline.Links"How to Make $100,000 Per Year With 150 Clients"01:11 - The problem with keeping your business in your head05:44 - Six reasons you're not making money08:44 - Fixing these problems through self-discipline10:51 - How to start laying out standard operating procedures14:59 - Stress-testing your systems and procedures18:15 - Using new freedom to grow your business

The CrossFit Games: You're there to watch the athletes and events. But what else would the clever affiliate owner do in Madison to grow a gym business?In today's episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper gives you some last-minute advice on tackling the Games correctly as an affiliate owner. He discusses the booths you should visit, the people you should meet, and the ways you can enhance the experience for yourself, your team and your community back home.Enjoy the 2022 Games!00:27 - Why the Games are valuable to affiliates02:01 - Visiting the Affiliate Lounge03:54 - Vendor Village booths you can't miss10:41 - Working out during the Games11:13 - Making your own media during the Games

How do you build an A+ staff?It's a critical question. Hire the wrong people and you'll have headaches. Put the right people in the wrong chairs and you'll have headaches. But if you get the right people in the right roles, your business will grow quickly, and you'll be surrounded with happy, talented team members who make life better for you and your clients.In this episode, Chris Cooper explains how Two-Brain hires mentors—and he'll tell you exactly how you can apply a similar process in your gym to find perfect staff members. 1:21 - Two-Brain's hiring process4:29 - The evolution of Two-Brain6:00 - ROI on mentorship7:00 - Hiring for your business

How did gym owner Brian Bott reach $426 and earn a spot on this month's average revenue per member leaderboard? Semi-private training!Bott's impressive stats are primarily the result of personal training done in groups of no more than four. This isn't "small-group training" where each client does a variation of the same workout. Instead, a highly skilled coach delivers completely individualized programming to three or four clients at the same time. In this podcast, Bott spills the secrets and lays out what you need to keep in mind if you want to set up a similar model for your gym. Brian explains how prices his offerings, develops coaches and creates careers, ensures a high level of service, retains members, and attracts new clients without spending money on ads.LinksThe 4/9ths ModelAffinity Marketing Guide1:15 - Brian's business model7:18 - Membership structure and pricing15:56 - Finding and onboarding clients19:10 - Staff training systems27:04 - Solving the "icon problem"32:13 - Annual and month-to-month memberships44:36 - How Brian finds high-value clients

Gym owner and Two-Brain Business Mentor Lisa Palmer earned a spot on the leaderboard this month with a $341 per month average revenue per member score.In this video, she shares the three simple strategies she employed to get there: 1. Athlete check-ins.2. Transformation packages.3. Choice. By truly getting to know her members' needs, Lisa calibrated her program to include specialty offerings that help clients hit their goals faster. These high-touch, high-value add-ons helped boost her gym's ARM from $120 to $341. You can do it, too.Links"Help First" by Chris Cooper3:39 - Putting a different value on fitness5:45  - Expanding higher-priced offerings: transformation packages8:15 - Social proof: demonstrating results to get clients12:00 - Creating a program that will solve problems for your ideal clients, pricing binder, sales process14:40 - Creating hybrid options20:53 - Accountability and action plans28:30 - Athlete check-ins and client-centered solutions32:46 - Add-ons

Ashley Haun, Nyree Segui and Scott Romijn were recipients of this year's Two-Brain Awards in the Coach Education and Opportunity, Future Star and Owner Lifestyle categories. These intrepid leaders were laser focused on developing their teams, laying the groundwork for future success and enjoying the fruits of their labor. We chat with them to find out about the obstacles they met along the way, how they were able to work through them and what lies on the other side. Whether you're shifting your business model, working through a rough patch or growing opportunities for your staff, this episode is filled with key insights to help you move forward.1:05 - Seats on the bus: Ashley Haun on reorganizing team1:47 - Ramen noodle numbers vs. filet mignon numbers2:58 - Number tracking 6:00 - Nyree Segui on developing systems, laying the foundation, raising rates7:21 - Becoming fearless9:00 - Building momentum11:33 - Scott Romijn on taking more time off12:00 - Building a team that runs the gym without you15:04 - Build systems first, then teach the next person

What sets the best gyms apart from the rest?In this episode, we talk to the recipients of this year's Two-Brain Awards for Gyms of the Year (Culture and Metrics) and Comebacks (Resilience). Kyle Cato, David Allen, Charlie Banfield and Rich Borgatti have weathered the past year with grace and fortitude, and they've come out even stronger. Cato and Allen were recognized as the top Two-Brain gym owners when it comes to culture and key performance indicators, and Banfield and Borgatti faced down huge challenges to earn special recognition.We get into what worked for them, what didn't, and how you can use what they've learned in your own situation.Links"Epic Training: A Comprehensive Guide to Obstacle Course Racing" by Rich Borgatti1:48 - Kyle Cato on what gym culture is and how he developed it3:57 - Fun, Family, Fitness5:05 - Creating a safe haven7:45 - Raising funds to build wells in Africa10:08 - David Allen on getting over the $1 million revenue line11:49 - Reorganizing staff according to strengths15:14 - Paying attention to your metrics18:34 - Telling the story of your business21:03 - Charlie Banfield on changing his business model22:11 - Impostor syndrome and taking charge23:45 - Charlie's advice for other gym owners26:48 - Rich Borgatti on not giving up27:59 - Survival as the driving force29:12 - Profit First30:28 - The pressure test35:37 - Rich's advice for recession-proofing your gym