John Franklin

Run a Profitable Gym

A Entrepreneurship , Business and Health & Fitness podcast

#31 in Entrepreneurship · 🇳🇴 #71 in Entrepreneurship · 🇸🇪

About the show

We've already helped 3,000 gym owners become more profitable, and we're the #1 gym mentorship program in the world. This channel (presented by Two-Brain Business) is packed with business tools for gym owners and CrossFit affiliates. We provide actionable, data-backed business advice for all gym owners, including those who own personal training studios, fitness franchises, and strength and conditioning gyms.

Newest episodes

How to Double Your HYROX Revenue in 2027

Nov 12, 2026 46 min

Get your free copy of the State of the Industry report. Seven of the top 10 highest-revenue gyms using Wodify are HYROX affiliates. What are they doing differently? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin talks with Brendan Rice, CEO of Wodify, about what the data shows on HYROX affiliation. Brendan shares what he sees in the gyms that are getting the most out of it, from how they schedule classes and run sims to how they follow up with HYROX leads and plan for after the race. They also cover how to name your classes, whether HYROX is a fad, how it compares to ATHX and XENOM, and how to tell if your own affiliation is paying off. Brendan also shares his view on where CrossFit is headed. Tune in to learn what the highest-grossing HYROX gyms do differently and how to apply it in your own gym. Special thanks to Wodify for contributing data to the State of the Industry Report. Links 2026 State of the Industry Wodify Gym Owners United Book a Call

2026 State of the Industry Release Show: Livestream with Sevan & Matt Souza

Nov 10, 2026 1 hr 47 min

Get your free copy of the 2026 State of the Industry Report. A quarter of gym owners say they want to quit. The data shows what separates them from the owners who don’t: about $13,000 more in take-home pay and 13 fewer hours of work a week. In this episode, Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin joins Sevan Matossian and Matt Souza live on the CrossFit Network to dig into the seventh annual Two-Brain State of the Industry Report. They cover what owners are taking home, why retention and leads are tied together, how HYROX is changing affiliate revenue and what separates gyms that are struggling from gyms that feel comfortable. They also get into discounting, referrals, 30-minute personal training, how to plan for January and what affiliates think about the future of CrossFit. Tune in to see where your gym stands against the industry and the small changes that can close the gap. Links 2026 State of the Industry report Chris Cooper on starting a gym from scratch Jared Jordan interview Golden Hour book Tres Kennedy interview Interview with HYROX's head of affiliates (North America) Two-Brain Summit Dan Purington interview Book a call with Two-Brain

How This Gym Added $10K Monthly Revenue in Just 90 Days

Nov 5, 2026 46 min

For more help, book a free call with the Two-Brain team. Four months ago, Jared Jordan was on a hotel balcony at the Two-Brain Summit, wondering if it was time to close his gym. It was losing $8,000 a month, and he’d put more than $60,000 on credit cards that year. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin talks with Jared, who owns Righteous Wellness in Alabama. Within 90 days of Summit, his gym’s monthly revenue went from under $15,000 to over $25,000. Jared shares how he got here: opening his first gym in 2013, selling it off during COVID, starting over in Alabama and rejoining Two-Brain. He explains the one piece of advice John gave him, what he changed in his schedule and offers, and where he’s taking the gym next. Tune in to learn what it takes to turn a struggling gym around. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - How this gym went from losing money to $25K a month 0:52 - Opening his first CrossFit gym in 2013 3:08 - Why Jared joined Two-Brain the first time 5:56 - Selling everything and leaving his gym during COVID 12:16 - Opening a new gym in small-town Alabama 15:34 - How a growing gym started losing money 18:06 - Rejoining Two-Brain and still struggling 24:56 - Going to Summit ready to pull the plug 27:01 - The one question that turned his gym around 34:40 - How he grew revenue the month after Summit 39:33 - His plan for a $32K month and a future wellness center

Similar podcasts

Fri kontantstrøm Dagens Næringsliv

Aspire with Emma Grede Emma Grede | Audacy

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway Vox Media Podcast Network

The Tim Ferriss Show Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

The Game with Alex Hormozi Alex Hormozi

Eiendom med Fastighetsprinsen & Paula Propnordic

BigDeal Codie Sanchez

Founders David Senra

All episodes

The newest 50 of 1,203 episodes

How to Double Your HYROX Revenue in 2027

Nov 12, 2026 46 min

2026 State of the Industry Release Show: Livestream with Sevan & Matt Souza

Nov 10, 2026 1 hr 47 min

How This Gym Added $10K Monthly Revenue in Just 90 Days

Nov 5, 2026 46 min

5 Ways Gym Owners Should Be Using AI in 2027

Nov 2, 2026 20 min

Grab our free tools to help you fix the most common problems gym owners face. If you’re only using AI to write your gym’s social media captions, you’re barely scratching the surface. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper share five AI workflows they use to cut admin, automate manual work and get more out of the software they already pay for. They cover how Chris turns one recording into a week of content, how the Claude browser extension can do tedious setup work for you and how gym management software is adding AI that answers questions about your own numbers. They also walk through Chris’ Meta Advantage+ ad experiment, how John turns call transcripts into a searchable database and how to delegate to AI without handing over your judgment. Tune in to learn how to put AI to work in your gym today. Links Free Tools for Gym Owners Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why you're only scratching the surface with AI 0:59 - How to make a week of content with AI 3:54 - Using the Claude browser extension 5:45 - Using MCP servers with your gym software 8:19 - Testing Meta Advantage+ ads on a small budget 13:22 - Turning sales call transcripts into usable data 16:31 - Setting up Profit First with AI 19:18 - Why you should check AI's work DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary.

How to Pay Your Coaches Well Without Going Broke

Oct 29, 2026 10 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Hiring is scary. You’re taking on real financial risk, and you can’t know in advance whether it will pay off. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin shows you how to figure out how much you can afford to spend on staff, how much to pay your next hire and how to tell whether that hire is working. John walks through how to find the fair market value of your own work, what your gym’s real profit looks like once you account for it and how to calculate your salary cap. He also explains how to give a new hire a 90-day trial so you know whether the investment is paying off. Tune in to learn how to hire with a plan instead of a guess. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why staffing feels so risky 0:35 - Why burnout comes back to hiring 1:36 - What your own work is really worth 2:58 - Is your gym actually profitable? 3:28 - What to do if you’re not profitable yet 4:13 - How to calculate your salary cap 6:12 - How to raise your salary cap 7:54 - How to know if a hire is working 8:59 - How to hire with confidence

How This Gym Owner Pays His Coaches Six Figures

Oct 26, 2026 41 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Matt Michaud grew his gym’s monthly revenue from about $12,000 to more than $80,000. He now has six full-time staff, with at least two coaches making six figures. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin talks with Two-Brain mentor Matt Michaud about how he broke through revenue plateaus at $20,000 and $30,000 a month. Matt explains how he moved from part-time coaches to full-time careers, and how “intrapreneurialism” lets coaches earn more by building their own programs inside his gym. Matt also shares the story that changed how he thinks about his work, and walks through his current project: a 20,000-square-foot commercial building that will house his gym and other tenants. Tune in to learn how to create real careers for your coaches and grow your gym with them. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 1:06 - Where Matt's gym was when he joined Two-Brain 1:58 - The note that changed how Matt ran his gym 6:37 - Going from side hobby to professional gym 9:03 - Breaking through the first revenue plateau 15:44 - The second plateau and the coach who bought a house 20:04 - What coach intrapreneurialism looks like 23:26 - The math behind paying a coach six figures 28:55 - Why Matt is building his own commercial building 39:34 - Where to start if you want this for your gym

Before You Fire Someone in Your Gym, Watch This

Oct 21, 2026 11 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Every gym owner has looked at a staff member and thought, “I need to get rid of this person.” Chris Cooper says that instinct is usually wrong. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares the diagnostic he uses before he considers replacing anyone on his team: four questions that usually show the problem is the process, and three that tell you when it’s really a people problem. He explains how he once poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into staff before writing down the processes his gym should run on. Chris also covers what to do once you know which problem you have, and how to document your gym’s tasks and group them into clear roles so your team can succeed. Tune in to learn how to fix the process first and replace fewer people. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why your instinct to fire a staff member is usually wrong 1:03 - What unclear processes really cost a gym 1:44 - The cleaning mistake that wasn't the cleaner's fault 2:19 - Four questions to ask before you blame your staff 3:49 - How to know when it really is a people problem 5:29 - What to do once you’ve made the diagnosis 7:38 - The day in the life exercise for writing checklists 9:28 - Why stacking roles can cost you a great coach

Why Gym Owners Keep Losing Their Best Coaches

Oct 19, 2026 43 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. The average coach at Corey’s gym stays more than eight years. He didn’t get there by accident. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin talks with Two-Brain mentor Corey Lewis, who has owned his gym for 15 years. Corey shares how he screens candidates with a three-minute video and a 60-minute walk, how he makes a new coach’s first week memorable and how he uses weekly check-ins and career roadmaps to keep staff engaged. He also covers how to celebrate your team without spending much money, how to have the hard conversations when a coach isn’t performing and what to do when a coach leaves. Corey shares the mistakes he made early on too. Tune in to learn how to hire the right people and keep them for the long haul. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - How Corey keeps staff for over eight years on average 6:28 - Why the first 90 days decide if a new coach stays 11:35 - The meeting cadence that keeps coaches around for years 14:25 - Using career roadmaps to talk pay with your coaches 19:46 - How to get part-time coaches to staff meetings 23:47 - The staff mistakes Corey made early on 28:14 - Low-cost ways to make your staff feel appreciated 31:54 - What to do when a coach isn't meeting the standard 35:22 - How to handle a coach leaving your gym 38:51 - Getting coach buy-in when you change your business model

How to Find a World-Class General Manager for Your Gym

Oct 15, 2026 10 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Hiring a general manager won’t save a gym that isn’t paying its owner well yet. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains how to know when you’re ready to hire a GM, how to pay one without guessing and how to train them so they can run your gym at your standard. He shares what went wrong with the first GM he hired and why the role works best as one of the last hires you make. Chris also covers the questions to answer before you write the job ad and the mistakes that cause GM hires to fall apart in the first year. Tune in to learn how to hire a GM who buys back your time instead of creating more work. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why hiring a general manager can make your gym worse 0:57 - What went wrong with Chris’ first GM hire 1:45 - Why hiring a GM too early backfires 3:01 - Two questions to answer before you write the job ad 3:53 - How to pay a general manager without guessing 4:56 - Commission, profit share and bonuses for your GM 5:46 - How to train a GM to run your gym without you 6:39 - The GM training plan, step by step 8:23 - What a GM can’t fix in your gym 8:58 - The question to ask before you hire a GM

How to Hire the Right Coaches From the Beginning

Oct 12, 2026 42 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Hiring the wrong coach costs you money, and it costs you time you never get back. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin talks with Two-Brain mentor Brian Bott, who runs three gyms in New Jersey that bring in over $1.5 million a year in revenue, with coaches who have stayed for a decade or more. Brian explains what he screens for, how he onboards new coaches, how he pays them and what he does when a hire goes wrong. He also shares how to decide who to hire first, how to find candidates without relying on job boards and how to keep quality consistent across multiple locations. Tune in to learn how to hire right the first time and build a team that wants to stay. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why a bad hire makes gym owners afraid to hire again 0:53 - How a three-location gym structures its coaching team 4:17 - What to look for when hiring a coach 6:57 - How new coaches are onboarded on the floor 9:32 - Where to find great coaches for your gym 13:03 - How to post the job and structure coach pay 20:21 - What to do when a hire doesn’t work out 23:12 - How to keep great coaches for years 28:58 - Who to hire first and how to hand off clients 36:42 - How to keep coaching quality consistent across locations

How This Gym Owner Sells $300 Memberships in Rural Alabama

Oct 8, 2026 36 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Tres Kennedy charged $150 a month for personal training plus unlimited group classes. He thought no one in his small Alabama town would pay more. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin sits down with Two-Brain mentor Tres Kennedy to talk about packaging, pricing and handling objections. Tres explains how he moved from giving away his on-ramp to prescribing coaching at nearly double the price, and what happened to his gym’s close rate, staff pay and retention. Then John and Tres role-play a real consultation, working through the objections gym owners hear most: “I need to think about it,” price pushback and “I need to talk to my spouse.” Tune in to learn how to charge what you’re worth and keep the sale moving when a prospect hesitates. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - How he first priced and packaged his gym 2:37 - His offer today and the fear of charging more 5:41 - His average prospect and what changed after raising prices 10:04 - Building conviction and checking your pricing 13:10 - Objection-handling role-play 16:34 - Framing the solution and presenting the price 19:18 - Handling “I need to think about it” and price objections 25:00 - Standing firm when prospects want something cheaper 31:50 - Handling “I need to talk to my spouse” 34:25 - Advice for owners who struggle to charge what they're worth

Who to Hire at Your Gym to Pay Yourself More

Oct 5, 2026 6 min

Is your gym ready to hire a full-time coach? Use our free calculator to find out. Nearly 60% of gym owners say not earning enough is their biggest struggle, more than double the number who say staffing is the problem. According to Chris Cooper, the fix is hiring, but only if you hire in the right order. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris explains why the order of your hires matters more than how many people are on your payroll. He shares the story of the first hire that taught him how buying back your time actually works, and why the right hire isn’t the one that feels most urgent. Chris shows you how to figure out what you’re really paying yourself per hour, which task to hand off first and how to plan what you’ll do with your reclaimed time so each hire pays you back. Tune in to learn how to hire in a way that puts more money in your pocket. Links Full-Time Coach Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why hiring is really about your paycheck 0:59 - The cleaner story that taught buying back your time 2:30 - The one number every hire gets measured against 3:50 - Hire for the cheapest task you’re still doing yourself 5:22 - Where most hires quietly fail 5:43 - The 2.5x rule before you post the job ad

How Top Gyms Create Raving Fans

Oct 1, 2026 17 min

Get our free guide, "How to Make $100,000 a Year While Working Just 4 Hours a Day." Why do some gyms have members who bring friends and stay for years, while others struggle to keep the clients they have? Every gym has four types of members: champions, loyalists, wanderers and critics. In this episode, Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains how to spot each one. Each group needs something different from you, and treating them all the same means spending your time in the wrong places. Chris explains what each kind of member needs and how to move them up a level, from the coffee conversation that turns your best clients into recruiters to the way to handle members who complain about everything. He shares stories from his own gym along the way. Tune in to learn how to build a gym culture by design, not by luck. Links $100K Income Guide Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why some gym members become raving fans (and others don't) 1:20 - The client every gym should be built around 2:25 - Turn your best clients into your biggest recruiters 6:00 - Why the best coaches still need their own coach 7:10 - The quiet clients you're probably taking for granted 9:55 - The clients who showed up excited and then went quiet 12:24 - The member who complains about everything (and what it really means) 15:43 - The one move that fixes every client relationship

How to Sell More Expensive Memberships in Your Gym

Sep 28, 2026 18 min

Book a free call and get outside eyes on your sales process. Every gym with coached classes says they sell coaching. But if everyone who joins gets the same unlimited membership, are they actually buying coaching, or just access to a class that happens to have a coach? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin breaks down how to prescribe real coaching in a sales consultation, and what to do when a prospect pushes back. He explains why most objections aren’t really about price or timing; they’re a sign that the prospect doesn’t believe your offer will actually solve their problem. John walks through the exact language for “prescribing up” instead of defaulting to the easiest thing to sell. He also introduces the PULSE framework and addresses the most common objections gym owners face, from “I need to think about it” to pricing and spousal pushback. Tune in to learn how to sell high-value coaching with confidence, without sounding pushy or salesy. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Most objections aren’t really about price 1:14 - Why comparing yourself to Orange Theory is a trap 2:18 - What real coaching looks like 3:19 - The prescription framework (like a doctor, not a menu) 6:03 - The tools are the delivery, not the product 6:59 - How Darren Thornton built a 7-coach, $1M/year gym doing this 9:30 - Handling “I need to think about it” 10:48 - Handling the price objection 12:36 - Handling the spousal objection 13:37 - Handling the “I'm busy” objection 16:00 - Why the biggest objection is in your own head

The Real Reason Your Gym Stopped Growing

Sep 24, 2026 13 min

Grab our free tools to help you fix the most common problems gym owners face. If your gym has been stuck at the same revenue number for a year, you probably think you need more leads. You’re only half right. In this episode, Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin breaks down why “I need more leads” is usually a symptom, not the real problem. He explains the two things that keep gyms stuck: not consistently doing the work that generates leads, or a bigger structural issue in your business that’s harder to see from the inside. John introduces the Golden Hour, a dedicated daily block for tackling your gym’s biggest bottleneck, and shares the story of Jared, a gym owner who'd been flat for 10 months until he committed to that one habit and posted his best revenue month ever. He also shares the story of Charlie, a UK gym owner who made one change to how he positioned and priced his coaching that’s projected to triple his revenue in just over a year, without adding a single new client. Tune in to figure out whether your gym’s plateau is an effort problem or something you can’t see from the inside, and how to get unstuck for good. Links Free Tools Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - The two reasons gyms stop growing 1:00 - Why busy isn't the same as productive 3:01 - The Golden Hour and establishing the run 5:30 - How a Two-Brain client turned a flat gym around 7:31 - The revenue jump after Jared got serious 8:38 - The problem you can't see from inside your own gym 9:47 - The pricing change that transformed Charlie's gym 11:58 - What's really holding your gym back

Our Gym Revenue Has Plateaued ... Now What? (Live Coaching)

Sep 21, 2026 38 min

Their gym has been open 14 years, has over 150 members and pulls in around $30,000 a month. But growth stalled, and they wanted to know why. In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin sits down with Tanya and Meredith, longtime owners of a Sarasota CrossFit affiliate, for a real, live coaching session. John opens up their books and pricing sheet, which includes 15 different things a prospect can buy, and starts asking hard questions to find out exactly what’s capping their revenue. What John uncovers is a common but costly pattern: personal training makes up only 10% of their revenue, even though the vast majority of new prospects walk in intimidated and needing more support than a group class alone provides. John walks Tanya and Meredith through a repositioning of their entire onboarding and pricing structure, one that could significantly change how much of every dollar makes it to their bottom line. Tune in to hear a real mentorship session unfold and see exactly what it takes to break through a revenue plateau. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - A profitable gym stuck at $30,000 a month 1:15 - Meet the co-owners running a 14-year affiliate long distance 7:43 - The seasonal revenue swing and the number they want to hit 10:35 - Fifteen ways to buy in, and where all the revenue comes from 12:37 - Personal training pricing and the onboarding that leads to membership 16:54 - What the numbers reveal once you compare them to industry benchmarks 18:25 - Why a loyal, stable staff still can't carry the business further 23:54 - Reframing onboarding around coaching instead of group class 27:21 - Consolidating fifteen memberships and reworking the price 35:36 - Real proof it works, and the plan to make the change stick

We Are About to Open a Gym ... Now What?

Sep 17, 2026 54 min

This episode contains important visuals and is best enjoyed on YouTube. No amount of planning makes handing over your life savings feel completely safe. Today Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin sits down with Steven Smith and Andreia Onofre Smith, who are 40 days from opening their first gym after nine years of planning. This is a real, live mentorship session: John and the couple walk through their SBA financing process, their build-out timeline and the founders club offer they’re using to bring in revenue before the doors even open. Steven and Andrea share the vision behind their gym, a family-first concept built around helping parents stay consistent with fitness by giving their kids a genuine experience of their own, not just childcare. But the real value in this episode comes when John spots a critical gap in their pricing plan and walks them through exactly how to fix it before opening day. Tune in for a rare, unfiltered look at what it actually takes to open a gym the right way, mistakes, financing headaches and all. Links How to Buy a Gym Step by Step Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Live coaching before two first-time gym owners open their doors 1:00 - A gym built for parents who stopped showing up 3:02 - Nine years of planning and a deal that fell through in 2018 5:38 - Why they hired a mentor before they even had a location 8:36 - Financing and building out a gym in New Jersey 14:49 - What a Two-Brain mentor does before day one 17:24 - Building and pricing a Founders Club offer 29:22 - The scheduling problem stopping them from adding small group training 40:53 - Where their first members came from

How This Gym Generates $700K Revenue With Only 190 Members

Sep 14, 2026 43 min

Grab our free tools to help you fix the most common problems gym owners face. A cheap intro offer brought in members who weren’t ready to commit—and retention that Dan Purington calls an “absolute dumpster fire.” In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin talks with mentor and gym owner Dan Purington, who runs a CrossFit affiliate doing north of $700,000 a year in revenue with fewer than 200 members. Dan breaks down how he rebuilt his entire onboarding process from a $70 low-barrier offer that attracted the wrong people into a $499, five-week hybrid on-ramp that more than doubled his revenue. Dan explains the “curated” approach behind his on-ramp, why he moved nutrition conversations to week five instead of the front end, and how giving prospects a taste of personal training alongside CrossFit or small group strength naturally upsells members into higher-value memberships. He also shares how this shift let him build real, full-time careers for his coaching staff, and tackles the most common objections gym owners raise about space, staffing and pricing when they consider making a similar change. Tune in to see how a smarter onboarding process can grow your revenue and solve your staffing problems at the same time. Book a free call and rebuild your onboarding process with a mentor. Links Free Tools Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:34 - The $70 on-ramp that became a dumpster fire 5:08 - Inside Dan's 1,800-square-foot gym 8:09 - What's actually sold in the no-sweat intro 10:29 - The 5-week onboarding, breakdown 12:45 - Why they call it "curated" instead of unlimited 16:16 - Why nutrition waits until week five 19:28 - How the onboarding upsells members into small group 21:25 - How this model built full-time coaching careers 30:51 - Common objections: pricing, space and staffing 36:18 - The revenue jump after the switch

How to Hire A-Players and Double Your Gym Revenue

Sep 10, 2026 19 min

Listening to this alone won’t make your gym more profitable. A mentor will. Book your free call with the Two-Brain team. If you can’t attract good coaches, the fix probably isn’t your job post. It’s your salary cap—and that’s determined by how your gym packages and prices its services. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin explains why gyms end up stuck offering $25-an-hour split shifts instead of real, full-time careers, and how to fix it by growing your salary cap. He breaks down exactly how to calculate what your gym can afford to pay staff, and then walks through why your model is capping your revenue. You’ll find out how shifting to a “coaching first” model can double what a client is worth to your gym and use the extra revenue to attract and keep better coaches. Tune in to learn how to build a gym that can actually afford to pay great coaches what they’re worth. Links Darren Thornton's Full Story Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why your A-player job posts attract bad candidates 2:05 - The salary cap concept limiting your payroll 3:19 - Real numbers: calculating your gym’s salary cap 4:49 - How growing revenue grows your salary cap 7:30 - Where the onboarding model came from 9:50 - The hidden friction in the onboarding model 11:11 - The coaching-first model top gyms are using 13:33 - Case study: from $9K a month to $1M a year 15:26 - The coach-pay formula explained 18:45 - How to build a team of A-players

This Gym Owner Does $1M a Year With 7 Full-Time Staff

Sep 7, 2026 52 min

Listening to this alone won't make your gym more profitable. A mentor will. Book your free call with the Two-Brain team. Darren Thornton left his gym for 10 weeks to live in a van with almost no contact—and came back making more money than when he left. In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin talks with Two-Brain alumnus Darren Thornton, who built a gym doing over a million dollars a year in revenue with seven full-time coaches on salary. Darren walks through his entire hiring process step by step, from writing a job description designed to filter out uninterested applicants to the four different offers he might make at the end of an interview. He also breaks down the pivotal decision that let him build a full-time team in the first place: shifting to a high-value membership model that ensures every coach has enough paid hours to build a real career. Darren shares the exact numbers behind the transition, the pushback he got early on and why he believes this model is ultimately better for members, not just for staffing. Tune in to learn how to build a gym that can actually support full-time, well-paid coaches. Links State of the Industry Survey Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - He went dark for 10 weeks and came back making more money 2:24 - The hardest skill this gym owner had to teach himself 3:33 - Building a job post that filters out the wrong people 9:18 - The unpaid trial that exposes who's not serious 16:04 - Why every coach on his team is full-time, no exceptions 18:15 - What actually gets someone hired at his gym 23:47 - What happens the moment the interview ends 29:43 - From one guy in a cape to seven full-time coaches 35:04 - The math behind mandatory personal training 46:36 - Why standing out meant turning members away first

What I Would Do If I Was Launching a Gym From Scratch in 2026

Sep 3, 2026 25 min

Fill out our State of the Industry survey and get a free report card showing how your gym stacks up. If Chris Cooper started a gym tomorrow, with no reputation, no members and no brand, what would he do? In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin puts founder Chris Cooper through a real-time thought experiment: build a gym from scratch using everything he's learned from 30 years in the industry. The pair work through six categories step by step: the coaching model, pricing, space and lease decisions, equipment spend, the exact marketing funnels Chris would use to land his first clients without ads, and when and how he'd eventually bring on staff. Chris gets specific throughout, sharing real numbers on rent, equipment budgets, pricing and how many clients it takes to earn $50,000 in year one. He also touches on the advice he's giving his own daughter as she considers opening a gym of her own. Tune in for a candid, numbers-driven look at what a smarter gym launch looks like today. Links State of the Industry Survey Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:03 - Starting a gym with a clean slate 1:12 - The coaching model: one-on-one to semi-private 4:28 - Marketing without ads or a following 10:36 - Space, lease and build-out decisions 16:21 - Earning a full-time income 20:57 - When and how to hire

Why Most Gym Owners Never Reach $100K

Aug 31, 2026 12 min

Fill out our State of the Industry survey and get your custom Gym Report Card! Every gym owner thinks their problem is unique. In reality, it’s usually one of six. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper breaks down the six problems that show up again and again in struggling gyms, and why most owners don’t realize which one is holding them back. Chris walks through each bottleneck: not having enough clients, not paying yourself first, not charging enough per client, not keeping clients long enough, expenses that are too high, and trying to do everything yourself. Along the way, he shares specific benchmarks to aim for, including client counts, average revenue per member and realistic retention numbers. His core message: You don’t make six figures as a gym owner by working harder or finding one big secret. You do it by knowing which of these six problems is actually costing you the most money right now, and fixing it. Tune in to figure out which bottleneck is holding your gym back. Use the link below to get our free training on how to make $100,000 per year as a gym owner. For more support, join Gym Owners United: http://gymownersunited.com Links State of the Industry Survey $100,000 Income Training Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why most gym owners are solving the wrong problem 1:23 - The client count that actually pays your bills 2:49 - Why paying yourself last is quietly killing your gym 4:41 - The real number your revenue per member should hit 7:47 - The retention number almost every gym owner gets wrong 9:11 - The expenses that feel necessary but are actually draining you 10:27 - Why doing everything yourself caps your gym's growth

How to Land a Gym Client in 15 Minutes

Aug 27, 2026 14 min

Turn more consultations into memberships with our free Objection-Handling Scripts. Can Chris Cooper close a sale in 15 minutes—even with a client who's trying to make it hard on him? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris puts himself to the test with a live, unscripted consultation. John Franklin plays a deliberately difficult prospect: a busy parent with a recurring back injury, an unpredictable schedule and a strong preference for flexibility over structure. Watch Chris run through a No Sweat Intro in real time: asking the right questions, uncovering the actual goal, and prescribing a program that addresses all of the client’s concerns at once. When John throws out objections around commitment, cancellation and pricing, Chris handles each one without flinching or discounting. By the end, you’ll see exactly what it looks like to coach someone into a confident yes. ➖➖➖ Fill out our State of the Industry survey and get your custom Gym Report Card. Links State of the Industry Survey Objection-Handling Scripts Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - 15 minutes to close a difficult client 0:47 - What actually brings a hard-to-please prospect into your gym 3:03 - Get a client to picture their life 6 months from now 5:08 - The exact program prescribed for a client afraid of re-injury 6:55 - Handling the “this might hurt my back again” objection 7:27 - The scheduling flexibility test every busy client puts you through 9:35 - The moment he asks about price 10:36 - The cancellation question every gym owner dreads 12:41 - The “let me think about it” moment 13:55 - Why giving yourself permission to say no closes more sales

How to Handle Every Sales Objection in Your Gym

Aug 24, 2026 10 min

Turn more consultations into memberships with our free Objection-Handling Scripts. "I need to think about it." "It's too expensive." "I need to talk to my spouse." Sound familiar? In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper role-play the most common sales objections gym owners hear. They show you how to uncover the real objection hiding underneath the surface-level one. The pair introduce the PULSE framework for handling objections: pause, understand, locate, solve and end with a decision. They walk through real scenarios one by one, including the "I need to think about it" smoke screen, the spousal objection, price pushback and the "I've been burnt before" objection, showing exactly how to respond without caving to a discount or letting a prospect walk away undecided. Tune in to hear exactly how to turn "I need to think about it" into a yes. Links State of the Industry Survey Objection-Handling Scripts Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why "I need to think about it" is never the real objection 1:01 - Why discounting and delaying is costing your gym 2:49 - The framework for turning any objection into a decision 3:56 - Uncovering what's really behind "I need to think about it" 4:17 - Handling the spousal objection 5:33 - Handling the price objection 7:02 - Why you should never guess a client's budget 7:34 - Handling the "I'm too busy" objection 8:40 - Handling the "I've tried everything and failed" objection

Close More Gym Sales in 5 Steps

Aug 17, 2026 17 min

Fill out the State of the Industry survey and get a free report card showing how your gym stacks up. Most gym owners either avoid the sales conversation altogether or waste an hour giving a tour without ever asking for the sale. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper break down the No Sweat Intro: Two-Brain’s proven consultative sales framework. They walk through it step by step using the COACH method: connect, open, amplify, confirm and help. Chris shares what makes a good (and a genuinely bad) sales environment, and the pair role-play a full No Sweat Intro from start to finish. They show exactly how to uncover a prospect’s real goals, ask the right follow-up questions, and prescribe a solution with confidence. Tune in to see the entire consultative sales process in action, from the first hello to presenting the price. Use the link below to access the full Gym Sales Toolkit, including the No Sweat Intro script (word-for-word questions and phrasing for every step of the sales consultation). Links State of the Industry Survey Gym Sales Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why gym owners avoid asking for the sale 3:28 - The framework behind every high-converting gym consultation 4:16 - Set up your consultation area so prospects feel at ease 6:56 - The worst sales office mistakes we've seen at 3,500 gyms 7:46 - How to greet a prospect in the first 30 seconds 8:50 - The question that reveals why a prospect really walked in 11:08 - Why now matters more than what they want 14:07 - Confirm what you heard before you talk price 15:02 - Prescribe the plan and reveal the price 17:42 - What happens when they say no

How to Sell Without Feeling Slimy (For Gym Owners)

Aug 13, 2026 13 min

Get the full resource kit for this series—the exact frameworks and scripts to help you sell gym memberships without feeling slimy. Ever avoided asking for the sale because it felt slimy? You're not alone, but it’s costing you clients who need your help. In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares the three mindset shifts that changed the way he sells. He explains why most gym owners struggle to ask for the sale, why great coaching alone won't grow your business, and why a "maybe" is more dangerous than a "no." Chris also shares the story of a client who nearly quit more than once and later sent him a card that changed how he sees his job. Sales, done right, is simply coaching before someone officially becomes your client. Tune in to learn how to sell gym memberships with confidence, without ever feeling pushy or manipulative. Links Gym Sales Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why gym owners avoid asking for the sale 1:21 - The client story that changed how Chris sells 2:37 - The real reason most gym owners can't close 4:51 - Free sales scripts and frameworks for gym owners 5:14 - The expensive belief that's costing you sign-ups 8:06 - Why "no" feels so personal 10:54 - Why selling is really an act of coaching 11:42 - The thank-you card that proves why this matters 13:00 - What's coming next in this sales series

Why Your Gym Isn't Converting Leads Into Members

Aug 10, 2026 17 min

Steal our Lead Nurture Toolkit—the exact scripts and follow-up cadence to turn “maybe” into a booked consultation. Gym owners constantly say they need more leads. The data says otherwise. The average gym gets 420 leads a year, but only 84 of them ever book an appointment. Fix that gap, and you can add tens of thousands of dollars in revenue without spending another dollar on ads. Today, Two-Brain CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper share proven tactics gym owners can use to transform their lead nurture process. John presents a simple four-C framework for lead nurture: Call, Consistency, Calendar and Confirm. He explains how to optimize each of these to ensure more prospects show up at your gym. Chris shares how he pushes himself to follow up more than feels comfortable, and why availability signals more to a prospect than price does. The pair also break down real gym examples showing what NOT to do. Tune in to learn how to turn the leads you already have into more paying members. Links Lead Nurture Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why more leads won’t fix your gym’s sales problem 0:56 - The real numbers behind why gyms lose booked appointments 2:37 - Why gym owners chase leads instead of conversations 3:05 - The four-part framework behind every booked appointment 4:19 - Free sales scripts for gym owners 4:37 - Why responding fast changes everything 7:09 - How many times you should actually follow up 8:41 - The calendar mistakes quietly costing you new members 13:37 - Why a text beats an automated confirmation email 17:20 - Putting the whole system together

The 5 Biggest Sales DM Mistakes Gym Owners Make

Aug 6, 2026 9 min

Turn social media leads into paying members with our free sell-by-chat scripts. What if your gym doesn’t have a lead problem? What if the real issue is what you’re saying to the leads you already have? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin presents the five common mistakes gym owners make in lead-nurture conversations and the exact fix for each one. John explains why sounding scripted and robotic kills trust, and shares a simple rule: If your message could be sent to anyone, it wasn’t really sent to that person. He shows how a short, personalized opener outperforms a long, generic wall of text every time. He also covers why gym owners derail their own conversations with too much small talk, why giving free advice instead of an invitation can cost you the sale, and why response speed matters more than most owners realize. John shares his go-to method for reviving conversations that have gone cold, plus a simple reminder: A no right now isn’t a no forever. Tune in to start turning more of your existing gym leads into booked consultations. Links Sell-by-Chat Scripts Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why your leads problem might not be a leads problem 0:52 - The chat mistake that makes you sound like a robot 3:19 - The trap that kills momentum in every lead conversation 3:57 - Free scripts and messaging frameworks for gym sales 4:22 - Why giving free advice is costing you the sale 5:54 - Why speed matters more than you think in lead nurture 7:27 - What to do when a prospect goes quiet 8:42 - The real reason gym owners think they have a leads problem

How to Turn Online Followers Into Paying Gym Members

Aug 3, 2026 25 min

Turn followers into paying members with our free sell-by-chat scripts. You don’t need a huge following to sell more gym memberships. You need better conversations. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper and CEO John Franklin break down how to turn Instagram followers, commenters, story repliers and even former members into paying clients using simple, word-for-word DM scripts—no pushy sales tactics required. John explains the “more conversations equals more conversions” philosophy and shares his personal non-negotiable: three conversations started every day, regardless of follower count. Chris shares how he does the same with fewer than 1,400 followers, proving you don’t need to be Instagram famous to sell effectively. The pair walk through the full conversation hierarchy step by step: the opener, qualifying questions that move people off “maybe,” and the exact language to use when inviting a prospect into the gym. Chris and John also break down the math behind the strategy, showing how even a low conversion rate on DMs translates into serious results once you factor in client lifetime value. This is the first episode in a four-part series on gym sales, so tune in and start filling your gym. Up next week: lead nurture. Links Sell-by-Chat Scripts Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why more followers won’t grow your gym 2:26 - Proof that small accounts can outsell big ones 6:37 - Free scripts and frameworks for gym sales 6:44 - The exact words that start a sales conversation 8:47 - Who to message first if you have a small following 13:01 - How to qualify someone before inviting them in 15:47 - Turning interest into a booked consultation 17:38 - What to do when someone says no or goes quiet 21:59 - The real math behind sell by chat 24:01 - The habit that will change your gym’s marketing

The Gym Owner's Shortcut I Wish I Had 20 Years Ago

Jul 29, 2026 10 min

Get Chris Cooper's books free on Kindle this week: https://twobrain.co/4bitrbb Chris Cooper has written 10 books, and he says it's not because he loves writing. It's because he kept watching gym owners hit the same walls over and over, at every stage of ownership. In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Chris breaks down which book he'd hand you depending on exactly where you are in your journey. "Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Chief": for gym owners who feel stuck and need to know their single next step"Start a Gym": for those opening their first location or still in year one"Gym Owner's Handbook": for owners who've realized running a business is more than just being a great coach"Help First": for anyone who wants to grow without feeling slimy or salesy"Millionaire Gym Owner": for owners finally making consistent income who don't want to blow it"The Golden Hour": for gym owners who know what to do but can't get out of reaction mode long enough to do itTune in to find out which book matches your exact stage of gym ownership right now. Links Free Books Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - The lesson I wish I had 20 years ago 1:33 - The one book every gym owner should start with 3:28 - Before you open your first gym 4:33 - When coaching isn't enough anymore 5:34 - The marketing book that changes everything 7:08 - What to do when your gym finally makes money 8:18 - The habit behind every successful gym owner 9:44 - The shortcut to building a profitable gym

Why Your Gym Feels Stuck (And What to Do Next)

Jul 27, 2026 32 min

Get Chris Cooper’s book “Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Chief” free on Kindle this week (Jul. 27-31): https://twobrain.co/4gLvR5E If you’re a gym owner who feels stuck, you probably don’t need more information. You need focus. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper joins CEO John Franklin to break down the four distinct phases of the entrepreneurial journey, based on his book “Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Chief.” Chris explains why the Founder phase is about narrowing to one clear product and getting good at conversations and invitations—not diversifying or over-investing in space and staff. He shares the story of nearly running out of money and being told by his own mentor that he wasn’t ready for marketing yet. From there, Chris and John walk through the Farmer phase (buying back your time instead of hiring your clone), the high-risk Tinker phase (where entrepreneurs often blow up what’s working by chasing shiny new ideas), and the Chief phase, where the goal shifts from personal wealth to building a legacy that multiplies impact beyond any one person. Chris also shares real stories from his own journey, including the mentor who talked him out of opening a coffee shop and the moment that reshaped how he thinks about giving back. Tune in to figure out exactly which phase of entrepreneurship you’re in right now, and what to focus on to move forward. Several of Chris’ other books are also free on Kindle this week, including “Start a Gym” and “Millionaire Gym Owner.” Grab your copies via the link below. Links "Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Chief" More Free Books Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - The four stages every gym owner goes through 0:50 - Why Chris rewrote “Founder, Farmer, Tinker, Chief” 3:36 - How to escape the Founder phase 7:34 - Why more leads won’t fix your gym 10:50 - When you’ve officially become a Farmer 12:02 - The hiring mistake almost every gym owner makes 19:45 - Why successful gym owners get distracted...

Are the CrossFit Games Dead?

Jul 22, 2026 35 min

Want to run an in-gym event that brings in new members and keeps them around? Download our step-by-step Intramural Open guide. Are the CrossFit Games dead? And should gym owners even care? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper joins CEO John Franklin to discuss the state of the Games, as it heads into its 20th year. Chris has been on both sides of this conversation. He worked for CrossFit HQ, recently interviewed the brand’s new CEO Bruce Edwards, and made the decision to reaffiliate his own gym. He walks through how the Games shifted from a small community meetup into an expensive, sponsor-driven spectacle, and why that shift disconnected it from the everyday members who make up most affiliate gyms. John puts Chris through a four-question report card on whether the Games still market the brand, measure real fitness, bring new people into CrossFit and keep members in affiliates longer. Chris’ answers point to one consistent theme: Gyms don’t need to wait on HQ to fix this. The pair dig into what’s actually working elsewhere, including HYROX, Spartan Race and Street Parking meetups. They explain how gym owners can borrow those ideas to build their own intramural events, using the same repeatable workouts each year so members can track real progress and feel proud of what they’ve accomplished. Tune in to hear Chris’s take on where the Games went wrong, and how any affiliate can create that same “peak moment” feeling for members without needing CrossFit HQ to get it right first. Links Intramural Open Guide Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Are the CrossFit Games still helping gym owners? 0:51 - What the CrossFit Games were originally built for 3:11 - When the Games stopped helping affiliates 7:21 - What gym members are actually looking for 10:20 - How the Open lost its original purpose 14:42 - Chris Cooper grades the CrossFit Games 20:25 - What Chris would change at CrossFit HQ 25:12 - Why fitness festivals o...

How This Gym's Content System Generates 140 Leads a Month

Jul 20, 2026 30 min

Use our AI-powered Instagram audit to identify the biggest gaps in your gym’s social media and generate more leads: https://gymig.com/ Isaac Morgado’s gym content system generates 140+ leads per month. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin sits down with Isaac to break down his exact Monday-morning process for batching a full week of lead-generating content. Isaac explains why he shifted away from trend-chasing reels toward value-based, saveable content, and he reveals the main content buckets he rotates through. He also shares how his personal brand is starting to outperform the gym page, and how paid ads (including a surprisingly cheap Hyrox campaign) work alongside organic content to build trust before someone ever fills out a form. Tune in to get a simple framework for turning one piece of long-form content into a week’s worth of leads-generating posts. Links Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - The content system behind 140 gym leads a month 0:59 - What a high-performing content system actually looks like 3:00 - Plan a full week of content in 90 minutes 6:29 - Create content people actually save and share 8:34 - Free AI Instagram audit for gym owners 8:50 - Why valuable content beats viral content 15:03 - Turn one podcast into weeks of content 20:21 - Which marketing channels deserve your time 24:10 - How paid ads and organic content work together 28:29 - Where struggling gym owners should start

How to Know Exactly What to Charge at Your Gym

Jul 15, 2026 7 min

Calculate exactly what you should be charging with our Revenue Per Session (RPS) Calculator, linked below. Don’t set your prices by copying the gym down the street (and maybe knocking off $10). Instead, there’s a data-backed way to do it, using real numbers from thousands of gyms and one metric that tells you if your price is pulling its weight: revenue per session (RPS). In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin explains what revenue per session (RPS) is and why $200 is a healthy target to aim for. He walks through the math for calculating your session rate and RPS and shows two different ways to hit the $200 RPS benchmark—raising your prices or increasing class attendance. Pulling data from Two-Brain’s “State of the Industry” report (metrics from over 7,000 gyms), John analyzes large group and small group/semi-private models side by side, comparing lead volume, close rates, pricing and membership usage. Listen to learn how to set data-backed prices that let you pay coaches well and run a more profitable gym. Links Rate Per Session Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Stop copying your competitor’s prices 0:41 - The metric every gym owner should track 1:24 - What 7,000 gyms taught us about pricing 3:01 - Calculate your revenue per session 4:28 - The $200 rule for profitable gyms 5:58 - How to charge the right price 6:59 - What if you can’t raise your prices?

How to Add Small Group Training to a Large Group Gym

Jul 13, 2026 45 min

Semi-private training is one of the most talked about revenue plays in the fitness industry, but there’s rarely a clear roadmap for adding it to an already packed group training schedule. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin sits down with Jamie Warren, CEO of Iron Tribe Fitness, who took his gyms from nearly 100% group training revenue to a 50/50 split with small group—without blowing up his schedule or losing his culture in the process. Jamie explains how he made the change: identifying which coaches and clients to beta test with, protecting the schedule with a “do no harm” approach, and using client demand to decide which class slots to convert. He also shares real stats, including how average revenue per member nearly doubled and why net margins ended up roughly twice as high even with a similarly-sized member base. Tune in to learn how to build a semi-private, small group training program that adds real value for clients and for your business. ➖➖➖ How much revenue does your gym generate per session? Measure your RPS against the healthy $200 benchmark and find out what to change if you’re not there yet: https://twobrain.co/4wv2VDk Links Rate Per Session Calculator Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why Iron Tribe added semi-private 4:15 - Building the beta test with existing coaches 9:40 - The webinar launch and first 100 members 16:20 - Protecting the schedule during the transition 22:05 - The revenue and margin results 28:30 - Advice for gym owners on the fence

How HYROX Affiliates Actually Make Money

Jul 9, 2026 29 min

Some gyms are struggling to break even on their HYROX affiliation. Others are generating 15X or even 89X return on their affiliation fees. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” John Franklin sits down with Lisa Palmer, a Two-Brain mentor and HYROX affiliate in London. The U.K. is one of the most mature HYROX markets in the world, roughly three years ahead of North America. Lisa walks through how she layered HYROX onto her CrossFit schedule, replacing low-attendance classes instead of adding new ones, and how the move became an unexpected retention machine, dropping her gym’s churn from 14% to under 5%. She and John dig into the full playbook: building race-prep courses around official HYROX events, running simulations that pull in thousands of dollars, using HYROX to catch members who need a lower-impact option, and turning that same funnel into CrossFit upgrades. Lisa also shares what she’d do differently if she were starting over and how gyms of any size can find an entry point. Tune in to learn how to build a HYROX program that actually pays for itself many times over. Want to generate more revenue from HYROX? Check out our HYROX toolkit, linked below! Links HYROX Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why some HYROX affiliates never make money 1:12 - Should you add HYROX to your gym? 3:20 - The unexpected benefit that changed everything 5:58 - Free HYROX resource for gym owners 6:16 - The HYROX growth strategy she'd use today 10:25 - Turning HYROX into multiple revenue streams 13:01 - How top gyms market their HYROX program 19:08 - The hidden retention advantage of HYROX 25:05 - Is HYROX right for every gym?

How to Run Your First HYROX Competition in Your Gym

Jul 6, 2026 20 min

HYROX is everywhere right now, and your gym doesn’t necessarily have to become an affiliate to cash in on the trend. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin breaks down the “mini sim,” a scaled-down HYROX-style competition any gym can run without paying affiliation fees or buying new equipment. John walks through the exact blueprint: cutting the running volume, running it as a doubles event to build in referrals and setting a financial target (Two-Brain gyms have made $2,500-$6,000 from their first event). He covers the week-by-week promotion plan, including real examples of gym posts that sold out events fast. He also details race-day logistics (staffing, heats, avoiding bottlenecks) and how to turn one-time event revenue into new recurring members. Tune in to get a complete playbook for running your first HYROX-style event and building an ongoing program members love. Use the link below to access our complete HYROX toolkit for gym owners! Links HYROX Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Why every gym should pay attention to HYROX 1:02 - The low-risk way to test the HYROX trend 2:09 - The hidden growth opportunity most gyms miss 4:06 - Planning your first HYROX-style event 5:46 - Where your first participants will come from 7:00 - Real gym marketing examples that worked 8:40 - The promotion mistake that kills event sales 9:26 - Race day secrets for a smooth event 13:35 - The email every gym owner should send 17:02 - Turn one event into long-term members

How Smart Gym Owners Beat the Summer Slump

Jul 2, 2026 12 min

Summer hits gym owners hard. Revenue drops, leads dry up and members cancel. In this episode, Chris Cooper shares five strategies gym owners can use to generate revenue during the slow summer months. Coop knows the pain firsthand. In 2009, he was juggling two locations and the summer slump almost put him out of business. He swore he’d never let that happen again. Now, after working with over 3,000 gym owners through Two-Brain Business, he knows exactly what works. The summer slump is predictable. But that means it’s beatable. Tune in to hear the plan smart gym owners follow to stay profitable all summer long. Want to earn $100,000 a year from your gym while working under 20 hours a week? Click the link below to access the free training. Links $100K Income Training Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - The summer slump that almost killed my gym 1:13 - The September revenue strategy 3:41 - A seasonal offer that brings in new clients 5:22 - The most overlooked summer revenue source 6:48 - Why members cancel in the summer 8:57 - The vacation plan most gyms never offer 11:05 - The real reason gyms don’t survive summer

From $300k in Debt to Millionaire Gym Owner

Jun 29, 2026 30 min

Braeden Cordts bought a struggling gym with $300,000 in debt, no marketing knowledge and everyone telling him it wouldn’t work. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Braeden, who was just certified as a net-worth millionaire. They talk about Braeden’s five-year journey from a 28-member gym losing money to a 230-member gym generating over $55,000 every month. Braden opens up about a rough stretch in college and how finding CrossFit—and eventually buying a gym—changed his trajectory. He breaks down the order of operations that got his gym to where it is today: - A year of consuming free content before he could afford mentorship - Putting real systems in place - Pouring into his team and promoting his first full-time coach - Building out personal training and semi-private as major revenue streams He also opens up about how mentorship gave him clarity on his finances outside the gym—turning two accidental rental properties into a real wealth-building strategy, diversifying into syndications and buying into another gym. If you’re a gym owner in the thick of it right now wondering if any of this is actually possible, Braeden’s story is proof that it is. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - They Told Him Not to Buy This Gym 1:09 - From Train Wreck to Gym Owner 5:37 - The Risk That Changed Everything 8:18 - The First Breakthrough 9:38 - The Difference a Mentor Made 11:31 - The Systems That Fueled Growth 13:21 - The Move That Changed the Business 17:39 - The Revenue Stream Most Gym Owners Miss 21:34 - How Gym Owners Build Real Wealth 24:05 - The Growth Formula Most Owners Ignore 27:26 - The Question Every Gym Owner Must Answer 29:28 - His Message to Struggling Gym Owners

How to Turn Your Gym’s DMs Into a Client-Closing Machine

Jun 25, 2026 15 min

Learn how to build all four marketing funnels with our Never-Ending Leads training for gym owners, linked below. Nearly 15% of gym owners don’t contact their leads at all. The interest is there. The hands are raised. But nobody sends the message. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains why your DMs might be the most underused sales channel your gym has, and how to use them without sounding pushy or salesy. He shares a real story of how a comment on an old photo turned into a member walking back through his doors, and one about a post that didn’t land as intended and how he fixed things with a simple conversation. Chris introduces a simple eight-step framework for turning casual DM conversations into booked consultation, and also gets into why the slowest leads sometimes become the most loyal clients and how to keep warm leads from going cold without a fancy system. Tune in to turn your next follower, like or comment into a real gym lead. Links Never-Ending Leads Training Gym Owners United Book a Call 00:00 - Why Your Gym’s Social Media Isn’t Turning Into Members 01:06 - How One Instagram Comment Brought Back a Former Client 03:28 - The Missing Link Between Social Media and New Members 05:46 - The DM Framework That Builds Trust (Without Being Salesy) 08:08 - The 8-Step Process for Turning Followers Into Clients 10:01 - How to Nurture Warm Leads Who Aren’t Ready to Buy 11:59 - The Post That Almost Cost Chris a Client

Steal These 8 Content Ideas From a Viral Gym Owner

Jun 22, 2026 43 min

This episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym." Get a comprehensive, AI-powered audit of your gym’s Instagram at GymIG.com. Joe Strada just won Two-Brain Business Gym of the Year. Here’s exactly how he built one of the best content strategies in the gym industry. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Joe Strada of Unleash’d Strength to break down his content playbook. They cover everything from his early TikTok trend-hopping days to the storytelling and conversion-focused content that’s growing his gym today. Joe walks through real examples from his own feed, including the meme-style video that got him five million views but zero followers and the carousel that finally broke his streak of flops and brought in nearly 200 new followers. He also shares his exact process for using AI to script and edit videos for his gym based on viral videos he admires. John and Joe dig into the difference between content that goes viral and content that actually converts, why getting your community involved in your videos pays off in ways views never will, and why finding the content style you genuinely enjoy making is the only sustainable way to stay consistent. Tune in, steal Joe’s best ideas and adapt them for your own gym. Links AI Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 00:00 - Why Most Gym Owners Never Post Content 00:51 - Meet the Viral Gym Owner of the Year 02:50 - How Joe Started Creating Content Before Opening His Gym 05:08 - The Trend-Hopping Strategy That Got Millions of Views 07:54 - Brand Positioning: Why "Strength Is for Everyone" Works 09:14 - Top-of-Funnel Content vs. Content That Sells 11:31 - Meme Content: Turning Members Into Creators 12:47 - Viral Content: How to Repeat a Winning Format 16:27 - Educational Content: Build Authority With Simple Tips 18:22 - Community Content: Show the Personality Behind Your Gym...

How I Get More Leads From Facebook Than Paid Ads

Jun 18, 2026 11 min

Before you spend another dollar on ads, listen to this episode. Chris Cooper is getting more leads from free Facebook posts than almost any other marketing channel. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Coop shares how he writes Facebook posts that start real conversations, bring back lapsed members and attract new clients. The core idea is simple: Start capturing what’s already happening in your gym. The breakthroughs, the mistakes, the 6 a.m. class where only three people showed up and everyone crushed it anyway. Chris also challenges you to make your clients the star of your content—just a good photo and two to four sentences that make everyone who knows them stop scrolling. These posts cost nothing and don’t require a social media manager or a fancy content strategy. You’ll also hear about the posts that kill organic reach (like unfiltered rants) and why protecting your reach matters more than making a point. Your gym’s best Facebook content is already happening in front of you every day. It’s time to start capturing it. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:50 - Why organic Facebook still works 4:04 - Capture, don’t create 5:57 - The posts that perform best 6:45 - What kills your organic reach 7:20 - Make your clients famous 9:40 - How personal posts juice the algorithm

How to Make Your Gym Stand Out Online in 2026

Jun 15, 2026 15 min

This episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym." Is your gym’s Instagram converting members? Audit it with our custom AI tool: https://GymIG.com/ If you stripped your gym’s name and logo from your website and social media, would anyone know what makes you different? For most gym owners, the honest answer is no. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin lays out the five steps gym owners need to take to become the obvious choice online in 2026 He walks through real-world examples of gyms that have nailed their online positioning, including a gym serving underrepresented women in fitness, a bodybuilding facility that hunts down and restores rare equipment, a performance center that built its reputation entirely around baseball players with shoulder injuries and a personal training gym that targets exclusively the 50-plus crowd. Each example illustrates the same core principle: a specific promise to a specific type of person beats generic messaging every time. John also explains why simplifying your service offering is just as important as clarifying who you serve, and he outlines how your Google Business Profile, website and Instagram should all tell the same consistent story to turn curious searchers into booked consultations. Tune in to learn how to make your gym impossible to ignore online. Links AI Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:38 - Be the "obvious choice" online 1:00 - Real gym example—underrepresented women 2:19 - Real gym example—world-class equipment 4:35 - Real gym example—baseball niche 6:04 - Real gym example—personal training 7:51 - Get clear on who you serve 9:55 - Simplify your service offering 11:50 - GBP, website and Instagram consistency 13:49 - Show undeniable proof

The Future of CrossFit With Bruce Edwards

Jun 11, 2026 33 min

Big news: CrossFit is not for sale. Bruce Edwards, the new CEO made that a condition of taking the job. At the 2026 Two-Brain Summit in Chicago, Chris Cooper sat down live on stage with Bruce for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of CrossFit. Bruce isn’t a newcomer to CrossFit. He was an original client of Greg Glassman in the late 1990s, one of the early guinea pigs who helped shape the methodology. He later owned CrossFit Aptos, served as COO of CrossFit and has now returned as CEO with a clear mandate: Fix the perception problem, rebuild affiliate value and bring the movement back to its roots. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris asks the big questions affiliate owners are asking, and Bruce shares his honest vision for what comes next for CrossFit. Tune in to hear a candid conversation about CrossFit’s future under Bruce’s leadership. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:20 - Why Bruce almost said no to the CEO role 6:43 - CrossFit’s North Star 8:46 - The Games vs. the affiliate story 13:22 - The future of CrossFit media 15:00 - Do GLP-1s have a place in fitness? 20:25 - Bruce's stance on partnerships 28:15 - A message to de-affiliated owners 30:07 - What affiliates should do right now

The Only 3 Types of Social Media Content Gym Owners Need

Jun 8, 2026 12 min

This episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym." Get a free audit of your gym’s Instagram with our custom GPT tool: GymIG.com If you’re a gym owner who wants to post more content but doesn’t know where to start, this episode is for you. Many gym owners have the misconception that they simply need to post more. But getting the right mix of content actually matters more than how often you post. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin breaks down the three types of content every gym owner needs to be posting on Instagram. He shares real examples from gyms who are doing this well and walks through exactly how to replicate their posts. You’ll learn how to use your gym’s Instagram page to make people like you, trust you and move closer to doing business with you. Tune in and walk away with a simple three-post-a-week plan you can start this week. Links AI Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - Why variety beats volume on social media 1:07 - Posts that get people to buy from you 2:43 - Social proof that actually works 7:30 - Building connection through Instagram 10:10 - Becoming a trusted voice 11:31 - Your exact weekly posting plan

Is HYROX Here to Stay? What Gym Owners Need to Know

Jun 4, 2026 46 min

HYROX just crossed 4,500 affiliates in North America. A year ago, that number was under 1,500. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Eric O'Neil, Head of Affiliates for HYROX (Americas), to talk about what’s driving that growth, what the best training clubs are doing differently and what’s coming next for gym owners who want to capitalize on the HYROX opportunity. Eric explains how the affiliate program works, including the pre-sale ticket process and how HYROX markets affiliate events through their regional newsletters. He also shares what separates the training clubs bringing 50-plus members to race day from the ones that never quite find their footing. The conversation covers the full picture for gym owners who want to run a profitable HYROX program: - Running sims and camps - Adding personal training as an upsell - Building a 365-day HYROX calendar around local race weekends - Tapping into the massive pool of non-members who show up to these events Eric also addresses the elephant in the room: Is HYROX here to stay, and how should gym owners think about the investment? If you’re HYROX-curious or already affiliated and want to get more out of it, this episode is worth your time. Get the full toolkit for generating ROI from HYROX affiliation via the link below. Links HYROX Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - HYROX affiliation growth 6:00 - HYROX trends in Europe and the Americas 12:37 - How the pre-sale ticket process works 14:32 - Sims, camps and monetizing events 21:56 - Youth HYROX 35:50 - Building a 365-day HYROX calendar 44:34 - Is HYROX here to stay?

This ONE Gym Instagram Mistake Is Costing You Leads (& How To Fix It)

Jun 1, 2026 18 min

This episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym." Is your gym’s Instagram actually getting you members? Or just likes? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin reveals the five Instagram mistakes gym owners make that silently kill their lead flow. Then he shows you exactly how to fix them. And fixing just ONE can completely transform your business. John walks through each mistake with real examples from gyms that are getting it wrong and gyms that are getting it right—including a breakdown of one of the best gym Instagram pages in the business and why it works so well. One gym got 50 million views on a single post, but zero clients from it. Don't make the same mistake. If your Instagram isn’t converting leads, watch this episode and then get an instant audit of your page at GymIG.com. Links AI Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:43 - Mistake 1: No pin post sequence 4:04 - Mistake 2: No conversion content 8:35 - Mistake 3: Only posting, never talking 13:08 - Mistake 4: No personality 16:06 - Mistake 5: Chasing vanity metrics

How to Run Gym Ads That Actually Work in 2026

May 28, 2026 38 min

Struggling with paid ads for your gym? Here's what's actually working in 2026. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Colm O'Reilly, Two-Brain's paid ads specialist, for a tactical breakdown of everything gym owners need to know about Facebook and Instagram ads right now. In this episode, Colm covers the real numbers behind paid gym ads: what you should expect to pay per lead, what a client actually costs to acquire and how to know if your ads are profitable. John and Colm explain why ads amplify your other marketing funnels and how Meta's Andromeda update changed the ads game. Colm introduces a simple “BUT” formula for writing ad copy that speaks directly to your ideal client's goals and objections and breaks down campaign structure for both beginners and advanced gym owners. The pair also discuss what to say on that first phone call, how to handle the pricing question and how to keep cold leads warm for months after they first clicked. Watch this episode and walk away with a clear starting point for running profitable gym ads in 2026. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 2:51 - Ad math and budgeting basics 7:39 - What to expect from your ad spend 10:34 - The Andromeda update and creative strategy 13:03 - The “BUT” framework for ad copy 15:57 - Campaign structure for gym owners 22:15 - Lead ads vs. landing pages 24:13 - Lead nurture and what to say on the phone 32:24 - Troubleshooting ads that aren't working 34:01 - Should you hire an ad agency?

The Simple Paid Ads System That Gets Gym Owners More Leads

May 25, 2026 24 min

Paid ads have changed. Here’s what gym owners need to know to make them work in 2026. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper close out Marketing May with the paid ads funnel. You build this funnel last because it’s the one that amplifies everything else. John explains why the old ads playbook is dead—Meta’s Andromeda update changed how ads are targeted and delivered—and what that means for gym owners. Chris and John share why gym owners need to know how to run their own ads and understand their ad math, rather than just outsource to an ad agency. They walk through exactly how to create an effective ad campaign and even deliver two clear action steps to help you get started: one for gym owners who have never run an ad, and one for gym owners who are already running them and want better results. This is episode 4 of 4 in the Marketing May series. If you missed the previous funnels, check them out via the links below. Links The Referral Funnel The Social Funnel The Content Funnel Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Media buying is dead 5:56 - The 5-1-30 post 10:10 - How to generate content ideas 15:40 - Campaign structure & tracking 18:28 - Your action steps

A Week of Gym Content in 30 Minutes With AI

May 21, 2026 31 min

No time to make content for your gym? Not anymore. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper walks you through the exact system he uses to turn one idea into a full week of content in 30 minutes with AI. Chris demos the entire workflow live, starting with a brain dump audio recording answering a question that came up naturally in his gym. Then he uploads the audio and transcript into Claude with a prompt that generates a week’s worth of content: - A podcast script - A blog post - An email newsletter blurb - Five Instagram carousel slides - A YouTube description and thumbnail For gym owners who want to go further, Chris also shows the AI stack he uses to create fully polished and edited video content for YouTube and short-form reels. After this episode, you’ll have the system and tools you need to create consistent content every week. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 4:17 - Brain dump & QuickCast 5:34 - Claude workflow 10:25 - Podcast distribution 18:27 - Descript AI video editor 26:12 - Reels with OpusClip

See all 200 episodes

–

0 ratings from members

Rate this podcast

No reviews yet — be the first member to rate "Run a Profitable Gym".

This podcast, its content and its artwork are not owned by, affiliated with, or endorsed by Castquire.

How to Double Your HYROX Revenue in 2027

Share this podcast

Live Chart rankings

Chart history

🇳🇴 Entrepreneurship Best #31

Holding at #31 — the line fills in as this chart moves.

🇸🇪 Entrepreneurship Best #71

Holding at #71 — the line fills in as this chart moves.

Podcast details

Created by: John Franklin
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 12, 2026
Episodes: 1,203
Release period: Several times a week
Avg. episode length: 27 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

Links

Official website ↗ Apple Podcasts ↗ RSS feed ↗

Is this your podcast?

Claim it to show it on your profile. Using the email from your RSS feed approves it instantly.

Keep listening

Discover more podcasts like this.

Browse podcasts See the charts