
Gym World Worldwide
Gym World is a weekly show about making money in the fitness industry.
Join the co-founders of Kilo, John Franklin and Mateo Lopez, as they interview some of the industry's most successful entrepreneurs.
Latest episodes

Jan 26, 2024 • 54min
How to get (almost) free space for your gym…
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) and Mateo Lopez are joined by Tim Carroll from 908 Athletics (https://www.instagram.com/908athletics/?hl=en) to talk about building a profitable CrossFit business, buying gym real estate, and how creative partnerships led to multiple tenants covering Tim's million-dollar mortgage.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing Tim
(4:11) Opening multiple CrossFit gyms
(8:52) Economics of both locations
(12:56) The key to scaling CrossFit gyms
(17:10) Tim's new training concept
(25:48) Buying gym real estate and subleasing
(34:57) What's next for Tim?
(37:04) Managing multiple locations
(41:15) CrossFit and landlord challenges
(46:46) Working with a spouse
(49:00) Being a CrossFit athlete and gym owner
(51:44) Where to go if you want to find Tim

Jan 19, 2024 • 1h 13min
This CrossFit gym has over 3,000 members
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) and Mateo Lopez sat down with Daniel Chaffey (https://www.instagram.com/dc1andonly/) of CrossFit Louvre (https://crossfitlouvre.com/) to talk about the systems and processes behind running the biggest chain of affiliates in the world.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing Daniel Chaffey
(7:24) Running the biggest affiliate in the world
(13:17) Servicing his members
(18:25) Member retention strategies
(26:11) The importance of having a front desk receptionist
(31:28) Using a guest register
(35:36) Hiring and training a front desk receptionist
(39:47) Employee compensation and retention
(51:25) Career progression and development for coaches
(1:02:04) Personal training vs. CrossFit
(1:11:49) Outro

Jan 12, 2024 • 1h 10min
Unveiling Gym World's Weirdest Moments of 2023
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) and Mateo Lopez are back with Kaleda Connell (https://www.instagram.com/heykaleda/?hl=en), the CEO of Kilo (https://usekilo.com), for round two of the 2023 Gym World Worldwide Worldwide Recognition Awards.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing the Kilo team
(2:04) Rookie of the year
(18:52) Honorable mentions
(32:02) Weirdest trend
(40:45) Predictions for 2024
(51:03) Dream guest for 2024
(57:45) Best moment from 2023
(1:08:25) Wrap up

Jan 5, 2024 • 1h 2min
The 2023 Gym World Worldwide Worldwide Recognition Awards
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) and Mateo Lopez reunite with Kaleda Connell (https://www.instagram.com/heykaleda/?hl=en), the CEO of Kilo (https://usekilo.com), to share the nominees of the first ever Gym World Worldwide Worldwide Recognition Awards. They highlight the top guests and concepts featured on Gym World in 2023.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing the Kilo team
(3:35) Favorite guest of 2023
(17:21) Fit pro you would bet it all on
(28:19) Gym concept you would bet it all on
(38:49) Biggest winner
(48:39) Biggest loser
(1:01:34) To be continued…

Dec 29, 2023 • 60min
The BEST Instagram strategy for gym owners
Cassie Day, Instagram influencer and content strategist for the fitness industry, shares her killer content strategy for selling $85k/mo in training on Instagram. They discuss building a content strategy for a gym, getting coaches to create content, selling through Instagram, and managing a healthy work-life balance.

Dec 22, 2023 • 1h 2min
So, you want to open a fitness franchise?
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) is joined by special guests, Mark Fisher (@markfisherhumanbeing) and Stu Brauer (https://www.instagram.com/wtfgymtalk/?hl=en), to talk about the risks associated with franchising. They highlight why understanding these risks is important and how making the wrong choices can lead to heavy financial losses.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Intro
(0:45) What's going on with Xponential Fitness?
(7:34) Becoming a franchisee
(10:49) What is the Federal Disclosure Document?
(12:23) Benefits of franchising
(20:51) Financial perks of franchising
(24:54) Risks of franchising
(35:02) Key factors for success in franchising
(38:59) How to choose a good concept
(52:15) Other franchising red flags
(57:12) Can you turnaround an underperforming franchise?
(1:00:22) Where to go if you want to find Mark and Stu

Dec 15, 2023 • 1h 13min
He built a 7-figure mega gym & then wanted to burn it down...
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) and Mateo Lopez sat down with Joe Riggio, the founder of Varsity House Health & Performance (https://www.instagram.com/varsityhouse/?hl=en). Despite his success with running a 7-figure gym, Joe is shifting gears. He's now focusing on a side project that he believes will be more profitable: opening 20 small group personal training gyms.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing Joe Riggio
(2:01) What is Varsity House?
(6:27) The process of owning and building Varsity House
(18:53) Transitioning from large group to small group
(25:12) Calls to action, marketing strategies, and offers
(30:34) Should gym owners do their own marketing?
(36:03) The power of using the 6-week challenge
(39:47) Sales strategies, packaging & pricing
(45:31) Joe's new personal training concept
(51:14) The recruiting process and hiring staff
(58:20) The leadership team and staff compensation
(1:05:16) Opening 20 small group personal training gyms
(1:11:53) Where to go if you want to find Joe

Dec 8, 2023 • 1h 16min
10 franchised gyms in 5 years?!
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) talks to Greg Morrone, a gym owner who believes franchising is the best path for him to reach financial freedom. Together, they break down Greg's gym (https://thefitlabhoboken.com/), why he chose to become a franchisee, and the process behind opening 10 locations in the next 5 years.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing Greg Morrone
(3:49) What is The FIT Lab?
(8:11) Packaging, pricing, onboarding, and growth
(16:00) Coaching and retention
(20:49) Investing in a fitness franchise
(24:36) Opening 10 locations in the next 5 years
(32:07) Why scale a fitness business via franchising?
(36:37) Franchise costs and lease agreements
(40:07) Financing options for fitness franchises
(46:50) Selling gym franchises and wealth-building exit strategies
(54:29) Opening a franchised gym with SBA loans
(56:37) The process of opening Greg's first franchised gym
(1:02:49) Being strategic with future franchised locations
(1:10:24) Advice for gym owners wanting to start from scratch
(1:14:12) Where to go if you want to find Greg

Dec 1, 2023 • 1h 10min
What sets the most profitable gyms apart?
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?la...) and Mateo Lopez chat with Michael Keeler from Business For Unicorns (https://www.businessforunicorns.com/), a company specializing in gym mentorship. They dive into the shared characteristics of the most profitable gyms and discuss strategies for running a more successful fitness business.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing Michael Keeler and BFU
(2:29) What is the Gym Owner Benchmarks Report?
(5:40) Rates, services, and profitability
(10:12) Selling small group classes
(12:15) Client engagement and marketing strategies
(22:09) What keeps clients coming back?
(28:29) Members, revenue, and profit margins
(33:07) Do gyms use management software?
(34:58) How do gyms get leads?
(37:39) Referral marketing strategies
(43:23) Leading and pitching low-barrier offers
(53:27) Biggest challenges for gym owners
(58:57) Financial benchmarks for gym owners
(1:04:32) Which gyms are most profitable?
(1:07:16) Final takeaway for gym owners
(1:10:18) Where to go if you want to find Michael

Nov 24, 2023 • 57min
Running 17 $1M+ personal training gyms
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?lang=en) chats with Curtis Christopherson (https://curtischristopherson.com/), the owner of Innovative Fitness (https://www.innovativefitness.com/). Together, they break down the exact business model that's helped Curtis scale 17 locations, each averaging $100k/mo.
P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.
Show Notes:
(00:00) Introducing Curtis Christopherson
(1:32) What is Innovative Fitness?
(4:05) Packaging and pricing
(5:54) Economics of a personal training location
(11:41) Marketing and retention strategies
(15:21) Community-building in the gym
(24:00) Adapting to COVID in the fitness industry
(30:27) Client engagement and programming
(34:37) The hiring and onboarding process
(44:39) Additional studio operations and systems
(48:03) Customer service in the fitness industry
(50:21) Finding a work-life balance as an entrepreneur
(55:40) Where to go if you want to find Curtis