Entrepreneurs are by their nature problem solvers; that's why they get into entrepreneurship to help people by providing a solution to their problems. However, in your business, the first instinct shouldn't be How but Who.As an entrepreneur and a leader, your time is the most valuable asset to the whole business. It wouldn't be wise to spend it doing mundane tasks that you could easily delegate, which is essentially finding a 'who.'Ultimately, asking Who rather than How allows you to focus just on those tasks that only you can do them. For a gym owner, the most important task that you should be doing is finding leads for the business.Tune in to hear Rick and Matt discuss why entrepreneurs need to start asking Who rather than How. You'll also learn why building this simple but highly effective habit will massively transform your business!Key TakeawaysThe most important question you'll face as an entrepreneur (00:36)You should only do what only you can do (05:18)Why finding your Who will make the How happen (05:58)Being growth-minded rather than cost-minded (08:11)People who work in your business are an investment, not a cost (09:34)How a franchise is a Who that gives you a head start (10:10)You don't need to know how; you need to know who (16:55)Reducing decision fatigue as a leader (20:47)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

In our small group personal training fitness model, we come across some questions all the time. These questions revolve around the construct of a small group training and how to do it.The first question that many people transitioning to small group training have is whether to do individualized training. Rick reckons that having an individual program design for each client makes it tough to coach. The coach cannot deliver a great customer experience while coaching four or six clients individually.At Alloy, we run the same workout for the whole gym on particular days but with variations to account for injuries, preferences, and other factors that come up when dealing with people. However, the coach is still following the same template, thereby delivering a more pleasant customer experience.So, debunking the first myth, don’t sweat on individualized program design in a small group personal training.Listen in as Rick and Matt debunk some more myths around this model and also explain how to walk that tightrope act between science and programming and entertainment to deliver a great client experience.Key TakeawaysShould you do individualized training in small group personal training? (02:41)Running the same workout but with variations to account for preferences (08:40)Avoid having a lot of things in the same workout that need a lot of coaching (13:15)Are clients in SGPT grouped according to their level of fitness? (15:29)Should you track load/progress for clients in small group training (20:58)Why you need to create the perception of variety in your workouts (23:48)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

What a better way to celebrate Rick's birthday and 29 years in business than sharing some key lessons Rick has learned along the way.As you'll be hearing in the episode, we had so much fun doing this but, most importantly, went through each of these 10 lessons in greater detail to help you get a more in-depth insight on how running a fitness business for such a long time entails.Number one in Rick's list of top 10 lessons is the 10,000-hour rule. What this simply means is that you have to put in the work so that you can be really good at something. This applies to virtually everything in life. You must be willing to suck in the beginning to be good.Another important lesson for entrepreneurs is that it is okay to be wrong. You'd rather take some action today and be proved wrong later than be paralyzed by fear.Click Play on this exciting episode to hear Rick and Matt go through these top 10 lessons as they sip some whiskey and crack some jokes.Key TakeawaysThe 10,000-hour rule and how it applies to fitness (02:58)Everyone is happy in a box until you put windows in it (11:51)Hard conversations now or harder conversations later (20:16)99% of entrepreneurship is boring (25:37)F!ck your feelings (31:00)Time and attention are more valuable than money (37:04)Get a dog to learn what type of a leader you are (43:24)It's okay to be wrong (47:47)If you can do it, do it now (51:46)DO the right thing (55:34)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Even though the fitness industry has taken a big hit and many gyms have closed down this year, we still have some positives we can take away from it. Just like the Stockdale Paradox, we can be optimistic about the future but realize that things aren't great at the moment.However, a lot of the challenges we are currently facing are opportunities to build a better business. In our case with our corporate gyms, we have taken this chance to trim some fat, and taken a more in-depth look at the systems to run a more efficient business.On the Alloy franchising side, we have taken this opportunity to introduce our new single pod gym model, which will help trainers own their own gyms. The smaller model is more COVID proof than the larger models, less expensive to get into and still very profitable.There are always two sides to the same coin in every situation. Even if things are tough for fitness businesses right now, we have an opportunity to come out of this with a better, more efficient business. Tune in to this episode to hear Rick and Matt discuss some examples of how you can go about this.Key TakeawaysApplying the Stockdale Paradox to the current situation we are in (01:51)How to turn the current challenges into opportunities (02:44)How to use this opportunity to trim some fat in your business (06:00)Building a better business out of the current challenges (08:18)Introducing a smaller single pod fitness model (09:32)The upside of staff turnover in your gym (12:07)There's always a positive side to every situation (18:06)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

We are excited to announce that we are releasing a new smaller franchise model to complement our standard model. Our standard model has two pods that two coaches can train 12 clients in each session. With the new smaller footprint model that we are releasing, we have one pod that one coach can train a maximum of 6 clients per session.This new model will lower the price threshold, making it less expensive to open due to the smaller footprint. However, it will still drive good revenue and good margins, making it very appealing, especially to fitness professionals who wish to own their own facility.There are several reasons why we are bringing this new model to the market. Firstly, over the years, we have worked with many fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and strength coaches, and amassed a big following. With our standard model, the investment threshold needed excludes many of these people.With the new smaller model, we are able to cater to the needs of this following and give them an opportunity to own a fitness facility. We are giving them a shortcut to owning a fitness business and continue doing what they are good at while the Alloy machine handles the rest.Tune in to this episode to learn more about our new exciting franchise model and why it might be a good fit for you. We also explain why now is the perfect time to invest in a smaller footprint model.Key TakeawaysOur new smaller footprint smaller fitness model we are releasing (01:30)Why this new model appeals to the fitness professionals wishing to own their own facility (03:07)Why we are bringing this new model to the market now (03:34)Smaller models are low-cost to get up and running and are wildly profitable (11:54)Merits of going for a franchise rather than going out on your own (13:57)How buying a franchise is buying a massive shortcut (16:38)Can investor type people consider this new smaller model? (18:03)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Getting new customers is pretty hard right now for everybody, no matter the size of your fitness business. Everybody is in need of customer acquisition because their topline revenue is down, which is why we want to talk about the 3 main ways of getting customers to your gym.Paid advertising is one of the most common ways to acquire new customers. It still works if you do it well, the trick is to understand how to run paid ads on different platforms. What works well on Facebook might not work on Google.Referrals are a great way to acquire new customers for your business. If you do it right, it's one of the easiest ways to get new members without spending as much money as other channels. For a local business, you can get referrals from your existing customers, cross-promotion from other local businesses who have a similar client profile, or from community outreach activities.Another channel for customer acquisition, which many fitness businesses surprisingly tend to ignore, is organic content. Creating compelling content on your pages and pumping it out on a schedule is something you should never stop doing. It may seem a lot of work but works over the long term.All these channels work, but you have to be doing them all and do them well to see the best results. You cannot do just one of them and hope it works all the time.Click play on this episode to learn more about applying these channels to get more members to your fitness business.Key TakeawaysWhy customer acquisition is the biggest problem in the fitness business right now (02:36)Where to run your ads (04:12)Understanding what works for different ad platforms (05:05)How to ask for referrals from your existing clients (12:04)How cross-promotion with other local business works (13:32)Why you should never stop creating organic, compelling content (17:45)Working on the small things all the time (21:37)Additional Resources:Episode 20: Guerrilla Marketing For Fitness Businesses------------www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Creating content is one thing, but making sure your content creates the engagement you want is another. If your content sucks, you are not going to get any engagement. Once this happens, most people tend to give up on that type of content, thinking it doesn’t work for them, but as you’ll soon find out, this is usually not the case.The biggest challenge that many people face when creating content is not knowing their audience. You have to know and understand your audience to create content that resonates with them. What this means is that you have to understand their frustration and fears which then allows you to meet them where they are at.Once you understand your audience, you need to know their pain points. This enables you to create content that hits them on an emotional level. All your content, including ads, should be designed to address their pain points and resonate on an emotional level.The third key to creating great content is telling a story. People love stories, and there is no better way to connect with your audience than through stories. The thing with stories is that you have to do it in such a format that makes your audience take the action you want.Click play on this episode to hear of a great 5 step framework for telling a story that will resonate with your audience and make them take the action you want.  Key TakeawaysIf your content sucks, there will be no engagement (01:47)Knowing your audience to meet them where they are at through your content (02:55)Knowing your audience’s pain points (10:46)Connecting with your audience on an emotional level (13:31)The hero of your story has to be the customer (16:00)How to tell a story to resonate with your audience (17:10)5 step framework for how to tell a great story (18:09)Additional Resources:John Farkas Email blueoceanfitness.net------------www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts! 

To level up in your business, you must level up personally. The very formula that got you to this level may be exactly what's holding you back from the next level. Rick and Matt take you through how to identify your sticking point and how to move past it.As an entrepreneur, your business will only go as far as you allow it or a far as you want. You are the gas or the brakes to your business. This means that before you scale your business, you need to scale yourself first. What this means is that you have to reinvent yourself over time so that you can then take your business to the next level.You have to keep learning and relearning. Whatever made you succeed in the past may be holding you and your business back. The strategy you used in the past will most likely not take you to the next level despite how good it was. It would be best if you created a different winning strategy that takes account of your new reality.Reinventing yourself is not an easy thing to do; it takes a lot of humility, a competitive streak, and a strong will to win. It involves breaking your old belief systems and changing your mindset to move to the next level.Tune in to this episode and learn more on how to level up in your business by identifying what's holding you back and reinventing yourself. Key TakeawaysHow to scale your business (01:57)Why you need to reinvent yourself as an entrepreneur to scale your business (02:44)Reinventing yourself as an entrepreneur to move to the next level (05:49)The number 1 goal of every entrepreneur (10:20)Breaking your old belief systems to move forward (11:20)Create a new winning strategy for your next level (13:54)The strategy that worked in the past might be what's holding you back (17:40)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Did you know that Team Alloy has 97% client retention month on month, which is 17 points better than any other studio model? Not only this, our average client lifespan is 36 months. These two metrics are absolutely huge for our business, but the number ONE reason we achieve them is attributable to our accountability sessions.An accountability session is a 15 minutes face to face sit down with our clients once a month to keep track of their progress and their goals. Now, many gym owners think that this will sap all their time if they do it, but we can assure you it won’t. Besides, the two main benefits of client retention and increasing the average lifespan, it acts as a perfect opportunity to upsell your other services.Accountability sessions help build trust in your business from your clients. They can see that you really care about their goals and how they are progressing towards them, and if you are running a personal training model, it makes it really personal.Tune in to this episode to learn more about what an accountability session entails and how it is a powerful tool for client retention. Key TakeawaysWhy our client retention and average client lifespan is very high here at Alloy (01:27)What is an accountability session and how to do it (02:31)How an accountability session solves everything (10:17)Using the accountability session to upsell your other services (13:23)Why holding accountability sessions is absolutely critical in the first 90 days (16:14)Communication within the team between accountability sessions (17:32)How accountability sessions make your personal training model truly personal (20:15)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

When it comes to marketing, most businesses struggle with the all-important question, how much should they be spending. Most people drastically underspend on marketing, mostly because they can’t see an immediate return on investment.To determine how much money you should be spending on marketing, there are a few formulas and metrics that you should be aware of. Two of the most important metrics are the lifetime value of a client and the total acquisition cost of each client.The higher the total lifetime value of a customer is, the more you can spend on the acquisition. Rick and Matt recommend that for a fitness business, the ratio of the total lifetime value of your average client to customer acquisition cost should be about 10 to 1.To give an example with our personal training business, the average client stays for 36 months and pays about $300 each month. This comes to a total lifetime value of around $10,000. The ideal amount of money we should be spending on marketing efforts to get each client then should be $1,000Click play on the episode to learn more about these important marketing metrics and formulas that will help you understand how much money you should be spending on marketing.Key TakeawaysWhy most people drastically underspend on marketing (03:01)The total lifetime value of a customer vs. customer acquisition cost (03:35)Determining the % of leads that end u as customers (06:53)Bullets before cannonballs (09:04)How to do maintenance marketing (10:52)Ensuring your team understands the value of a lead (13:33)Fixing the back end before sending money on the front end (15:03)Additional Resources:www.AlloyPersonalTraining.comLearn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity---------You can find the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.If you haven’t already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!