The Small Group Gym Pod

In this episode, Alloy Personal Training founder and CEO Rick Mayo breaks down why the most scalable gym model might actually be the smallest. We dig into the logic behind the 150-member “neighbourhood gym” ceiling, the “inverse model” (fewer clients paying more), and the systems Alloy uses to make care feel personal at scale — from greeting members by name in 10 seconds, to random acts of surpris...

In this episode, I sit down with Rhys Lewis , owner of Totem Fitness — a small-group training gym in Surrey that hit 160 members in under two months after opening on January 5th . We unpack the thinking behind launching a 1,200 sq ft facility (and why bigger isn’t better), how Rhys used pre-sale marketing and New Year momentum to fill the gym fast, and the automation-heavy system he runs to conver...

Katie Hughes runs Bodyworks — a small-group training facility in a small Scottish town… and in just 9 months she’s gone from 30 garage-gym members to nearly 120 recurring members , with trials lined up and capacity in sight. In this episode, Katie breaks down what actually drove the growth: a smart opening-day play that brought 200+ locals through the door , the non-salesy way she uses local Faceb...

Previous guest Mike Waywell returns to discuss selling his gym, Steel Habitat in Liverpool, after running it for 12 years. In this episode, Mike breaks down: • The 3 questions that determine if your gym is sellable • The simple valuation formula he used • Why most gyms aren’t actually businesses • Why your head coach is probably your buyer • The emotional reality of stepping away • And why buildin...

Emma Regan didn’t set out to build a multi-site women’s strength brand. She started with a 6-week course in her mum’s back garden… and seven years later she’s leading a team across two sites, supporting 400+ women, and scaling a mission-driven community under the 'And Bloom' umbrella. In this episode, Emma breaks down how her gyms work, the barriers that stop women lifting weights (it’s not motiva...

Dan Mee is nearing 10 years of running MeeFit, and he doesn’t sugar-coat the parts gym owners usually gloss over. In this episode, Dan breaks down the hardest stretch of his entire journey: a price increase that triggered a wave of cancellations, a dip in monthly revenue, and a wobble in confidence… even though it turned out to be the right move. We unpack what Dan would do differently next time (...

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Waywell from Gym Ownr to unpack the things he's learned after building and running his own gym, Steel Habitat, for 12 years, and helping 100s of gym owners through his GymOwnr system. We talk about: What he learned mystery shopping a bunch of group training gyms How fast, consistent follow-up beats being “good at sales” Why selling “small group personal traini...

Chris Travis went from corporate leadership at Amazon to building Seattle Strength & Performance from zero to nearly 1,000 members across four locations — starting in August 2020. In this episode, Chris breaks down how they engineer community (including his “Community Score” onboarding framework), why SOPs and weekly business metrics are the real growth cheat code, and the exact marketing play...

In this episode, I break down simple, practical ways to differentiate your gym in 2026 , without relying on Meta ads, trends, or flashy ideas that don’t last. We cover: Why fixing the small, boring things often has the biggest impact on retention How to improve your member experience without changing your pricing or model Bringing real personality (yours and your staff’s) into your marketing Old-s...

Tony Cottenden went from prison officer to running personal training sessions in a garden shed — and eventually opening a shopfront small-group training gym. In this episode, Tony breaks down the real pros and cons of “going bigger,” why gym ownership doesn’t automatically mean more profit, and how he’s built a model that prioritises coaching, retention, and a life he actually enjoys. We get into:...

In this episode, I sit down with Jerome Bolze, owner of Madison’s in Haywards Heath – a 400-member, premium small-group gym charging around £900 for its front-end trial. We get into why Madison’s obsesses over tiny details most gyms ignore, how Jerome “becomes the customer” by training in his own sessions every week, and why he always fixes the product before worrying about marketing. We talk prem...

In this episode, John Clark (@The Bending Barbell) breaks down how he went from 5 to 180+ online clients in 18 months – and why there’s  no  single “best” business model for coaches.  We dig into his Time/Fun/Money framework, what local small-group gyms should do  instead  of chasing virality, and the simple Instagram + email system that fills his client roster. If you’ve ever wondered whether to ...

In this episode, I break down one of the most underused growth tools for small-group gyms: running simple in-person seminars for your members and local community. You’ll learn: Why a 45–60 minute workshop positions you as  the  local expert How seminars boost retention, referrals, and warm lead flow Topic ideas that work for parents, over-50s, and youth athletes How to turn attendees into trialist...

Owning one successful small-group gym is hard enough. Growing to three sites, serving an average age of 50–60, and still obsessing over experience? That’s what Aaron Swales has done with The Confidence Coach in the North East of England. In this episode, Aaron walks through how he opened his first gym in the middle of a global pandemic, why he’s stayed laser-focused on older, gym-intimidated clien...

[This episode is a recording of an interview I recorded for my PT mentoring group. If you're an SG gym owner, you'll still get a lot from this, but most of the lessons are applied more to the PT/ coach than they are to the gym owner.] After 28 years of coaching 25–30 sessions a week and running one of London’s most respected personal training studios, Integra, Michael has refined client experience...

Tim Reid of ETC Fitness, a medium-sized group fitness studio (12:1) in Northampton joins Stuart to share how he built one of the most culture-driven gyms in the UK. They discuss his model and the economics of it, the power of client recognition and how they do it, how to simplify onboarding without losing connection, how they get clients, what's working for their ads just now and why you can’t aut...

Twelve years in, Ian Stevenson has nearly quit the gym-ownership game plenty of times, but he's now got it to a point where it runs without him. In this episode, we dig into how he's done it and a few of the key changes he's made + lessons he's learned: 45-minute sessions that start at 5:30 a.m., the mentality needed to run a gym, a simple group offer, pods for every member, pricing that stays acc...

Thinking about opening your own gym? In this episode, Business for Unicorns’ Mark Fisher joins Stuart to unpack exactly what it takes, from capital and space size to pre-sales and starting models. They explore why now might be the best time in decades to go into gym ownership, how to avoid the most common launch mistakes, and why “small and simple” beats “big and fancy.” If you’ve ever thought, “I...

When Nora Matthew moved back to the U.S., she had no plans to open a gym. Fast forward a decade, and she’s the founder of  Her Strength , a thriving 4,000 sq ft women's-only studio with 160+ members, a strong 55+ community, and zero paid ads. In this episode, Nora shares how she evolved from prenatal classes to a local women’s brand, simplified her programming to scale, and built a business that r...

Want your clients raving about your sessions? In this episode, Tom Hamilton (Foundry Gyms & @Lift Strong Look Strong) breaks down what separates good small-group coaching from world-class. We dig into: How to create five-star client experiences Why most gym owners neglect coaching development Building consistency and culture across your team The framework Tom uses to deliver “gold-standard” SG...

5 essential lessons you can apply to your SGPT gym from the first 5 episodes. Want the free referral training I mentioned in the episode? DM me "referrals" on Instagram (@stuart__aitken)

What Jean-Claude Vacassin doesn't know about building, running and growing SGPT gyms isn't worth knowing. He's not only running the successful London-based gyms, Foundry, but he's also consulted and coached hundreds of gyms for the best part of 10 years. From running effective front-end offers to leveraging referrals as a key marketing method to having key exit strategies in place so clients who l...

Lisa Jarratt, of Downham Ladies Fitness in Downham, didn’t start with a big facility, a huge budget, or even a long-term plan. What she had was £6k, a love for fitness, and a background in marketing. Fast-forward to today, and she runs a thriving small-group gym on her high street with over 100 members, a strong community, and a business that only needs 10–15 hours a week to keep growing. In this...

Many gym owners feel pressure to chase big numbers, 150, 200, even 300 members, to feel “legit.” But what if your gym could be successful, sustainable, and fulfilling with far fewer? That’s exactly what Harry Morris has built in his 50-member SGPT gym. In this episode, Harry opens up about: Why he doesn’t hide from having a lower member count, and why more gym owners should talk about it. How he’s...

When Sean Armstrong first started coaching, he poured every ounce of emotional and physical energy into clients, and quickly burned himself out. Mainly from doing so many 1-1s. Fast-forward to today, and Sean is running a thriving small-group training gym with over 100 members, a growing team of coaches, and systems that make the business sustainable. In this episode, Sean shares: The summer event...