What sets the most profitable gyms apart?
5 key takeaways from the BFU 2023 Gym Owner Benchmarks Report What’s up Gym World? ‘Tis the season for fitness industry insights. I recently talked to Michael Keeler from Business For Unicorns (BFU), a gym mentorship company that helps gym owners run a better business. We broke down their 2023 Gym Owner Benchmarks Report, which surveyed over […]
Running 17 $1M+ personal training gyms
An inside look at “North America’s largest network of premium personal training studios” What’s up Gym World? Less than 1% of gym owners break a million dollars in revenue. This week, we’re talking to someone who has done it 17 times. Curtis Christopherson is the owner of Innovative Fitness, a “network of personal training studios” that average […]
We asked 13,444 gym owners how much money they make
Their answers might surprise you… What’s up Gym World? Each year, Two-Brain Business collaborates with major gym management software companies like Kilo, Wodify, PushPress, and TeamUp to collect data from thousands of gym owners. The result is the State of the Industry (SOI) report—a fancy guide packed with graphs and visuals that gives us insight into what […]
From driving Lyft to making $200k/yr as a gym owner
This gym owner has the scrappiest success story we’ve ever heard… What’s up Gym World? Imagine starting your personal training gym in your 180 sq ft bedroom with a few bartered dumbbells and some second-hand equipment. It’s a humble beginning, but that’s exactly how Giancarlo Regni launched G-Strength 7 years ago. While plenty of fit pros dream of opening […]
This small training gym makes $300k/mo
Their rent is probably higher than your revenue… Buenos días Gym World, In my experience, scalable coaching gyms run a simple model. The Fort NYC, run by Dan Trink and Kyle Fields, is no exception. They have four locations in Manhattan and pay $70k a month in rent. But fear not, they generate about $300k in monthly […]
This gym owner made $95k/mo. Then he quit.
What pushes a successful gym owner to walk away? What’s up Gym World? Small towns always have that one family that everyone seems to know. Here in Tequesta, FL, it’s the Frezzas: They run FitTown Jupiter, a profitable gym that generates $95k a month. It also sits on close to $10M of real estate, which […]
Gym owner makes $80k/mo from a 1,200 sq ft basement…
…with a Gen Z clientele What’s up Gym World? Gen Z (those born between 1997-2012) is the latest generation to enter the workforce. The Washington Post says bosses can’t crack their lingo, so I asked a Gen Z coworker for a primer: The Gen Z version of Don Draper would pitch ideas like this: That said, […]
Gym owner makes $110k/mo with no social media
This will make you want to simplify your business… What’s up Gym World? This year I fulfilled my lifelong dream of starting the #3 business news podcast in Sweden. To commemorate that achievement and take a shot at the #2 spot, I invited Swedish gym owner Oskar Johed to come on the show. His two CrossFit gyms […]
This gym owner made $2M & hasn’t paid rent in 3 years
Here’s how you can do it too: What’s up Gym World? Jared Byczko, the CEO of Myriad Health & Fitness has one of the craziest real estate success stories we’ve seen on Gym World. In 2021, Jared sold his building for 10x what he paid and got the buyer to build him a new gym where he’ll […]
What’s going on with Gym Launch?
PLUS: 5 insights that’ll grow your fitness business Gym World, There are two things I hate in this world: What I like about Cale Owen, the CEO of Gym Launch, is that he gives actionable advice, based on data, that is meant to work for any gym in any market. We do the same at Two-Brain Business, […]
3 trends that will shape the future of fitness
Some gym owners will make millions from these… Sup Gym World? When I was a gym owner, I spent most of my time thinking about MY gyms. At the time, fitness publications were written for health club and globo gym owners, and weren’t that helpful if you ran a coaching gym. These days it’s easier to find data-driven […]
The gym owner’s guide to financial freedom
How to fast-track your retirement in 10 years or less What’s up Gym World? In my experience, the most successful gym owners usually follow one of two paths: Path 1: nail down a profitable model and expand to multiple locations Path 2: build a profitable location and then use the cashflow to buy real estate Our latest guest, Stu […]
Gym owner sells 150+ locations in 4 years
Steal his simple business model What’s up Gym World? If your background is in CrossFit, the name Rick Mayo may not be familiar, but in the rest of the industry, he’s kind of a big deal. Some refer to him as the “godfather of small group personal training.” Since 1992 he’s run Alloy Personal Training, and through trial […]
Online trainer makes $500k/yr with 1,400 followers
This will make you rethink your entire content strategy. What’s up gym world? I saw this post by Jon Goodman, and it got me thinking about sniper marketing and shotgun marketing: Targeting a hyper-specific group with your marketing is referred to as sniper marketing, while taking a broader approach is called shotgun marketing. When you’re […]
Can the average CrossFit gym owner make $10k/mo?
Let’s look at the data. What’s up Gym World? I was at the CrossFit Games for the first time since 2018 and was pleasantly surprised by the vibes. According to Andrew Charlesworth, the Midwest Affiliate Representative, over 1,000 affiliate owners were in attendance. I can attest the affiliate lounge was full of energy and excitement. […]
The process that made 43 millionaire gym owners
Inside Two-Brain’s quest to discover the “right way to run a gym”. Sup Gym World? I ran five small training gyms from 2013-2019. My biggest problem during that time was a lack of focus. There was so much conflicting information on the “right way to run a gym.” Guru A says you need to do […]
Gym owner makes $1.9M from a shared space
And another reason why small group personal training is a better biz model. What’s up Gym World? I spent the weekend photobombing the most “tear-jerking moments from the 2023 CrossFit Games.” Mateo and I also took our first ice bath and posted it on Instagram. I’m not really sure why my account didn’t instantly grow […]
How to hire the best staff for your gym
Steal these tips from fitness’s top recruiter for your hiring strategy. What’s up Gym World? We’ve made it to the CrossFit Games. I was surprised to find Greg Glassman hanging out in the affiliate lounge. Rumor has it that there are 1,000 affiliates in attendance, which is about the number of ice bath companies sponsoring […]
How to run FOUR 7-figure gyms
& why we’re seeing more gym owners transitioning to small group biz models. Gym World, I hit two PR’s this week. The first: an 11mm L4-L5 disc herniation. That’s a 4mm PR 💀. If you have any tips for getting my disc back into my spine, reply to this email & let me know. The […]
Fitness Marketing is Easier Than You Think
Here are the top 3 fitness marketing tactics that have stood the test of time. I am proud to report that Gym World is now considered academic literature. This week we found out that Dr. Conor Heffernan, a lecturer in Sociology of Sport at Ulster University, assigns his students episodes of Gym World. To honor this […]
Overcoming imposter syndrome & building a $100k/mo nutrition business
& how to develop your entrepreneurial skillset at warp speed. The thing that scares you is usually the thing you should do more of. So, what’s scaring you? That’s something Lindsey VanSchoyck asked herself in 2018 when she realized she didn’t want to be a gym owner forever. Lindsey and her husband were running two gyms and […]
Selling an online nutrition company for 8-figures
How a guy with no formal training bootstrapped his nutrition business to $10M/yr by breaking every rule in the book. Picture this: It’s 2015, and you just quit your corporate job to go all-in on your nutrition coaching side hustle. At this point, you coach 350 clients 1-on-1, and you have no formal training in […]
Gym owners are making millions using this strategy…
And why I’ll never start a gym again. Most people believe the best way to become a gym owner is: get a loan, find a space, build it out, buy equipment, and pray to the marketing gods that people show up before the money runs out. This approach usually requires $100,000+ to get up and […]
Gym owner opens three gyms in 10 months
Here’s his system for scaling fast. Like most entrepreneurs, I tend to overestimate what I can get done in a short period of time and underestimate what I can get done over a long period of time. Case in point: I once tried to open three gyms in two months. To make things harder, they […]
Ex-gym owner sells blog for millions
How one strength nerd turned his hobby into a big pay day. Happy Friday Gym World, This week we talk with David Thomas Tao, the Co-Founder of BarBend.com—which was acquired by Pillar4 Media this year. Let’s break down how he went from writing blog posts in his apartment to an acquisition that “made [his] investors very happy” in 6 […]
Building one of the biggest fitness business conferences
In business, luck matters. What’s going on Gym World? Last weekend was the Two-Brain Business Summit. Over 750 gym owners, coaches & vendors attended, making it one of the largest fitness business conferences in the world. 🤯 TBB Summit 2022 vs. 2023. The compound effect at work. The conference has grown 5x since I started marketing for Two-Brain […]
A 9-figure opportunity in fitness
Everyone is a drug dealer these days. What’s up Gym World? In case you missed it, WeightWatchers (WW) recently acquired a telehealth company called Sequence for $132M—which rocketed WeightWatchers’ stock 79% in one day. Sequence is a $99/mo subscription plan that allows users to get prescriptions for semaglutides: What are semaglutides? 💡 Semaglutides, like Ozempic & Wegovy, fall under a […]
Building a 7-figure semi-private training business
And buying 7-figures of real estate to run it. Happy Friday Gym World, This week I published the first-ever in-person episode of Gym World with special guest Brian Bott—a gym owner, real estate owner, and maker of hot moms. I’m going to share how he built a 7-figure business using this exact model and his process of buying […]
How to make your gym stand out online
These 4-steps will help you rank #1 on Google. Buenos dias Gym World, According to a study I just made up, when gym owners are met with the question, “What differentiates you from the competition?,” the top two responses are: I’ve been in the fitness industry for a decade, and I can tell you that almost every […]
Gym owner accidentally makes a $1.8M PROFIT in 10 months
Read this if you want to build real wealth. Happy Friday Gym World, After running 5 gyms, I was given my honorary doctorate from the School of Hard Knocks. My best professors were NYC landlords—they taught some of the most expensive lessons I learned in business. Here are a few of them: This week I […]
The best gym content strategy I’ve ever seen
She does $85k/mo without paid ads?! Good morningggg gym world. A couple of weeks ago, I shared the story of Jack Wheeler, a gym owner who makes $100k/mo from one Facebook ad campaign. Today we’re switching gears and focusing on the other end of the spectrum – earned media. What is earned media? Earned media, aka organic […]
This gym owner generated $33M in revenue
He built one of the most profitable gyms in the country… If you get a dildo thrown at your head, that’s just another normal day in the office at Mark Fisher Fitness (MFF). I met Mark Fisher back in 2015 after hosting a dinner in NYC for gym owners. When I was putting together a list of […]
The UK’s youngest BILLIONAIRE is from the gym world
Here’s what gym owners can learn from him. Ben Francis, the Founder & CEO of Gymshark — one of the biggest sports apparel brands in the fitness industry — is the newest & youngest billionaire in the UK at just 30-years old. According to reports, his net worth is now $1.2B after selling a 21% stake to General […]
Making $100k/mo from ONE Facebook ad campaign
Don’t overcomplicate your marketing. Paid marketing is the fastest path to money for any business owner, and Facebook is the best platform for most small business owners. It’s easy to learn, and campaigns can be spun up and scaled quickly. When I started my second gym in 2014, I used a tiny Facebook ad budget […]
AI in the gym world
How you can maximize ChatGPT in your fitness business. Hellooooo Gym World, You’re probably tired of hearing about ChatGPT—the AI chatbot that is making social media unbearable. However, last month OpenAI released GPT-4 and it’s kinda a big deal, so bear with me. AI scientist Dr. Jim Fan, does a good job of explaining why you […]
Anti-influencer influencers
How social media is warping your clients’ brains & what to do about it. A recent CDC report revealed that 60% of teen girls experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and 30% consider attempting suicide. The big (rhetorical) question is why? The social dilemma The report suggested that pandemic-era stressors like social isolation are to blame. Anxiety and […]
How to make $500k/yr as an online coach
We asked an elite fitness coach how to build an elite lifestyle business. Todd Herman posted something that got me thinking: I’ve met a lot of SaaS founders since starting Kilo, and the prevailing sentiment is that coaching businesses aren’t “real businesses.” As someone who has scaled both a saas and a coaching business, I […]
Gym chain grows revenue by 40% w/ one weird trick
It’s the most neglected part of marketing… Happy Wednesday Gym World. I inherited a $1,800 stroller from my sister in-law & man this thing is a piece of shit. I immediately managed to collapse the stroller & trap my son in the “storage position.” Luckily the “Wave 2022 features a NEW ergonomic Genius™ harness system,” which […]
How to make money from the fastest-growing sport
Pickleball is kind of a big dill. Happy Tuesday, Gym World. I took the family to the Florida Keys for a long weekend. Any Dad who has vacationed in a warm climate knows that can only mean one thing: 10 hours a day of volunteer lifeguarding. In our household, we call this “pool jail.” Now […]
How to sell more without discounting
Planet Fitness increased sales by 60% using this strategy. Happy Monday Gym World. This is your annual reminder that winter weather and state income tax are optional. Here’s what I have for you this week: Planet Fitness’s big brain promotion Last week Planet Fitness reported that 2022 revenue was up 60%. CEO Chris Rondeau attributed […]
A simple trick for charging premium prices
In fitness, social proof is everything. It differentiates your services from the millions of others like it. Happy Sunday, gym world. Here’s what I have for you: Money-making fitness tattoos A CrossFit coach from Cincinnati got a Wodapalooza tattoo and now gets to attend Wodapalooza for free, for life. I was inspired and told Facebook […]
The best gym in the f*cking world
This $10M influencer gym is out of control. If you’re new here, an influencer gym is an audacious gym built for fitness influencers. They’re remarkable by design, and members are encouraged to film in the gym. The best ones serve as a destination for fitness lovers, with fans traveling thousands of miles just to visit. […]
This gym owner made $23M from his email list
Here’s how you can steal his strategies. Happy Sunday, Gym World. Over the last two weeks, we’ve talked a lot about making money with vertical videos. But don’t worry if you have a face for radio; today is your day. Here’s how you can make money from the comfort of your keyboard. Gym owner builds […]
The best fitness business of all time?
It’s definitely not what you think… Happy Sunday Gym World. My 16-month-old son ate two remote controls this week, and I have the receipts to prove it: You haven’t lived until you’ve troubleshot a TV with Cocomelon stuck on full volume. Enough Dadding, let’s dance. Is Zumba the best fitness business of all time? After […]
This gym makes $200k/mo from vertical video
You can profit from this trend today. Happy Sunday Gym World. My daughter is two weeks old today, and I’ve already got 2-kid life under control. Here’s my secret: Like a fine car, I’ve taught my body to shut off during idle periods. Enough Dad tips. Let’s talk about the business of fitness. Short-form vertical […]
The megatrend that is making this powerlifter $350k/mo
Last month ClassPass reported that strength training was the #1 workout in 2022, while sculpt was the fastest-growing class. Happy Sunday Gym World! Last month ClassPass reported that strength training was the #1 workout in 2022, while sculpt was the fastest-growing class. This is interesting because roughly 90% of ClassPass users are female. While strength […]
The most successful gym owner ever?!
He sold for $150 million to bet BIG on this one trend… Happy Saturday. I hope you’re all making lots of money from the New Year’s rush. Just a friendly reminder: don’t spend it all on 70lb dumbbells because taxes are due in three months. Is CrossFit Dying? Over the past few weeks, CrossFit Youtubers […]
We asked 10,657 gym owners how much money they make…
TL;DR: they’re all broke. Happy New Year! This year, I’ll be talking exclusively about the business of fitness. Now is the time to unsubscribe if you’re not interested in gyms, fitness influences, and weird memes. Still here? Let’s get into it. State of the Fitness Industry This week on Gym World Worldwide, I sat down […]
Gym World Worldwide
Happy Monday. I hope you survived Christmas. Mine was great. My son got $600 of presents and then spent the day playing with a half-eaten dog bone. After cleaning up boxes for an hour, my family came over and exposed us to COVID. Ah, I love the holidays. Here’s what I have you this week: Good […]
Tai Lopez bought Bodybuilding.com. Here’s his marketing playbook.
This week I listened to a 2.5-hour podcast with Tai Lopez. You may be asking yourself: “John, why would you spend 2.5 hours listening to Tai Lopez?”Because I am bad at managing my time. Don’t judge me. People love to hate Tai Lopez, but one thing is undeniable: Tai Lopez is an incredible marketerHis playbook is simple: 1/ Be remarkable […]
The New Year’s rush & why SMART goals are stupid
SMART goals are dumb Goal-setting season is among us. Soon the average American will actually think about their health. Gym owners love this time of year: Sites get more traffic, and sales friction melts away. The truth is ≈70% of people that buy around the new year won’t use their membership. Major gym chains know […]
Alphaland & the weird world of influencer gyms
Happy Sunday! It turns out that fame is a good business model The formula is simple: Step 1: Build a massive audience Step 2: Launch auxiliary businesses that pair well with your brand Step 3: Use your platform as your primary distribution channel Step 4: Profit We’ve seen this playbook over & over again: In […]
7 Elements of Good Marketing
Happy Sunday. Here’s what I have for you this week: 7 Elements of Good Marketing Good marketing is fastest path to money for any new founder. If you can be marginally better than everyone else at marketing to a small subset of prospective customers you can quickly build a base of recurring revenue. I used […]
Media is the new marketing
Our 2023 marketing strategy. Happy Sunday. Here’s what I have for you this week: Media is the new marketing I co-founded a company called Kilo. We sell website, marketing automation, and biz management software to gyms. We started out as an agency and used the cash flow to build software. This is a proven bootstrapping […]
Planet Fitness is printing money
Happy Sunday. Apologies for getting the newsletter out late. I just wrapped up an 18 hour solo drive from NJ to FL. The highlight of the trip: (If you know, you know.) Here’s what I have for you this week. How to close more sales Lead response time (LRT) is one of the most important, […]
How get your first 100 customers | Build an audience that buys
Happy Sunday. Here’s what I have for you this week:How to get your first 100 customers: A business starts when someone gives you money in exchange for goods or services. If you’re making a website, printing business cards, and “networking” before you have a customer, you don’t have a business, you have a hobby. Luckily, getting your first […]
$0 Marketing Plan, Writing Cold Emails, & Building Wealth
Happy Sunday. Here’s how you can grow your business this week: The best newsletter platform? On Monday, I chatted with Tyler Denk, the CEO of beehiiv. He talked about building beehiiv & shared the strategies he used to grow Morning Brew to 2M+ subscribers while maintaining 40%+ open rates. Afterward, Gianni Cara & Kieran Drew taught everyone how to […]
Breaking down the unicorn-themed gym that made $33M
Happy Sunday. Here’s what I have for you this week: How to write tweets that get clients On Friday, I held a Space with Erica Schneider. As I am writing this, almost 4,000 people have tuned in 🤯. We discussed: •Dealing with haters •Her beef with Nicolas Cole •Building a hyper-engaged audience •How to use […]
Finding a good mentor
Happy Saturday. This week I recorded a Space with Kieran Drew. He shared: •How he built a 55k audience on Twitter •The strategy he used to get 7k newsletter subs & a 40+% open rate •His revenue numbers over the past year •How he writes his threads •What he’d do differently if he was starting over […]
The strategies biz owners use to avoid taxes
Happy Sunday. Bootstrappers.com did a profile on me. Learn how I built Kilo to $3M ARR in less than 3 years. But we digress. Today’s newsletter isn’t about making more. It’s about keeping more. That’s right, we’re talking taxes. The hard truth is that most entrepreneurs overpay because they don’t have access to $1,000+/hr tax […]
How to get your first 10,000 followers
Today, I am going to show you how to get your first 10,000 followers on Twitter. By following this process you can build a personal brand that grows your business and creates new opportunities for you. Unfortunately, most people don’t approach audience building in a systematic way. Because of that, they don’t get traction and […]
The secret framework of top coaches & consultants
In today’s issue, I am going to show you a controversial framework for building social proof as fast as possible. Founders, CEOs from big companies, and industry experts have used variations of this framework to make millions from coaching and consulting. You can use this framework to grow an audience, grow a personal brand, and […]
Buying a business for $0 down.
Today, I am going to show you how to buy a business for $0 of your own money. By following this process, you can buy an established, profitable business which decreases your chance of failure. Unfortunately, most people think buying a business requires bank loans, a sophisticated business education, and tons of money. Because of […]
The $0 marketing plan
In today’s issue, I am going to show you the $0 marketing plan I used to grow Kilo to 7-figures in revenue. If you replicate this process, you can grow a business without a big marketing budget. Unfortunately, most founders don’t approach their marketing in a systematic way. They try a bunch of stuff, don’t […]
How to build a 7-figure sales team:
Today I will show you how to build a 7-figure sales team. Following this process will help you avoid expensive mistakes and missed sales. Unfortunately, sales is one of the hardest functions to delegate. Because of that, most business owners prospect & sell for too long. This eats up the owner’s time & slows the […]
4x profit with better customer selection?
In today’s issue, I am sharing a customer selection framework that’ll increase profit & make your business more fun. Customer selection is an overlooked, but powerful positioning strategy. Just last week I met an entrepreneur who increased his profit 397% by cutting bad customers and focusing on good ones. But, I know a dozen entrepreneurs […]
A framework for earning more & working less:
In today’s issue, I am going to share a delegation framework that helps you maximize every hour you spend working on your business. If you follow this process every 3-6 months, I can almost guarantee that’ll be earning more and doing more fulfilling work. Unfortunately, most early-stage business owners try to do too much so […]
Fastest Way to Grow Your Net Worth: Sell a Business
Today I am going to show you how to build a sellable business. Building a business is the fastest way to grow your net worth. Selling a business is the fastest way to turn that growth into cold hard cash. Unfortunately, only 1% of businesses ever sell. The good news is that if you build […]
Grow your business with cold outreach
Messaging people you don’t know (yet) can change your life. Cold outreach is a necessary activity that many entrepreneurs dread, as it requires boring work, persistence, and plenty of rejection. However, when done right, cold outright can be one of the highest ROI activities in your business. Henry Ford said: “Nothing happens until someone sells something. And […]
How to sell without being “salesy.”
In today’s newsletter, I am going to show you how to make your sales calls frictionless. If you follow this system you’ll be able to handle sales objections before they happen, so you’ll never have to be pushy. This makes selling easier & more fun. Unfortunately, most small business owners follow a gimmicky script or […]
