Run a Profitable Gym

If you read the habits and tricks of very successful people, most of them say they start their day at the gym. Their readers ooh and aah at their dedication to exercise habits at 6am.But what about US - the one turning those lights on before Mr. GrowthHacker shows up? And in the CrossFit world, all too often, it’s the same person who turns the lights off at night.Sherman is really exceptional at balancing work, faith and family. He's got his priorities straight. His business is built to support his family and his time...instead of the other way around. I think this is an important one.

Is It Worth It?

Why I Started Reading "Tools For Titans" - And Why I StoppedI love Tim Ferriss. There, I said it.I love his podcast. "The Four-Hour Workweek" got me looking for ways to increase the value of my time. So I was really, really excited to get his book.300 pages in, I still loved it. But I put it on the shelf. The interviews, commonalities and stories were good. But I wasn't taking action on ANY of it.“Knowledge without action makes you a fool. Knowledge with action makes you successful.” - Jim RohnIt's easy to become trapped in a web of great ideas. But as coaches, we know that our clients don't need more IDEAS. They need more action.They don't need another "ripped abs" program from a magazine. They need to get protein at each meal. Starting today.My clients (gym owners) don't need to choose between FitAid and Kill Cliff. They need to write down how they run a CrossFit class. Today.You probably don't need more ideas. In fact, if you listened to the 2016 episode, and didn't take action on any of those ideas, stop listening now and go write contracts for your coaches. Take action.If, though, I haven't talked you out of listening to this episode, then press "Play".Timeline:2:49 – The Prescriptive Model 7:48 – Who can we coach?13:16 – Corporate opportunities for CrossFit17:23 – The Pre-OnRamp Program24:26 – The Challenge Mindset26:18 – SobrietyWOD27:50 – Gym "hubs" to develop coaches and services31:03 – Cobranding and helping other gym owners34:26 – Gamification 37:31 – Overarching expertise 40:44 – The subscription model within healthcareI struggled with recording this one. Last year's episode was a very popular one (and a watershed moment for some listeners, who DID take action and saw some huge results.)Many of the ideas that appear on this podcast are quickly copied and redistributed as fresh catch from other fishmongers. As a writer (albeit amateur) this really grates on me. As the founder of the largest mentoring practice in the fitness industry, it stirs up my legal soup.BUT as a gym owner who was once struggling to pay himself, I know that one idea can mean the difference between buying groceries and going hungry. That's why I'm going to keep this podcast going for another year.It's also the reason most of the content on the TwoBrainBusiness.com site has direct, actionable steps. Ideas are a beautiful web; but they're so sticky that we're sometimes caught.It's easy to get caught in a web of consumption.The Incubator is all about ACTION. Most gym owners who do our free consultation have lots of ideas; they don't know Step 1. That's the Incubator. Clear, step-by-step instructions and mentorship to get their business MOVING.

Last year, Nicole Aucoin of Healthy Steps Nutrition was my guest. She was launching a program to help gym owners add a nutrition component in their gym with minimal work. Nicole, a Registered Dietitian, teaches staff how to run the program, provides the gym with templates to use (for challenges, restaurant partnerships, and even corporate groups) and mentors the coaches running the program. It's an amazing value, and a year later, she has dozens of affiliate gyms.NOW she's opening a CrossFit affiliate, and with a blank slate, she's making nutrition a key component to her service offering.Adding a nutrition component in my gyms has done more than increase revenue. It's given us a new perspective on value, and what a fitness prescription should include. It's also opened the door to a larger stream of clientele than exercise has alone, because most people seeking weight loss will try a "diet" long before they'll try exercise.In this episode, you'll:Learn about how to set up a nutrition program at any CrossFit gymGenerate additional revenue totaling into the thousands of dollars annuallyAdd a critical piece to your coaching practice.What we cover:The foundations of a solid nutrition programThe prescriptive models relation to nutritionHydration's role in weight loss and performanceLifestyle changes for the long termPlus:Is Coffee okay to drink regularly?How to avoid the drive through and learn to prep foodPre and Post workout nutritionFirst steps to starting a nutrition planAbout Nicole:Nicole is the founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition. She realized at a young age how important nutrition was when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. She attended the University of Florida and was part of the cheerleading team. It was during this time that she realized nutrition was a field she wanted to pursue long term. She has worked in the nutrition and fitness business for over 10 years helping thousands of clients around the world. Her program is currently run at over 40 CrossFit gyms worldwide where she helps empower people to make healthy lifestyle changes.Timeline:1:30 – Nicole Aucoin Introduction4:20 – Nicole’s background and how she became a dietician and got started with CrossFit7:22 – The foundations of a solid nutrition program9:30 – Accountability and consistency within a nutrition program12:00 – The prescriptive model and its relation to nutrition12:36 – Introducing nutrition to your CrossFit box members15:12 – The Sugar Shocker. How much sugar is in your food?15:43 – Hydrations role in weight loss and performance16:24 – Is coffee okay? Well it depends.16:54 – Lifestyle Changes for the long-term17:32 – Avoiding the drive through and prepping food18:19 – Tools for continued nutrition success18:46 – Supplementing your nutrition19:07 – Pre and Post workout nutrition20:24 – Testing, working a plan, and coaching nutrition development23:17 – Creating a challenge for your clients and tracking fairly25:31 – Ongoing coaching and long-term nutrition for corporate clients31:40 – Legality and what can a dietician and nutritionist legally advise33:46 – First steps to starting a nutrition program35:49 – The procedure for starting a new nutrition program39:11 – How to work with a restaurant on nutrition41:30 – First steps to take to become a nutrition expertNOTE: In the last six minutes of this interview, a pesky little echo appears (I shouldn't have taken out my earphones - whoopsie.) My artistic sense said, "Cut this section out" but it's SO valuable that I left it in. My apologies. 42:38 – Common challenges to starting a nutrition program at their gym43:48 – How to local with a local dietician or nutritionist45:18 – Starting a CrossFit gym with a blank slate48:56 – How to reach NicoleContact Nicolehttp://www.healthystepsnutrition.com/

What Are We Selling?

Who are YOU? A three-sided question this week.

Today’s episode is a re-run from a recent webinar entitled “How to Set Your Rates.”In this episode, we talk about raising rates at your gym and the tactics and repercussions that go along with this action. I also lay out a plan for how to make this happen and perform a question and answer session.In this Interview:•Calculate the income you need for your perfect day.•The top services and other revenue streams you need.•The math behind raising costs.•My story of starting my first gym.•Why discounts should be eliminated!•How to calculate gross income and profit margin.•Question and answers from gym owners.Timeline:0:17 – How to set rates introduction.2:06 – Poll of who is joining the webinar.2:49 – Why should you eliminate discounts.4:15 – My story of starting a gym.6:36 – Hiring a business consultant.7:10 – What is your perfect day?8:25 – How much income do you need?9:17 – How to calculate gross income and profit margin.10:12 – Extrapolating your net goal to a gross goal.11:22 – Client payment spectrum.13:31 – What are your diverse revenue streams?15:15 – What are the top services and other revenue streams?17:54 – What is your premium service?19:49 – The math behind raising costs.26:13 – Using the Two Brain Business template.27:14 – Explaining rate increase to clients.28:57 – Pulling the trigger on a rate increase.30:43 – How to apply the Two Brain methods to your business.34:16 – Question and answer time. 

Are you an inventor? Should you be?

Kyle Posey, founder of Powered by Awesome, joins us on the show today. His company specializes in lead generation and marketing for micro gyms. I met him in Atlanta at an affiliate summit a few weeks ago where we had a chance to chat. He is an all-around great guy and truly believes in helping others first.A quick side note: The day after I did this interview I was on a free call with an affiliate. At the end of the call he told me that Kyle had referred him to me. This is the kind of guy that Kyle is.Always helping and putting others first!In this Interview:What you’re doing to sabotage your businessHow to get out of your own wayHow to generate more leadsPlus:Are CrossFit gyms learning marketing faster than most?The romanticization (I made that word up) of the “hustle”.Where do hot leads come fromAnalysis of the CrossFit brandAbout Kyle:Kyle is the CEO and founder of Powered by Awesome, a lead generation and marketing company. They specialize in creating websites for CrossFit affiliates across the world. Powered by Awesome has been around since there were fewer than 60 gyms worldwide and they have been creating cutting edge websites for over 12 years. The company loves fitness and community and this is the driving factor behind creating websites that will actually help your business do better!Timeline:0:17 – Kyle Posey Introduction1:58 – How Kyle got started in CrossFit4:13 – Dissecting the skull and crossbones logo6:09 – These things used to work in CrossFit but not anymore7:32 – Why is CrossFit trending in a new direction for marketing8:24 – Are CrossFit gyms learning marketing faster than most?10:43 – You don’t know how valuable your service and brand is13:19 – The romanticisation of the “hustle”.14:30 – Stop acting like a salesman18:07 – Getting more people into your box21:11 – What makes a website convert more customers27:48 – The difference between hot leads and cold leads29:33 – How to approach hot vs cold leads31:06 – Where do hot leads come from36:17 – How to find more people like your top members38:18 – Creating a more general gym experience39:38 – Motivating best clients to refer more clients40:51 – The dogma about marketing43:34 – Analyzing the CrossFit brand45:49 – Screen time vs face time and marketing47:58 – First steps to refining your marketing approach50:07 – Ask your clients what their favorite thing is about the gym51:58 – The importance of an outside expert52:18 – How to reach Kyle and Powered by Awesome