Run a Profitable Gym

NOTE: ALL CORONAVIRUS DATA ACCURATE AS OF TIME OF RECORDING ON MARCH 13, 2020.The spread of the coronavirus is affecting our industry faster than any of us anticipated. The good news is that we're in communication with Two-Brain gyms from all around the world, and we're getting data and experience live from the trenches to help gyms prepare for and make it through this situation. This is a recording of an open, digital town hell held Tuesday, March 13, 2020, in which Chris answered questions from and shared the experiences of hundreds of participants. Topics covered include:— How to set up online training (and offer it).— The messaging you have to give your clients.— What to tell your coaches.— Your best “emergency” plan.— What you’re covered for through insurance.— Steps to take with your landlord.— How to lead through this crisis.For the most up-to-date information and resources from Two-Brain Business on how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, visit Two-Brain Business.com.Links:Gym Owners UnitedFree ToolsBook a Free CallContact: chris@twobrainbusiness.comTimeline:2:18 – Even if you’re not worried, your clients are. 6:25 – Your job is to coach people.8:57 – Three tiers of online training.14:15 – Dealing with emotion, not logic. 15:04 – What to tell your coaches.19:33 – You need an emergency plan.22:27 – Mitigating expenses.28:12 – Does class size matter?30:44 – Join the “Gym Owners United” Facebook group.32:23 – Should you charge for suspending memberships?36:30 – Paying coaches.38:01 – Handling membership freezes.44:04 – Asking health-care workers to stay home.49:26 – Should you ask members to support your business during this time?54:42 – Should you stop marketing? 1:00:00 – Gym cleaning protocol and loaning out equipment.1:10:04 – Online training: the new leg on your chair.1:14:35 – Postponing events.1:21:19 – Step up and be a leader. 1:22:45 – Should you accept new members at this time?1:37:35 – What to tell your landlord.1:28:53 – What about CrossFit Kids?1:30:58 – Why you shouldn’t let your coaches train in your gym if your gym is closed.1:33:54 – Assuring your clients you have a plan.

Everything can change in an instant in the sport of fitness. A slip of the hand, a single no-rep—the story is not as linear as in other sports. Mike Roth is one of the guys who make it seem seamless.Mike—or "Rothy," as his crew calls him—has worked in sports television since 1984 and was the director of the CrossFit Games from 2011 through 2018. Nobody has directed more broadcasts of CrossFit events than he has.In this interview with Sean Woodland, Mike takes you behind the scenes of a CrossFit broadcast. He shares what it takes to weave a masterpiece on live TV, recounts when everything almost went off the rails and discusses what needs to happen for the CrossFit Games broadcast to return to its former glory.Links: Free ToolsBook a Free CallContact: Instagram: @rothy99Timeline:1:34 – What exactly does a sports TV director do?3:13 – Directing his first CrossFit Games: “Madness.”6:38 – Helicopters without cameras.8:50 – Working with Dave Castro.10:47 – How “never again” turned into another year covering the Games.13:25 – Turning the CrossFit Games into a legitimate TV sport.14:30 – Chaos at Camp Pendleton.17:11 – Going off the rails.22:15 – Finding a rhythm in 2013.23:54 – Proudest moments from an eight-year CrossFit Games directing career.25:58 – What future CrossFit broadcasts need in order to be successful.28:26 – Shattering the illusion: “It’s supposed to be magic to the people at home.”30:30 – What the broadcast of the sport needs to return to its former glory.34:51 – From director to athlete.38:31 – Hitting a 400-lb. deadlift PR at 53 years old and 130 lb.40:55 – Covering CrossFit: something special in a decades-long career.

Fast—and regular—communication is key for marketing and retention. Emails, text messages and calls at important steps in the lead-nurture process keep clients from falling through the cracks. But that takes a lot of time and energy. Plus, you have to remember to do it. So why not have the robots do it for you? This episode of Two-Brain Radio is all about automations. You'll learn what they are, which ones you need and how to build them so you get more time back in your day without sacrificing client connection.Links:Gym Lead MachineFree ToolsBook a Free CallContact:mateo@twobrainbusiness.commike@twobrainmedia.comTimeline:2:09 – Automations: What they are and why you need them. 4:01 – What effective automations do. 6:19 – The value of communication. 8:07 – Segmenting communications and automations. 9:48 – How to get contact information.13:18 – Getting the data to speak to all the right systems.18:05 – The appointment booking sequence.20:48 – The no-show/cancelation sequence.22:43 – The post-appointment follow-up.25:29 – The active-lead sequence.30:08 – Long-term lead nurture sequences.33:59 – Sequences for client retention.39:40 – Communications for established clients.41:55 – Why you need a cancelation form and automation.44:37 – The 10-word automation to get lost clients back.50:54 – What to do if you don’t have the time to build automations or the money for all the tech to make them play well together.

The growth mindset is all about seeing failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, and it's the mindset that entrepreneur Rebecca Boskovic credits for her success.Rebecca is the owner and head coach of The Fittest Me, a fitness studio in Suwanee, Georgia. She started her business after 15 years as a stay-at-home mom, and her goal is to help other women—5 million of them, to be exact—love the person they see in the mirror.Here, she speaks with Tiffy Thompson of Two-Brain Media about her battle with depression, the power of the growth mindset, embracing failure, taking risks and mentorship.Links:The Fittest Me"Mindset" by Carol DweckFree ToolsBook a Free CallContact: Instagram: @the_fittest_meTimeline:2:17 – On growing up with a predisposition for depression. 4:54 – How “Mindset” shifted Rebecca’s focus and perspective.7:10 – Growth vs. fixed mindset.8:54 – The growth mindset and willingness to fail.16:13 – Bringing the growth mindset to clients in the gym.20:45 – Why Rebecca loves working with overweight women in their forties.26:08 – Discovering Two-Brain and the power of mentorship.29:22 – Moving across the country to start her own business.31:36 – How listening to her mentor set her up for success.35:08 – Why the fitness industry is a great place for women.38:03 – Women and empathy.42:16 – Rebecca’s vision: to help 5 million women love the person they see in the mirror.

In 2012, Chandler Smith set a goal: to compete in the 2022 CrossFit Games. He made it in 2019 instead—and took 15th in his rookie year.But Chandler is more than an up-and-coming CrossFit Games athlete. He's also a West Point graduate and a captain in the United States Army.Here, he speaks with Sean Woodland about what it was like growing up the son of an NFL player, the challenges of attending West Point military academy and how achieving his goal four years early has helped him build confidence in the sport of fitness.Links:"Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief"Free ToolsBook a Free CallContact:Instagram: @blacksmifffTimeline:1:35 – What it’s like to have a dad in the NFL.4:59 – Finding a home in wrestling.7:41 – The inappropriate book swap that made Chandler want to join the Army. 10:17 – Applying to West Point.11:50 – Day One at West Point: The weight of infinite possibility.13:34 – Balancing wrestling and academics as a cadet.15:52 – Lessons learned from cadet training.17:42 – CrossFit as training for West Point.19:56 – Discovering his competitive edge.22:09 – Competing at Regionals for the first time.25:11 – The freak accident of 2017.29:52 – Recovering and learning to train with slightly less finger. 31:45 – Building confidence after a 40th-place Open finish in 2019.33:22 – Exceeding expectations at the Rogue Invitational.36:04 – The new structure of the Games and meeting his goal four years early.37:33 – Chandler Smith: Then and now.39:37 – Winning the Mayhem Classic and recovering from another hand injury.42:07 – Reflecting on it all: Proud to represent the unrepresented.

Billboards and TV ads are no longer relevant; today, marketing is all about digital media—and if you're not producing it, you're missing out.The good news is it's easier now than ever before to produce great content in house. All you need is a smartphone and a willingness to learn.Here, marketing expert Mateo Lopez and media expert Mike Warkentin share some simple steps you can take today to start producing your own content and developing your own marketing team.Links:Free ToolsBook a Free CallContact:mateo@twobrainbusiness.commike@twobrainmedia.comTimeline:5:06 – You don’t need to be an expert.6:55 – Learn to market for free.8:13 – Basic affinity marketing techniques you should be using.11:33 – The power of events.13:11 – The skills you need to produce great marketing content.14:52 – Start small and be consistent.16:52 – Be patient.18:30 – Be friendly.19:41 – You already have most of the technology you need right in your pocket.22:12 – How to get clean audio.23:03 – How to get a stable shot.25:07 – You don’t need fancy editing software, but you do need to edit. 27:35 – Why you should consider your business a mini media production company.30:17 – Taking things to the next level: What to do when you’re ready to put some $ behind your media.31:10 – True testimonial from the Two-Brain marketing course.

When was the last time you went to a gym that wasn't your own? And when was the last time you went to a gym that wasn't the same style of gym as your own?Certified Two-Brain mentor Brooks DiFiore spent an entire month doing just that. During this Month of Sweat, he went to Orangetheory. He went to Solidcore. Row House. Barry's Bootcamp. Brooks only visited one other CrossFit gym, and it wasn't to take the CrossFit class. The point wasn't to spy on or steal from the competition; it was to learn. In this episode hosted by Josh Martin of Two-Brain Coaching, Brooks shares what he learned on his fitness tour and how trying other gyms can help you level up your own.Links: "Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Thief"Book a Free CallArsenal StrengthContact: Instagram: @biceps_by_brooksTimeline:1:05 – Who is Brooks DiFiore?3:27 – The day Brooks tried Fran—and got his butt kicked by his mom.4:25 – From the family business to the fitness business.6:31 – The Month of Sweat.8:32 – Everything but Zumba.9:02 – Learning from Solidcore, where trainers must be motormouths.12:52 – When gym owners visit other gyms.14:10 – Taking your own gym experience to the next level by learning from others.16:55 – The boutique fitness-chain formula.19:08 – Highlighting commonalities between your gym and others to resonate with potential new clients.20:36 – Why CrossFit coaches should try other types of fitness classes.21:27 – Why CrossFit gym owners should try other types of fitness classes.25:07 – How trying other classes can be especially helpful for new coaches. 27:39 – How familiarity with other programs can help you relate to clients who’ve come from those gyms. 

Joe Corvo spent 11 seasons in the National Hockey League.During his career, he played for the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins. When he retired, he turned his focus to CrossFit and made the Games in 2018 in the 40-44-year-old division, where he took 7th overall.In this episode, he talks with Sean Woodland about his years in the NHL and his fondest memories from his career, what drove him to become a CrossFit competitor and how an unfortunate incident during his rookie year proved to be a turning point in his life.Links:Free ToolsContact:Instagram: @jcorvo77Timeline:1:36 – Falling in love with hockey.4:42 – On self-doubt.7:07 – Cross-checking John Marino.8:27 – Top memories from Joe’s pro-hockey career and why the guys called him “Lucky.”10:50 – The incident that changed his life.15:01 – Learning to move on afterward.16:43 – On parenting two teenage boys.18:45 – Fitness in the NHL.20:44 – Finding CrossFit.22:48 – Finding a new competitive outlet in CrossFit.26:36 – Qualifying for the 2018 Games as a master.30:24 – Why Joe doesn’t take PEDs.32:27 – His best Games event finish.33:40 – Performance anxiety in hockey vs. CrossFit.36:03 – Training as a master.39:00 – Competitive goals for the future.40:36 – The differing rewards of hockey and CrossFit.

What's the best picture for that ad? And the best copy? Which performs better, images or video? Marketers are constantly looking for ways to figure out what works best, and the latest hot trend is A/B testing.But what exactly does A/B testing entail, and should you be doing it? Digital-marketing expert Mateo Lopez puts it in plain English and gives his two cents on whether it's worth your while.Links:Free ToolsBook a Free CallContact:mateo@twobrainbusiness.commike@twobrainmedia.comTimeline:1:13 – What is A/B testing?3:50 – Variables on variables.5:52 – Why it might not be worth it for small businesses.8:47 – Testing controlled variables.11:33 – Why dynamic creative might be the better choice for your business.16:00 – Facebook is taking the reins on ads—you might want to let it.18:32 – When to go dynamic.20:04 – Letting Facebook sort the winners and losers.22:02 – How to set up dynamic creative. 

Many gym owners are so excited about helping their clients get fit that they forget one crucial thing: They need to actually sell those clients on fitness.They've heard the stereotype of the slimy salesman and that's not who they want to be. Or even if they're not afraid to sell, they don't know how to do it effectively. In this episode, you'll hear from one of Chris Cooper's first sales coaches, Joe Marcoux. Chris and Joe discuss the challenges entrepreneurs often face with sales, how to get over the "slimy salesman" mindset and how to prepare for and deal with objections.Links:joemarcoux.comContact:joemarcoux.comInstagram: @joe__marcouxTimeline:3:01 – How Joe became an expert in sales.8:42 – Why entrepreneurs struggle with sales.11:39 – Entrepreneurs need a baseline.13:08 – Getting over the “slimy salesman” mindset.14:58 – You have to ask for the sale.17:22 – Objection is not rejection.19:29 – Why even the best products don’t sell themselves.22:31 – Telling is not selling.24:41 – Responding to objections with acknowledgment and follow-up questions. 29:41 – How to handle objections and develop emotional resilience.35:06 – Exercises for practicing objection management.