Built To Grow Fitness Business

Some gym owners treat debt like a dirty word.

They avoid it at all costs, convinced that cash-only is the only safe path.

But here’s the irony: many of those same gym owners call themselves entrepreneurs. And by definition, entrepreneurship requires taking on financial risk.

In this episode, Tim and Randy unpack one of the most critical mindset gaps holding gym owners back: the refusal to l...

In this episode, Tim and Zach are joined by Marty Miller, Chief Movement Officer at Kinotek, to break down what’s actually possible on the training floor when objective movement data drives the experience.

Marty’s been in the game a long time. Athletic training, pro baseball, NASM educator, all of it. Now he’s helping gyms turn movement health into the next big metric. 

With Kinotek, that’s finally pos...

If your Facebook ad leads are costing more and converting less, you're not imagining it. Something’s definitely going on. And it’s hitting gym owners across the board. 

There’s a weird pattern showing up everywhere. You get a lead, call them immediately… and they’ve got no idea who you are. Some don’t speak the language. Some never even saw your ad. Some swear they weren’t on Facebook at all.

On paper, your CPL looks fine. But no...

You think you’re making money on your packed group sessions… until you do the math.

Every hour looks busy, but your profit margin’s disappearing behind coach pay, overhead, and “just enough” attendance. The room’s full, but your bank account doesn’t feel it.

In this ultra‑quick, rapid‑fire episode, Tim and Randy zoom in on one number that’s crushing the margins for most large group training gyms… and m...

There’s a difference between a packed room and a profitable gym. Unfortunately, many gym owners don’t see it until it’s too late.

What started as a scalable, exciting model in the 2000s has turned into a red ocean of price wars and clients who are tired of doing the same sweaty workouts with no results.

In this episode, Tim and Randy explain why large group training – a model that once promised high pr...

You’ve got a stack of resumes and a great candidate on the phone… until you hit the schedule part. Suddenly, their “perfect fit” status depends on your ability to juggle Monday evenings, Wednesday mornings, and a couple of Thursday afternoons…

But you’re short-staffed. So you bend… and six months later, you’re back on the floor coaching… again.

Familiar? Unfortunately, many gym owners would say, “Yes –...

If you’re still running a CrossFit gym in 2025, you’re either in denial… or really good at ignoring Google Trends. 

The momentum’s gone. People aren’t searching for it like they used to. In fact, interest is down 75% since 2015. Affiliates keep closing. And the brand that once pulled in foot traffic now delivers less value and more baggage. It offers no support or structure. Just a name tied to a model that hasn’t...

Let’s be real – selling sessions is an outdated business model.

You might think landing a $3K or $5K sale is a win, but it’s actually a trap. Instead of building a business, you’re stuck in an endless loop of re-selling every time someone runs out of sessions.

In Part 5 of this myth-busting series, Tim and Randy break down why selling training in blocks of 10-packs, 20-packs, or any-pack-of-sessions, i...

Some gym owners think they just need better ads.

So they swap agencies. Rewrite headlines. Launch new promos. And when the new clients start rolling in, it feels like it’s working – at least for a little while.

Yes, the leads come in... but so do the cancellations. No matter how much they spend on ads, the growth never sticks. And every month, they find themselves back at square one.

That’s because marketing isn’t the core issue.

In pa...

A lot of gym owners wear every hat in the building (and think that’s just part of the job).

They train every client. 

Put out every fire. 

Answer every email. 

Eventually, that becomes their whole identity: “I do it all.” But that belief is exactly what keeps them stuck. It drains their time, burns their energy, and kills their shot at real growth.

In Part 3 of this ...

Many gym owners believe that discounting their services will get someone through the door. 

That a “free week” or “first responder discount” will tip the scales. And at first, it might even look like it’s working... Until the leads disappear, revenue plateaus, and every client is paying a different rate for the same service.

In Part 2 of this myth-busting series, Tim and Randy talk about the belief that discounting brings growth – an...

Some gyms are packed… and still broke.

The schedules are full. The energy is high. But when it comes time to check the bank account, there’s barely anything left. And it’s not because the owners aren’t working – they’re grinding, hustling, doing all the things. But still... nothing changes.

What’s common for many of them? They believe more members are the answer.

In Part 1 of this new series, Tim and Randy tackle the first of the 5 My...

Most coaches aren’t lazy. They’re not unmotivated. They’re just being managed like they’re business owners… And that’s where things start to break.

In this episode, Randy and Zach discuss a mistake they see all the time: gym owners assigning responsibilities, pay structures, and incentives based on their mindset, not their team’s.

When you expect a coach to care about sales metrics, revenue growth, or monthly Delta the way you do – y...

Many gym owners add new services with the best intentions.

A couple of clients ask for something different… there’s a gap in the schedule… maybe a new trend looks like it could boost revenue… So they say yes – add a class here, a specialty program there…

But over time, the business starts looking like the Cheesecake Factory: a little of everything, not great at any one thing.

In this episode, Randy and Zach talk about the real cost of...

In this episode, Tim and Randy sit down with world-renowned coach and speaker Todd Durkin. He’s the founder of Fitness Quest 10 and the guy behind athletes like Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson.

While his professional track record is well known, the personal cost behind it isn’t. Most people don’t know he was nearly taken out of the game.

This time, Todd talks about the last few years of his life – chronic fatigue, a nagging back i...

“You thought your customers were lazy on the gym floor. They’re even lazier with their brains.”

That’s how Donald Miller explained the hidden reason most gym marketing doesn’t work: it makes people think too hard.

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and Business Made Simple. He’s the author of several books, including bestsellers Building a StoryBrand, Marketing Made Simple, and How to Grow Your Small Business. 

At the end of the G...

Most gym owners open a second location and hit a wall. Devin Gage is building to 100.

In just over two years, he’s grown from one gym in Pennsylvania to eight – all corporately owned, all self-funded, and all running on a lean, scalable model. Small footprint, low overhead, high-touch service, and centralized systems for everything else.

Each location is under 2,000 square feet, costs about $75K to open, and runs on 2.5 staff. Break-...

Some gym owners just keep pulling away – month after month, year after year – while others stall out, stuck at the same level no matter how hard they push.

It’s not because they’ve got better software or some secret funnel. And it’s definitely not luck.

It’s who they’re around.

This is the final episode in the 7 Habits of Winning Gyms series – and this one’s the big domino. The habit that makes the rest of the business easier... or so...

Most gyms don’t realize they’re making business decisions in the dark.

They’ll cut the agency. 

Hire a new closer. 

Pause the ads. 

Raise prices. 

Then lower prices. 

Change offers… 

All based on instinct – or worse, frustration – without knowing whether the actual problem is upstream, downstream, or even real.

But there’s one voice in your business that doesn’t panic or sugarcoat anything. Numbers. They show you exactly where things are b...