Run a Profitable Gym

Food For Thought Friday- Why Do Movies Gross More Than Books?

Do You?

Do you have any idea how special you are? Over the last 72 hours, half a million people did the same crazy workout and then shared their score in public. Most of those people didn't win first place. Most of them didn't even want to compete. They didn't do it because Dave Castro made a workout so compelling that it made everyone jump off their couches and start exercising. They didn't do it because Greg Glassman's 2002 Journal articles made them want to exercise until their hands ripped or they f...

How To Pay Your Staff

Go ahead, give them a salary. Then type up the contract on your Electrolux typewriter, send them a turkey at Christmas, and flip your calendar ahead to 1983. 35 years from now, you'll ask your staff what they like; find their strengths; and put them in a job that rewards them financially and emotionally. Or feel free to jump ahead to 2018 now. Pay your staff for the value they bring to your business. Start by breaking down every role in your business. Think of these as the "hats" that must be wo...

Should You Post Your Prices on Your Website?

One of the most common questions asked by CrossFit gym owners is one of the most difficult to solve. Like so many things in fitness, the correct answer is "It depends." But I've never been satisfied on that answer, and when I hear it, I always want to reply: "Depends on WHAT?" So here you go: the real answer. Should you put your prices on your website? It depends what phase of entrepreneurship you're in. If you're not sure which phase you're in, start by taking the test here . If you're in the F...

Episode 148 – The Multiple-Location Model

It's no secret that many CrossFit affiliates have opened a second location and had a very bad experience. The mistake usually comes from the old, flawed model of "the more clients, the better" and has sometimes been fatal. As I wrote in " Should You Open A Second Location? " A second location doesn’t double your work; it quadruples it. There's a checklist in that article to help you decide whether the opportunity is really worth it. But Jeff Larsh is one of the very few who has done it successfu...

Food For Thought Friday- Are You Talking with Your Staff?

Episode 147- How To Sell Your Business

On this episode, we talk to Tammy Friedt. Tammy is one our amazing mentors here at TwoBrain, and she recently sold her business! Selling a business or a gym is not an easy task and it takes a lot of patience in order to do it correctly. Today hear directly from someone who has lived through this process and gains some insight and tips into how it all happens. Learn about what needs to be done to prepare and sell a business, what documentation and legal advice you will need, and also we talk abou...

Food For Thought Friday- Do You Have A Profit Account?

Episode 146: 1099 or W-2?

Episode 147 – 1099 or W-2? With John Briggs of InciteTax Recently, I have started to see a trend where gym owners are increasingly being audited by the IRS. Today we talk about such things as how to survive an IRS audit, Tax Planning for the New Year, and what exactly is a 1099 contractor . As the year draws to a close, now is the time to start thinking about closing out your books and taxes for the year. Additionally, John has also bought himself his own CrossFit gym and we check in to see how ...

Food For Thought Friday- Play

Episode 122 Replay: How To Map Your Client's Journey (And Why It's Huge)

Today we are talking about a very productive task that you can do for any business: mapping a client’s journey. This is all about determining what process you want a client to go through and what experiences you want them to have with your business. Today is all about the big picture and it is also an interactive session so be sure to have a whiteboard or notepad ready to write your own client story! Data shows that the best way to start a client’s journey with your business is through an introd...

Food For Thought Friday- We Don't Do Black Friday Sales

Episode 145– Chris Cooper

On this episode, we sit down with Chris Cooper, the founder of Two-Brain Business. Nearly ten years ago, Chris ran into trouble with his first business--a CrossFit gym--and hired a mentor. He began feverishly writing down all the lessons he was learning and blogging them along his journey to help others. Hundreds of blog posts later, Chris launched his first book, Two Brain Business, which is now the bestselling fitness business book of all time! In 2016, he launched TwoBrainBusiness.com and beg...

Food For Thought Friday- What Are You Thankful For?

Episode 144: AJ Wilcox, LinkedIn Ads Expert

Episode 144– The LinkedIn Expert – AJ Wilcox I've always been puzzled by LinkedIn. On one hand, all of my ideal clients seem to be on there. LinkedIn is the social media for professionals, where you can identify high earners and find local entrepreneurs. And I think entrepreneurs are great CrossFit clients: they can afford it; they have a more open schedule; and they understand my rates and my hours. On the other hand, LinkedIn doesn't make it easy to advertise to these people. The news feed is ...

Food For Thought Friday- Do You Train With Your Class?

Episode 143: The Easiest $1000 You'll Make This Year

On this episode, I interview Matt Albrizio of Forever Fierce. Forever Fierce is a custom apparel company that is hyper-focused on affiliate owners worldwide. Matt walks us through just how important retail is and why it should become a priority within your CrossFit Gym starting now. We talk about apparel in the fourth quarter of 2018, the importance of having a theme, and what you should be looking to do in 2019! Additionally, Matt talks about how to make the easiest $1,000 dollars you have ever...

Food For Thought Friday- What Happens When You Get Robbed?

Episode 142: The Three BIG Questions

Every few months on this podcast, I like to take a chance to answer the big questions within the CrossFit World. Usually, the answers to these questions are tactical: "Should I raise my rates?" or "Should I deaffiliate?" But there are three BIG questions that I've been sitting on and rolling around for months. These questions have been coming up more and more: either through our Tinker program (for higher-level entrepreneurs) or through phone calls with CrossFit gym owners. The first question is...

Food For Thought Friday- Do You Have First Class Cheerleaders? Part 2

Episode 141: The Founders' Club, with Kaleda Connell

Kaleda Connell has made it to Tinker Phase: She makes more than enough money at her gym She only does the work she wants Her staff initiate programs and sell memberships She owns her building ...and, as you'll hear, she's practically the mayor of her town. She even invites other entrepreneurs in to help THEM! And she's done it in UNDER THREE YEARS. In a town of 2500 PEOPLE.

Food For Thought Friday- Do You Have First Class Cheerleaders? Part 1

Episode 140: The PreMortem

It's the Hallowe'en Spooktacular! Not really--but it's a fitting time to do a Business PreMortem. With the end of the year coming, I'm sure you're booking calls with your mentor to set up your 2019 strategic plan. In the TwoBrain family, we start this process in November. If you're not in the TwoBrain family yet, you can use this exercise to kickstart the process (a little fun before the spreadsheets!) In this episode, I walk through a simple exercise to help you identify and prioritize your opp...

Food For Thought Friday- Stop Comparing Yourself!

Episode 139: The 30-Day Conversation Challenge, with Rob Connors

Episode 139 – The 30-Day Conversation Challenge, with Rob Connors At Two Brain we teach three different types of marketing. We typically start with affinity marketing, or the people closest to your best clients and to you. Then we move on to organic digital which is performing the free function on social media platforms. Finally, we move on to paid digital which is paying for ads on various platforms. All of these are important, and we teach them in the Incubator . But above all, selling is what...

Food For Thought Friday- Are you Ready To Sell Your Business?

Episode 138- Will Hawthorne, Investment Banker at Code Advisors

Last weekend in San Francisco, Two-Brain held its first Tinker Meet-up. Entrepreneurs who have complete financial and time freedom and are seeking their next project are called "Tinkers." You can take the test to find out where you are in your entrepreneurial journey here. One of our speakers was Will Hawthorne, an investor at Code Advisors. Will is a partner in CodeAdvisors, an investment bank focusing on mergers and acquisitions. He's negotiated deals for some of the biggest tech companies in ...

Food For Thought Friday- How Much Control Do You Have On Your Business?

Episode 137- Charu Sharma, CEO of Next Play

Food For Thought Friday: Are You Ready For 30 New Members?