WTF Gym Talk

So the president has laid out a rough plan for how gyms can open back up during coronavirus-mania. I am as excited as anybody to get life back to out was, but I think we need to be thinking of a few things first

Studio is now live.  Not sure what Studio is?  It's a free platform that is going to change the way you deliver your remote /digital services.  Interested in Studio.  Check it out here .

During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a ton of fuckfaces are coming out of the woodwork claiming to know exactly how to handle this situation and through their tried-and-true methods, they can navigate these scary times for microgym owners. Fuck that.  Here's why...

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Boris and I jam on what it looks like when you can't lead with the material elements that made your brick+mortar fitness facility sellable. What do microgyms do when sales are significantly halted and retention becomes the biggest play? We look at other global brands and analyze how they are handling their messaging during this pandemic. Also, how to start thinking about...

A recent keynote I did for the Fittest of the Coast competition in Charleston, SC in early March, 2020.    Big thanks to the Fittest of the Coast and Iron Bridge CrossFit  for having me down! *note: this keynote was delivered pre-COVID-19-palooza, but damn what a timely occurrence to deliver a "Future of the Microgym Industry" presentation. 

As of 3/25/20 - these are my thoughts on what a microgym should be doing from a content perspective to continue to provide a high-end service to it's members. 

Here's where I sit on COVID-19 currently as of March 16th, 2020 and why I don't recommend only using live broadcasts for remote fitness services. 

As of March 14th, 2020, the COVID-19 shit show has many microgym owners scared and confused as to what the future holds.  I truly believe we are going to see many small businesses suffer during this time and I think people practicing social distancing will be the dagger.  Here's what I recommend we do to offset cancellations during this time.

Recently was tipped off that a microgym had downloaded and stolen marketing videos from Urban MVMNT and Alchemy 365, put their own logos and bumpers on them and were running them as their own. Well, I just so happened to have my camera nearby and a few cocktails in me which turned what would have been a boring evening into a fun filled conversation with the lazy fucker resposible for the theivery....

Some of my recent content caused some owners to disagree with me (weird, right?). And one of those individuals took the time to actually reach out and we had a consructive conversation around the topic of breaking through the status quo that most microgym are bending to...it lead to this podcast.

If you haven't heard, a chain of 27 CrossFit affiliates decided to reposition their brand, remove the CrossFit name and go down their own path. Interesting.   Here's my take on it. 

How many microgym owners are still stealing time from the business and their clients to perfect their own fitness pursuit? Too many. Too many of us are still spending HOURS per day to increase our own fitness, purse some pipedream of being a competitive athlete, etc. Guess what?  You own a business now.  That is your new sport and passion.  Continue to enjoy fitness and stay fitness...

Some strong reflection on this notion that microgyms need to be responsible for providing the coveted and widely overused title of 'Best Hour of the Day'. I'm even guilty of this marketing tactic myself - trust me.  But what's important is that we continue to evolve our message and when it hits critical mass (every god damn microgym claiming this), we need to re-eval. 

On the inter-webs recently, another content creator in the microgym biz coaching scene and I had a disagreement. That individuals name is Matt Baitieri and he's the owner of Box 2 Business in Australia.   We went back and forth on the quality of content that I see these other biz coaches putting out and why I think they are going to need to step up their game overtime if they want to stay rel...

If you aren't fucking with these three amazing creative assets in a 2020 world, then you're just asking to lose.   DM me if you want the affiliate link discount for Design Pickle! 

Big thanks to my man Ben Isabella, owner of Isabella Fitness in NJ, who inspired this segment.   Many of you have created something new recently in regards to a new style of class or a different fitness brand and it's not exactly catching with your current customers....so I decided to drink and rant about it. Full video version on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_hmMONixU&amp...

Sean's a buddy of mine, a smart dude and a respected colleague.   He's also grown an amazingly successful online business - free from all the bullshit overhead of having a brick + mortar. So then why the fuck did he decide to lease a building for his online business? We get into this and tons of other microgym biz nuggets on this episode. Enjoy!  @activeliferx 

I used to go after this mantra.  Hell, I even had it painted on wall for my new location. We deliver the "best hour of the day" is a bullshit phrase in my opinion when we really break it down. 

I'll accept credit for leading the charge of microgym owners who want to reposition or rebrand their business - I'm proud of the work I've done in creating content to help you guys see that there are other ways to run brick and mortar fitness. But what I want to make sure you're not doing - is thinking that you can steal a model, or style or brand element - and that it is going to be the cure for...

The most important investment you make in your microgym is your staff - make no mistake about it. So take the time to invest in your business by investing in others.   On this episode on jam on all things HR and the reallocation of payroll to support full-time players in your business. 

The title is soaked in clickbait but the topic is completely legit. Barbell intensive, group fitness models need to really consider the micro-level numbers of their business to realize that their love affair with a certain training program may not fit into their 2,500sqft facility from a P&L standpoint. 

Alfred and I run two completely different fitness business models. He is focusing on the client:coach relationship with a lasting, tailored, specific fitness program... ...And I am not. With that in mind, we have differences of opinions when it comes to the utilization of the barbell.  Check out Alfred's operation at @opex.concord 

The Snatch, Kipping Handstand Pushup and Back Squat are OVERRATED AS FUCK for a fitness program focused on GPP + Operational Capacity.   Please try to change my mind.

You or someone you hire MUST BE AN EXTROVERT. Must be willing to talk to strangers. To market and sell, direct to the consumer. If you think that your failing microgym is going to resurrect itself while you take the weekends off because you won't participate in off-site marketing plays, you're in for a rude awakening. The New Marketing Funnel that I'm breaking down in it's entirety at my One Day B...

So many microgym owners have these visions of 30,40,50 member signups. 100 leads per month at the push of a button. But the fundamental flaw here is too obvious for me not to spit on it.