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Run a Profitable Gym

Chris Cooper

Run a Profitable Gym is packed with business tools for gym owners and CrossFit affiliates. This is actionable, data-backed business advice for all gym owners, including those who own personal training studios, fitness franchises, and strength and conditioning gyms. Broke gym owner Chris Cooper turned a struggling gym into an asset, then built a multi-million-dollar mentoring company to help other fitness entrepreneurs do the same thing. Every week, Chris presents the top tactics for building a profitable gym, as well as real success stories from gym owners who have found incredible success through Two-Brain Business mentorship. Chris’s goal is to create millionaire gym owners. Subscribe to Run a Profitable Gym and you could be one of them.

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  • 23 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 21 min
  • English

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  • S4 · E67
    Thursday · 14 min

    How to Land a Gym Client in 15 Minutes

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E66
    Monday · 10 min

    How to Handle Every Sales Objection in Your Gym

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E65
    August 17 · 17 min

    Close More Gym Sales in 5 Steps

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E64
    August 13 · 13 min

    How to Sell Without Feeling Slimy (For Gym Owners)

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E63
    August 10 · 17 min

    Why Your Gym Isn't Converting Leads Into Members

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E62
    August 6 · 9 min

    The 5 Biggest Sales DM Mistakes Gym Owners Make

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E61
    August 3 · 25 min

    How to Turn Online Followers Into Paying Gym Members

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E60
    July 29 · 10 min

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

    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 it Tune 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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E59
    July 27 · 32 min

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

    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 24:39 - How Tinker gym owners build lasting wealth 28:00 - What the Chief phase really looks like 31:13 - How to create a legacy beyond your gym

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E58
    July 22 · 35 min

    Are the CrossFit Games Dead?

    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 outperform competitions 29:09 - How to reinvent the CrossFit Open for your gym 34:23 - Why Chris re-affiliated with CrossFit

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E57
    July 20 · 30 min

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

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E56
    July 15 · 7 min

    How to Know Exactly What to Charge at Your Gym

    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?

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E55
    July 13 · 45 min

    How to Add Small Group Training to a Large Group Gym

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E54
    July 9 · 29 min

    How HYROX Affiliates Actually Make Money

    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?

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E53
    July 6 · 20 min

    How to Run Your First HYROX Competition in Your Gym

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E52
    July 2 · 12 min

    How Smart Gym Owners Beat the Summer Slump

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E51
    June 29 · 30 min

    From $300k in Debt to Millionaire Gym Owner

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E50
    June 25 · 15 min

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

    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

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E49
    June 22 · 43 min

    Steal These 8 Content Ideas From a Viral Gym Owner

    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 21:18 - Content Planning: Never Run Out of Ideas Again 24:23 - AI Content: Adapting Trends for Your Audience 28:49 - Interview Content: Let Your Members Tell the Story 31:20 - Conversion Content: The Carousel That Added 200 Followers 36:44 - Storytelling Content: Create a Pin Post That Converts 42:26 - How to Start Creating Content Consistently

    • Transcript
  • S4 · E46
    June 18 · 11 min

    How I Get More Leads From Facebook Than Paid Ads

    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

    • Transcript
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