Run a Profitable Gym

Focusing on retention can improve just about every metric in your gym, from average revenue per member to length of engagement.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin talks with Chris Cooper, Two-Brain founder and CEO, about all things retention.

They dial in on the five pillars of retention: results, fame, compatibility, consistency and referrals. Chris explains what each is and why it matters.

Then he provides five actions you can perform today to start keeping clients in your gym longer. And these strategies aren’t pulled out of thin air—they’re proven to work based on data from about a quarter of a million gym members around the world.

For more support, and to get Chris's new “Never Lose a Client Again” guide, join the Gym Owners United group.

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The Prescriptive Model

Gym Owners United

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0:38 - What is retention and why does it matter?

6:49- 5 pillars of retention

26:42 - Actions you can take today

32:11 - Get after referrals

Could you acquire over 400 members for your gym? And if you hit that total, could you hold onto them?

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin chats with Rune Laursen, owner of BoxLife/CrossFit 5512 in Denmark. Rune made our December 2023 Top 10 leaderboard for client count, which ran from 324 to 1,034 members.

Rune’s already improved on his late-2023 stats: His gym now has 512 members and is steadily growing. He explains how he brings in and retains so many clients by using No Sweat Intros, Goal Review Sessions and the Prescriptive Model—and he backs up everything he says with data!

Rune credits much of his retention success to adding a CSM—a client success manager. He’s even looking at hiring a second CSM to ensure he holds onto all his hard-earned members.

Tune into this data-packed episode to learn how to expand your gym’s membership and build systems to support its growth.

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The Prescriptive Model

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1:37 - Rune’s retention

5:17 - Goal reviews & retention

10:36 - Always be calling

17:09 - Systemizing for success

26:33 - Final thoughts

Gym owners often think they have a marketing problem when they actually have a retention problem: It doesn’t matter how many new clients you bring in each month if they aren’t sticking around!

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper presents Two-Brain’s Top 10 leaderboard for client headcount in December 2023.

Each gym on the leaderboard has over 300 members and is super profitable. These gym owners have mastered both marketing and retention, and they’re sharing their top tips with you.

A few of their suggestions? To get clients in the door, use four different marketing funnels and audit them regularly to make sure they’re working. Then improve your length of engagement by setting up Goal Review Sessions with new and at-risk members.

Tune in to get more tips—and hear the astounding headcount of the No. 1 gym on the leaderboard.

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4:02 - Audit your marketing funnels

7:19 - Members per gym (not gyms)

9:58 - No. 1 gym

9:44 - Retention more than marketing

12:25 - Most important funnel for you

Many paths lead to millionaire net worth as a gym owner, and one of them involves buying your gym’s building.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin sits down with Brian Strump, a chiropractor and the owner of Live Active Charlotte, who recently bought his gym’s building for $1.8 million.

The pair get into the details of the huge purchase and discuss the benefits of owning your building—some might surprise you!

Whether you’re ready to buy now or considering real estate as an option in the future, John and Brian share tips to get you moving toward your goal.

To find out how a dozen other gym owners became millionaires, check out Chris Cooper's latest book, “Millionaire Gym Owner,” available via the link below.

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"Millionaire Gym Owner"

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1:04 - Brian and the CrossFit Forum

9:09 - Brian’s team

17:53 - Brian's building

26:28 - Advice for first-time building owners

39:22 - When is someone ready?

Here are two big staff-related threats to a microgym: Coaches say “I can’t make enough money doing this” and leave the fitness industry. Or they say “I can’t make enough money here” and leave to start their own gyms.

What’s a gym owner to do?

You can start by showing your coaches how they can create great careers at your gym—and bringing them with you to the Two-Brain Summit this June is a fantastic way to do that.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper shares the lineup of speakers who will present to coaches at the summit.

A few big names to note: 2008 CrossFit Games champion Jason Khalipa, the Mayhem crew, and gym owner Oskar Johed, who is also a member of CrossFit’s Seminar Staff.

They’ll be joined by many other great speakers—including Josh Martin from The Refined Art of Coaching—who will get your coaches fired up to create to careers on your platform.

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Full lineup and tickets: Two-Brain Summit

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0:33 - Inspire your coaches

3:36 - 2024 speakers and topics

8:35 - Career Roadmap Session

12:07 - Mayhem speakers and workout

15:36 - The Refined Art of Coaching

Do you have a business model for your gym?

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin and Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper lay out five gym business models that have been proven to be successful—and that’s based on data from thousands of gyms around the world.

The models are:

1. Group only.
2. Group plus personal training.
3. Group plus high-ticket offers.
4. Semi-private training.
5. Guided access.

Tune in to learn the pros and cons of each model, and then get Coop's full guide to these models via the link below.

In the full guide, “5 Gym Business Models That Work,” you’ll find everything from bulleted executive summaries to spreadsheets full of data, so you can make an informed decision and create the best long-term plan for your gym.

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Full guide: "5 Gym Business Models That Work"

Brian Bott on semi-private training

Joe Venuti and Alessandra Bisalti on guided access

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1:21 - Is the group model still viable?

7:51 - Is on-ramp a barrier?

11:53 - Other revenue for group models

18:47 - Semi-private training

27:39 - Guided access and how it works

With just 1,700 square feet of usable space, Daniel Purington’s gym averages around $50,000 in revenue per month, allowing him to earn over $100,000 in net owner benefit, provide careers for four full-time staff members and pay two part-timers.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin sits down with Daniel, owner of Woodslawn Fitness in Portland, Oregon, to uncover the secrets of his success: consultative selling, diversified revenue streams, strong systems and mentorship.

By pairing carefully created programs and consultative selling—aka, No Sweat Intros—Daniel gives clients the services they need, while boosting profit and retention.

Solid systems enable Daniel to focus his time where he chooses, both inside and outside the gym.

And having a trusted mentor to hold you accountable and celebrate your successes is, in Daniel’s words, “like dumping gas on the flame.”

Check out Daniel’s tips, and then use them to determine whether you’re making the most of your time and space.

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Daniel's Instagram

Woodslawn Fitness

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0:34 - What Dan’s gym does

7:17 - Dan’s pricing model

15:49 - The process and how it works

26:13 - Incorporating the hybrid

30:41 - What has Dan been planning?

This episode of “Run a Profitable Gym” was recorded live in Dallas, Texas, during a meetup of the world’s best gym owners—some of whom are featured in Chris Cooper’s latest book, “Millionaire Gym Owner."

Host John Franklin sits down with Taryn Dubreuil of CrossFit Function and Joleen Bingham of 13 Stripes Fitness. Both Taryn and Joleen are Two-Brain mentors and certified millionaire gym owners.

Tune in to hear Taryn's and Joleen’s individual paths to success—from hitting rock bottom to reaching and exceeding $1 million net worth. For both, it all started with building a profitable gym and then reinvesting wealth somewhere it can compound.

To read more stories and see how other gym owners achieved millionaire status, get your copy of “Millionaire Gym Owner” today.

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"Millionaire Gym Owner" by Chris Cooper

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1:13 - Taryn's and Joleen's paths

12:35 - Gyms as cash-flow generators

17:56 - Investing in real estate

27:40 - Staying focused on a plan

32:07 - Impostor syndrome

34:10 - When are you ready to create your own plan?

“How can I stop working 70 hours a week?”

“What will I do if an unexpected expense comes up?”

“How am I ever going to retire?”

As a young gym owner, Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper asked all these questions, and at first he couldn’t find any answers.

This led him to search inside and outside the fitness industry for a path that led to freedom of money and freedom of time—aka, retirement.

He found that path, and it's the foundation of his latest book, “Millionaire Gym Owner,” which he and host Mike Warkentin discuss today on “Run a Profitable Gym.”

In the book, Chris shares his personal journey to $1 million net worth and beyond. But there’s more than one way to reach this milestone, and that’s why the book also includes the step-by-step paths of a dozen other millionaire gym owners.

Two-Brain has certified over 40 millionaire gym owners who have created jobs, saved lives and improved their local communities. We’d like you to join the ranks!

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“Millionaire Gym Owner” by Chris Cooper

Gym Owners United

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0:28 - Why did Chris write the book?

4:35 - A timeline for earning

7:47 - Struggling gym owner to millionaire

13:34 - Community around million-dollar gym owners

16:49 - Get your business into a good spot

This month’s leaderboard show is all about average revenue per member (ARM)—how much a gym earns on average from each client in a month.

In this episode, host Mike Warkentin is joined by Two-Brain ARM leader Michaela Munsterman. Her gym, Elite Medical Exercise, in Austin, Texas, has a gigantic ARM—but Michaela doesn’t spend any money on ads to attract her high-value clients.

Instead, she built a dedicated wellness community entirely through word of mouth and focused local networking, and she’s here to share her strategies with you.

Her top tip? Start charging what you’re worth. If you don’t, everyone around you will suffer, from your family to your staff to your clients. Two-Brain even has an exact template to help clients raise rates while minimizing risk so gym owners can have healthy, sustainable businesses and help as many people as possible.

Another top tip: Introduce yourself to other local business owners—and don't forget to bring the baked goods!

Chris Cooper's Help First concept has been instrumental to Michael’s success, and you can read all about it in his book of the same name, linked below.

What would happen to your gym if you introduced yourself to one local business owner every week? Head across the parking lot with coffee today and find out for yourself.

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"Help First" by Chris Cooper

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2:24 - What does Michaela do?

8:54 - Where does Michaela find clients?

15:57 - No paid advertising

20:52 - Other revenue streams

23:38 - Charging what you’re worth

Many gym owners are scared to raise rates, even though they probably don’t charge enough for the value they provide.

The good news? There are a few simple tactics you can use to boost revenue before you do a rate increase.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper is joined by Brendan Rice, CEO of Wodify, to talk about two new Wodify features that enable gym owners to make more money without raising rates or adding more members.

One of these features allows gym owners to increase profit by an average of $1,000 each month with just the click of a button.

The second new feature—called Free Unlimited—was designed to get Wodify’s state-of-the-art software in the hands of as many gym owners as possible, no matter where they are in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Tune in to learn more about these exciting new features—and existing Wodify users who want to enable one or both can contact support@wodify.com. If you’re not yet a member, just head over to wodify.com to get started.

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Gym Owners United

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Wodify
 
0:38 - Processing fees explained

5:02 - Presenting to members

8:22 - The new initiative

12:09 - Learning from other industries

13:53 - Clients will understand

How much extra revenue would your gym bring in if you increased rates by just $10?

What if each client contributed $300 or more to your gross revenue?

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin talks average revenue per member (ARM) with Kelly Lorenz, owner of FORM gym in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Kelly’s gym boasts an impressive ARM score: It earned a spot on Two-Brain's December 2023 Top 10 leaderboard, which runs from $427 to $800 per month.

Kelly built her ARM number with a $10 rate increase and the addition of several new, valuable programs that solve clients’ problems. For example, she developed and sold a 10-week program for kids that had a huge effect on her ARM. She also added on-ramps, personal training and small-group training.

Tune in to learn strategies for boosting your ARM, all while retaining high-value clients.

Your first ARM target? $205. If you hit that and serve 150 clients, you can earn $100,000 a year as a gym owner.
 
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1:53 - How has your ARM changed?

4:38  - Adding value

8:20 - Kids programs

13:45 - High-value clients

19:37 - Baby steps for gym owners

Every month, Two-Brain compiles a leaderboard of the top-performing gyms so we can find out what the best gyms are doing—and tell you.

In December 2023, we focused on average revenue per member (ARM) at more than 1,000 gyms worldwide. ARM measures what clients are paying in return for the value a gym provides, and the businesses on our leaderboard provide a ton of value.

The No. 1 gym earned just shy of US$800 per client per month—and that’s a rolling three-month average, not just a one-hit wonder.

In today’s episode, Chris Cooper presents the Top 10 ARM leaders for December 2023 and shares the tactics behind the numbers, from Affinity Marketing (referrals) to adding new programs.

If you want to hear more from these ARM leaders, our full episode with Kelly Lorenz will air Feb. 1, and Michaela Munsterman’s episode airs on Feb. 8.

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Gym Owners United

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0:55 - The Top 10

4:48 - How’d they get those ARMs?

7:20 - Creating new programs

8:53 - Building value

12:47 - What stops gym owners

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin interviews longtime gym owner Ben Bergeron of CrossFit New England and CompTrain.

After spending more than 15 years in the fitness industry as a gym owner and coach to CrossFit Games athletes including Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir, Ben says that virtuosity—mastery of the fundamentals—is essential in a successful gym business.

He dials in on four basic areas where every gym owner can improve: leadership, product, marketing and finances.

To help you build an amazing business, Ben shares his top tactics for continually improving your gym—from hiring the right employees to onboarding new clients to creating a vision and mission statement.

If you want to hear more from Ben, he’ll speaking at the Two-Brain Summit this June in Chicago.
 
Links

Two-Brain Summit Tickets

Ben Bergeron on Instagram

CompTrain

Gym Owners United

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1:42 - Meaning of virtuosity

10:21 - Someone good people work with

20:47 - Creating a great environment

33:38 - Building from scratch

40:17 - Practical visualization

How do you dominate your local market?

The key is focus: Don’t try to offer every service under the sun.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin is joined by Jack Wheeler of 360 Fitness in Red Deer and Sherwood Park, Canada. Jack’s flagship location does over 4,000 personal training sessions per month, and if you Google “personal training Red Deer,” his gym is the No. 1 result.

If you just search “gyms Red Deer,” he’s still on Page 1, but not quite at the top.

Jack owns the keyword “personal training” in his market because he dialed in and doubled down on his niche.

Listen to find exactly how he did that, and learn about great tactics for gaining traction in your community, such as good-will marketing and going where your target clients are.

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1:31 - What’s changed?

7:36 - Dominating the local market

19:12 - Differentiate from online competition

23:09 - Getting involved with the community

34:50 - How Jack does marketing

Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper is a household name in his community of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where his gym, Catalyst Fitness, is located. He’s a true authority when it comes to dominating your local market. 

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin prompts Chris to reveal the strategies behind his success in making his gym the obvious choice for people in the community.

Chris doesn’t mention huge ad spends and earth-shaking marketing campaigns. Instead, he talks about offering value to potential clients, having genuine conversations and maintaining a “Help First mindset.”

Chris shares how he built a strong referral web and impressive email list long before the days of Facebook ads. And you might be surprised how powerful a simple cup of coffee can be.

Tune in for actionable insights and proven methods from a seasoned pro. Then use Coop's tactics to make your gym the dominant fitness facility in your local market.

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1:20 - Making local connections

6:39 - No ads, just buns

11:17 - Going where your clients are

17:22 - Approaching clients and leads

21:59 - Getting clients that don’t sign up right away

Most people are still working the same 40-hour workweek introduced just under 100 years ago, and gym owners often go way beyond 40. In fact, many work closer to 80 hours a week.

This can quickly lead to burnout—a killer of small businesses.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper is joined by John Briggs, accountant and author of “Profit First for Microgyms.”

The two discuss John’s latest book, “The 3.3 Rule.” In the book, John pushes back against the idea that entrepreneurs—and their teams—should work until they drop. Instead, they can maximize productivity and avoid burnout by structuring their workdays into periods of focused work and breaks.

The structure is incredibly simple but effective—and it’s backed by science.

John wrote the “The 3.3 Rule” because he was tired of seeing small businesses close shop; he wants to help entrepreneurs preserve the energy and focus they need to build stable, profitable businesses.

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"The 3.3 Rule"

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0:35 - Inspiration for the 3.3 Rule

8:23 - 3.3 Rule breakdown

16:48 - Implementing the 3.3 Framework

25:08 - 3.3 Rule and balance

31:29 - Challenges with the 3.3 Rule

Virtuosity—it’s the theme of this year’s Two-Brain Summit. But what is it exactly?

Simply put, virtuosity means mastery of the fundamentals.

In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper discusses the basics that every gym owner should focus on and explains how mastering fundamentals will help you grow your gym faster than searching for new trends.

The allure of novelty is strong, but the key to entrepreneurial success is maintaining focus on what matters most—from reading a profit and loss statement (P&L) to improving your close rate.

Tune in to learn more, and we hope you’ll join us at the Two-Brain Summit this June in Chicago.

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Two-Brain Summit

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0:53 - Practice virtuosity

2:04 - Basics can be boring

2:43 - The novice’s curse

3:52 - Mastering the essentials

5:47- Summary

Two-Brain’s most recent leaderboard tracked net owner benefit (NOB): salary, dividends and anything else the business pays for. Every single fitness entrepreneur in the Top 10 is earning between $15,000 and $25,000 per month from their gym.

In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with one of these Top 10 earners to lay out the path to success.

Ashley Reese, owner of Defining Moment Fitness in Charleston, South Carolina, shares how he jumped from earning $3,000 a month to $10,000 and beyond just by doing the “simple stuff” consistently well.

So what are those simple things? Ashley invests his time and attention in three main areas of his business: leadership, the client journey and staffing. Listen to learn exactly how he leveraged his efforts to become one of Two-Brain’s top earners.

Whatever you’re currently earning from your gym, sound, simple entrepreneurial strategies can help you boost your take-home pay.

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0:54 - The simple stuff

4:48 - Net owner benefit

8:07 - Milestones and timelines

11:51 - Why mentorship is important

16:17 - The big jump

Competition season is approaching—and it can be a stressful time for gym owners, who often take on extra work without seeing a reward.

To help, Two-Brain has a step-by-step, plug-and-play guide you can use to reduce stress, boost retention, make money and ramp up the fun during the Open.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper tells the origin story of the Intramural Open and how it’s been continuously improved over the last 13 years. The event has now been used in thousands of fitness businesses around the world, and it’s been proven to drive revenue and retention in gyms.

The "2024 Intramural Open Guide" is packed with revenue generators, and Coop shares one with you today: He’s got a simple but effective tactic that will have a significant effect on key business metrics before the Open even begins.

To get the full "2024 Intramural Open Guide," visit Gymownersunited.com and ask Coop for it by DM.
 
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0:39 - CrossFit Open 

2:08 - The Open is fun but it isn't everything

4:15 - Intramural Open

8:11 - Revenue-generating tactic

10:41 - Copy my plan