
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

Nov 17, 2023 • 1h 5min
We asked 13,444 gym owners how much money they make
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?lang=en) and Mateo Lopez caught up with Chris Cooper, the CEO of Two-Brain Business (https://twobrainbusiness.com/), to delve into the powerful insights from the latest State of the Industry report.
This fancy guide tells us what the best coaching gyms are doing, so
you can make smarter, data-driven decisions for your gym. If you haven't already, download a FREE copy of the report here: https://twobrainbusiness.com/data/
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 Chris Cooper
(1:41) What is the State of the Industry?
(7:39) Thoughts on CrossFit HQ
(14:53) Average Net Owner Benefit
(18:54) Gym revenue and expenses
(23:14) Average membership and profitable models
(32:53) Training models vs. class sizes
(37:05) Are most gyms running a broken model?
(41:46) Effective Hourly Rate for gym owners
(45:20) Why data-driven insights are important for gyms
(48:18) How Chris turned around his struggling gym
(51:55) How to run a successful gym
(54:35) Identifying weaknesses and improving operations
(1:00:16) Marketing insights
(1:03:19) Where to go if you want to find Chris

Nov 10, 2023 • 59min
From driving Lyft to making $200k/yr as a gym owner
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?lang=en) and Mateo Lopez talk to Giancarlo Regni (https://www.instagram.com/realgstrength/), the owner and CEO of G-Strength Philly (https://g-strength.com/). From broke gym owner to making $200k/yr, Giancarlo shares how a rideshare gig turned into a lead machine, and a referral program that boosted his monthly revenue by $10,000.
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 Giancarlo Regni
(2:47) Getting paid to get leads
(7:02) Moving from a bedroom to a facility
(10:32) Growing the business
(12:25) Opening the first location
(16:30) Evolving his model
(18:48) Packaging, pricing, and scaling
(26:05) Hiring & staffing locations
(30:12) Location economics and lessons learned
(35:24) Marketing and sales strategies
(38:57) Revenue per location
(41:31) Why are small group training models profitable?
(43:39) What's next for Giancarlo?
(46:15) Advice for those who want to start a gym
(47:49) The best referral campaign for gym owners
(51:30) Using social media, reviews, and SEO
(58:28) Where to go if you want to find Giancarlo

Nov 3, 2023 • 1h 18min
This small training gym makes $300k/mo
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?lang=en) and Mateo Lopez reunite with Dan Trink (https://www.instagram.com/dantrink/?hl=en) from The Fort NYC (https://www.thefortnyc.com/). Last time we talked about their content strategy. Now, Dan's unpacking the strategy that drives their gym's profits.
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 Dan Trink
(2:20) CrossFit dreams and career paths
(8:33) How Dan got his start in the industry
(11:10) Hiring good people and staff treatment
(16:24) Challenges of creating career stability
(21:23) Do gym owners need to be present in the gym?
(25:42) Training, packaging & pricing at The Fort NYC
(27:59) Discussing 2-week paid trials
(29:53) The sales process and nurturing strategies
(35:33) Setting client goals & building community
(40:47) Opening The Fort flagship location
(43:16) Buildout and rent costs in NYC
(51:12) Small group personal training design & philosophy
(1:00:22) Creating content for social media
(1:05:38) Using paid ads & expanding business with paid traffic
(1:10:09) What's next for The Fort?
(1:12:54) Where to go if you want to find Dan

Oct 27, 2023 • 52min
This gym owner made $95k/mo. Then he quit.
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/johnisbuilding?lang=en) & Mateo Lopez chat with Andrew Frezza, a gym owner who ran a profitable location that generated $95k/mo in a 6,000-person town. Despite the success, Andrew walked away. What made him leave it all behind?
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 Andrew Frezza
(3:01) Starting and growing a CrossFit gym
(7:11) Buying real estate at the right time
(10:07) Expanding the business
(13:17) Providing good careers for coaches
(15:45) Structuring offers, prices, and hiring staff
(21:06) How would Andrew start a gym today?
(23:46) The impact of COVID on the gym and its recovery
(28:19) Deciding to sell the gym
(30:59) Challenges of scaling a single location
(37:24) Experiencing burnout as a gym owner
(39:40) Approaching the conversation with his team
(42:40) Evaluating his worth of shares
(44:08) How does Andrew feel now?
(45:17) What's next for Andrew?
(48:00) Advice for gym owners feeling stuck
(51:06) Where to go if you want to find Andrew

Oct 20, 2023 • 1h 16min
Gym owner makes $80k/mo out of 1,200 sq ft selling to Gen Z
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/JohnIsBuilding) and Mateo Lopez sat down with Dane McCarthy, the owner & Founder of The Athletic Clubs–a series of unique training gyms in NYC. His unconventional approach to training drives younger clientele through his doors, so what makes it attractive?
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 Dane McCarthy
(2:10) Creating communities through group fitness
(5:06) What are The Athletic Clubs?
(9:38) Marketing via user-generated content
(12:58) Who do The Athletic Clubs target?
(14:37) What is squad training?
(20:30) What do Gen Z want the most?
(25:28) Managing a full-time job on top of running 3 gyms
(27:43) Funding and growth strategies for a fitness start-up
(32:19) Challenges of running a gym in a basement
(34:02) Marketing and selling squad training to Gen Z
(38:58) The only gym to have a dress code
(41:03) Is this model replicable everywhere?
(43:27) Managing and setting boundaries for squads
(48:46) Using paid ads to find ideal clients
(51:53) What makes The Athletic Clubs cool for Gen Z?
(57:12) Opening a gym during COVID & finding an effective space
(1:01:53) What's next for The Athletic Clubs?
(1:09:06) Do squads compete against each other?
(1:13:01) Where to go if you want to find Dane

Oct 13, 2023 • 1h 12min
Gym owner makes $110k/mo with no social media
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/JohnIsBuilding) and Mateo Lopez sat down with Oskar Johed, the owner of two CrossFit gyms in Sweden, to discuss the strategies he's using to scale across multiple locations and achieve impressive metrics.
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 Oskar Johed
(2:11) Scaling cash flowing gyms in a multi-location setting
(10:22) Staffing locations & quality control
(13:56) The secret to creating an amazing product
(16:14) Attracting & retaining gym members
(18:17) Why Oskar doesn't use social media
(21:26) Creating efficient programming
(24:27) Advice for gym owners: why it's better to simplify operations
(34:25) What are goal reviews & why are they important?
(37:49) How Oskar keeps track of his clients
(40:09) Sponsored message: Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/)
(43:59) The challenges of running a successful CrossFit gym
(56:13) How to run a more successful CrossFit gym
(1:01:25) Does coaching certification impact a gym's success?
(1:04:40) How to improve CrossFit coaching quality
(1:11:06) Where to go if you want to find Oskar

Oct 6, 2023 • 1h 1min
This gym owner made $2M & hasn't paid rent in 3 years
Gym owner Jared Byczko shares how he landed a monster real estate deal and hasn't paid rent in 3 years. Topics discussed include starting & growing a CrossFit gym, acquiring a building with SBA & refinancing, scaling a fitness business, navigating the impact of COVID, negotiating the sale of the gym building, and the positive impact of moving into a new space.

Sep 29, 2023 • 1h 10min
What's going on with Gym Launch?
Cale Owen, CEO of Gym Launch, discusses the fitness industry, data-driven decision-making for gym owners, marketing strategies, content creation, running ads, hiring strategies, and the future of Gym Launch.

Sep 22, 2023 • 60min
Trends that will shape the future of fitness
Anthony Vennare, Founder of Fitt Insider, discusses industry trends, marketing strategies, online programming, sponsored content, and opportunities for growth in the fitness industry. He also highlights the importance of boosting online presence, creating a sellable business, and adapting to changing consumer behavior.

Sep 15, 2023 • 1h 16min
How this gym owner retired at 35
John Franklin (https://twitter.com/JohnIsBuilding) & Mateo Lopez chat with Stu Brauer, a retired gym owner, about how investing in real estate can help other gym owners retire in 10 years or less.
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 Stu Brauer & how he got to where he is today
(7:06) Why Stu de-affiliated & started a new concept
(13:16) How to run a profitable gym in a smaller footprint
(16:09) Learning how to make sales
(20:40) How to prove to the bank that you're bankable
(23:47) Explaining Stu's high op cap model
(30:57) Sponsored message: Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/)
(32:51) How Stu bought his building
(36:17) Why small biz owners are valuable to investors
(37:51) Planning out your space before buying the building
(40:45) Shifting your mindset from gym owner to real estate investor
(44:08) Common struggles with leasing
(48:28) How to not make costly mistakes with leasing
(52:52) Other tips to consider when buying or leasing
(59:18) Different ways to buy a building
(1:04:09) How do you know when you're ready to buy a building?
(1:07:04) How should gym owners think about content?
(1:16:49) Where to go if you want to find Stu