WTF Gym Talk

Ethan Chandler is the co-founder of Phoenix Fitness + Martial Arts in Virgina.  He's a client, colleague, and friend.  Not to mention, one of the smartest guys in the industry that should probably go into consulting, but he's too buy building his empire and loving the process. Ethan is one of the few guys who can disagree with my stance on something and actually make me have to prepare m...

Jabz Boxing is a hybrid HIIT-boxing microgym model with locations in Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and more locations opening this year. I asked Bertus to come on the podcast to discuss the rise and popularity of boxing fitness models over the past several years and how he's attacked the branding side of Jabz (which is extremely well done). If you enjoy discussions around b...

The first episode of Talking To Myself for 2022 is here. I kick this episode off with a deep share as to which drugs I'm currently taking (my entrepreneurial stack), my thoughts on the Dave Castro firing from CFHQ, and how I view the future of experiential brick and mortar locations. Enjoy.

Get ready for a solid rant on this one. Listen, I'm all for microgym owners taking time for a vacation or a trip to watch their favorite sport (people exercising). But if you've currently been unable to provide for your family or your staff with the business, IMO, that privilege hasn't been earned yet.

I've been publishing a lot of content on this topic recently but wanted to get some additional thoughts out there regarding how I view class registration policies and why your microgym needs to install them to preserve the client experience, coaching fulfillment, and bottom line for the business. 

Ever consider selling your microgym?  This episode is for you. 

You want numbers. I don't know which numbers you want, but you def. want numbers. More members. More revenue. Higher profit. Lower churn. Whatever the numbers you're chasing, you need to learn to respect your numbers in order to achieve new ones. 

A recent DM from a listener inspired this podcast where I go deep into the idea of establishing WHO YOU ARE and WHO YOU ARE NOT via content.  In order for the marketplace to differentiate you from the others in your space, you need to be able to draw a line in the sand and explain (tactfully) why your business stays on one side and doesn't venture to the other. 

Pagans, haters, and all those who don't agree with what your brand stands for are on deck in this 6th installment as I unpack the book Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon. 

In the final episode of Shoot The Shit for 2021, I get to sit down with long-time client, colleague and friend - Brandon Couden. Now Brandon might not be as much of a household name as some of the other guests that I highlight on this long-form segment of my podcast, but what he's done from a business standpoint (and consistently over 10+ years I might add), puts him in the .001% of microgym owner...

As we move into the fifth element of Primal Branding, we are touching on the sacred words that our brands use to create a connection to our tribe members - a term called lexicon.  I'll walk you through various lexicons in the fitness industry (and others) and hopefully you can start to really push forward your own brand lexicon to continue to set you apart from the competitors in your marketp...

On this episode, I sit down with Tom Sarosi, a ten-year-tenured coach and now the Director of the MadLab School of Fitness location in Vancouver.  We discuss the PT First model that their company has had great success with and how they envision the career path for a coach who wants to have a financially viable career while continuing to work in the craft they love. Check them out at madlabgro...

In today's podcast I share with you why I think that there is a really interesting opportunity for microgym owners who tried their hand at creating their own brand, and for one reason or another, it didn't pan out.   I think there is a really strong argument that those particular owners would make great franchisees and finally see the success they were searching for with their own brand.

I've been taking a personal interest in the hybrid microgym. And no, not a microgym that has in-person and digital offerings, thought that's a great hybrid model as well. But in this episode, I'm looking at the hybrid microgym model that I think has serious legs in the next 10 years. 

"Difference of opinion, are the only reason we have anything in this world." - Me I truly believe that recurring, healthy doses of debate amongst your staff is the sign of a quality team capable of having tough conversations. In this episode I go into my thoughts about allowing your staff to challenge your position and how that back and forth in communication can be the thing that takes your busin...

Continuing on with Primal Branding, we are now looking at the fourth element of primal code - Icons. Icons are more than logos and marks, they manifest in many different ways and can be one of the strongest ties to your brand. Enjoy.

That's literally what we did.   Brandon came over to the new STUdio, we drank great whiskey and had an even better conversation. Definitely make sure to check out the new book that Brandon contributed to - Winners Mindset and his most recent article published on LinkedIn where he breaks down the 7 elements of Primal Branding for MADabolic .  Enjoy!

Most of you know that I'm a big fan of the NCFit brand.    T The leadership team over there that I've interacted with has been stellar, including the obvious Jason Khalipa, rockstars like MDV and a guy that I had not known personally until this interview, but I'm honored to now have in my network of colleagues, Gabe Yanez, the Director of Sales + Marketing.   If you enjoy conve...

Since retirement from the microgym industry, I've been pitched a lot of ideas from ambitious entrepreneurs who would like some type of an investment from me, for their thing. Here's why I'm not going to do it. 

I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It is a segment I created where owners in the fitness industry come on my podcast to debate a topic with me that we don't see eye-to-eye on.  Today's episode features Devin Gage, owner of Gage Strength Training in PA.   Devin saw some of my content recently where I was advocating for client acquisition over retention and he didn't agree. But he did graciously a...

While LOM (Length of Membership) and LCV (Lifetime Client Value) are critical metrics to understand for retention, they also help out on the client acquisition side. Yes, by knowing your average LOM + LCV, you can now complete your client avatar.  Listen to learn more. 

Regardless of whether you create content, own a brick + mortar service business, or develop products - you've had to deal with 'haters' at some point. With the role public social media conversations play in our lives, it's impossible to create anything or do anything that doesn't garnish some type of negative criticism.  This podcast episode is how I think of this topic.

A growing percentage of the microgyms I work with are not in existence yet.  They are merely a concept within the mind of the founder.  It's my job to help make that vision come to life.   Here's my advice to anyone on this journey. 

Continuing with the 7 elements of Primal Branding, we are now onto rituals - the elements of client experience that are consistent and ultimately expected by seasoned customers.  

Two metrics of retention that are often misunderstood and often not appropriately analyzed within a microgym.