After running your gym for a while, the challenges to growth become obvious. Your core members might love what you’re offering, but getting enough leads to hit your growth goals? That’s a different story. And while you might be turning a profit, it could be costing you most of your time—and your sanity.
The problems may be clear, but the solutions aren’t always so obvious. If you starting to realize that scaling your gym requires more than your current skills and resources, Business for Unicorns might be the answer. With their proven methods, industry expertise, and solid reputation, they claim to help gym owners unlock their gym’s full potential.
In this review, we’ll dive into:
- What Business for Unicorns is (and who it’s for)
- What they offer
- Pricing details
- Why their approach works
- Pros and cons
- Real reviews from Business for Unicorns clients
Read on to discover if Business for Unicorns is the solution your gym needs. 👇
Business for Unicorns Profile
Business for Unicorns (BFU) is a coaching and consulting company specifically designed for gym owners. Run by successful gym owners themselves, BFU focuses on providing the guidance and resources needed to succeed in the highly competitive fitness industry. Their services are designed to help gym owners:
- Grow core memberships
- Optimize operations
- Enhance member experiences
- Manage time more effectively
BFU’s mission is to help gym owners build sustainable, profitable businesses while promoting an uplifting, community-driven environment for their members.
The Owners and Staff
In 2012, Business for Unicorns founders Mark Fisher and Michael Keeler launched Mark Fisher Fitness (MFF). Known as “NYC’s only Enchanted Clubhouse of Glory and Dreams,” MFF is a gym where members are called ninjas, coaches are often former professional actors, and everyone who steps into this fun, eccentric environment is encouraged to wear costumes.
The gym’s rapid success led to its inclusion in Men’s Health‘s list of the Top Gyms in America. It has also been featured in major publications like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and more.
To date, MFF has generated over $30 million in gross revenue — and it’s still growing. Mark went on the Gym World Worldwide podcast to break down how he built one of the most profitable gyms in the country.
BFU Coach Pete Dupuis is the co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, one of the top baseball training facilities in the world.
With an MBA from Babson College and over 20 years of experience running this renowned strength and conditioning facility, Pete brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Business for Unicorns team.
As the owner of Lean Strong Fitness in Guelph, Ontario, BFU Coach Ben Pickard has consistently led his gym business to multiple six-figure profits. Lean Strong Fitness exemplifies the kind of success that BFU clients strive to achieve. In addition, Ben is a respected authority on systems and operations within the fitness industry.
Business for Unicorns Prospective Clients
If you’re looking for a gym mentor to take your business to the next level, BFU may be a viable option if the following apply to you:
- You struggle with generating leads.
- Your gym operates in a dedicated space (leased or owned).
- Running your gym is a full-time job.
- You employ one or more staff members.
- Your gym serves over 30 clients.
Meeting these criteria suggests your gym has strong growth potential, and BFU can provide the expertise and resources to help you scale successfully.
Business for Unicorns Services
Business For Unicorns offers various tools, resources, and guidance through its mentorship program, the Unicorn Society.
Once you join this program, you can expect to benefit from the following services:
Coaching
BFU provides these three modes of coaching as part of their program package:
- 60-minute One-on-One coaching
- Unlimited access to On-Demand coaching (over six weekly office hours)
- Bi-weekly group coaching workshops
Managerial
The managerial coaching services in the package include:
- Virtual quarterly planning sessions
- Coaching and staff development
Staff Knowledge Building
These services include:
- Five team passes to Unicorn University’s On-Demand courses
- Two team passes to the content library, featuring Done-for-You playbooks and templates
Events and Social
BFU offers several valuable support and networking perks like:
- Complementary tickets to BFU Live Courses
- Bi-annual in-person retreats in the spring and fall
- Access to the exclusive members-only Facebook Group
Business for Unicorns Pricing
BFU offers a no-commitment trial period starting at $399 per month. While the company doesn’t publicly share pricing for the Unicorn University program, we estimate that a year of mentorship costs between $10,000 and $20,000. Interested individuals are encouraged to email BFU for more information.
Outside of the Unicorn University package, the following prices are available:
- One-on-One coaching: $450 per hour
- BFU live course tickets: $899 per seat
💡 Disclaimer: Prices are listed in USD and are subject to change.
How Business for Unicorns Works
BFU understands that most gym owners love what they do and want to overcome the obstacles to their success. So, the program focuses on providing clients with the essential tools, knowledge, and strategies needed to help their gyms succeed.
These are the key components that make BFU work for you:
- Personalized coaching from knowledgeable, successful gym owners who have experience helping gym owners overcome challenges and achieve success.
- Access to a community of like-minded peers who support each other and learn from each other’s challenges and victories.
- On-demand support to address issues as they occur, allowing you to tackle problems immediately.
- A video library of actionable content with proven strategies and methods.
- Free access for your team to benefit from BFU’s knowledge base and coaching.
Business for Unicorns Pros and Cons
As you evaluate BFU, consider these pros and cons to help you make an informed decision about whether this mentorship is right for you.
Pros of Business for Unicorns
- With Mark Fisher and Michael Keeler’s high-profile success at MFF, a team of elite coaches who have built successful gyms, and hundreds of client success stories, BFU has earned a credible reputation for helping gym owners reach new heights.
- Many BFU clients praise the exceptional value of the content provided. Through private coaching calls, in-person workshops, podcasts, and online coaching, they offer a wide range of transformative information, allowing you to find the knowledge that best fits your needs and schedule.
- BFU’s coaching focuses on tactical, step-by-step strategies for improving business operations, retention, and lead generation. These strategies deliver measurable results that can significantly impact your gym’s growth.
Cons of Business for Unicorns
- Implementing BFU’s strategies requires a significant time investment. If your schedule is tight or resources are limited, staying consistent and executing the advice may prove challenging.
- While BFU provides effective frameworks, the strategies might not suit every client’s specific context or market. For example, gyms in rural areas might need more customized solutions compared to urban gyms.
- While many clients appreciate the extensive resource library, some find the sheer volume of content overwhelming to implement in a structured way—especially without gym management tools like The Kilo Stack.
Business for Unicorns Client Feedback
Business for Unicorns has a large base of satisfied and successful gym owner clients.
Here are a few testimonials from BFU clients that reflect the general sentiment of the group. (Stories drawn from the BFU website.)
Tina Morin, Owner of MSC Strength
Before Tina joined BFU, her gym was profitable. However, she did everything herself because nothing was systematic or automatic. She had a great team of in-class coaches, but no new money came in when she wasn’t there.
After trying several mastermind groups without satisfactory results, Tina contacted BFU and developed a systematic plan to grow her gym while allowing her to have a life. Not only did she get the resources and support she needed, but Tina also reported, “My recurring billing has increased by $20,000 a month. My total active member base has increased 55%.”
Lucy Hendricks, Owner of Enhancing Life
Joining in December 2019, Lucy was an early adopter of BFU’s Unicorn Society—and her early faith in the program paid off. Since then, Enhancing Life’s monthly revenue has increased by 150%. With the support, resources, and coaching from BFU, Lucy said, “They have a member for life.”
Matt Kasee, Owner of Trilogy Fitness Systems
Since joining BFU, Matt’s Trilogy Fitness Systems has grown its annual revenue by around 35%. He projects that the gym will exceed its upcoming year’s goal by over $150,000. He adds, “My staff has grown from one full-time trainer to three full-time trainers and one part-time trainer.”
The Gym Owner Benchmarks Report
In 2023, Business for Unicorns released their first-ever edition of Gym Owner Benchmarks Report. Similar to the annual State of the Industry Report from Two-Brain Business, this report offers valuable insights designed to help small coaching gyms make smarter decisions and avoid common pitfalls.
To gather data, BFU surveyed over 100 boutique training gyms that:
- Have been in business for at least two years
- Make most of their revenue from personal training, semi-private, small group, large group training, or classes
- Have one to five physical locations
They asked more than 50 questions across five key areas:
- Rates and services
- Team
- Clients
- Marketing and sales
- Finances
They then analyzed the top 10% of the most profitable gyms to see what they had in common. The results were compiled into a detailed, visually rich report filled with graphs and insights, which was made available to all survey participants.
Michael Keeler, Co-Owner of MFF and BFU, shared key takeaways from the report on the Gym World Worldwidepodcast.
Business for Unicorns as a Viable Choice
As you evaluate the challenges and barriers hindering your gym’s growth, Business for Unicorns offers strategies to effectively overcome them. They invite you to leverage the knowledge and experience their mentors have gained from building successful gyms, providing you with the resources to achieve your business goals.
However, keep in mind that BFU may not be the best fit for gyms with unique niches, specific situations, or unconventional styles. Therefore, it may be worth doing additional research to determine if it’s the right choice for you.
In the meantime, you can streamline your gym management tasks with The Kilo Stack. To get started, book a call with our team today.
