Run a Profitable Gym

Small successes are great. How will they trigger the larger successes?

What's the future "model" for successful microgyms? The original CrossFit gym did Personal Training, and then small-group training with 2-4 participants. Years later, we were told (by a third party) that massive groups of 12 and up was the best way to profitability. In 2012, I introduced The Stratified Model in my book, Two-Brain Business. I think the *next* model is The Prescriptive Model.This podcast is the first time I've spoken about the topic outside our mentoring program and TwoBrain Seminars. My Rx is not your Rx. Brian Alexander of CrossFit Illumine in Chicago is my guest. Brian owns one of the top CrossFit gyms in the country and is a mentor at twobrainbusiness.com.Despite having a booming gym, it was not too long ago that Brian was feeling disconnected from his members. He realized that to truly COACH people, he needed to know where they were headed. He decided to start a google doc and use it to track members' goals. It failed. But he tried again, and this evolved into Brian re-engaging with his members and helping them passionately pursue their goals. Today he uses lifetick.com to track goals and engage with his members.Throughout the episode, Brian talks about the importance of settings goals and how this strategy has helped his business grow to new heights. Personal engagement with gym members is extremely important and is many times the reasons good gyms are good and bad gyms are bad. Being personable and writing each member their own prescription is an essential part of growing your gym and helping members reach their goals. The mindset is as important as the practice.We talk about how to write this personalized prescription and how you can get started helping your members today.Timeline:1:25 The Stratified Model3:22 Brian Alexander Introduction4:04 Your Duty as a Coach7:12 Good gyms vs Bad Gyms8:36 The No Sweat Intro11:04 "Mrs. Jones" - Sample Consultation16:19 Identifying your Best Clients - (here's the Mike Michalowicz interview)20:24 Goal Setting with Clients24:59 Meeting with Members - Brian uses the InBody (TwoBrain members get a discount) 27:09 Reaching Goals30:15 Results of Good Goal Setting32:31 How Important is Goal Setting?36:02 The Best Opportunity to Help More39:32 Fitness Coach vs Physician: Our Scope of Practice The "Swim Coaches vs Lifeguards" talk is here.Contact:Brian Alexander: Brian@crossfitillumine.com http://www.crossfitillumine.com/ This week's sponsor is Forever Fierce. 

Keith Zimmer from CrossFit Happy Valley in Clackamas, Oregon joins us today.Keith is an experienced CrossFit coach and affiliate owner. He got his start by crossing paths with CrossFit co-founder Lauren Glassman nearly seven years ago. Keith’s pursuit of excellence is unparalleled and today we talk with him about his rise from a twelve-foot-by-twelve-foot corner gym, to an 11,000 square foot CrossFit Mecca.After first just going to a CrossFit gym to see what the fuss was about, Keith was instantly hooked on this newfound religion. He immediately passed through the certifications needed and even took many of them twice. After moving to Oregon and breaking up with Lauren, Keith found himself broke with no money, no clients, and no way forward. Desperate to continue his dream, he started a small gym in the corner of his friend Jason’s MMA gym. In need of clients, he offered $40 for unlimited workouts 24 hours a day. As the struggle continued, Keith thought about quitting many times. He nearly packed up shop, moved back to Utah, and continued his trade of working as an electrician.However, an intervention spurred Keith to stick it out and stay the course. He slept on a couch in the back office of the MMA gym and lived off of Raman Noodles and canned chili. After building his clientele, Keith found himself outgrowing his space and was able to make the move to his own gym and open Happy Valley CrossFit.Keith learned about running his gym from one of the best, Lauren Glassman. He says that her single biggest piece of advice is to not focus on yourself but focus on nurturing the client. Keith describes his gym as a Thanksgiving feast where it is simply like having family around all the time. In some instances, he can take this motto too far and become so focused on the client that he is essentially acting like a martyr.Many of these self-defeating mindsets came from Keith’s upbringing and always trying to please his mother and father. As his business grew, it was obvious that several changes needed to be made and his reluctance to do so was negatively affecting not only himself but his clients.As Keith worked with Two Brain Coaching to raise his rates to be more in line with what was fair, he began to see the positive impacts of doing so. By raising rates instead of being scared of running customers off he was able to provide higher quality service, pay his coaches better, and provide better equipment.Now that Keith has implemented these new business approaches he is living with less stress, frustration, and anger. Follow along today and learn exactly what Keith did to improve his business, his life, and his client’s lives so you don’t have to reach the bottom to figure it out.In addition, Keith will cover questions like: How much should a CrossFit affiliate make? What does it take to succeed? Is it necessary to hit the bottom before making the changes necessary to succeed?Timeline:0:18 Keith Zimmer Introduction.2:31 How Keith found CrossFit and grew his desire to coach.6:19 Meeting Lauren Glassman co-founder of CrossFit.11:43 Moving to Portland and breaking up with Lauren.15:45 Broke, Hungry but filled with passion and desire.21:52 From humble beginnings to success.26:30 Best advice from Lauren, the co-founder of CrossFit.29:45 The CrossFit Gym is like a family Thanksgiving.30:28 Being a CrossFit martyr.34:25 The need to make others happy and its effects on his business.39:10 What stopped Keith from raising rates.40:28 Trusting the Two-Brain Business method.42:06 A wild dream that related to my business.45:05 Projection of feelings and ideas onto clients.48:20 How has life changed as Happy Valley CrossFit has grown.52:27 A gym based on false reality.53:08 How much should an affiliate make?55:09 Is it necessary to hit the bottom before maki

Two is one and one is none. Is there one client, one staff person, or one coach whose departure could kill you?Is it you?

Chris Cooper interviews Greg Panora.

Where did your rates come from?How did you choose them?Why?

Nelson Dellis is one of the most interesting CrossFitters in the world.Nelson is a four-time US Memory Champion. I flew to Manhattan to watch him win his second in 2014 and wrote about the experience in the CrossFit Journal. He was introduced to CrossFit by a mutual friend in Miami, whose coaches were struggling to remember the names of the athletes in their large classes. He’s also attempted to summit Everest three times, dragging camera crews along with him more than once.He’s the founder of the Extreme Memory Tournament, the author of “I Forgot Something (But I Can’t Remember What It Was)” and the founder of Climb For Memory, a charity for Alzheimer’s Research.He’s been featured on Today, The Dr. Oz Show, Nightline and Saturday Night Live.“Client Experience” is one of our 7 Areas of Gym Excellence. When your coach remembers important things about you, your bond is reinforced. Nelson talks about paying attention, remembering details about your clients, and how to make both easier.Our UpCoach Challenge: Client Scavenger Hunt was a huge hit last month. Nelson’s most important lesson to me is this: make massive goals, go after them hard, and take the big lessons.

What are you abdicating?

"The Go-Giver" is a career-changing book for many professionals. In this episode, co-author Bob Burg talks about value, influence and changing the way you look at business.Bob starts with an overview of the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success: Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity and Receptivity.Then Bob talks about INTRINSIC VALUE: the value that's built into your experience. These can also be broken into five parts: excellence, consistency, attention, empathy and appreciation. This is what you're giving people. Notice that Burg lists "consistency" as part of excellence. He also emphasizes individual attention (even in a group setting) and appreciation - which doesn't mean "discounts".Bob says "The key to receptivity is staying open to"Probably the biggest upside-down misperception about selling is that it's about taking. And it's not! Selling is all about giving." He continues:"Selling is simply discovering what the other person needs, wants or desires and helping them to get it."Bob has never heard our "No-Sweat Intro" or "Bright Spots" interview questions, but he virtually walks through the entire conversation verbatim. Start with a conversation. Ask questions. Make a recommendation as a coach--not as a salesman. This is why offering a "free CrossFit trial"Bob mentions "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, which I give to every prospective coach at Catalyst."Ultimately, people do things for their reasons, not our reasons" - Dale CarnegieHere are 3 things Bob learned from Carnegie: Everyone seeks happiness Happiness is relative Resources are limited.How does a "Go-Giver" say NO to clients who are bad fits or opportunities that will squander their limited time and attention? Bob gives us tactful ways to do so."I'm not a big believer in being a martyr."A quick overview of The Go-Giver:You can go to Bob’s website www.TheGoGiver.com and immediately download Chapter One from his international bestseller The Go-Giver and access lots of value-added resources such as the special report, The Go-Giver Way: Five Principles for Creating a Culture of Excellence.Music in this episode by The Blessed Cassettes.Recorded on August 11, 2016.

Each week, I give you a BIG question to chew on over the weekend. This one is SO big that I give you an exercise to help get you started.