Run a Profitable Gym

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.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - How this gym went from losing money to $25K a month0:52 - Opening his first CrossFit gym in 20133:08 - Why Jared joined Two-Brain the first time5:56 - Selling everything and leaving his gym during COVID12:16 - Opening a new gym in small-town Alabama15:34 - How a growing gym started losing money18:06 - Rejoining Two-Brain and still struggling24:56 - Going to Summit ready to pull the plug27:01 - The one question that turned his gym around34:40 - How he grew revenue the month after Summit39:33 - His plan for a $32K month and a future wellness center

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.LinksFree Tools for Gym OwnersGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Why you're only scratching the surface with AI0:59 - How to make a week of content with AI3:54 - Using the Claude browser extension5:45 - Using MCP servers with your gym software8:19 - Testing Meta Advantage+ ads on a small budget13:22 - Turning sales call transcripts into usable data16:31 - Setting up Profit First with AI19:18 - Why you should check AI's workDISCLOSURE 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.

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Why staffing feels so risky0:35 - Why burnout comes back to hiring1:36 - What your own work is really worth2:58 - Is your gym actually profitable?3:28 - What to do if you’re not profitable yet4:13 - How to calculate your salary cap6:12 - How to raise your salary cap7:54 - How to know if a hire is working8:59 - How to hire with confidence

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro1:06 - Where Matt's gym was when he joined Two-Brain1:58 - The note that changed how Matt ran his gym6:37 - Going from side hobby to professional gym9:03 - Breaking through the first revenue plateau15:44 - The second plateau and the coach who bought a house20:04 - What coach intrapreneurialism looks like23:26 - The math behind paying a coach six figures28:55 - Why Matt is building his own commercial building39:34 - Where to start if you want this for your gym

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Why your instinct to fire a staff member is usually wrong1:03 - What unclear processes really cost a gym1:44 - The cleaning mistake that wasn't the cleaner's fault2:19 - Four questions to ask before you blame your staff3:49 - How to know when it really is a people problem5:29 - What to do once you’ve made the diagnosis7:38 - The day in the life exercise for writing checklists9:28 - Why stacking roles can cost you a great coach

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - How Corey keeps staff for over eight years on average6:28 - Why the first 90 days decide if a new coach stays11:35 - The meeting cadence that keeps coaches around for years14:25 - Using career roadmaps to talk pay with your coaches19:46 - How to get part-time coaches to staff meetings23:47 - The staff mistakes Corey made early on28:14 - Low-cost ways to make your staff feel appreciated31:54 - What to do when a coach isn't meeting the standard35:22 - How to handle a coach leaving your gym38:51 - Getting coach buy-in when you change your business model

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Why hiring a general manager can make your gym worse0:57 - What went wrong with Chris’ first GM hire1:45 - Why hiring a GM too early backfires3:01 - Two questions to answer before you write the job ad3:53 - How to pay a general manager without guessing4:56 - Commission, profit share and bonuses for your GM5:46 - How to train a GM to run your gym without you6:39 - The GM training plan, step by step8:23 - What a GM can’t fix in your gym8:58 - The question to ask before you hire a GM

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Why a bad hire makes gym owners afraid to hire again0:53 - How a three-location gym structures its coaching team4:17 - What to look for when hiring a coach6:57 - How new coaches are onboarded on the floor9:32 - Where to find great coaches for your gym13:03 - How to post the job and structure coach pay20:21 - What to do when a hire doesn’t work out23:12 - How to keep great coaches for years28:58 - Who to hire first and how to hand off clients36:42 - How to keep coaching quality consistent across locations

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - How he first priced and packaged his gym2:37 - His offer today and the fear of charging more5:41 - His average prospect and what changed after raising prices10:04 - Building conviction and checking your pricing13:10 - Objection-handling role-play16:34 - Framing the solution and presenting the price19:18 - Handling “I need to think about it” and price objections25:00 - Standing firm when prospects want something cheaper31:50 - Handling “I need to talk to my spouse”34:25 - Advice for owners who struggle to charge what they're worth

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.LinksFull-Time Coach CalculatorGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Why hiring is really about your paycheck0:59 - The cleaner story that taught buying back your time2:30 - The one number every hire gets measured against3:50 - Hire for the cheapest task you’re still doing yourself5:22 - Where most hires quietly fail5:43 - The 2.5x rule before you post the job ad