How to Find Your Next 10 Clients Without Paying a Dime

When gym owners need more clients, most jump straight to ads, social media or complicated marketing campaigns. Another path will produce much better results faster.In this episode, Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares the zero-cost strategy he used to fill a new program at his gym in less than a week: affinity marketing. Instead of chasing cold leads, use affinity marketing to leverage your best clients' connections: their family, friends and coworkers.Chris explains how to organize your outreach with an Affinity Marketing Cheat Sheet, run goal reviews that naturally lead to referrals and follow up so conversations actually turn into clients.Chris' personal results: One text produced 16 clients.Don’t wait and hope members will refer their friends. Tune in and learn how to build a referral funnel that constantly produces hot leads and high-value clients.Download the Affinity Marketing Cheat Sheet and other free lead-generation resources via the link below.LinksAffinity Marketing Cheat SheetGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:01 - Intro3:48 - The marketing bull’s-eye6:37 - Affinity Marketing Cheat Sheet8:49 - Goal review process14:07 - Follow-up script

Many gym owners hire the wrong mentor for the wrong reasons. They pick the cheapest option or someone who “really cares.” But "cheap" doesn't mean "effective" and caring isn’t enough.You need results when you invest in mentorship.Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper walks you through the Mentor Match exercise, a step-by-step process for identifying exactly the right mentor for you.The exercise reveals which coaching styles have actually worked for you in the past: Some people respond to drill sergeants, while others need questioners or explainers. The key is finding the style that matches your personality.Chris also covers the three non-negotiables when choosing a mentor: They’ve done what you want to do, they’re objective (not just supportive), and the investment is uncomfortable enough to ensure you do the work.Every coach needs a coach. Use the Mentor Match exercise to find the right fit.Download the free Mentor Match worksheet in Gym Owners United, linked below.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:45 - Mentor Match exercise13:01 - Find the expert16:17 - Non-negotiables19:48 - Do your due diligence20:51 - A reality check

You have access to endless knowledge and resources, but you can’t seem to put it all together and fix your gym. Why?In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper walks you through the mind of a mentor—showing you exactly how they diagnose problems, prioritize solutions and guide gym owners step by step.He reveals the three reasons gym owners need more money:- Expenses are too high.- Number of clients is too low.- Average revenue per member (ARM) is too low.Many gym owners say, “I need more leads,” but that’s rarely the real issue. Chris maps out the actual problem-solving process so you can identify your biggest priority. He explains how to get more clients, increase retention and earn more per member.You don’t need more knowledge to grow your gym; you need clarity and a step-by-step plan. LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call3:24 - Earn more per member8:44 - More clients, longer retention16:51 - Understand your lead funnel24:43 - The four marketing funnels33:18 - Make time to grow your gym

Don’t let potential members slip away! Get the free “1-Hour Marketing Audit for Gym Owners” here.  Joe Rouse ran Two-Brain's  “1-Hour Marketing Audit” on his gym and uncovered gaps in his funnels—even after 12 years in business.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike Warkentin sits down with Joe, owner of Breakaway Fitness & Performance, to find out what he discovered using Chris Cooper’s free marketing audit guide.Joe thought his funnels were dialed in. The audit proved him mostly right: His lead follow-up, Google Business profile and website all earned top scores. But the audit also revealed a few critical gaps: His social media posting schedule wasn’t being followed consistently, and his sales process needed better documentation for staff handoff.In under an hour, Joe walked away with a clear action plan to improve his lead generation and sales—so no more potential members slip through the cracks. Even experienced gym owners find problems when they audit their marketing. Joe plans to use this guide quarterly to keep his funnels and his sales process running smoothly.  Get the free 26-page guide via the link below and fix your gym’s marketing funnel today! Links1-Hour Marketing Audit for Gym OwnersGym Owners UnitedBook a Call2:12 - No. 1 audit discovery5:08 - What he’s doing right8:33 - Getting recommended by AI12:48 - Post-audit action plan15:40 - Sales process improvements

Your gym is leaking leads. But you can fix it in 60 minutes with this marketing audit.Get a free copy of the 26-page audit workbook here.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper walks you through a complete one-hour audit of your gym’s marketing funnel—from lead generation to closing sales.He demonstrates the audit live with his own gym, Catalyst, revealing every problem he finds along the way.The audit covers four critical parts of the marketing funnel:Lead generation: Can prospects find you?Lead capture: Can they reach you?Lead nurture: Do you follow up?Appointments and closing: Is there a path forward?Most gym owners think they need more leads. In reality, they’re often getting enough leads but losing them because follow-up is poor, calls to action are unclear or sales processes are weak. Fix the leaks before pouring more water into the funnel.Tune in to find out what to look for and how to prioritize fixes. Just one hour of focused work can help you recover thousands of dollars of lost gym revenue. Get your free copy of the “The 1-Hour Marketing Audit for Gym Owners” via the link below.Links1-Hour Marketing Audit for Gym OwnersGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:01 - Intro2:26 - Part 1: Lead Generation15:56 - Part 2: Lead Capture28:05 - Part 3: Lead Nurture38:21 - Part 4: Appointment and Close49:40 - Results

The median gym owner brings home $61,000 per year, but the owners on Two-Brain’s latest leaderboard earn between $189,000 and $357,000 annually. What’s the difference?In this episode, Mike Warkentin sits down with top earner Ryan McStockard to find out exactly how he secured his spot on the leaderboard.In 2020, Ryan took zero income in some months just to keep the gym alive. Then, in 2021, he invested in Two-Brain mentorship and rebuilt everything.Now he consistently earns over $16,000 per month from his gym.His biggest wins came from adding high-value services, such as personal training, and focusing on improving the client journey: Personal training makes up 34% of his revenue, and his clients stick around for a whopping 42 months on average. As a Two-Brain mentor, Ryan now helps other gym owners replicate his success.He’s also in the Tinker Mastermind, where he’s focused on maximizing his income and his lifestyle. His primary goal today is simply “to not miss family dinners.”Interested in becoming a Tinker? Email Joleen Bingham (leader of Tinker North America) or Lisa Palmer (leader of Tinker Europe) to learn more: [email protected] or [email protected] Owners UnitedBook a Call1:07 - Gym overview & low point5:02 - Revenue breakdown7:24 - Finding Two-Brain20:52 - Additions to Ryan’s NOB31:13 - Retention secret

The top gym owner on Two-Brain’s leaderboard takes home $29,767 per month. That’s $357,204 per year from a single gym location.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper reveals the Top 10 net owner benefit (NOB) leaderboard—showing exactly what elite gym owners actually take home each month.What sets these owners apart? Chris shares their top tactics, such as nurturing leads, selling high-value coaching services and focusing relentlessly on doing the basics better.Other common tips include using Two-Brain's Prescriptive Model and knowing your data.One owner said: “Increasing my NOB has been a goal for the last three years. Every month I've been finding small ways to do that—adding semi-private training, training staff to take on lower value tasks and talking to other similar owners in Two-Brain.”Tune in to hear exactly how these gym owners earn consistent, sustainable incomes so they  can make an impact, make a profit and make it home for dinner.Ready to start your path to the leaderboard? Use the link below to book a call!LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:29 - Why NOB matters3:21 - The leaderboard revealed5:33 - Annual projections6:13 - What they actually do8:21 - The boring secret

When your gym is stable and the fires are out, what's next?Two-Brain’s Tinker Mastermind provides an elite level of mentorship for gym owners who are ready to build wealth, scale their businesses, learn to lead and create lasting legacies.This is the fun part of entrepreneurship—the part where you have choices: build investment portfolios, acquire real estate, franchise your concept, create new businesses or simply pick your kids up from school every day. The possibilities are endless.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike Warkentin sits down with Tinker leaders Joleen Bingham and Lisa Palmer to find out exactly what the program is and who it’s for.Tinker-level gym owners have reliable cash flow, available time and a growth mindset. They focus on four main pillars to build their Perfect Day: lifestyle, wealth, scaling and leadership.Tinkers join weekly breakout calls with elite entrepreneurs from around the world and attend quarterly in-person meetups in places such as Florida, Arizona, Portugal and Ireland.The results speak for themselves: Two-Brain has certified over 70 millionaire gym owners through Tinker, with 17 certified in the last year alone.One Canadian Tinker took home $300,000 in net owner benefit, became a certified millionaire, invested in three syndications and opened a second gym that's hitting $30,000-$35,000 months. A U.K. Tinker spent three months in South Africa with his family while his gym ran without him.Are you Tinker ready? Email Joleen (North America) or Lisa (Europe) to find out: [email protected] or [email protected] Owners UnitedBook a Call0:44 - Who is Tinker for?5:10 - Problems Tinker solves11:59 - Tinker program structure21:40 - Tinker Toolkit preview23:47 - 70+ millionaire gym owners

Stop trying to clone yourself when you hire coaches.Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains why hiring for personality and training for skill is the smartest path to building a team that lasts.Most gym owners hire based on certifications and technical knowledge. Then they micromanage every rep, correct every cue and watch their coaches burn out within two years. But clients don’t care about perfect squat mechanics; they care about how they feel when they walk through the door.Coop explains where to find coaches with great personalities and also provides a 10-question personality assessment you can use on potential hires.Before you start looking for coaches, take the assessment yourself. If your score reveals you’re burned out, use the strategies from this episode to deal with that first.The key takeaway: Hire people who light up when they’re around others. Then teach them the technical stuff.DM Coop through Gym Owners United to get his free Energy and Attitude Assessment—link below.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:01 - Intro2:52 - Where to find potential coaches8:06 - The personality assessment12:02 - Dealing with burnout17:08 - The problem with bad personalities

Feb. 13, 2026, is Two-Brain’s 10th anniversary—a full decade of solving every problem in the gym business.In this special episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper tells the complete story of how Two-Brain Business became the biggest mentorship practice in the fitness industry.The journey started long before 2016. In 2005, Chris opened his first gym, and by 2008, he was broke, running two struggling locations and looking for part-time jobs in the newspaper. He couldn’t find a single example of someone making a real living as a gym owner.Then he found a mentor outside the fitness industry and started translating business lessons into gym-specific tactics. He published his first blog post on June 9, 2009, as a “love letter to future Chris”—sharing exactly what worked and what didn’t.By 2012, gym owners were flying him to Fort Lauderdale to speak. He self-published his first book, “Two-Brain Business,” which went on to sell 26,000 copies, becoming the bestselling fitness business book of all time.On Feb. 13, 2016, Chris officially launched Two-Brain Business with 52 gym owners who believed in the vision: make a difference, make a profit and make it home for dinner.Today, Two-Brain works with thousands of gyms worldwide, publishes the industry’s largest data set every year and runs the biggest gym business summit in the world.Tune in to hear the full origin story—and find out what’s ahead.Join Coop at the 10th annual Two-Brain Summit, June 6-7, 2026, in Chicago; get your tickets with the link below.LinksTwo-Brain Summit TicketsGym Owners UnitedBook a Call1:05 - 2005-2015: Prehistory1:12 - Opening a gym6:28 - Hiring a mentor18:09 - Publishing book No. 120:24 - Becoming a mentor28:32 - 2016-2018: Early days29:23 - The first Two-Brain Summit35:57 - Building the “State of the Industry” report39:43 - 2019-2021: Growth & lockdowns43:39 - Certifying professional mentors44:41 - 2022-2025: Additions and refinements49:18 - 2026: 10th anniversary49:33 - Leaving the CEO role53:11 - The 10th annual Two-Brain Summit