Ep.100 - Mark Mastrov: The man who wrote the manual on making money in fitness.

Mark Mastrov has done it all in fitness and beyond. Building an empire, including one of the biggest chains in the world, his involvement in brands and markets such as 24 Hour Fitness, UFC GYM, Crunch, NFL associated training centres, NBA ownership, eSports and countless others prove his model for success works and his work ethic cannot be beaten.

Humble but determined, Mark Mastrov has written the manual on making money in the fitness business. With simple systems for personal training, operations, sales and management, he's backed his teams around the world to grow careers and profit margins time and time again.

There's no better to talk to for episode 100 of the Escape Your Limits podcast!

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Mark was told that he'd need to keep his knee in shape for his whole life after an injury in college. He started working at a small gym in return for free membership and soon fell in love with the business. An opportunity arose to invest in the gym with money he borrowed from his grandmother, which was the catalyst to building a career that would change the world of fitness forever.

Following the development of programming software to manage gyms, Mark split the business to give the software side to his partner while he kept the acquired gyms and continued on a path of innovation. This saw him start creating new experiences for anyone that wanted to work out or work professionally in fitness.

He has since gone on to build some of the biggest brands and cultivate the careers of countless fitpros around the world. With endless successes under his belt, this episode of Escape Your Limits delves into his past, the current state of fitness and what we can expect for the future.

Mark Mastrov is a pioneer of revolution and one of the greatest minds in business. Building one of the biggest fitness chains in the world servicing 3.5 million members and selling it for a record 1.6 billion dollars, he inspired culture as the foundation of a fitness empire that's touched every corner of the industry.

Launching more careers and developing more entrepreneurs in fitness around the world than anyone else, his name has come up on this podcast time and time again from guests attributing success to his influence.

The man behind 24 Hour Fitness, UFC GYM, Crunch, NFL associated training centres, NBA ownership, eSports expansion and countless other entrepreneurial journeys that have grown ahead of the curve, please celebrate the 100th episode with us, welcoming the Godfather of Fitness, Mark Mastrov, to the Escape Your Limits podcast.

Episode highlights -

• How taking advantage of opportunities that may have not originally been of interest can lead to creating a legacy founded on an ingrained ability to succeed.
• The development of software and first mag stripe sign in functionality that told operators whether members owed money or were up to date on payments before being allowed to enter the gym.
• The importance of business models and how the turning point of reoccurring revenue helped build the business into profitable progression and new credit line potential.
• Why collaboration is key and helping each other out can only improve the industry as a whole, even if it's through talking to competitors. Success is all about execution.
• The importance of being able to give up control when you grow a business. You need to trust your staff and allow them to do the job, because you can't do it all.
• How sales processes play such an important part in the consistency of service, and how Mark Mastrov developed these managerial programmes in the days where they hadn't previously existed.
• Why Mark Mastrov chose to shelter his team from distractions and external issues such as legal complications, so that they can concentrate on their roles in providing the best experience for members and customers.
• The philosophy that a business is an upside down pyramid. Mark believes that he works for his employees, and it's not the other way around.
• What the future of the fitness industry looks like for low cost, mid-market, high end, boutiques and franchise opportunities and ventures.
• What challenges come with international expansion, whether language differences and messages lost in translation, or political differences that arise from trying to promote teamwork between particular countries, and how to 'crack the code' with different markets or cultures.
• Why you need to decide on and write down your BHAGs – big, hairy, audacious goals – and how they'll drive you to succeed in anything you do, whether it's business or personal at any stage of your life.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Mark Mastrov…