How This Female Gym Owner Built Made More Money with Less Members

🌎 Jen Cho, co-owner of Tidal CrossFit in Toronto, walks Mateo and Kilo CEO Kaleda Connell through her 6,000-square-foot space (an old converted theater) and breaks down how she rebuilt the gym around fewer members and more value, plus how she structured the buyout that made her a co-owner.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Tidal CrossFit (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/tidalfitnessdanforth/Tidal CrossFit (Website): https://tidalfitness.ca/🔥Show Notes- 0:01 — Intro & gym tour begins with Jen Cho, co-owner of Tidal CrossFit- 1:00 — What is a "focus program"? A second income stream for coaches- 3:01 — Inside the space: 6,000 sq ft in a converted theater- 5:29 — The pandemic pivot: shrinking from 300 members to a higher-value model- 7:08 — Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw)- 8:12 — How focus programs get built (and why they have to be coach-led, not forced)- 10:12 — The math behind pricing a focus program so coaches make real money- 12:06 — Jen's marketing strategy: referrals, friends & family weeks, and why it works- 17:44 — How Jen went from GM to minority shareholder to full co-owner- 19:34 — The real lesson: understand your finances before you buy in- 22:04 — What Jen believes her real job is: keeping her coaches happy and paid- 23:19 — Outro — where to find Tidal CrossFit

🌎 Will Harrison, co-owner of CrossFit Bath and founder of The Fitness Flywheel, joins Mateo to break down his journey from member to co-owner, and how he helped the gym build a sales process that took it from 8-10 new members a month to nearly 50.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Will Harrison (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/willjar58/CrossFit Bath (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/crossfitbathbox/CrossFit Bath (Website): https://crossfitbath.com/The Fitness Flywheel (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/thefitnessflywheel/The Fitness Flywheel (Website): https://www.thefitnessflywheel.com/📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide🔥Show Notes0:00 — Intro & meet Will Harrison, co-owner of CrossFit Bath2:04 — From member to co-owner: how most people get into this business (and how Will didn't)6:55 — Starting as CrossFit Bath's first-ever commercial hire, mid-COVID, with 142 members7:09 — Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw)8:34 — The result of just having someone focused on sales: 8-10 new members/month to 48-4911:37 — Will's core sales philosophy: "sales is the transfer of enthusiasm"14:34 — "No one cares about your gym" — why features don't sell, outcomes do15:02 — The "writing reflex": why jumping to solutions too fast kills the sale16:16 — The real reason gym owners lose the sale after presenting the price22:56 — How The Fitness Flywheel started as a side hustle helping other box owners24:56 — Real client results: 34 members to 36% growth in a month, and 2 gyms to 326:42 — How Will and his partners structured the buy-in and valued the business30:36 — Will's advice for anyone stuck growing their gym32:37 — Outro — where to find Will, CrossFit Bath, and The Fitness Flywheel

🌎 Mark Fisher, former owner of Mark Fisher Fitness, now a gym business coach and partner at Business for Unicorns, joins Mateo to break down how to think about pricing and—even more importantly—how and when to raise your rates.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Mark Fisher (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/markfisherhumanbeing/Mark Fisher (Website): https://www.businessforunicorns.com🔥Show Notes0:00 — Cold open: rent, payroll, and insurance are up — are your prices?2:26 — Today's topic: how to think about pricing (and when to raise it)3:18 — Mark's framework: start with your coach-to-client ratio5:48 — Crude benchmarks: ~$350/mo for 6-on-1, ~$185/mo for large group8:26 — The "no man's land" of averaging 8–10 people per class11:34 — What to do with underperforming class times: cut, don't hope22:34 — Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw)24:52 — The "sold out" exercise — finding your true capacity and topline27:56 — Why 80% (not 100%) should be your planning assumption32:17 — Price increase vs. price correction: how Mark tells the difference34:01 — The crude rule: $60 or more means it's a correction, not an increase39:19 — What to expect in reality: 1-2% cancel, 3-5% complain to your face40:00 — The two comms mistakes: over-apologizing and overselling the upside41:16 — Mark's short, no-frills price-increase email template43:16 — The "Red Wedding" — the time MFF let every member out of their contract45:47 — Training your clients to expect an annual price increase48:52 — Outro — where to find Mark and Business For Unicorns49:33 — Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw)

Mateo Lopez and Kaleda Connell tour Dan Visentin's 416 Fitness Club in Toronto, covering how he survived 450 days closed during COVID, the "red shirt" trick he uses to sell personal training, and the mistakes he says he'd never make again.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Kilo (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/kilogyms/Kilo (Website): https://www.usekilo.com/gw/416 Fitness Club (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/416fitnessclub/416 Fitness Club (Website): https://www.416fitnessclub.com📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide🔥 Show Notes:0:00 — On the road in Toronto with Dan Visentin of 416 Fitness Club0:56 — Front desk, lounge, and equipment layout walkthrough4:52 — Capping classes at 18: a COVID-era decision that stuck8:56 — The red shirt trick: selling personal training without a pitch11:48 — Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw/)12:18 — What 416 means to Dan, and its evolution from CrossFit-only to HYROX14:18 — The real turning point: 450 days closed during COVID16:17 — The rack-per-person layout that outlasted the pandemic19:53 — Giving staff freedom without losing consistency22:36 — Three mistakes Dan won't make again27:54 — Retention in a transient city30:38 — Becoming a dad and how it reshaped the business31:51 — Going HYROX: building a class that teaches the skills36:58 — Dan's unscripted Kilo shoutout37:14 — Wrap-up and sign-off

Kilo co-founder Mateo Lopez is joined by Chris McMahon “Kilo Chris” for a Q&A episode of Gym World, taking questions straight from the Kilo Crew Facebook group, covering why acting technique quietly shows up in coaching, sales, and short-form video content, the moment "growth" can turn into "distraction" once you start chasing a second or third location, and the gut-check test for expansion offers that look great on paper but feel wrong in your stomach.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Kilo (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/kilogyms/Kilo (Website): https://www.usekilo.com/gw/Chris McMahon (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/coach.chrismcmahon/Chris McMahon (Website): https://www.chris-mcmahon.com📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide🔥 Show Notes:0:00 — Kicking off with the Kilo Crew Facebook group Q&A1:56 — First question: favorite ice cream flavors4:56 — The one skill with the best ROI that gym owners keep avoiding5:09 — Why improv class builds better coaches6:36 — Short-form video, authenticity, and building a brand voice9:58 — Discovering your authentic self by "playing pretend"11:45 — Real example: a niche gym that found its voice and grew from it13:14 — Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw/)13:51 — Next question: when does adding more members, services, or locations start hurting your business15:04 — The "ducks in a row" problem: replicating growth before systems are ready17:24 — Case study: a cross-country expansion deal that looked good on paper20:49 — Gut-check moment: ignoring your instincts under pressure to grow22:28 — Knowing which unsustainable moves are okay short-term24:36 — Accepting that growth always has an unsustainable phase25:54 — Wrap-up and where to find more Gym World

Kilo co-founder Mateo Lopez and CEO Kaleda Connell are joined by All Day Fit's Cassie Day, as they take listeners on a construction tour of Cassie's brand-new standalone gym space in Toronto — covering the lease negotiation that almost didn't happen, the front-desk debate every gym owner has, why she's building a member lounge instead of maximizing square footage, and how the All Day Fit brand is evolving as she moves out of a shared space for the first time in a decade.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Cassie Day (Website): https://alldayfit.com/about/cassie-day/Cassie Day (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/cassiedayyy/All Day Fit (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/alldayfit.co/📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide🔥 Show Notes0:00 — Welcome to the All Day Fit construction tour1:39 — Negotiating the shared back space with the landlord3:00 — The great front-desk debate: staffed vs. unstaffed6:14 — Why the community lounge is worth the square footage10:53 — Walking the main training floor and equipment setup14:00 — What Cassie would do differently: lawyers, realtors, and lease red flags15:56 — Why she left a shared space after a decade17:39 — Space-hunting for two years and keeping rent at 20% of revenue18:56 — Building sustainable coach careers with the "Strong Academy" model20:04 — New hires and org structure24:52 — Paternity leave in Canada and folding a partner into the business26:32 — Rebranding from anti-diet-culture messaging toward "capability"29:11 — The content strategy experiment: cutting all content for two years30:29 — A Romania trip sparks the idea for parent-and-child classes33:13 — Final thoughts and where to find Cassie and Kilo

🌎 Centr CEO Andrew Sugerman joins Mateo Lopez to talk about his jump from running Marvel comics and Disney's social channels to building the equipment behind Hyrox, why 92% of Hyrox finishers are already gym members, and what it actually takes to build a brand gym owners can be proud of.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here (https://usekilo.com/gym-world/) so you don't miss out.For gym owners and operators interested in Centr x HYROX commercial opportunitiesTry the Centr App (includes the only HYROX-certified digital training programs)📱 Socials:Centr (Website): https://shop.centr.com/Centr (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/centrfit/🎙️ Listen On:Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/gym-world-worldwide/id1659702465Spotify - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/gymworld📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide🔥Show Notes0:37 — Mateo introduces Andrew Sugerman, CEO of Center1:39 — Andrew's 12 years at Disney, running Marvel comics and digital/social2:43 — Why he left Disney for health and fitness7:11— Run a successful gym with Kilo (visit https://usekilo.com/gw)9:16 — The identity and community hook that keeps Hyrox athletes coming back13:37 — Center's equipment now inside 4,000+ gyms15:04 — How the Hyrox partnership started at a 2023 race in Anaheim18:43 — How gym owners can bring Hyrox in, even non-competitors24:00 — The growth numbers: 2.5M athletes and US cities doubling in 202626:26 — What actually makes a brand partnership work29:37 — Brand advice for gym owners without a Disney budget33:19 — Where AI fits into coaching, and where it doesn't

🌎 Kilo co-founder Mateo Lopez and Kilo Chris, take listeners behind the scenes of Kilo while at the Two-Brain Business Summit, the customer-care culture that keeps gym owners coming back, and the people on the team who make it happen.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Kilo (Website): https://usekilo.com/gw/Kilo (Instagram): https://usekilo.com/kilogyms/Book a Demo: https://usekilo.com/book-call📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide\🔥Show Notes0:00 — Kilo's female-led company culture and team vibe0:38 — Mateo Lopez introduces Kilo and the Summit1:14 — First-time Summit impressions and gym-world perspectives2:10 — Why Kilo's booth is so packed3:37 — Customer care as Kilo's biggest differentiator5:04 — Shout-outs to standout team members6:03 — Chris on joining the Kilo team7:29 — Elsie's impact on marketing and onboarding8:55 — Team goal for the Summit9:51 — Background in coaching, CrossFit, and gym ownership12:02 — Listening to users and building better features13:16 — Final messages to the team and the Kilo crew

🌎 Mark Fisher, former owner of Mark Fisher Fitness, now a gym business coach and partner at Business for Unicorns, joins Mateo to break down what separates today's top-performing gym owners from everyone else; covering vision setting, knowing your numbers, and building systems that scale.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Mark Fisher (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/markfisherhumanbeing/Mark Fisher (Website): https://www.businessforunicorns.com📺 Watch On:https://www.youtube.com/@GymWorldWorldwide🔥Show Notes0:00 — Intro & meet Mark Fisher, former owner of Mark Fisher Fitness3:08 — What's changed (and what hasn't) since coaching gym owners instead of being one8:06 — Inside a room of 50 gym owners who collectively own 135 gyms9:29 — Luck, timing, and why you shouldn't copy every successful gym owner11:54 — Trait #1: successful gym owners have a clear vision14:33 — The identity shift from "trainer" to "owner"18:41 — Mark's "set it and forget it" approach to goal setting22:40 — Run a successful gym with Kilo23:18 — Trait #2: successful gym owners know and track their numbers24:38 — The weekly and monthly numbers every gym owner should track28:40 — Trait #3: successful gym owners are dialed in on systems29:01 — The end of the "boiler room sales" era in gym marketing31:46 — Leadership as the most important system of all33:26 — Where to find Mark: his Perform Better talk and how to reach him34:08 — Outro

🌎 Chris McMahon, Kilo's Content and Partnerships Specialist, joins Mateo for a rapid-fire tier-list episode ranking 15 of the most common gym growth strategies from S-tier to F-tier; covering everything from referral programs to six-week challenges.P.S. If you like the show, then you'll love the Gym World newsletter. Every Friday, John Franklin breaks down the possibilities of making money in the fitness industry. Subscribe here so you don't miss out.📱 Socials:Chris McMahon (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/coach.chrismcmahon/Chris McMahon (Website): https://www.chris-mcmahon.com🔥Show Notes: - 0:00 — Intro & the tier-list concept- 0:28 — Meeting Kilo Chris AKA Chris McMahon- 1:59 — Defining "growth" for a gym business- 2:20 — Free clients for testimonials- 3:59 — Getting family to pay as proof of concept- 5:41 — Facebook groups and online communities- 7:35 — Six-week challenges as a front-end offer- 10:26 — Building an email list- 12:31 — Partnering with other creators and businesses- 14:16 — Paid ads on Facebook and Instagram- 16:43 — Organic social media posting- 18:06 — Referral programs- 18:59 — Hosting local events- 20:36 — Cold outreach, directories, and free consultations- 22:28 — Podcasting and YouTube- 24:14 — Discounted challenges and raising prices- 25:54 — Final thoughts- 26:47 — Outro