In this special episode produced in collaboration with “Gym World Worldwide,” John Franklin chats with Curtis Christopherson, owner of Innovative Fitness. Curtis' personal-training gym chain spans 23 locations, with each averaging over $1 million in annual revenue. Curtis is also the owner and founder of WRKOUT, a revolutionary digital platform designed for wellness professionals. He explains how he blew up his brand by prioritizing community and connection, even within a personal-training model...
Nov 20, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 512
Two Brain’s annual “State of the Industry” report is out! With metrics from over 13,400 gyms, the guide provides valuable insight into how gym owners can build better businesses. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Chris Cooper and John Franklin to highlight key points from the guide. Chris is the CEO and founder of Two-Brain Business, and John is the chief marketing officer at Two-Brain, head of marketing for Kilo, and host of the podcast “Gym World Wor...
Nov 16, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 511
Every year, Two-Brain Business pours a ton of resources into our “State of the Industry” report, which is regarded by many experts and organizations as the best in the fitness space. We give the report to gym owners—like you—for free every year so they have the info they need to build world-class businesses. In today’s episode, Chris Cooper highlights some of the key takeaways from our 2023 report, which contains data from 13,444 gyms. Chris explains how to compare your gym against the average i...
Nov 13, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 510
Steve Ramsbottom has worked with stars such as Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Jessica Alba, as well as Paralympic medalists and countless other professional athletes. The owner of Performance Institute in British Columbia, Canada, Steve is also one of Two-Brain’s revenue leaders for September 2023. In this episode, Mike Warkentin sits down with Steve as he shares the secrets of his success—from how he ended up training some of the biggest stars in Hollywood to how he climbed the revenue leaderboard...
Nov 09, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 509
The best gym owners in the world share three things: They know their niche, they create a culture of discipline in their businesses, and they build and preserve momentum. Finding your niche allows you to become the best at what you do, which increases client value. Discipline ensures your gym consistently operates with excellence—whether you’re in the building or not. And momentum helps you make incremental gains every day so you’re always moving toward your larger goals. In today’s episode, Chr...
Nov 06, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 508
Eric Conner is killing it. His gym grosses over US$50,000 a month in a really tough market just outside Los Angeles. Since 2016, he’s increased revenue by 100 percent. In 2022-2023 alone, he increased his gross by 20 percent. And he’s done it without running ads. Today, Eric has multiple staff members who are building careers at his gym while they're supported by benefit plans. And as CEO of a thriving business, Eric has time to branch into other areas, such as investing in real estate and mento...
Nov 02, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 507
How much money do the top gyms pull in each month? You’ll find out in this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym” as Chris Cooper runs through the Top 10 leaderboard for revenue in September 2023. Every gym on the leaderboard grossed more than US$49,000, and the top gym's number will leave you speechless. The stats are based on rolling three-month averages, meaning this is consistent, reliable revenue. After serving up the numbers, Chris shares tips from the top gym owners so you can replicate their ...
Oct 30, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 506
It’s the end of the year, and you want to generate more revenue for your gym, but Black Friday deals and paid-in-full discounts will hurt you in the long run. So what can you do instead to boost profit? In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper shares five tried-and-tested revenue-generating tactics you can use to close out 2023. The tactics: retail presales, gift certificates, save-your spot promotions, bring-a-friend holiday parties and January kickstarts. Chris walks you thro...
Oct 26, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 505
Black Friday is coming, and it can be tempting for gym owners to slash their rates. But the best gyms in the world don’t offer discounts—and they don’t need to. In today’s episode, Chris Cooper explains why gym owners should avoid discounts—hint: they'll sink your business. Even better, he tells you exactly how to say no when people request a reduced rate. Instead of creating a Black Friday discount that hurts your business, you can increase the value of your service and close sales by offering ...
Oct 23, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 504
Chris Cooper has helped thousands of gym owners improve their businesses—so what happened when he found problems at his own gym? You'll find out in this podcast. Lots of "experts" paint perfect pictures of their gyms—but true story is often different. Chris has always been open about the realities of his gym since he first started blogging about it in 2008. So, when he found problems had cropped up in 2023, he jumped in to fix them personally—and he's sharing the story with you. In this episode ...
Oct 19, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 503
Breaking problems down allows you to gain traction and grow your gym instead of just feeling overwhelmed. And Two-Brain has helped thousands of gym owners around the world do just that. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper breaks down three of the biggest problems facing gym owners: bad coaches or staff, not getting enough leads, and not making enough money. If you ever feel like no one at your gym can do it as well as you, then you’ve got a process problem or a people problem...
Oct 16, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 502
Stephanie Fowler of EMPOWERHOUSE Gym was struggling and couldn’t see a way out. She was torn between shutting her gym down or investing in Two-Brain mentorship. She chose to fix her gym, and she saw a massive return on her investment as she worked through our RampUp program for gym owners: Stephanie acquired a ton of new clients and finally paid herself a comfortable salary for the first time in years. In this episode, host Mike Warkentin sits down with Stephanie, who shares her experience worki...
Oct 12, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 501
Fitness entrepreneurs need three skills if they’re going to be successful. In this episode, Chris Cooper explains how focus, "gain thinking" and virtuosity combine to create strong businesses that improve the health of entire communities. Rush from project to project without finishing anything and your gym’s growth will stall. Spend too much time thinking about where you should be and you won’t build any momentum. Ignore the basics and you’ll constantly find yourself correcting the same problems...
Oct 09, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 500
If you think of selling as pushing people to buy things they don't want, you're going to struggle to make sales. When you reframe the sales process as "helping people solve their problems," you'll be able to confidently present solid solutions to prospective clients who will be eager to accept your expert assistance. The Help First concept is a game changer in the fitness business—especially if you struggle to close. In this episode, Coop walks you through Help First—what it means, what it looks...
Oct 05, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 499
Want to know how Two-Brain's conversation marketing funnel works? You're in it. In this episode, Chris Cooper walks you through a four-step process for setting up a killer conversation marketing plan at your gym. Remember: Conversations bridge the gap between advertising and sales. Advertising gets a prospective client's attention, and the sales process secures the money and the membership. But if you focus on the period between attention and sales, you'll earn trust through conversations, and y...
Oct 02, 2023•12 min•Season 3Ep. 498
Two CrossFit gyms in Santiago, Chile, are home to 1,140 total clients—and Daniel Dobbs Brown owns both of them. Accion CrossFit Providencia earned the No. 1 spot on our August 2023 headcount leaderboard with 723 clients, and the Las Condes location hit No. 4 with 417. So how did Dobbs Brown do it? Host Mike Warkentin digs in to find out. The short answer: Daniel is using a precise, high-volume, data-backed marketing plan and an increasing focus on retention to build his client list. Daniel pulls...
Sep 28, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 497
Client headcount isn't everything. But it's still important—especially in a gym with great retention and average revenue per member. When gyms with great metrics across the board acquire more members, the results are spectacular. With just 150 clients who pay $205 a month, an owner can earn $100,000 a year. You can imagine what happens when a gym earns 200 or more clients who pay $300 a month and stay for years. In this episode, Chris Cooper presents our Top 10 leaderboard for clients in August ...
Sep 25, 2023•12 min•Season 3Ep. 496
Yes, you can use AI to bring clients to your gym. Gym owner Chris Cooper uses ChatGPT to do that even though he's written seven books and thousands of blogs by hand. But how can you use artificial intelligence effectively without coming across like a misguided robot? And what should fitness entrepreneurs know before getting started with AI? In this episode, Chris Cooper offers his tips for AI mastery, explains how you can misuse ChatGPT and other platforms, and tells you how AI can be a key part...
Sep 21, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 495
You can use an email list to build an incredible fitness business. Email might not be as sexy as the latest "social media hacks" presented by online sales gurus, but it's a direct line to clients and prospective clients—and that's worth a lot to any business. In this episode, Chris Cooper explains how he used daily email conversations to build his personal-training business, his gym and his worldwide mentorship company. He breaks down the content marketing funnel that should send warm leads to y...
Sep 18, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 494
Colm O'Reilly helped gym owners solve marketing problems at the 2022 Two-Brain Summit in Chicago. The mentor and owner of CrossFit Ireland ran through four major funnels fitness entrepreneurs need to build to ensure a steady stream of quality clients: referrals, organic social media, content and paid marketing. Each funnel leads to a free consultation called a No Sweat Intro: It's your very best chance to close a high-value sale and retain a client for years. Colm also answered key setup questio...
Sep 14, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 493
Most gyms ride a roller coaster because they aren’t consistent in their marketing. They see something, try it, get a few clients and then drop it to try the next thing. There's a better way: four simple marketing funnels that run at all times. Every funnel leads to a free consultation we call a No Sweat Intro (NSI). That's where you can help high-value clients become healthier by presenting the best solution to their problems. The best part? Each funnel makes the others work better. In this epis...
Sep 11, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 492
Gyms get into legal trouble from time to time, and if you read the news, you'll see some scary stuff. To help you limit your risk as a gym owner, Matthew Becker of Gym Lawyers PLLC digs into the news, explains how some gyms found themselves there, and gives you simple steps to protect your business. From leases to liability for broken equipment to injured clients—Matthew and host Mike Warkentin cover it all so you can sleep better at night. Links Sudden closure in Mississauga due to legal disput...
Sep 07, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 491
To build a successful gym that solves your clients' problems, define your mission, use a strong model, pick a fitness method that gets results and regularly utilize media to get the word out. In this episode, Chris Cooper lays out the blueprint: He explains how your mission guides you and your model supports you, your family and your staff. Selecting your method? That's the fun part: It's probably the style of fitness you're passionate about. Whatever it is, it must get results for clients and b...
Sep 04, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 490
Gym owner Tina Selix was burned out and on the verge of selling her business. In an attempt to improve the business before the sale, she decided to hire a Two-Brain mentor. When things started to turn around, she saw daylight and was inspired to keep and grow the business. In July, she earned a spot on our Top 10 leaderboard with an average revenue per member (ARM) of $469. In this episode, she shares how she became a CEO who ensures her high-value clients get what they need every single day. Ti...
Aug 31, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 489
What do gym owners with huge average revenue per member know that you don't? Chris Cooper will tell you in this edition of "Run a Profitable Gym." First, Coop runs through Two-Brain's July leaderboard and lays out what the top gym owners earned per client on average. Then he shares their tips for acquiring, serving and retaining clients who are only too happy to pay more than $429 every month. Just a few of the elements that go into big numbers: Add-on services, platinum packages, rate increases...
Aug 28, 2023•13 min•Season 3Ep. 488
Justin Dickson once earned nothing from his gym. Then he earned a spot on our Top 10 leaderboard for gym-owner income How did he do it? In this episode, Justin explains his incredible turnaround: The key was an emphasis on high-value services, staff development, client retention and consistent delivery. If you've ever wondered how the best gym owners generate income, this is the show for you. No secrets, no hidden tactics. Just real information you can use to earn more from your fitness business...
Aug 24, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 487
You can manage a full-time career and own a gym—it just takes some finesse. In this episode, Chris Cooper explains how you should set up your side-hustle gym to ensure profitability. Then you have the option to leave your day job or keep the gym as an income generator on the side. Whatever you do, don't just leap and try to build wings on the way down. The chasm between a solid day job and entrepreneurship is filled with wreckage. But Coop's got a host of ways to reduce your risk and ensure succ...
Aug 21, 2023•21 min•Season 3Ep. 486
Great gym businesses run on hard data, and Two-Brain's annual "State of the Industry" report is a gym owner's best source for verified fitness-industry numbers. We're collecting data right now, and we're inviting you to spend about six minutes entering your info here . When our report comes out in mid-November, you'll get access to our collected numbers and expert analysis so you can use the info to grow your gym. In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Chris Cooper and Mike Warkentin set the...
Aug 17, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 485
Since 2020, we've been collecting, analyzing and publishing hard numbers so gym owners get the info they need to improve their businesses. No one else has. In this episode, Chris Cooper will tell you why the annual "State of the Industry" report is so important and why we need your help to make it even better this year. We're collecting data right now, and we're inviting you to spend about six minutes entering your numbers here . Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey. Your data will h...
Aug 14, 2023•16 min•Season 3Ep. 484
So you're a gym owner—that means you've got to grind and can't ever take a vacation, right? Wrong. In this episode, Two-Brain Business founder and CEO Chris Cooper will explain how you can free yourself from low-level jobs to become a CEO who can take time off. When Coop got food poisoning in 2019 before Two-Brain's huge annual summit for gym owners, it was a blessing in disguise. He suddenly realized he could let his team members run the show, then audit and improve things after the fact with t...
Aug 10, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 483
