It's a pattern you know well: A client starts at your gym, makes progress and is committed and enthusiastic. But after a while, the progress slows. The enthusiasm fizzles. So how do you keep clients engaged for the long haul? That's just one of the things Nathan Holiday designed the Level Method to accomplish. This systematic approach to assessment and goal setting incentivizes clients to stay the course by pairing quantifiable metrics of progress with goal setting and accountability. Here, Nath...
Sep 17, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 182
There are a million things you can do to make your gym business better, but all too often, paralysis by analysis means you do nothing at all—or do everything poorly. That's why we created the #unbreakable55 challenge: Do one thing per day, five days per week, for 55 weeks. The tasks are simple—but not easy—and at the end of the 55 days, your business will be stronger. Listen to Chris Cooper explain the challenge here, then join the #unbreakable55. Links: Incite Tax: Profit First for Microgyms #U...
Sep 14, 2020•17 min•Season 3Ep. 181
You don't sell programming, community or access to equipment at your gym. Here's what you do sell: personalized exercise and nutrition plans. You're a coach. You also sell accountability and results to clients. In this episode, Chris Cooper explains why this realization is key to success in the fitness business. Links: Free Retention Guide AGuard Arbox Register for the Two-Brain Summit 2020 Contact: chris@twobrainbusiness.com Timeline: 00:38 – Is your gym already too big? 3:45 – What you don’t s...
Sep 10, 2020•12 min•Season 3Ep. 180
Every client has unique goals and unique ways of achieving them. Group classes and the occasional nutrition challenge might work for Bob, but maybe Sarah would thrive better with a hybrid group-/personal-training membership and regular nutrition check-ins. That's what the Prescriptive Model is all about: finding the right path for each client. Your client will have more success and you'll generate more revenue—either by providing more services or increasing length of engagement. Here, Certified ...
Sep 07, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 179
You've seen the pictures on Instagram: Seven perfectly proportioned containers of identical servings of chicken, rice and broccoli, all weighed out to the gram. #mealprep! But what if you're not a competitive athlete? What if you're a busy parent barely managing to get your kids fed and a coffee in your hand each morning? You don't have the time or resources to meal prep each week—certainly not during a pandemic—right? Jen Broxterman is here to give you a different outlook on meal prep. The foun...
Sep 03, 2020•18 min•Season 3Ep. 178
Sales goals. Bills. Staffing issues. Government restrictions. Angry members. Competition that doesn't play by the rules. There's no shortage of stressors for gym owners, and that will be true even after the COVID-19 pandemic. The key isn't to try to make it all go away—there is no one "next thing" that will make your life easy—but to learn to recognize and manage stressors in constructive ways. Certified Two-Brain Mentor Colm O'Reilly has spent decades learning to manage his emotions and reframe...
Aug 31, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 177
Worried we're headed for another Great Recession? Mike Michalowicz says it's actually the Great Reinvention. At least, it can be—for small businesses. Mike is the entrepreneur behind three multimillion-dollar companies and the author of "Profit First," "Clockwork," "The Pumpkin Plan" and his newest book, "Fix This Next." He's seen businesses big and small sink and swim with every economic shift, and he knows what makes the difference. He joined Chris Cooper and a group of microgym owners to shar...
Aug 27, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 176
The floors need mopping. There's a new class that needs coaching. Sales calls to be made; marking campaigns to run. Oh, and there's that great new partnership opportunity you said you'd look into. All these things are important, but you can't do them all—and it's not just an issue of delegation. Some ideas, no matter how good, won't fit your vision. You've got to learn to say "no." Certified Two-Brain Mentor Josh Martin will teach you how. Links: "The Five Filters" Two-Brain Coaching First Degre...
Aug 24, 2020•46 min•Season 3Ep. 175
High-intensity training isn't new anymore, and you can now find barbells, boxes and rigs in just about any gym you walk into. So what's setting you apart now? The difference between your microgym and the Orangetheory down the street is—or at least, it should be—your coaching. Not just how well you teach the squat, but how well you customize your program for each of your clients and how well you guide them to their individual goals. If you're a regular listener of this show, you've heard Chris Co...
Aug 20, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 174
Your client: "My doctor says lifting weights is dangerous; I need to cancel my membership." How do you respond? Do you argue? Give a lecture on why the doc doesn't know what he or she is talking about? Draw some diagrams? Try listening to this episode first. Ashley Mak is a Certified Two-Brain Mentor, the owner of Hudson River Fitness and a doctor of physical therapy. He understands the arguments on all sides, and says there's good news: Doctors and coaches don't have to be enemies. Tune in to l...
Aug 17, 2020•52 min•Season 3Ep. 173
Can't afford to buy ads for your gym? Don't worry. There's a time and place for paid advertising, but the most effective marketing is free. Here, Chris Cooper will walk you through Two-Brain's invaluable guide, The Broke Gym Owner's Guide to Marketing. You'll learn how to keep clients for longer, win back old clients and how to use affinity marketing strategies to expand your circle of influence and market to strangers—all without spending a dime. Links: The Broke Gym Owner's Guide to Marketing ...
Aug 13, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 172
If you own a gym, you're not just a business owner; you're a leader. Your staff and clients look to you for guidance and inspiration, and how you respond has a serious effect on the success of your business. Here, Certified Two-Brain Business Mentor, gym owner and leadership expert Andrea Savard joins Mike Warkentin to talk about what it means to be a great leader and how to become one. Links: Register for the Two-Brain Summit 2020 Wodify How to Lead in a Crisis Driven Nutrition Two-Brain Busine...
Aug 10, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 171
When COVID hit, we pushed the Two-Brain Summit 2020 from June to September. Then we made it a digital/small group hybrid. But make no mistake—this year's summit is going to be one of the best ever. You'll work with Seth Godin, one of the world's top storytellers in business. You'll hear from Chris Voss, an ex-FBI hostage negotiator, on how to handle tough conversations. Risha Grant will answer difficult questions about race and show you how to make your gym more diverse. Cameron Herold will make...
Aug 06, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 164
Julie Johnston once made $18,000 in front-end revenue from paid ads in a single month. But there was a problem: She didn't like how those ads represented her business. Yes, they helped her close sales, but the clients weren't good fits. Tired of the turnover and of feeling icky, Julie quit paid ads—and her business didn't die. In fact, she's actually grown her gym by 41 percent since then by fixing what was wrong in her business, identifying her ideal client and marketing to that client for free...
Aug 03, 2020•44 min•Season 3Ep. 169
Average gym owners play things by ear; the best ones make plans. And this is a bad time to be average. The COVID crisis is far from over. Even if your gym has reopened, there's a very real chance you'll be forced to close again eventually. But if you make detailed plans for reopening and reclosure and everything in between, you'll come out of this crisis stronger than ever. Here, Chris Cooper breaks down Two-Brain Business' data-driven, step-by-step plan for reopening. You'll learn how to adapt ...
Jul 30, 2020•44 min•Season 3Ep. 168
Ever been frustrated because someone just doesn't get what it's all about? Maybe you want beginners to feel comfortable in class, but the competition team hijacks the equipment and space. Maybe you want your gym to be a place for people to let off steam after work, but that drill-sergeant coach is stressing clients out. Guess what? It's not them; it's you. Strong gyms have solid vision statements that staff and clients understand and support, and Certified Two-Brain Mentor Kaleda Connell is here...
Jul 27, 2020•52 min•Season 3Ep. 167
When was the last time you brainstormed with the gym owner across town? Or referred a client to a local chiropractor? Or took the local physiotherapist out to lunch? "Networking" is a corporate buzzword, but building a network—an ecosystem—is you how you can grow your business faster and help your clients more—without paid advertising. Here, Chris Cooper shares real examples of how supporting his local ecosystem helped him grow his business and put him in a strong position to give back and help ...
Jul 23, 2020•30 min•Season 3Ep. 166
Adding new programs to your gym is a great way to increase revenue. But there's only so much an owner can do. So how do you add programs without getting burned out? If you hire staff to run them for you, how do you pay them and still make a profit? And how do you find the right person to make a program successful? Peter Brasovan is a co-owner of NapTown Fitness, an Indiana gym with multiple revenue streams that together gross over $1 million a year. The key, he says, is intrapreneurialism: when ...
Jul 20, 2020•59 min•Season 3Ep. 165
Think you need a gym to make a living as a coach? Think again. In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper delivers a crash course on how to make a living as a gymless trainer. Maybe you offer digital coaching. Maybe you train clients in their homes or workplaces. Maybe you train them from someone else's gym. Whichever path you choose, you'll need to make smart decisions about pricing, audience-building and operations. Learn from Chris' past mistakes now to make sure you don't make the same...
Jul 16, 2020•28 min•Season 3Ep. 164
How long do clients stay at your gym? A year? Two? Gym owner, chiropractor and Certified Two-Brain Mentor Brian Strump has retained clients for up to 10 years, and even the short end of his average length of engagement is double that of most—or more. Here, Brian shares how cultivating a great gym culture, developing skilled staff and communicating with members regularly can help you create 10-year clients. Links: Live Active Charlotte Gym Lead Machine Free hiring plan and job descriptions "The P...
Jul 13, 2020•46 min•Season 3Ep. 163
We get it: You got into the fitness business because you want to help people, not sell snake oil. But here's the thing: You can't help people if you can't keep the lights on, and you don't have to sell snake oil to be a salesperson. In fact, good selling is all about helping. Here's Chris Cooper on selling without selling, hiring and training salespeople and the difference between sales and marketing. Links: The Goal Review Session "Help First" The Prescriptive Model Our free done-for-you hiring...
Jul 09, 2020•22 min•Season 3Ep. 162
How to you get a client to stay with you forever? Wow them at the very beginning. Brian Zimmerman is a Certified Two-Brain mentor and the owner of CrossFit Jungle Gym. He says average revenue per member and length of engagement are both tied back to a client's onboarding process. In this episode, he joined Mike Warkentin to talk about the critical steps you need to take when onboarding a new client for the best possible long-term outcomes. Links: CrossFit Jungle Gym The Icon Problem Join the Gym...
Jul 06, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 161
"People like us do things like this." — Seth Godin Most potential clients don't want to know about constantly varied functional movement performed at high intensity. They want to know how to lose weight. Or build muscle. Or both. So instead of telling them how great your program is, talk about the great things your clients have accomplished with it. In this episode, lifelong wordsmith Chris Cooper will teach you to tell great stories and how they'll help you get more clients and keep them longer...
Jul 02, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 160
Jason Carroll's got his retirement plan all figured out: be a stunt double for Tom Hanks. But for now, he's focusing on fitness. The Hollywood lookalike made his CrossFit Games debut in 2017 and finished in 28th place as a rookie. He returned two years later and took 39th. He joined Sean Woodland to talk about how basketball led him to the weight room, which in turn led him to CrossFit, how he turned disappointment in 2016 to triumph the following year and just how many times he’s actually been ...
Jul 01, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 159
Good gym owners know that exercise alone will only get clients so far. For real results, they've gotta practice good nutrition, too. But what if you don't know how to teach it? Jen Broxterman is a registered dietician of 10 years, a sports nutritionist, the founder of Nutrition Rx and the creator of the brand-new Two-Brain Nutrition Coaching Course. The self-paced course combines an arsenal of science and experience with one-on-one mentorship to get trainers client-ready in as little as a month....
Jun 29, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 158
Gym owners have faced unprecedented levels of stress over the last several weeks and months. But let's be real—as an entrepreneur, you're always stressed. Always checking your email, overthinking things and running yourself ragged. But what you're actually doing is strengthening your amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response. And to keep it from getting out of control, you need to de-train it. Here, Chris Cooper shares proven strategies for reducing stress, rew...
Jun 25, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 157
Bob Jennings started CrossFit at 40 years old. Six years later, he became a CrossFit Games athlete, taking 9th in the 45-49-year-old division at the 2019 CrossFit Games. He joined Sean Woodland to talk about what it's like to compete at a later stage in life, how just missing out on a trip to Madison in 2018 motivated him moving forward and why the masters community is so tightly knit. He also shared how the Legends Masters Competition came to be and how he and his co-founders hope to make it th...
Jun 24, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 155
When Rob Connors closed his gym due to COVID-19 this spring, he shut the doors for good—the physical doors, that is. Signum Fitness and Nutrition has been 100 percent digital since May, and Rob has no plans to go back to bricks and mortar. Rob Connors is a Certified Two-Brain Mentor specializing in personal training and online personal training. When considering the jump to digital, he asked himself two questions: "What's best for me and my family?" and "What's best for my seed clients?" The ans...
Jun 22, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 155
When was the last time you turned a potential client away? Rob Connors, owner of Signum Fitness and Nutrition, does it on the regular—and he says his business is better for it. Instead of trying to market to the masses, Rob "niched down" to focus on clients whose goals align with the gym's mission. He also created content strategically to improve his business' Google ranking. The result? More seed clients and a stronger business. Listen to his conversation with Chris Cooper to learn how he niche...
Jun 18, 2020•17 min•Season 3Ep. 151
EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode was recorded before the early June events regarding CrossFit Inc. and the statements made by Greg Glassman. Austin Malleolo is a CrossFit OG. He competed at the CrossFit Games for the first time as an individual in 2010 and took 6th place overall. He made four more appearances as an individual before switching to the team competition in 2017. Austin has also been a fixture on the CrossFit Seminar Staff. Here, he talks with Sean Woodland about how his career as a perso...
Jun 17, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 153
