Run a Profitable Gym

The CrossFit affiliate community has endured a lot of tumult over the last two years. Now, after surviving a global pandemic and watching leadership change hands at the CrossFit Home Office, affiliate owners want to know: What's next? In this episode, Chris Cooper goes straight to the source in an exclusive interview with Eric Roza, CrossFit's new owner and CEO. Tune in to learn about Eric's approach to rebuilding trust in the brand and for details about how CrossFit LLC is working to increase the value of affiliation by providing resources to help gym owners grow and sustain their businesses.Links:Book a free call with a Two-Brain mentorFree ToolsGym Owners UnitedTimeline:0:40 – Rebuilding trust as CrossFit’s new owner and CEO.3:21 – Where CrossFit LLC can help affiliate owners most.5:08 – “Tools, not rules.”9:43 – Why CrossFit Affiliate Programming? 12:50 – Getting people in the door and keeping them there.15:52 – What is CrossFit’s new OnRamp program? 18:18 – Re-engaging the affiliate community. 24:01 – The CrossFit affiliate playbook. 25:49 – What to expect regarding affiliation fees.29:01 – What the CrossFit Foundation’s up to now.34:56 – The state of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at CrossFit.36:12 – Balancing the mission of CrossFit with revenue needs. 37:51 – Reflections after one year in.

So you've got a strong gym business. Maybe you've opened a second or even a third location — and now you want to go even bigger. How do you turn a couple home-spun gyms into a fully scaled operation taking your town by storm? It's simple. Literally. Here, Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains how simplicity is key when scaling up your business and exactly what steps to take before you expand.Links:Gym Lead MachineForever FierceGym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:07 – What successful franchisors have in common.7:14 – How to scale up your business.8:59 – Who not to hire. 9:36 – Systemize your operations. 10:00 – Systemize your sales process.11:12 – Systemize your marketing. 12:57 – Scale your staff.15:45 – Simplicity scales.

There's a gym-business guru around every corner of the internet trying to sell you their program. The problem is that most of those "gurus" don't own gyms and have no experience in the industry — and you can't afford to spend all your time and money doing their experimentation for them.That's our job. At Two-Brain, we try all the latest tricks, techniques and resources for you. We test them, track the results, and tell you whether they work and who they work best for. Here, Chris Cooper shares what we found when we tested whether Clubhouse and Sell By Chat help gym owners close more leads.Links:"Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief"Chalk It ProDriven NutritionGym Owners UnitedTimeline:00:48 – The lie entrepreneurs tell themselves.2:36 – Why testing is more important now than ever. 4:24 – Testing at Two-Brain.6:22 – Two-Brain’s review: Clubhouse7:39 – Two-Brain’s review: Sell By Chat13:07 – How an iPad can help you close more sales.17:54 – The question you need to ask before trying the next big thing.

When you first opened your gym, the goal was simple: Survive. And you did. You grew, hired some staff, and have a profitable business. Now what? Unless you're happy just working the job you've bought yourself for the rest of your life, you've got to level up. At Two-Brain Business, we call that "Tinker Phase," or when entrepreneurs have grown their businesses and mentored their staff so well that they don't need to run it anymore, leaving them free to invest their time and resources into other things and help even more people. Here, Two-Brain Founder Chris Cooper will tell you exactly how to get there.Links:ArboxAGuardReal Estate: The Secret to Wealth for Gym Owners?"Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief"Timeline:2:52 – The phases of the entrepreneurial journey.4:46 – Don’t slide backward.7:31 – Re-invest your wins.8:23 – Hit “save game.”8:53 – Hire a manager.9:10 – Don’t repeat your mistakes.9:33 – Mentor your staff.9:59 – Become antifragile.10:21 – Keep your hands out of the machine.11:19 – Growing your assets.11:54 – Test one thing at a time.13:38 – How to leverage your audience.16:55 – How to leverage your cash.18:41 – How to leverage your time.20:55 – The Two-Brain Tinker program.22:42 – Why you need to mentor your staff.23:43 – How to mentor your staff.27:37 – How to light your staff on fire.

Your clients are burned out. They've been working from, schooling from home, and ordering lots of take-out. Now, they're looking to you for help.  Where do you begin? Should you have them track macros and meal-prep every week? Or is it more realistic to focus on one simple change they can make today?Registered dietician and Nutrition Rx founder Jen Broxterman — also the creator of the Two-Brain Nutrition Coaching course — joined Two-Brain Business mentor Josh Martin to answer those questions and more.Tune in to learn how to take a client-centered approach to nutrition coaching that gets results. Links:Beyond the WhiteboardDrink O2Two-Brain Nutrition CoachingTimeline:2:43 – What your clients are struggling with right now.7:00 – Look out for “shoulds.”8:55 – How to be honest, but not mean.13:17 – Getting emotional is a good sign.15:19 – Beginners complicate, experts simplify.20:17 – Why coaching the simple things is still a valuable service.23:56 – Group nutrition coaching.28:26 – Letting clients — and the scarcity mindset — go.34:42 – Coaching to the client’s goals, not yours.39:41 – There are plenty of people that need your help.43:57 – Accountability or codependence?

Are you an accidental fat-shamer? On July 1, Pinterest released a press release banning weight-loss testimonials, products and before-and-after pictures.  Pinterest isn't the only company to move in that direction; online, the debate rages: If you're selling nutrition and fitness coaching, are you body shaming? Or helping people get what they want? It's a complex subject, so Two-Brain Radio host Mike Warkentin brought in an expert, psychotherapist Bonnie Skinner. In this episode, she explains how triggers — like before-and-after pictures — work, the difference between self-worth and weight, and how gym owners can use language to clarify exactly what they're selling. Links:Drink O2Level MethodGym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:17 – What’s the problem with before-and-after pictures?4:19 – What happens beneath the surface when someone looks at your ad.6:33 – “Nobody can make you feel anything.”9:25 – Self-efficacy and self-improvement. 10:59 – The messages we’re sending our brains.13:19 – How to connect with people without triggering shame.16:57 – How to advertise weight loss.20:53 – Responding to backlash. 23:26 – How to use before-and-after pictures responsibly.26:16 – What are you actually selling?31:54 – All about reframing. 

Jordan Fink quit his day job and bought a gym in early 2020.  No sooner had he signed the papers than came the mandatory COVID-19 gym shutdown.  He didn't even meet his new staff until months after he'd become their new boss.From there, Jordan endured multiple member mass exoduses and roller-coastering revenue. At one point, he even started dusting off his resume. Today, after starting mentorship with Two-Brain and learning to sell high-value packages to give people the help they need, Jordan's posting the highest revenue numbers he's ever seen. Get to know the winner of Two-Brain's 2021 "Comeback of the Year" award in this episode.Links:Clearlake CrossFitChalk It ProTwo-Brain CoachingGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:21 – Buying a gym at the start of a pandemic.4:00 – ”What have I done?”7:51 – Mass exodus.10:10 – Seeking mentorship.16:13 – Initiating the comeback.20:43 – Diversifying revenue streams.21:40 – The second mass exodus.23:56 – Learning to sell high-ticket services.29:25 – Embracing being the comeback king.33:54 – It’s easy to get advice. The hard part? Acting on it. 

At the 2021 Two-Brain Summit, psychotherapist Bonnie Skinner spoke about fear. And when she asked gym owners to share one of their top fears, Justin Keane shared a big one — in front of thousands of other entrepreneurs.Doing so went against his very nature. Justin would much rather stay silent than show vulnerability. But as he learned from Bonnie's presentation and through practice with his own staff and members at Woodshed Strength and Conditioning, being open, honest and vulnerable can increase your team's trust in you and make your business stronger.Links:Bonnie SkinnerJason Cohen: How Embracing Vulnerability Improved My Gym BusinessWhy You Feel Like an Imposter: And What You Can Do About ItIncite TaxTwo-Brain ProgrammingGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:43 – Why Justin shared his fear at the Summit.4:58 – How to balance showing vulnerability with being a leader.10:11 – Examining yourself.15:14 – Learning about the shadow self.19:33 – One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make.23:56 – Find your Cordelias.29:02 – One thing you can do today to be a better, more communicative leader.

Mike Collette is the winner of Two-Brain Business' 2021 award for metrics (he won it in 2020, too). His secret to getting great numbers? Build great staff members.Here, he joins Mike Warkentin to talk about leadership: how to develop it in yourself and cultivate it amongst your staff through mentorship.Links:Prototype Training SystemsBeyond the WhiteboardIncite TaxFree Resources!Gym Owners UnitedJason Cohen: How Embracing Vulnerability Improved My Gym BusinessHandling Difficult Conversations, With Per MattssonPerks at Work free online classesTimeline:1:38 – Why you should mentor your staff.4:13 – Where gym owners go wrong when trying to lead.5:57 – How to let your staff fail.9:34 – Why you need to meet one-on-one with each staff member regularly.11:21 – Small changes lead to big results.13:18 – Learning to lead with Next Jump.20:32 – The first step to becoming a better leader: self-awareness.23:31 – What happens when you invest in mentoring your staff.25:40 – Getting better at tough conversations.28:52 – Two steps to take today if you want to be a better leader.  

We don't sell mentorship to burn a hole in your pocket. We sell mentorship to help you make even more money than you spent on it in the first place. With a return on investment of $10,000 per month, Charlie Lima of BoomFit in College Station, Texas, is doing just that — plus some. Here, he shares how the lessons he's learned from multiple Two-Brain mentors have helped him earn more, develop his staff and improve his own leadership skills. You'll also learn the two key things you can do today to make sure you get great ROI on calls with your mentor. Links:BoomFitGym Lead MachineForever FierceGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:16 – Justifying the cost of mentorship.4:35 – How mentorship has transformed and improved Charlie’s business.8:43 – Working with multiple mentors.15:39 – How to get value out of sessions with your mentor. 19:06 – Mentorship, accountability and vulnerability.21:33 – Setting ego aside.24:31 – Career roadmap sessions for staff.30:28 – How to get a good ROI on staff meetings.36:22 – Combing staff development and sales.39:40 – The most important thing you need to do to get a great ROI from mentorship.