Run a Profitable Gym

Two-Brain Radio: From $260 in Ads to $5,000 in Front-End Sales With Rachael O'DonnellIn September 2017, Rachael O'Donnell took the leap: She quit her job as a clinical social worker and closed her private practice to open Grit and Grace CrossFit in Gorham, Maine. Her social-work experience added tremendous value to what she had to offer as a coach, employer and leader, but she lacked the business skills she needed for her business to truly thrive. She was also uncomfortable with sales and marketing.After joining the Two-Brain family, Rachael learned how to offload low-value tasks so she could focus on the business—and she gained a new perspective on marketing: It's just helping people who need it.Links:https://fortimedesign.com/https://gritandgracecrossfit.com/Contact:https://gritandgracecrossfit.com/Instagram: @gritandgracecrossfitTimeline:3:35 – Using CrossFit to quit smoking.4:25 – From clinical social work to coaching CrossFit.6:13 – How Rachael’s social-work background helps her as a coach and leader.7:49 – Why “Grit and Grace”?8:51 – Turning to Two-Brain after working 90-plus-hour weeks.12:13 – The first payoff: getting time back and getting closer to Perfect Day.14:52 – On hiring coaches.18:28 – When evaluating new or potential staff, watch what they do, not what they say.20:13 – Grit and Grace core values.22:11 – Implementing core values into if-then scenario practice.25:23 – Turning $260 in ad spend into $5,000 in front-end revenue.26:53 – Leads are just people who need help.28:24 – Overcoming discomfort with the sales process.30:55 – The key to success: knowing when you need help. 

Food for Thought Friday - What Nutrition Program Are You Running?Confused about the difference between Precision Nutrition and Healthy Steps Nutrition?Think of it like the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course and Two-Brain Business: One teaches you the foundations of the program and the other teaches you how to run a business. 

Two-Brain Radio: When You Have to Let a Staff Member GoToday we've got a short—but important—episode for you that addresses one of the most daunting tasks a gym owner can face: letting a staff member go.It's never fun or easy, but there are steps you can take to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible for all parties. Here, Greg Strauch shares what to tell your staff and clients as well as a checklist of important tasks to ensure a clean break.Links: https://foreverfierce.com/Contact: greg@twobrainbusiness.comTimeline:2:47 – When letting a staff member go, what should you tell your members? 4:35 – What if the staff member still wants to be a member of your gym?5:24 – What to talk about in the exit interview. 6:48 – Remove access to all business software and communication platforms.9:56 – Protect your intellectual property.10:49 – Let them say goodbye, but only through an email that you approve and send.11:57 – Resources for the situation: client-letter templates and the fire escape plan.13:21 – Stay neutral with your remaining staff: Don’t bash the former employee.15:22 – Have more questions? We’re here to help.

Two-Brain Radio: Incorporating Strongman Movements Into CrossFit With Rob OrlandoIn this episode, Sean talks with four-time CrossFit Games competitor and strongman subject-matter expert Rob Orlando. Rob has competed at the CrossFit Games three times as an individual and once as a master. He also runs the Hybrid Athletics Strongman Course.Rob talks about his days as a competitor, why he decided to incorporate strongman movements into CrossFit workouts and what possessed him to do the benchmark workout Grace with a 300-pound barbell.Links:https://www.hybridathletics.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXContact: Instagram:@crossfitrobo@hybridathletics@hybridwodsTimeline:1:37 – From toy weight set to bodybuilder to strongman to CrossFitter.4:15 – Finding CrossFit halfway through a tub of ice cream.5:01 – Rob’s first CrossFit workout: Fran at 135 lb. with strict pull-ups.6:47 – Morphing from big and strong to all-around fit.7:42 – Rob’s first CrossFit competition: The 2009 Regional. 9:41 – Remembering the 2009 CrossFit Games at the Ranch in Aromas. 13:24 – Watching the sport evolve into the Reebok era.16:33 – Sharing video content with CrossFit Inc.18:55 – Grace at 300 lb.23:17 – How adding strongman movements to CrossFit workouts gets people fit faster.25:42 – Scaling strongman for the average athlete.26:57 – Presenting his strongman seminar to Dave Castro: an exercise in “Drive-by Braille.”30:09 – How to add strongman movements into your regular CrossFit programming.32:55 – Resources for programming strongman/CrossFit hybrid workouts.34:03 – Deadlifting 550 lb. as a masters athlete: “No finish line to the strength game.”37:36 – Prioritizing long-term fitness over day-to-day results.38:20 – Wearing the broadcaster’s headset.39:32 – Looking to the future: Blinders on at the box, inventing new toys and refreshing the seminar.

Two-Brain Radio: From Backyard Boot Camp to Profitable Multi-Gym Business James Mawson, owner of Tribe Mvmnt in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia, began in 2010 by training one person in his backyard, his only piece of equipment a large rock. But he got results, and one client turned into five—which soon turned into more than 50. Six months after opening a brick-and-mortar gym, he had nearly 100 clients.But growth eventually stagnated, and James knew he needed to make a change. So he joined Two-Brain Business. Though he was skeptical at first, the investment paid off. After implementing the practices he learned in the Incubator and taking the time to curate high-quality digital ads, James recently raked in $21,000 in front-end sales after spending $1,100 on ads. In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, you'll learn all about what it was like to grow a gym from a backyard side hustle to a thriving business and how patience pays off when it comes to the Two-Brain Marketing plan.Links:https://www.tribemvmnt.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR0M7sUU6cVZ6cMLkWjS5zAcrVMAf_nlE40iJ-wi7B3kYKnzhodxfjl_RaAhttps://foreverfierce.com/Contact:Instagram: @tribemvmntTimeline:3:05 – A brief history of Tribe Mvmnt.6:38 – Starting a personal-training business in the backyard.8:49 – Growing the backyard gym: Kettlebells, tractor tires and kegs from the local pub.10:31 – Moving into an actual gym.11:10 – Words of wisdom: Don’t borrow money for equipment.14:34 – 6:30 p.m.: Train a client. 8:30 p.m.: Have a baby. 17:00 – Why you should always hire from within. 19:09 – Pre-Two-Brain: No job descriptions and no contracts.23:09 – When the growth stops: “It’s time to make a change.”24:42 – Skeptical at first: “Flat-out resistance” to Two-Brain Incubator lessons.27:57 – Putting in the work … 31:17 – … and watching it pay off.34:15 – During No-Sweat Intros: “Shut up and listen,” and sell clients what they want.36:48 – Dealing with objections to price.39:49 – The importance of putting the right person in the sales seat.43:19 – The results of the ad campaign: 70 leads, 31 No-Sweats and $21,000 in front-end revenue ($14,000 profit).46:31 – Don’t be afraid when the leads dry up.48:35 – And don’t be afraid to invest.

Food for Thought Friday - What to Do When a Staff Member Messes UpEveryone makes mistakes. But how should you handle it if an employee makes the same mistake over and over? The answer: Have a plan in place. Here, Greg Strauch shares his. 

Why Two Croatian Gym Owners Invested a Year's Salary in the IncubatorIgor Jelcic and Dino Molnar both own CrossFit gyms in Croatia, where the cost of the Incubator translates to roughly an entire year's salary for the average Croatian. Both Igor and Dino experienced some tough times in the early days of their businesses. Igor's gym, 20350 Athletics, was on the brink of total failure, and while Dino had new members joining CrossFit Rijeka each month, he had trouble keeping them around. Each of the gym owners had been longtime fans and followers of Two-Brain Business but hesitated to buy in because of the price. But after taking the leap, both said the investment was totally worth it—and both ended up more than doubling their monthly revenues.Links:https://crossfit20350.com/https://www.facebook.com/crossfitrijeka/https://growyournutritionbusiness.comTimeline:3:23 – Finding CrossFit on YouTube, opening a gym and losing a partner.5:24 – Reaching an ultimatum: Join Two-Brain for a year’s salary or close the doors.7:30 – “I would pay even 10k now for the things that I know now.”9:03 – Using ads for personal training to increase revenue by 300%.12:35 – The reward for trying something new: more than doubling your revenue.15:37 – The future of 20350 Athletics.20:33 – Bringing CrossFit to a regular gym, getting fired and starting CrossFit Reijka.23:15 – Opening with 50 members and 12-hour workdays.24:20 – Stuck at the 100-member mark: A problem of retention.25:34 – Finding answers within Two-Brain content.27:53 – Taking the plunge into Incubation.30:03 – Signing on 15-17 new members with a $20 ad.31:38 – How those 15-17 members turned into 45.34:28 – The key to retention: providing a great experience.

Two-Brain Radio: Bridging Functional and Aesthetic Fitness With Dave LipsonIn this episode, Sean Woodland speaks with the co-founder of Thundrbro, Dave Lipson. Dave is a former CrossFit Seminar Staff member and CrossFit Games competitor. He's also husband to 2014 Fittest Woman on Earth, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, and the co-founder of Thundrbro: A training and lifestyle brand whose mission is to make the world a better place through physical training, mental toughness with a winning mindset, and elevating those around you. Sean speaks with Dave about how he is bringing together the functional and aesthetic fitness worlds, what motivated him to do that and how hypertrophy training can help CrossFit athletes of all levels.Links: https://thundrbro.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXContact:Instagram: @davefreakinglipsonhttps://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXTimeline:2:03 – Finding CrossFit: Is that a gym or a crack house?4:50 – Life on the Seminar Staff: Educate, inspire and entertain.7:25 – On loving CrossFit but learning other methodologies, too.10:01 – The dichotomy between CrossFit and bodybuilding: Why?11:02 – What the two fitness worlds can learn from each other.12:32 – Defining hypertrophy training.14:54 – How hypertrophy training can help CrossFitters. 17:55 – What does a Thundrbro workout look like?19:07 – The 90-Day Get Huge program.21:18 – The scalability and accessibility of the program.24:36 – Getting turned down by CrossFit and launching a business of his own.26:52 – Thundrbro in overview: Fitness plus bodybuilding and a worldwide online challenge.30:17 – The response from the bodybuilding community.32:24 – How to join Thundrbro.

Two-Brain Radio: Expanding Beyond CrossFit With John BartholomeoJohn Bartholomeo is the owner of Mohawk Valley Wellness in Marcy, New York. Mohawk Valley Wellness originally began as CrossFit Mohawk Valley eight years ago. For most of that time, the gym enjoyed steady growth due to word-of-mouth referrals. But when John decided to expand and offer programs in addition to CrossFit, he struggled to get people in the door.Today, after just four months of mentorship with Two-Brain, John has totally overhauled his marketing and intro processes and recently signed up 33 new members in less than eight weeks. In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, he shares how and why he rebranded his gym to offer more than just CrossFit, how he oversees a 13,000-square-foot facility with multiple programs running simultaneously and how he uses paid advertising to reach more prospective clients. Links: https://mohawkvalleywellness.com/https://growyournutritionbusiness.comContact: john@mohawkvalleyfitness.comTimeline:3:18 – The early days, when getting members used to be easy.5:24 – The state of the competition.7:15 – Why seek out mentorship?9:23 – The key to longevity: Relationship-building.11:34 – Lessons learned from the Two-Brain Summit: Regular communication with staff.13:27 – Expanding into a larger space and adding more service offerings.15:13 – Struggling to sell: “We couldn’t give away a gym membership at New Year’s.”16:26 – Programs offered and the layout today.22:02 – Selling smiles and laughter.22:48 – Learning how to sell from Two-Brain mentor Sherman Merricks.23:45 – The intro process and the Prescriptive Model. 26:37 – Overhauling paid advertising and the lead-nurture process.30:26 – The importance of tracking lead and sales metrics. 31:47 – Making your waiting area close the sale for you.35:19 – The importance of balance: Look to the future, but don’t neglect the present.

Food for Thought Friday - Where Do You Draw The Line?Which is a better business decision: to lump all your specialty classes into your unlimited group rate or to charge for them separately? Though the former might seem like a great package when it comes to marketing, what it actually does is diminish the value of those services. At the same time, if you ever decide to stop offering a specialty class, your members will feel like they're now paying more for less.