Run a Profitable Gym

Two-Brain Radio: Chase IngrahamOn this edition of Two-Brain Radio, Sean talks with former Games athlete and current CrossFit broadcaster Chase Ingraham.Chase has been involved in CrossFit since 2008. He currently owns CrossFit Big D in Dallas, Texas. He competed at the Games in 2010 as an individual and has also been to the Regionals five times. Chase was a member of the CrossFit Games media team and most recently served as an analyst alongside yours truly on the Rogue Iron Game in Madison, Wisconsin, for the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games.He and Sean talk about how he got into the broadcast side of the sport, growing up as the son of two high-level athletes and some of his most memorable performances as an individual athlete.Links: https://crossfitbigd.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXContact: Instagram: @chase_ingrahamTimeline: 1:49 – Becoming a CrossFit Games broadcaster.4:16 – Learning how to BE a broadcaster.8:32 – How being a coach and a former competitor informs Chase’s work as an analyst.12:21 – His best broadcast memories aren’t of the sport, but of the people. 14:39 – Being born into a family of superstar athletes.22:28 – Finally finding his sport in water polo.27:59 – Finding CrossFit post-collegiate athletics and “cheating” at Fran.32:35 – Becoming Captain American and the 2010 CrossFit Games experience.40:29 – Winning the “100s” event at the 2013 South Central Regional: A game of strategy.46:31 – How Chase predicted his own 14.5 score.49:21 – The future of CrossFit Big D: Continue to make it a safe haven and the best hour of clients’ days. 

Season 3, Episode 2: Darren ThorntonIn this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Mateo Lopez of Two-Brain Marketing speaks with Darren Thornton, owner of CrossFit Defy in Toronto, Ontario.Though Darren’s passion for CrossFit was born out of a love for competition, today, he runs CrossFit Defy for one purpose: to help people get better at life. He’s also a brand-new entrepreneur—CrossFit Defy is less than one year old.But that doesn’t mean he lacks experience to share. Darren learned quickly the lesson it takes many gym owners years to learn: Get help. Though he’d experimented with Facebook ads and had hired another coach just a few months after opening, he soon realized he needed “a bit of direction.” The business was stable, but growth had halted.Today, after completing the Incubator, Darren is flourishing in Farmer Phase, having learned some valuable lessons about business structure, digital marketing and how to hire according to your long-term vision.Links:https://crossfitdefy.com/https://www.levelmethod.com/Contact: darren@crossfitdefy.comTimeline: 2:11 – Finding CrossFit in the British Royal Marines.3:58 – From commando to competitor to gym owner.5:21 – Discovering Two-Brain Business: “I knew I needed help.”6:30 – Darren’s mission: to help people get better at life.8:18 – Lessons learned in the Incubator.10:49 – Onboarding new clients, personal training and hybrid memberships.12:28 – It’s all about relationships.17:15 – Upselling as you go.18:59 – Hiring for the bigger picture.24:25 – There’s no magic success pill—you’ve got to work for it.

Episode 179: Q & A With CoopIn today's episode, we turn the tables as Two-Brain Client Success Manager Eden Watson takes the mic to interview Two-Brain Business founder Chris Cooper.Eden presents Coop with a couple of the most common questions gym owners ask, and Chris shares some of his hard-won wisdom, earned over the course of more than 10 years of gym ownership. Chris breaks down the four phases of entrepreneurship, shares some of his own practices for focusing his thoughts and energy, and reveals some of the challenges he's faced—and mistakes he's made—while building Two-Brain Business.Links: https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXhttps://twobrain.com/flow/Contact: chris@twobrainbusiness.comTimeline: 2:59 – Defining the four phases of entrepreneurship.4:44 – Coop’s phase: It just might surprise you.7:20 – Choosing which roles to take on and which to set the standard for others to fill.9:35 – The challenge of leadership.12:05 – To be a great leader, you need a great team.14:35 – How does Chris produce so much content?18:11 – Two tricks to staying focused: mentorship and meditation. 21:06 – The biggest problem in the fitness industry: lack of vision. 24:19 – To be successful, build your own platform instead of tearing others’ down. 30:19 – Do one thing at a time. 34:35 – In business as in fitness: Start with small wins.

Two-Brain Radio With Sean Woodland, Episode 12: Stacie TovarOn today’s episode, Sean speaks with 8-time CrossFit Games individual competitor Stacie Tovar and her husband Dustin.Stacie first competed at the CrossFit Games in 2009 in Aromas. Her final year was in 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. She and Dustin own CrossFit Omaha in Nebraska—a gym that has been around for nearly 12 years—and recently became parents with the birth of their first son, Gavin. Sean talks with Stacie about her career as a CrossFit competitor and how she and Dustin have built their affiliate into one of the best gyms in Omaha. You'll also get insider knowledge of which Disney movies are Stacie's and Dustin's—and Sean's—favorites.Links: http://crossfitomaha.com/https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXContact: Instagram: @stacietovar, @dustintovarTimeline:1:33 – Adjusting to parenthood.2:22 – Growing up on a Nebraskan farm: Disney movies, hard work and detasseling.6:31 – Inheriting a taste for competition. 8:28 – Finding CrossFit—thanks to husband Dustin.10:04 – When Stacie couldn’t do a box jump and why she kept coming back. 11:15 – Becoming a CrossFit Games athlete. 12:26 – Memories from the 2009 CrossFit Games at Aromas: deadlifts, dust and barbed-wire fences.15:49 – Sharing the veteran’s circle with Becca Voigt and Annie Thorisdottir.18:18 – Stacie’s retirement send-off moment at the 2017 Games and why she decided to retire.21:27 – Becoming affiliate owners and running a business with a spouse.25:40 – The most important qualities of a good affiliate. 27:37 – Developing staff.31:47 – Characteristics of a great coach. 32:28 – How CrossFit Omaha’s been successful for more than a decade. 35:26 – The future of CrossFit Omaha.

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 20: David OquendoOn today's episode of the Two-Brain Marketing podcast, Mateo Lopez speaks with David Oquendo, owner of Rapid Fit KC in Kansas City, Missouri.Though many gyms sell personal training, few sell it as the primary offering. Though Rapid Fit does offer group-fitness classes, the first step to joining the gym is to go through the Rapid Fit KC 90 Day Transformation: 90 days of one-on-one training that gets a new client up to speed and seeing results fast.This is a high-ticket item that, at $460, doesn't come cheap. However, David says the investment helps clients stay committed and the one-on-one attention gives them good results fast, making them more likely to stay long term.Links: https://rapidfitkc.comContact: rapidfitmethod@gmail.comTimeline: 2:10 – Why focus on personal training? 4:18 – Turning to Two-Brain after a $16,000 loss.6:01 – Selling confidence.9:58 – The value of a high-ticket offering.12:28 – A foundation of PT protects both client and owner.17:09 – Creating stable income for staff.19:13 – How to get clients to buy high-ticket packages.23:00 – The key to success: a great team. 

Two-Brain Radio With Sean Woodland, Episode 11: Mekenzie RileyOn today’s episode, Sean Woodland talks with four-time CrossFit Games athlete Mekenzie Riley.This week, Mekenzie will make her fourth career appearance at the CrossFit Games and her third as an individual, which she qualified for with an 11th-place finish in the worldwide CrossFit Open.She talks a lot about overcoming adversity. Mekenzie dealt with some pretty serious stuff when she was younger—including battling disordered eating, body-image issues and the loss of her parents—but overcame it all to become a successful CrossFit Games athlete. Mekenzie also shares how she prepared for the Games in Madison and what she would consider a successful season.Links: https://growyournutritionbusiness.com/2019-crossfit-games-workshop/Contact: Instagram: @itskenzierileyTimeline: 1:37 – Training in the weeks leading up to the CrossFit Games. 4:28 – Struggling with body image as a teenager. 6:55 – Overcoming anorexia and bulimia.10:39 – To overcome an eating disorder, you have to want to get better.14:31 – Remembering Mekenzie’s hero: Her mother. 18:50 – Dealing with the loss of her parents. 22:01 – From Zumba instructor to CrossFit enthusiast.24:27 – Becoming a CrossFit competitor. 27:39 – Lessons learned from Games past: Be grateful.30:48 – Training around the new CrossFit Games season structure. 37:45 – What will it take for the 2019 Games to be a success? 

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 19: Mauricio LealOn today's episode of the Two-Brain Marketing podcast, Mateo Lopez speaks with Mauricio Leal, head coach and co-owner of CrossFit Cypher in Richmond, California. Mauricio was one of Two-Brain Business' first clients and had been running CrossFit Cypher for four years by the time Two-Brain came along. Still, the gym was barely making ends meet and Mauricio was stretched to capacity—so he joined the family. Though he was apprehensive about the mentorship process at first, today, Mauricio says the experience has been integral to the gym's survival and revival. In this episode, you'll learn how Mauricio went back to square one to establish systems and processes, eliminate discounts and overhaul the No-Sweat Intro process. He also shares how he learned to manage Facebook ads effectively, today spending $1,000 a month on ads to generate $4,000 in front-end sales. Links: https://crossfitcypher.com/https://growyournutritionbusiness.com/2019-crossfit-games-workshop/Contact: mauricio@crossfitcypher.comTimeline:2:34 – On b-boying and b-girling and the naming of CrossFit Cypher.4:32 – Trading engineering for fitness.8:50 – The crossroads: How desperation drove Mauricio to mentorship.12:00 – The first steps with Two-Brain: Establishing SOPs and ditching discounts.17:11 – Selling the hero’s journey.19:21 – Attentive listening and the goal-review process.19:56 – Paid ads, lead funnels and building rapport with potential clients.22:58 – The No-Sweat Intro: making an emotional connection. 27:47 – Finding a tribe in the Two-Brain family.