Run a Profitable Gym

I get a LOT of questions.Sometimes it's from people who read my books. Sometimes it's people who watch our videos on YouTube or Instagram. Sometimes it's people who get an email from me--almost daily, lately.Sometimes it's from people listening to this podcast. If that's you, thank you. Sometimes it's even people who hear an idea on another podcast, or another website, or even the CrossFit Journal, trace it to the source, and find me that way. To those people, my deepest thanks for the extra work.I've said before that some of my OLDER content is outdated. There are parts of Two-Brain Business that weren't there in 2012, and there were parts in the original that are no longer in the new edition. New books are coming. And every few months, I'm tempted to pull Two-Brain Business--the bestselling fitness business book of all time--from the shelves, because things change.Instead, I record this "Ask Coop" episode every year or so as an update.The first question is one from a listener who pegged me on something I said a few months ago: that I see a polarization happening in the microgym community.The second one is from a reader who pegged me even HARDER on the subject of seminars and online courses and mentorship.I'm brutally honest in both questions, even though they might get me into trouble.With those out of the way, I get into the BIG stuff: Where should affiliates concentrate their marketing? How do you create SO MUCH content? Why do you shoot your videos in that other building? WHere's your gym? How do I work with sports teams? I have a big idea--how do I promote it to the CF Community? Do you display your workouts on your site? Why does your site have so many membership options? How do I know when to hire a GM? How Do You choose Mentors for TwoBrain?I get enough emails that I could literally do a Q+A on EVERY episode. But I like to connect you with big thinkers and big ideas instead of repeating myself all the time.Got a question? Email chris@twobrainbusiness.com.Need help? Visit www.twobrainbusiness.com/help, and watch FREE videos that will answer your biggest questions!

Guest host Amanda Hendren asks, "Are You Giving Too Many F*cks?"

Episode 83 – 3 Tactics To Self Motivation for OwnersNo matter how noble our mission, we ALL struggle with motivation.After a great weekend like I just had, it's tough to kick the sand out of my shoes (and between my ears) and get back to work at 4am. Even after 22 years as a coach and 12 as an owner, I still need to practice mindset techniques. In this episode, Craig is going to share three that have been extremely helpful.Craig Hysell is a close friend, a firefighter, the founder of Conviction Training Facility (CrossFit Hilton Head) and the co-host of Conviction Strong Radio.Craig is a mindset guy. I guess we're all "mindset guys"--but Craig WORKS on it. While most of us are the victims of our brains, Craig works hard to take control over his emotions, thoughts and feelings. His gym is built on a different hierarchy than most of ours:MindsetNutritionMobility and RecoveryStrengthConditioningBest Self.When I say Craig is one of my favorite gym owners in the world, I'm not exaggerating. He's been through everything with his gym, and his mindset pulls him through it all. He's a leader in the TwoBrain group because of his philosophy instead of his profit margin."Opportunity breeds motivation, success feeds motivation."Craig talks about 3 tactics to consistent self-motivation."Consistency is the key to progress; progress is the key to happiness.""When you chose to become a leader as a coach or business owner, you forfeited your right to be a victim. You're in charge now."Three great quotes out of dozens packed in this podcastThis is a short episode, but VERY powerful.Craig's message was part of the 2017 TwoBrain Summit in Chicago. We're only doing one more this year: the 2017 UK Summit at Reebok CrossFit Thames in London, England. You need to be there.

Episode 82 – Boot CampsIn the CrossFit world, Boot Camps can often have a bad name. However, today we are here to discuss how these can supplement your CrossFit gym and provide a non-threatening environment for new members to get their first start in the CrossFit world. Learn about how to setup a Boot Camp, what to price it at and much more!Ryan Webber from CrossFit Eternal and Sherman Merricks from CrossFit Dynasty join me to discuss this topic on the show today.Meet the nutrition needs of your gym with Healthy Steps Nutrition!Join us for the Two-Brain UK Summit on November 11th and 12th at CrossFit Thames in London! Register here to reserve your spot.In this Interview: Is Boot Camp just CrossFit Lite? What is the true difference between a Boot Camp and a full on CrossFit Program The secret to using Facebook ads effectively to drive sales for your Boot Camp Plus: How to make sure CrossFit coaches are on board with a Boot Camp Program. How to pick the right name and differentiate a Boot Camp from true CrossFit How many sales can a Boot Camp generate?Today’s Guests:Ryan Webber is originally from Maine but now resides in Charlotte, NC where he runs and owns CrossFit Eternal.  He began CrossFit after playing football in college and fell in love with the competitive nature of the sport. He founded CrossFit Eternal in 2010 out of his garage and has since grown it into a world class CrossFit gym. Sherman is the founder and owner of both Dynamic CrossFit, in Gainsville, Florida, and Notable Guidance. He discovered his passion for sports growing up in Florida and excelled at basketball through high school and college. After graduating and feeling a huge competitive void, he realized CrossFit could fit the bill and he has never looked back. He has a passion for helping others be their best by improving their fitness and now their life. Sherman’s main focus is to help people reach their goals and still have fun doing it. Timeline: 2:11 – Bootcamp Introduction4:30 – Is CrossFit the end all be all? Thinking about offering something different.6:16 – Is Boot Camp just CrossFit Light?8:19 – What is in a name? Differentiating a Boot Camp from CrossFit9:14 – Can you transfer clients from Boot Camp into a full on CrossFit program11:06 – The difference between CrossFit and Boot Camp programming16:54 – Finding the right coach for Boot Camp and how they differ from a CrossFit coach.20:44 – Offering Boot Camps as recurring classes instead of a one off challenge. 24:03 – How often and what schedule should a Boot Camp like class be run.27:10 – What should a Boot Camp type program be priced at?31:41 – How many sales can you expect within a Boot Camp program? 38:36 – What it takes on the backend in order to drive sales41:53 – The secret to using Facebook ads effectively to drive sales for your Boot Camp44:42 – The specific phrasing your Facebook ads need to have to be effective46:01 – How to make sure your CrossFit coaches believe in the Boot Camp program as well48:17 – How do you deal with weather issues when running a Boot Camp outside?51:55 – Allowing members to perform an express version of CrossFit

This episode is brought to you by the 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit, November 11-12 at Thames CrossFit in London, England. Register here!Episode 81 – PartnershipsDo you REALLY need a partner? I would describe CrossFit as an owner/operator model. But many of us need a little extra push or need money at start up; or a security blanket; or just a kick in the butt. So we take a partner.Today we talk about how to start a partnership; when you actually need a partner; and how to get out of a partnership gone bad.  Take good notes as this episode could save your sanity and your partnership!Be sure to download the Two-Brain Business Sample Shareholder’s Agreement. This will help your partnership get off to the right start!Meet the needs of your growing membership base, outfit a new facility, or refresh existing inventory with Rigquipment!In this Interview: My partnership experiences and lessons learned What are the first steps to starting a partnership? How to get out of a bad partnership?Plus: What role does the operating partner have within the partnership Why you should use a thirds party to adjudicate the breakup of a partnership How to define profit within your business and partnership agreement?Timeline: 2:54 – Partnerships Introduction 3:37 – Chris Cooper’s partnership story and how he started his first gym9:33 – First step to starting a partnership: Defining the roles and tasks of each partner10:29 – Second step to starting a partnership: Assign a value to each item a partner brings11:55 – Third step to starting a partnership: Defining what a perfect day for each partner is13:11 – Fourth step to starting a partnership: Discuss how each partner is to be paid13:42 – What is profit?16:35 – Final step to starting a partnership: Defining how a partner exits the agreement18:03 – Mapping out how decisions are made in a partnership in a fair manner19:34 – Having a plan for everything that happens in advance21:12 – Agreeing on pricing when engaged in a partnership 23:28 – Creating a feedback and accountability loop within your partnership29:29 – The role of the operating partner within a partnership agreement31:05 – Let’s say it’s time to get out. How to exit a partnership agreement.34:57 – What to do when you have less money than your partner37:42 – What to do when you have more money than your partner  41:23 – How to end a partnership when no agreement is in place44:12 – Signing a separation agreement when ending a partnership45:18 – Using a third party to adjudicate the breakup of a company48:35 – Two-Brain UK Summit Announcement

What can you CUT?

This episode is brought to you by the 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit, November 11-12 at Thames CrossFit in London, England. Register here!Today we are talking about hiring staff. We are joined by two special guests: Two-Brain Mentor Danielle Brown, and Jay Augusta of BarbellJobs.com. Hiring staff can be one of the most stressful and time consuming processes when it comes to running your gym. Danielle and Jay break down simple steps you can take to make this a painless process and get the right talent fast! First, Danielle will first talk about the different places you'll find the BEST staff: from stage 1 (build your own coaches from within your gym community) to stage 4 (post an ad.) That's where Jay's service, BarbellJobs.com, steps in.Jay talk about his new website which is helping gym owners hire coaches and personal trainers online.This episode is brought to you by Affiliate Guard. Affiliate Guard provides elite insurance coverage for affiliates. Visit their website at affiliateguard.info for more information!In this Interview: Should you be hiring from within your gym or outside sources? What important traits should a potential coach or personal trainer have? What are some examples of bad hiring experiences?Plus: What mistakes do people make when hiring coaches and personal trainers? What should the interview process look like when finding a candidate? How to screen online candidates effectivelyAbout Danielle:Dani grew up in a suburb just south of Boston, Massachusetts. As a kid she was always thinking big, as she contemplated growing up to become an anesthesiologist, an actor, or a marine biologist— but never a business owner, and certainly not a business owner in the fitness industry.Nonetheless, Dani had an unquenchable thirst for self-help and self-development, and by the age of eighteen she had accumulated about 100 books on those subjects. Fast forward to September of 2011 where Dani and her now-husband, Jason Brown, opened their gym CrossFit 781. Dani dove into learning anything and everything about business that she could, and found that she enjoyed it very much. A new passion was born. Her husband Jason brought 15 years of experience in strength and condition and practical application of training clients. It was truly a perfect complement.Today Dani puts all she knows about self-improvement, self-development, and the law of attraction to use every day in her business and while mentoring clients. She truly believes that there are only boundaries where one places them on themselves; that with education comes confidence, and with confidence comes belief in oneself. About Jay:Jeremy (Jay) Augusta is the owner of Barton County Strength Club. Like me, Jay runs a multifaceted entrepreneurial vision: he has a coffee company, BarbellJobs.com, and even ran an insurance company for MMA gyms for awhile.One of Jay's greatest innovations within BCSC was The Joy Prom, a full-on prom night for the local special needs community. You have to love the guy's heart; but his BRAIN is on full display in this episode, and his skill for identifying and solving problems is exceptional.Timeline:2:37 – Should you be hiring from within or are there other options?3:38 – What traits do internal candidates exemplify for hiring from within5:10 – The Advanced Theory Course and learning about what it’s like to be a trainer6:08 – What if nobody in your gym meets the requirements you are looking for?8:03 – Reaching out to other local gyms for help with coaches and personal trainers9:50 – What happens if no internal or local gyms have any candidates?12:36 – Looking online for coaching and personal training sites14:19 – What is the worst hiring experience Danny has ever had?   <

Who are you hiring? Is it yourself?

You have a LOT of opportunities.You probably also have a lot of hard things that you NEED to do. And FOMO. And overwhelm. And maybe a family that would love to see your face in the daylight hours…How do you take action on everything, or prioritize? Which thing do you do first? How do you overcome fear of possible outcomes and knock over the first domino?In this short episode, I’ll tell you how.This episode is brought to you by the 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit, November 11-12 at Thames CrossFit in London, England. Register here!If you’re a gym owner and haven’t read Two-Brain Business, you can get a copy here. My original blog, which started in 2009, was DontBuyAds.com (it hasn’t been updated in YEARS.)A few resources to get you started:Action! – my podcast episode from last monthSeth Godin’s blogWhatcha Gonna Do with That Duck? by SethThe ShipIt Journal (or I use 750words.com. Two-Brain family members use the 2017 CEO Book)The TwoBrain Incubator is here.The Dan Martell episode is here.Find Gino Wickman’s books (Traction and Get a Grip) here.UpCoach will soon be available to everyone, not just TwoBrain Business clients.Get free help from our series of videos here: WWW.TWOBRAINBUSINESS.COM/HELPNext week’s guest will be Jeremy Augusta of BarbellJobs.com!