Built To Grow

There are two trains of thought on the best way to sell gym/personal training memberships.On the one hand, some people believe in collecting as much money as possible, even if it means giving a discount on the memberships. On the other hand, we have the recurring subscription model where you have some money coming in from your base memberships every month.In our considered opinion, the recurring revenue model is the only way to grow your business and increase your profitability.Building up your recurring revenues to be higher than your base operating expenses and growing the gap between these two is the surest way to have a thriving business.If you go the other way and cannibalize your recurring revenues, you will have months where you can barely cover your base expenses. This is not good for your business as it keeps you in that state of always looking for the next big sale.In this episode, Tim and Randy share the reasons why you should not fall for the excitement of a big sale and would rather focus on reoc

It’s that time of the year when many gym owners are planning and setting goals for the year ahead. You probably did the same thing last year and hit some goals and missed others.The question is, where do you want to see yourself at the end of 2023?Having interacted with thousands of gym owners in our coaching programs, the No. 1 reason why many are unlikely to achieve the goals they set for themselves is failing to take action.Goals and intentions are good, but you must follow them with action.Tune in to this episode to learn how to make 2023 the year of action toward achieving your big goals.Key Takeaways- 2023 FitPro Summit Announcement (01:01)- Nothing happens without action (01:53)- The key to success (03:21)- Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown (05:56)- Set actionable goals (08:42)- You fall to the level of your systems (10:42)- Run the play (16:28)Additional Resources- Learn more about our Business Accelerator Coaching Program for Gym Owners  - Grab your tickets for the 2023 FitPro Gr

January is an interesting month for many gym businesses. There’s this misconception that we have a rush on new clients coming into our facilities, but in reality, we are just recovering the numbers we lost over December.For many typical gyms, the February numbers mirror those they had in November.As for the New Year resolution crowd, we all know that most of them don’t stick long enough. If you are running a small group personal training model, like the one we recommend, these are not your ideal clients.You’d much rather have lifestyle clients who are much stickier and willing to spend more.In this episode, Tim and Randy share tips on handling January marketing in your fitness business and the pitfalls to avoid.Key Takeaways- ‘We don’t speak January’ (03:59)- Don’t be everything to everybody (07:05)- The pitfalls of running challenges (11:59)- Is your marketing designed to convert a lead to a regular member? (13:02)- Don’t burn down your market (17:42)- Why large group training is the worst model to operate i

As a gym owner, you took on considerable risk when you decided to open a gym. Hopefully, the risk paid off, and now you are reaping the rewards in the form of profits.Now what?Do you go buying toys with this profit, or do you use them in a way that serves you long term?In this episode, Tim and Randy share some tips on how you can invest your profits to grow and multiply your wealth.The first place you should be looking at is the amount of rent you are paying for your lease. Over the long term, it’s a lot of money that you can use to acquire property.It makes a lot of sense to invest the profits in acquiring the building where your gym is based.But there are other options as well.Tune in as we go through strategies to increase your profitability, then make that profit work for you.Key Takeaways- The goal of our coaching program for gym owners (01:03)- What are you doing to ensure profitability (02:02)- Are your profits serving you? (04:03)- The progression of a gym owner (08:02)- The catch-22 of profitability

2022 was a recovery year for the fitness industry from all the effects of the COVID pandemic and the shutdowns we all had to endure the previous years.Unfortunately, around 30% of brick-and-mortar gyms didn’t make it.  So, what does 2023 hold for our industry?Tim and Randy have some predictions for the new year, and going by previous predictions, most of these will not be off the mark.The greatest issue for 2023 is inflation and a looming recession. Some gym owners who make the wrong move will be out of business, but others will thrive in this environment.Listen in to some of our predictions and how best to get ready to grab the opportunities that are ahead.Key Takeaways- Iron Circle update (00:50)- It’s all about growth (02:09)- More high-ticket programs (04:12)- Middle-cost gyms will be hurt badly by rising expenses (07:36)- How inflation/recession will impact gym owners (12:33)- The renaissance of the micro tiny footprint gym (21:19)- Location is more important than ever (22:40)Additional Resources- FREE 7

In this episode, we go through some data from a state of the fitness industry report that gives an interesting insight into how gyms and gym owners are faring in this industry.Some of the statistics in this report are scary, but some opportunities become apparent when you read through the report.More than 10,600 gyms globally offered data for this report. Most of these were CrossFit-style class-based gyms, but the numbers show what we have been saying numerous times on this podcast about class-based gym business models.The bottom line is that it's time to switch to a semi-private model because you cannot scale one-one personal training, and there are no profits to be made in class-based models.Tune in to hear more about the report and some conclusions we can make from the data.Key Takeaways- State of the industry report (03:28)- Eye-opening data from the report (05:37)- The limitations of a class-based model (07:18)- The fitness model for profitability (10:26)- The average industry retention (12:10)- Aver

We are coming to the start of the new year, and it’s that time when many gym owners are inundated with whiz-bang marketing campaigns that promise to bring in hundreds of new members to their businesses.But Tim and Randy believe that this is the wrong way to go about it.Focusing on these marketing campaigns that bring in an influx of new clients is just a recipe for chaos.Instead, we recommend that you focus on systems that allow you to grow and scale your business sustainably.With systems in place, you can then have marketing campaigns that bring in people all year round but in a way that doesn’t overwhelm your business and allows you to provide the level of service your clients expect and deserve.That’s the sexiness of systems.Key Takeaways- Fall to the level of your systems (01:48)- How to grow and scale your business (03:11)- Can your business take an influx of new clients (04:12)- A systems-based fitness business (09:54)- Keep everything simple (13:52)- How to have the best year of your fitness business (

When it comes to a fitness business, it's not rocket science; the path is simple if you just follow the math.Unfortunately, many gym owners we come across tend to have an emotional attachment to their business which hinders their decision-making.A case in point is a gym owner in our Iron Circle who doesn't want to increase the rates of old members who are on much lower rates than newer members because he doesn't want to rock the boat. He doesn't want to lose these people because they have been there for a long time.Yet the math clearly shows that he could provide a much better service to all clients if he raised rates for everybody.This is just one example of emotional decision-making, but we see it all the time.The key to succeeding in this business is to follow the math, and you'll never go wrong.Key Takeaways- It's math, not rocket science (02:12)- What's your revenue per client (04:37)- The path is math (06:45)- Revenue is the driver of a business (08:55)- Standards over emotio

For the longest time, fitness marketing has only targeted a small population segment. This small segment lives at the top of the fitness awareness triangle.You can think of it as the warm traffic that readily responds to a fitness ad and is likely to change gym membership from one gym to another fairly frequently.At the bottom of the fitness awareness triangle is the vast population who don’t even know the connection between fitness, weight, and the health problems they face.We are leaving a lot on the table by failing to educate these masses about the benefits of working out regularly.The problem with only targeting the small segment at the top of the triangle is that we compete with all other fitness facilities for these people, making marketing expensive.We also have to sell our services to the bottom of the triangle.How do you do it?Tune in to find out some ways we think you can do it!Key Takeaways- The 2 types of selling fitness (01:32)- The fitness marketplace awareness triangle (02:08)- How to market t

Quality leads are, without a doubt, the lifeline of a successful fitness business.No gym owner can ever claim to have a 100% retention rate, which means we need leads to have the desired membership at any time.The question then is, how much money are you paying for your leads?In this episode, Tim and Randy share a powerful strategy we use here and with our coaching clients. With this strategy, you’ll never have to scramble or spend money to get leads again.It’s more of a long-term tactical play that any gym owner can use and win.Listen in and go implement it in your business in 2023!Key Takeaways- Tactical play to get more leads (02:12)- Value-based marketing vs. direct response (03:57)- Owning your traffic (04:49)- Using Kajabi to deliver value (07:19)- Play the long game with content (08:53)- Why you should give it all away (10:54)Additional Resources- Kajabi Affiliate Link - Learn more about our Business Accelerator Coaching Program for Gym Owners  - Learn more about The Iron Circle - Grab your tickets for

Today on the show, Tim and Randy have the pleasure of interviewing Shawn Hanquist, a financial advisor and founder of FIT CFO.Shawn works with gym owners and online fitness coaches to help them understand their P&L numbers, balance sheet, and all those other financial  numbers.As a gym owner, the only way to measure the health of your business is through financial reports. Yet, for some reason, some gym owners completely avoid it.You cannot make sound decisions and take meaningful action without getting insight from your financial numbers.Perhaps you are nervous about your financials because you fear the numbers might expose you, but you need to overcome this fear quickly to help grow your business.In this episode, Shawn takes us through some important financial numbers that every gym owner should know and how to make projections for your business. Tune in!Key Takeaways- Accounting 101 (02:43)- Overcoming the anxiety of sharing your financial reports (04:32)- What’s a good net profit margin (06:13)- Owner

One common mistake gym owners make in the business is trying to create roles to fit in people rather than fulfilling roles.A case in point is something we hear a lot; a gym owner is approached by someone like a nutritionist or a dietician who wants to partner with the business. The gym owner now goes out of their way to create this role. This happens with other services as well.We all know that having nutrition built into your programs will help your client achieve better results, but at the same time, when you lean on a third party for this service, you are opening up a can of worms.If you want to add a new profit center/service to your business, Tim and Randy recommend that it should be in-house.But before you get to this point, you should consider dialing in your core offering before thinking about other profit centers.In fact, we have a 5-question filter that gym owners should use before they consider bringing in a new service to their business.  Tune in to hear more about it.Key Takeaways- Accelerator co

In our many interactions with gym owners through our coaching programs, there’s one theme we keep seeing repeating over and over.When things get a bit tough in the business, many gym owners find themselves going back to the comfort zone of the training floor. This is what they love and have done for years before they decided to become an entrepreneur.Nobody can begrudge you from doing what you love, but the reality of being a gym owner is that you are responsible for growing the business. You are responsible for paying your staff, leases, and other crucial details to keep the lights on.Being on the training floor and connecting with your clients is all good, but this isn’t your primary role.To be a successful gym owner, you must know your role and where to spend your time. In this episode, Tim and Randy break down the roles of a gym owner and the tasks that have the greatest ROI on your time. Key Takeaways- Keynote speakers for the FitPro Growth Summit (01:03)- What’s the role of a gym owner (03:40)- Should a

I don't know about your area, but there seem to be more gyms opening at a rate we've not seen before. Gym after gym popping up and grand openings all around.What does this mean for current gym owners?It means we've got to up our game to beat the increased competition. And the only to do so is by leaning on the experience clients get in your business.Everybody is offering fitness, but the X-factor is the X-perience.This is something that is fully in your control, and nobody else can match it because it's your experience. Nobody else can do it as you do.So, how do you ensure clients are getting the best experience ever in your gym?Tune in to find out!Key Takeaways- More gyms popping up everywhere (02:50)- How to beat the competition (03:25)- Experience is the X-factor (03:54)- Clients are looking for results and experience (06:03)- Experience is the big differentiator (11:56)- Control your product to control the experience (13:49)- There's always room to get better (16:01)Additional Resource

One of the biggest challenges in the fitness industry is keeping staff long-term. The latest stats show that the career length of a personal trainer is less than one year.Historically, we’ve had a very high turnover as an industry which is a pain for a lot of gym owners. In fact, the fitness industry has the highest turnover of all industries.There are many theories advanced as to why trainers get their certifications only to work less than a year before moving to something else, but in this episode, Tim and Randy look at some of the things you can do in your gym to keep your staff longer.One of these things is staff training. Personal trainers want to feel equipped through education to handle their work. This is more important to them than anything else.Another important thing is to have a bigger mission in your business that you can then sell to your staff. This is particularly important to the younger generations who want to feel part of something bigger.Tune in to this episode as Tim and Randy share some

As this year comes to a close, we have one question for you; did you achieve what you set out to achieve at the beginning of the year in your business?If you didn't, take a hard look at yourself because, at the end of the day, if you don't do anything, nothing will ever change.As gym owners, we sometimes hold our clients to a higher standard than we normally hold ourselves. If our clients want a result, we give them everything they need and hold them accountable.But in our case, we have all the information we need, but we fail to take action. There is no shortage of business information from different sources. This podcast alone has 379 episodes on different aspects of running a successful gym business.The key is that at the end of the day, you must decide to take action; nobody will do it for you. Application has to follow information. Just do it!Key Takeaways- Business Accelerator Coaching Program announcement (00:37)- Do you really need more information (01:49)- Application has to follow informatio

How easy is it for your clients to do business with you? Are they facing friction at any point in their journey?Most business owners don’t understand where potential customers and even existing ones struggle while doing business with them.In this episode, Tim and Randy are talking about inefficiencies in business and how they impact profitability.In the case of a gym owner, you should constantly look at areas where you can be more efficient. It can be in how you conduct your training sessions, payment process, ease of booking appointments, etc.Tim recently rebranded his gym, now known as Legacy Personal Training to bring even more efficiency. The layout of the new gym and everything makes the training sessions much more efficient, which definitely impacts profitability.  Listen in for tips on how you can improve efficiency in your business and make more money!Key Takeaways- FitPro Growth Summit update (01:22)- Inefficiencies in business (03:34)- Changes we’ve made to be more efficient (05:14)- Efficiency equa

We have talked many times in this podcast about the numerous benefits of the semi-private fitness training model. We believe in this model and have made a full transition in our training facility.We have also helped a lot of gym owners transition through our coaching program.In this episode, Zach and Tim discuss how we transitioned over the years to where we are now.Zach has been the Fitness Director during this time and assures gym owners that the transition is not as hard as they might think.Tune in to hear how we went about it.Key Takeaways- The transition from boot camp to semi-private model (03:21)- Take a hard look at the data (05:40)- What is semi-private training (08:59) - The best thing about the semi-private model (11:18)- Where to start with changing your model (15:58)Additional Resources- Learn more about our Coaching Program for Gym Owners  - Learn more about The Iron Circle - Grab your tickets for the 2023 FitPro Growth Summit  Use Code WORM for 25% Off- Business Talk with Fitness Professionals

How do I run semi-private training for six clients and not have all six doing the same thing? This is the question many gym owners ask.It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it actually is. Why? Because many gym owners don't have a system and structure in place, and they are just leaving their coaches to decide what to do.That scenario makes gym owners vulnerable because if a coach is not really good, you can lose your clients. Or if you have a fantastic coach, they could leave you, and all your clients will go with them. What you need is a system that is easy to execute, which will make a mediocre coach with a great personality able to execute it consistently on a daily basis.And you need to tune in for this episode because Tim is joined by his Fitness Director, Zach Columbia, and they will dive into programming for semi-private training. Such a system will allow you to have up to six clients on the same program, but they will have the impression that it’s designed for each one of them personally. (Which i

Ask any gym owner about the least favorite part of their job, and you'll likely find quite a few of them talk about hiring team members.It has always been a challenge in our industry, but the past couple of years have been tough.In this episode, Tim and Randy are joined by Karen Broadwater. She's the president of Iron Tribe Fitness, with 31 locations, and she's also a member of the Iron Circle.She is one of the few people whose faces light up when you start talking about HR issues.She helps us with useful tips on attracting and retaining the best people and building a successful team.Tune in.Key Takeaways- Getting referrals from your team (04:58)- How to incentivize your team (06:09)- The secret sauce for a successful team (08:02)- What do you stand for? (09:39)- Attracting the best people (12:29)- What to look for in a coach (14:19)- Staff development process (18:02)Additional Resources- The Math of Marketing Free Training - Learn more about our Coaching Program for Gym Owners  - Learn more about