Gym owners Nick and Chris discuss how to use the quieter end-of-year period to plan, evaluate operations, and prepare for the new year without overloading members or themselves. They share practical ideas for holiday programming, business reviews, marketing, pricing, and early enrollment offers, while emphasizing that downtime can be a valuable part of running a sustainable gym.
keywords
gym business planning, gym owner advice, holiday gym schedule, gym marketing, gym pricing, fitness business operations, personal training offers, crossfit, functional fitness, hyrox
key topics
Nick and Chris caution against packing the Thanksgiving-to-New-Year period with too many events because members already have competing obligations.
Nick describes Shark Bite’s annual Reindeer Games: a low-stress charity competition followed by a holiday party, designed so members of varied abilities can participate.
Chris shares Friendsgiving, a local team competition, plus an open Thanksgiving class for members’ friends and family.
Use slower weeks to review the year’s programs, class times, staffing, revenue, membership goals, and unexpected hurdles, then choose priorities for the coming year.
Chris recommends stepping back from day-to-day execution to assess whether events are worth the workload; his gym paused its masters competition after reviewing its results.
Nick and Chris discuss using quieter periods to audit systems, SOPs, marketing, and expenses, including reviewing paid ads and subscriptions.
Build recovery into the season: consider a holiday class schedule based on past attendance, especially for owner-operators, and give yourself permission to rest.
Nick suggests limited early-start offers for people already considering joining, including an example of a year of personal training bundled with group classes.
Nick argues for gradual annual price increases to keep pace with rising rent, utilities, and software costs rather than delaying until a large increase becomes necessary.
takeaways
trying to do too much at the end of the year
members should have an opportunity to express their fitness a couple of times a year
fun and lighthearted
start small
looking back on the last calendar year
zooming in and zooming out
Force yourself to chill the fuck out a little bit.
take a look at past year's attendances
Every single expense we have goes up.
use it as a reset
key frameworks
Green/yellow/red ranking for reviewing initiatives
Zooming in and zooming out
action items
Review last year’s revenue and membership goals, programs, class times, staffing changes, and surprises.
Choose a short list of priorities for the next year and schedule them across the calendar rather than stacking them in January.
Look at historical attendance before deciding whether to consolidate classes or use a holiday schedule.
Review paid marketing performance, subscriptions, software, and other expenses.
Consider a limited early-start offer that adds value without simply discounting group membership.
Evaluate annual pricing and make modest increases over time to keep up with rising operating costs.
Schedule genuine downtime for yourself and your team during the slower period.
Chapters
00:00 Why the end of the year is a planning opportunity
01:12 Reindeer Games: a welcoming, low-stress gym tradition
03:22 Friendsgiving and keeping holiday events light
05:51 Review systems, programs, staffing, and goals
08:23 Zoom out and decide which events are worth the work
10:25 Use the slower season to review marketing and rest
13:56 Holiday schedules and early enrollment offers
16:44 A personal-training offer that rewards commitment
18:40 Audit expenses and plan gradual price increases
21:26 Treat year-end as a reset before the new year
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