SOURCED - by The PFCA & Gym Owner Network

From a farm shed gym… to one of the most formidable young operators in the game.In this episode, Dean from Embassy shares what it really takes to build a high-performing gym in a small town, when you’re young, relentless, and figuring it out in real time.Behind the numbers and growth is a story of pressure, self-doubt, business breakups, and learning the hard way that hustle alone isn’t enough. This is about evolving from raw ambition into true leadership.We dive into:• Opening a gym in a shed, and scaling it into a premium operation• Navigating business partner splits and high-stakes decisions at 23• The internal battle between aggression, patience, and control• Why your biggest bottleneck as an owner is youDean’s honesty around mindset, resilience, and growth is what sets this apart.

From burnout, self-doubt, and £97 memberships, to building a business, and a backbone.In this raw and emotional episode, Lamar Graham shares the reality of what it actually takes to transform not just a gym, but yourself. After pouring everything into a gym that looked the part but felt completely broken, Lamar hit a crossroads; exhausted, underpaid, and questioning everything. What followed was a decision that nearly broke him: losing most of his members, facing backlash, and rebuilding from the ground up.But on the other side? A stronger business. A premium service. And a completely different man.We dive into: • The brutal truth behind the “model change” (and why it’s really personal) • Losing 70%+ of members, and why it was the best thing that happened • From emotional operator to confident leader • The mindset shift that tripled his revenueThis isn’t just a gym story. It’s about identity, resilience, and finally stepping up when it matters most.Because sometimes, you don’t need a new strategy; you need to become someone new.

In this weeks episode of Sourced, Josh Percival shares a completely different perspective on coaching, health, and what it really means to change someone’s life. From opening his gym in Dublin to scaling to 120+ members in just seven months, this isn’t just a success story, it’s a shift in thinking. We dive deep into the uncomfortable truths the industry often ignores: • Why most coaches misunderstand obesity, and the damage it causes • The real role of a coach (hint: it’s not just sets and reps) • How behaviour change, not tactics, drives long-term results • The power of building a gym that prioritises people over aestheticsThis episode will challenge your beliefs, expand your perspective, and remind you why coaching is about so much more than fitness.Because the best coaches don’t just change bodies, they change lives.

In this episode, Ant Richardson shares the raw truth behind building a gym through pure grit; long days, burnout cycles, self-doubt, and the constant pressure of doing everything yourself. From opening his gym with just 18 members to growing a thriving SGPT facility, Ant’s journey is a masterclass in hard work, but also a warning.Because effort alone isn’t enough.You’ll hear: • The fear that stops gym owners from hiring (and keeps them stuck) • How burnout quietly destroys your business, your energy, and your relationships • The leadership mistakes no one teaches you early on • Why “doing more” is often the exact thing holding you back • And the moment everything changes, when you finally burn the boatsThis episode is honest, emotional, and deeply relatable for any gym owner who’s ever felt overwhelmed, overworked, and unsure what the next move is.

In this raw and powerful episode of Sourced, Rich Roach of Fortified shares the truth behind building a gym that looks successful on paper - hitting the numbers, growing the team, ticking every box, but still feeling stuck, unfulfilled, and questioning everything. From opening his gym with intention and ambition, to navigating burnout, partnerships, pressure, and eventually a complete reset - this is a story of what it really takes to rebuild not just a business, but yourself.You’ll hear: • The reality of “success” that doesn’t feel like success • The emotional toll of leadership, growth, and responsibility • Losing an entire team, while life hits from every angle • The moment everything broke - physically, mentally, and emotionally • The lessons that forced a complete shift in identity as a leaderThis isn’t about hacks, tactics, or quick wins.This is about standards, ownership, and becoming the person your business needs you to be.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or like you’re carrying everything on your shoulders, this episode will hit home.Because the real game isn’t just building a better gym, it’s building a better you.

From £500k revenue… to almost losing everything.In this brutally honest episode, Ryan Thomas of Equilibrium shares the story most gym owners are too afraid to tell; what happens when your business looks successful on paper, but is completely broken underneath. Ryan had built a thriving gym, hitting impressive revenue numbers and growing fast. But behind the scenes? No profit. Rising tax bills. A chaotic model trying to do everything at once. And a moment where it all came crashing down, with a VAT bill he couldn’t pay and a business on the brink.What followed was a decision that would change everything: burn it down and rebuild from scratch.This isn’t a highlight reel, it’s the truth about what it actually takes to fix a broken gym.If you’ve ever felt like your business is one step away from falling apart…or you’re stuck chasing revenue without seeing results, this episode will hit hard.Because sometimes the only way forward, is to tear it all down.

What happens when the gym you built… stops feeling like you?In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Josh Telling, founder of Fortitude, to unpack the raw, honest journey from passionate coach to true gym owner, and the identity crisis that almost broke everything.Josh started like many coaches do: a love for training, a small-town gym in the Forest of Dean, and a mission to help people through CrossFit and group training. But as the business grew, something didn’t feel right. The model wasn’t working, the profits weren’t there, the team had nowhere to grow, and Josh found himself trapped in 16-hour days questioning everything he’d built. Josh shares the emotional rollercoaster of completely rebuilding his gym, changing the model, rebranding the business, facing backlash from members, and pushing through the doubt that comes when everything feels like it could collapse.This episode is honest, emotional, and deeply relatable for any gym owner who’s ever asked themselves:“Did I build the wrong thing… and do I have the courage to fix it?”If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or questioning the future of your gym, this conversation might be exactly what you need to hear.

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the real reason most gym owners stay stuck — and it’s not marketing, not pricing, and not the algorithm.It’s behaviour.After nine years running a profitable 220-member gym in one of the most deprived areas of Yorkshire — with 3% churn, 70%+ conversion, and real freedom baked into the model — this isn’t theory. It’s lived experience. From sleepless nights, emotional decision-making, and reactive leadership… to structure, standards, and building a business that actually serves your life.This episode is raw, practical, and confronting in the best way. It will challenge you, and if you let it, it will change the way you run your gym forever.

In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Steve and Shay Liggett, a husband-and-wife gym owner duo based in Perth, Australia, who have built one of the most values-driven businesses in the Gym Owner Network. They share the story of launching their small group personal training gym while navigating pregnancy, becoming new parents, and signing a five-year lease even after the bank initially said no, backing themselves fully and figuring it out in real time. Shay reflects on her journey from qualifying as a PT at 19, spending 10 years in the corporate world, and eventually leaving everything behind to pursue coaching with nothing but two dumbbells and one client in a park. Steve shares his transition from a successful leadership career in construction into coaching, driven by a desire for deeper purpose and frustration with the lack of quality fitness options in their local market. Together, they unpack the early grind of building a gym from scratch in a new suburb where no one knew them, the importance of documenting the journey, nurturing leads long-term, and staying relentlessly committed to a premium service. The conversation highlights the power of strong values, extreme ownership, and “harmony” between personal life, business leadership, and community culture, showing what’s possible when you build a gym the right way from day one. 

In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Justin Sabato, Gym Owner Network member of four years, joining us from Australia to share the full, unfiltered journey from commercial gym PT to building a thriving facility against the odds. Justin breaks down the reality behind the highlight reels: the uncertainty of COVID, maxing out on one-to-one hours, and the decision to finally back himself and open a gym that served “normal people,” not just fitness extremists. He walks through the gritty process of finding a location (deals falling through, massive renovation costs, impossible timelines), opening his doors before the build was even finished, and slowly scaling to a 130+ member small-group PT model, while also running meaningful NDIS sessions supporting clients with disabilities. Along the way, Justin shares the hard leadership lessons that nearly every gym owner learns the painful way: boundaries, role clarity, and making data-driven decisions instead of emotional ones. The conversation is a powerful reminder that sustainable growth comes from obsessing over product quality and retention, not just marketing, and that with the right standards, systems, and community support, you can build something genuinely different, even in a crowded market.