WTF Gym Talk

Ethan Chandler is the co-founder of Phoenix Fitness + Martial Arts in Virgina.  He's a client, colleague, and friend.  Not to mention, one of the smartest guys in the industry that should probably go into consulting, but he's too buy building his empire and loving the process. Ethan is one of the few guys who can disagree with my stance on something and actually make me have to prepare my defense appropriately - the dude is just that fucking intelligent and sees the industry from various angles as I do. We jam a bit on the rise of MMA and boxing style hybrid microgyms and then get deep into a debate on whether frequency-based pricing is better than an unlimited-only option.  https://www.phoenixfma.com/

Jabz Boxing is a hybrid HIIT-boxing microgym model with locations in Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and more locations opening this year. I asked Bertus to come on the podcast to discuss the rise and popularity of boxing fitness models over the past several years and how he's attacked the branding side of Jabz (which is extremely well done). If you enjoy discussions around branding, business, and fitness trends - you'll enjoy this.  jabzboxing.com bert@jabzboxing.com

The first episode of Talking To Myself for 2022 is here. I kick this episode off with a deep share as to which drugs I'm currently taking (my entrepreneurial stack), my thoughts on the Dave Castro firing from CFHQ, and how I view the future of experiential brick and mortar locations. Enjoy.

Get ready for a solid rant on this one. Listen, I'm all for microgym owners taking time for a vacation or a trip to watch their favorite sport (people exercising). But if you've currently been unable to provide for your family or your staff with the business, IMO, that privilege hasn't been earned yet.

I've been publishing a lot of content on this topic recently but wanted to get some additional thoughts out there regarding how I view class registration policies and why your microgym needs to install them to preserve the client experience, coaching fulfillment, and bottom line for the business. 

Ever consider selling your microgym?  This episode is for you. 

You want numbers. I don't know which numbers you want, but you def. want numbers. More members. More revenue. Higher profit. Lower churn. Whatever the numbers you're chasing, you need to learn to respect your numbers in order to achieve new ones. 

A recent DM from a listener inspired this podcast where I go deep into the idea of establishing WHO YOU ARE and WHO YOU ARE NOT via content.  In order for the marketplace to differentiate you from the others in your space, you need to be able to draw a line in the sand and explain (tactfully) why your business stays on one side and doesn't venture to the other. 

Pagans, haters, and all those who don't agree with what your brand stands for are on deck in this 6th installment as I unpack the book Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon. 

In the final episode of Shoot The Shit for 2021, I get to sit down with long-time client, colleague and friend - Brandon Couden. Now Brandon might not be as much of a household name as some of the other guests that I highlight on this long-form segment of my podcast, but what he's done from a business standpoint (and consistently over 10+ years I might add), puts him in the .001% of microgym owners.  Brandon is the founder of CrossFit Grandview which is a consistent $1MM/year in revenue microgym with a very healthy profit margin. He's been running the business for over 10 years with consistency and recently just purchased a $2.3MM dollar building in Columbus, OH to further solidify his business and provide a whole new world of opportunity later in life. Ladies and gentlemen, Brandon Couden.