The Intramural Open is a fun, annual, multi-week competition to run in your gym. Chris Cooper created it more than a decade ago as a way to boost morale, improve retention and generate revenue. In this episode, Chris walks you through the updated 2023 Intramural Open guide. He'll tell you what the event is all about and how to run it. He's got a timeline, a scoring system, a host of coaching tips and a "survival guide" for organizers. Most important of all, Chris will tell you exactly how to use...
Jan 09, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 422
Austin Ruesink runs Big Time Results—and he got exactly that through the Two-Brain RampUp program for gym owners. With guidance from a mentor, Austin added $6,000 of revenue in eight weeks, reduced his work hours and moved his average revenue per member into the $300-$350 range. In this episode, Austin talks about how he was nearing burnout before a mentor helped him take clear action to offload some tasks so he could focus on growing a newly purchased business. With a staff playbook and roles a...
Jan 05, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 421
What's hurting your gym or fitness business the most? Not doing regular Goal Review Sessions with clients. First and foremost, goal reviews provide an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with each client just by talking one on one. You can also check in on progress. If you ask the right questions, you'll find out if your training plan is producing results or if it needs to be adjusted to bring success. In some cases, clients will want to upgrade to more valuable services. While goal revi...
Jan 02, 2023•11 min•Season 3Ep. 420
Two-Brain's November 2022 gross revenue leaderboard for gyms ran from $46,000 to $73,000. Ashley Sell put Midwest Strength and Performance in the Top 10, and she's here to explain exactly how she did it. Working with a large, six-owner team across two locations, Ashley knew that hiring a mentor was the key to pulling everyone together. Her specific management role? Growing the business. To do that, she used a number of tactics, including relocating to be closer to perfect clients, switching to a...
Dec 29, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 419
Gyms, affiliates and PT studios often don't grow steadily. In the fitness world, business growth is usually a series of steps forward and back. The key is to always grab more total ground than you give. In wartime, you're fighting fires and dealing with emergencies. You've got to run lean and make tough decisions to make sure you don't slide too far back. To help you hold your ground, Chris Cooper has five audits you can perform in times of trouble. When things are good, resist the urge to coast...
Dec 26, 2022•12 min•Season 3Ep. 418
Trista Eason, owner of Flex Appeal in Wichita Falls, Texas, successfully bounced back after the pandemic with the help of her Two-Brain Business mentor: She boosted her average revenue per member (ARM) by over $100. In this episode, Eason tells all so you can do the same thing at your gym, personal training studio or affiliate. Trista did a few key things to increase her ARM. First, she swapped out her free intro class for a consultation called a No Sweat Intro, and then she dialed in her client...
Dec 22, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 417
Every year, Two-Brain Business publishes an industry-defining report for owners of gyms, personal-training and boutique studios, strength and conditioning facilities, CrossFit affiliates, martial-arts businesses, and 24-hour access gyms. You can get the 56-page report for free here . In this video, Chris Cooper goes through the report and offers his insight into stats you won't see anywhere else. Find out: What gym owners make and how many hours they work. The ratio of profitable and unprofitabl...
Dec 19, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 416
Mentorship—how does it work? In this episode of Run a Profitable Gym, you'll find out. Host Mike Warkentin talks to gym owner Nate Boley, who explains exactly how he uses a mentor to grow his business, Strength Warehouse in Bend, Oregon. The key: Nate's mentor tailors her coaching to him. She helps him focus, prioritize and take action that gets measurable results. Sometimes they solve problems and address emergencies, and sometimes they review metrics and make forward-thinking, step-by-step act...
Dec 15, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 415
You're in the service business—but that doesn't mean you always have to listen to your clients. As a gym owner, you need to carefully consider when to give the squeaky wheels the grease and when to keep your own counsel. In this episode of Run a Profitable Gym, Chris Cooper gives you an exercise that will help you identify your best clients, and he'll help you use them to improve your gym or fitness business. A word to the wise: Avoid member surveys at your gym or affiliate. Your clients deserve...
Dec 12, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 414
Gym owner Ashley Kates made significant gains in just six months after hiring a Two-Brain Business mentor: - Her take-home pay increased. - Her gross revenue at her training studio increased. - Her husband was able to quit his job to be a stay-at-home dad. - She worked fewer hours and had less stress at her gym. With the help of a business coach, Ashley solidified her fitness business with procedures and policies, and she mapped out her client journey to include data-backed best practices. From ...
Dec 08, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 413
The key to exponential growth in your gym: have your clients bring you more clients. Your existing members are one of the most valuable assets to a gym owner— but your clients aren't salespeople, even if they see the immense value of your service. You just can't wait around for them to bring more members into your gym, studio or affiliate. So how do you create a "referral culture" in your business and your community? In this show, Chris Cooper shares advice he earned by creating a referral syste...
Dec 05, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 412
Jake Fields runs a profitable gym with a lot of clients. That's an important distinction because piles of clients don't guarantee profitability. Fields has close to 300 members at his CrossFit affiliate and earned a spot on Two-Brain's leaderboard for most clients in October 2022. In this episode, he shares the secrets of how he retains and acquires members. For Jake, it's all about systems: He has specific processes to generate leads, prequalify them, sell to them with free consultations, onboa...
Dec 01, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 411
Making $100,000 as a personal trainer might seem impossible at first. But it can be done if you create the right business plan. It's not enough to just be a great coach. You need coaching skills for sure, but they must be balanced by entrepreneurial skills if you're going to create a career in the fitness industry. On today's episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper—a former personal trainer and current gym owner—tells you exactly how to build a coaching practice that will allow you to earn $100...
Nov 28, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 410
The Phoenix uses the power of movement and activity to help sober people rise from the ashes of addiction all over the United States. Through activities such as CrossFit, yoga and indoor climbing, recovering addicts or substance users develop positive coping mechanisms, make new connections and see the possibilities in a sober life. Chris Cooper talks with Scott Strode, founder of The Phoenix, about his story and the purpose of his project. If you're sober or struggling with substance abuse, the...
Nov 24, 2022•40 min•Season 3Ep. 409
As Black Friday approaches every year, gym owners are always tempted to offer massive discounts and promote wild sales. Don't do it at your gym or strength and conditioning facility. If you slash your rates and give away free months at your PT studio or affiliate, you'll blow a hole in your profit and destroy your cash flow. So what should you do instead of discounting your services? Chris Cooper is behind the mic to give you five proven, tested strategies for generating a ton of year-end revenu...
Nov 21, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 408
Two-Brain's data shows that only about 65 percent of gyms offer nutrition coaching despite the fact that it's relatively low drag, it doesn't require space and overhead, and it's a perfect complement to fitness programming. Get this: Some gyms and affiliates use nutrition services to generate 20-30 percent of their total revenue. If you haven't added nutrition coaching to your gym, you're missing out on a huge opportunity, and your clients might not be getting optimal results. So why isn't every...
Nov 17, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 407
Because gym owners are always afraid they'll lose clients, they often view any other care providers as competition. But as a fitness coach, CrossFit affiliate or gym owner, you aren't in competition with athletic therapists, physiotherapists, doctors and chiropractors. In fact, you can actually connect with these local professionals to create referral webs that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this episode, Chris Cooper presents eights steps for creating more local connections than...
Nov 14, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 406
Gym owner Chris Plentus walks you through the ins and outs of the Tinker program, Two-Brain's mentorship system for top-tier gym owners and other advanced entrepreneurs. You'll learn what to expect from mentorship at this stage, what you'll get in the program, and how others have used Tinker to grow their businesses and leadership skills exponentially. If your gym is stable and doesn't eat up all your time, and if you're paying yourself about $100,000 per year, you're probably wondering what to ...
Nov 10, 2022•34 min•Season 3Ep. 405
Is Peleton your competition? No. As a fitness trainer, you're selling coaching, not bikes and workouts. You're selling a tailored plan designed to help each individual find success—even if that plan is executed in a group setting, like in a CrossFit affiliate or functional fitness studio. That concept—using "done-with-you services" to get clients impressive results—is actually the secret to making more money as a personal trainer or coach. The more you customize a program for a client, the more ...
Nov 07, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 404
Gym owner Shane Rider was working way too much, and he was starting to burn out. Then he learned how to offload tasks step by step so he could free up his time to grow the business. Once he started that process, revenue and profit increased, and Shane got way more free time. Now, he works as the CEO of his gym and does only the things he enjoys. If you're working too many hours at your PT studio, gym or CrossFit affiliate, Two-Brain can teach you how to "level up" and get your time back. Links B...
Nov 03, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 403
Good books are crucial to personal and business growth. In today's episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper and his team of mentors share the books that helped them most in 2022. Application is more important than information: The books you'll find on this list will help you take clear action to improve yourself and your gym, fitness business, CrossFit affiliate or personal training studio. Use the links below to purchase through Two-Brain's Amazon affiliate account. Two-Brain donates any procee...
Oct 31, 2022•12 min•Season 3Ep. 402
Can you imagine earning $827 from every client at your gym? It's possible. Today on Two-Brain Radio, Josh Elsesser of Invictus Fitness explains how his gym landed on the Two-Brain leaderboard for average revenue per member with a score of $827. Josh will give you a host of things you might consider using at your gym, including semi-private coaching, VIP programs involving mindset coaching, and regular client check-ins. He'll also tell you which advertising platform is working best for him right ...
Oct 27, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 401
As a gym owner, you probably aren't being paid what you're worth—but you can change that. Today, Chris Cooper channels Bob Burg of "The Go-Giver" and explains that value has five parts: excellence, consistency, empathy, attention and appreciation. Chris provides tips on how gym owners can focus on each element to raise their value, help people to a greater degree and make more money. Remember, it's not enough to be a great coach. To succeed as a gym owner, CrossFit affiliate owner or studio owne...
Oct 24, 2022•14 min•Season 3Ep. 400
Keith Yungel of CrossFit Pawling used to work endless hours doing every task at his gym. He missed time with his family, and his hourly rate was low. Now, as the CEO of his fitness business, he's working about 10 hours a month and taking home $867 per hour. He made the transition in about 2.5 years, and he'll tell you exactly how he did it. The key: creating standard operating procedures for every role in the gym, then filling those roles and mentoring team members to success. If you're asking h...
Oct 20, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 399
How do you figure out what to do as a fitness entrepreneur to move your business forward? The possibilities are endless, so Chris Cooper gives you five filters you can use to evaluate your options. Then he lays out a clear point of focus for each of the first three stages of entrepreneurship. Using these tools, you'll be able to find the clarity you need to take specific actions to grow your business. If you ever feel confused, overwhelmed or like you're spinning your tires, this is the episode ...
Oct 17, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 398
Staffing mistakes—they're all too common in gyms and other small businesses. Chris Cooper has made a ton of errors with staff in many businesses over the years, and today he'll share his four golden rules for staffing with you. These rules come from Cooper's trial and error, but if you listen and take action, you can avoid mistakes, heartache and stress at your fitness business. Links Book a Call Gym Owners United group 1:09 - The first rule 3:13 - The second rule 5:36 - The third rule 11:28 - T...
Oct 13, 2022•14 min•Season 3Ep. 397
It used to take new gym owners a long time to get to profitability. But now fitness entrepreneurs can blow past the once-mandatory period of losses and struggling to start earning money fast. The key: the book "Start a Gym" by Chris Cooper—along with the related course and free resources . Cooper, a gym owner, created the package to help fitness entrepreneurs build strong, stable businesses that last for decades, and you can use it to get your business on the right track today. In this episode o...
Oct 10, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 396
You know that problem client needs to go—so how do you solve the problem without misery? In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper explains how you can set up referral partners who will be able to help the clients you can't. With this network in place, you'll be more likely to offload clients you don't want so you can focus on your best clients. If you don't have a plan, you're likely to get angrier and more frustrated with your worst clients, then eventually blow up. That's bad for you, ...
Oct 06, 2022•11 min•Season 3Ep. 395
You might feel like you need every single client at your gym. But the truth is that subpar, unpleasant clients will prevent you and your staff from doing great work with A+ clients. Today, Chris Cooper will explain why you don't need "bottom feeders" and how to prevent them from taking up space in your business. You can still serve them—by helping them find a different place to train. By allowing only the very best clients into your gym, you'll create an environment everyone will love, and your ...
Oct 03, 2022•16 min•Season 3Ep. 394
That contract you found on the internet and altered for your gym—it might not hold any weight. Worse, it could get you in big trouble with the law. Most gym owners don't know it, but membership contracts must be carefully crafted to ensure they fall in line with local standards designed to protect consumers. If your contracts fall outside those standards, you could be at great risk. On today's episode of Two-Brain Radio, gym owner and lawyer Matthew Becker of Gymlawyers.com returns to discuss di...
Sep 29, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 393
