From Stay-at-Home Mom to Multi-Gym Owner: Tracy Starkel’s 19-Year Fitness Business Story

Gym Liability 101: Waivers, Insurance & Safety with Dr. JES

The waiver protecting your gym may not work the way you think it does Dr. JoAnn Eickhoff-Shemek, founder of the Fitness Law Academy and author of Law for Fitness Managers and Exercise Professionals, joins Anthony and Natalia to explain waivers, negligence, liability insurance, trainer agreements, equipment maintenance, emergency-action plans, group fitness safety, incident documentation, and the legal responsibilities every gym owner should understand. In this special episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale and Natalia Schulte sit down with Dr. JoAnn Eickhoff-Shemek — better known as Dr. JES — founder and president of the Fitness Law Academy and author of Law for Fitness Managers and Exercise Professionals. With nearly 50 years in the fitness profession, Dr. JES has dedicated much of her career to helping fitness managers and exercise professionals understand legal liability, risk management, and safety. The conversation begins with one of the most misunderstood areas of gym ownership: waivers. Dr. JES explains why waiver law varies by state, why some states may not enforce fitness waivers, and why every waiver should be prepared or reviewed by a qualified attorney in the facility’s jurisdiction. She also explains the difference between ordinary negligence and gross negligence, the role of express assumption-of-risk documents, and why beginners need proper instruction before they can fully understand and assume the risks of an activity. Using real fitness-industry cases, Dr. JES shows how preventable mistakes can lead to serious injuries and lawsuits. These examples include inappropriate exercise programming for a client with osteoporosis, facilities with ineffective emergency-action plans, and AEDs that were present but not operational. The episode also covers liability insurance and the importance of reviewing exclusions carefully. Gym owners should confirm that every program, service, facility feature, and new activity is covered. Dr. JES recommends that trainers and instructors carry professional liability insurance and explains why management should require — and ideally provide — that coverage. Anthony, Natalia, and Dr. JES also discuss independent contractors, trainer-rental agreements, worker classification, equipment maintenance, written contracts, and why undocumented maintenance may be treated as maintenance that never happened. Later, the conversation turns to group fitness, beginner-level instruction, lesson plans, class evaluations, incident documentation, unsafe member behavior, and membership revocation. Dr. JES emphasizes that risk management is not one document or one policy — it is an ongoing safety culture supported by trained staff, clear procedures, legal counsel, insurance advisors, medical advisors, and consistent documentation. Connect with Dr. JES and the Fitness Law Academy: Website: https://www.fitnesslawacademy.com [https://www.fitnesslawacademy.com] Instagram: @fitnesslawacademy Textbook: https://www.fitnesslawacademy.com/textbook [https://www.fitnesslawacademy.com/textbook] Legal Disclaimer: This episode is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction. Consult a qualified attorney in your state regarding your facility, contracts, waivers, policies, insurance, and legal responsibilities. Connect with Gym Insight: Visit GymInsight.com [http://GymInsight.com] or call 855-367-4967. The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

Scaling to $130K/Month: Brian Way’s Iron City Gym Story

Brian Way took a small hardcore gym and turned it into a $130K/month brand by making it authentic, inclusive, and impossible to ignore. In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale and Natalia Schulte sit down with Iron City Gym's owner for a powerful conversation about gym ownership, culture, branding, leadership, and scaling a fitness business without losing its identity. Brian shares how he first came into Iron City Gym as a member, became a trainer, built relationships with the previous owners, and eventually took the leap into ownership. Brian admits he was intimidated by the idea of leading a hardcore bodybuilding facility. Instead of trying to become someone else, he leaned into his own strengths: vision, creativity, people, and culture. Hear how Brian transformed Iron City Gym from a small hardcore gym into a larger, more inclusive fitness brand while still keeping the edgy, authentic atmosphere that made it special. He explains why bodybuilders help create the gym’s credibility and energy, but why a gym also has to serve everyday members if it wants to grow. Anthony, Natalia, and Brian also discuss the importance of leading by example. Brian talks about cleaning equipment, knowing the business from the ground up, making the space his own, building a team, and creating a culture where members feel seen, valued, and comfortable. The ep also covers social media, TikTok, influencer content, member-generated videos, personal training revenue, hiring from the member base, team meetings, and why training can be one of the biggest missed revenue opportunities for a gym. Later, Brian shares how he handles difficult members, uncomfortable behavior, complaints, second chances, and protecting the member experience. He explains how direct conversations can sometimes turn problem members into strong promoters, while still making it clear that safety and respect come first. The episode wraps with a guided tour of Iron City Gym, including its expanded layout, branding, apparel, smoothie bar plans, posing room, turf area, equipment, and the personal touches that make the facility feel like a true destination. For gym owners, operators, trainers, and fitness entrepreneurs, this episode is a real-world look at what happens when a gym owner builds with passion, leads from the front, protects the culture, and turns a facility into something people want to belong to. In This Episode: * How Brian went from member and trainer to gym owner * Overcoming fear of owning a hardcore gym * Scaling Iron City Gym to roughly $130K/month * Making a hardcore gym feel more inclusive * Why culture starts with the owner * Balancing bodybuilders with everyday members * Why bodybuilders create atmosphere but do not always pay the bills * Building a gym around authenticity and passion * Using social media and member content for growth * Turning members and influencers into organic promoters * Missed personal training revenue opportunities * Hiring from the member base * Building a team that believes in the gym * Handling difficult members and complaints * Protecting female member comfort * Giving second chances without losing control * Touring Iron City Gym’s layout, equipment, posing room, turf, apparel, and future smoothie bar Connect with Brian Way and Iron City Gym: YouTube: @IronCityGym Connect with Gym Insight: If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want help managing memberships, billing, access, reporting, and daily operations, visit GymInsight.com [http://GymInsight.com] or call 855-367-4967. The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

Gym Startup 101: The Road to Agon Fitness with Andrew Bono

Starting a gym can feel impossible until someone breaks down the actual steps. In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale sits down with Andrew Bono, a 23-year-old entrepreneur preparing to open his first gym, Agon Fitness. Instead of hearing from an owner years after opening, this episode captures the gym startup journey while it is still happening. Andrew shares how he first connected with Gym Insight after seeing Steven Harvalias of Super Fitness talk about the software, and how those early conversations helped him start mapping out the path from idea to execution. Anthony and Andrew walk through the startup process step by step, beginning with forming an LLC, getting an EIN, building momentum, preparing financial projections, and understanding why the first move is often the hardest. Andrew explains how creating his LLC took less than 30 minutes once he finally decided to take action. The conversation also covers commercial lease negotiations and why new gym owners should avoid signing anything without the right guidance. Anthony and Andrew discuss lease terms, CPI increases, HVAC responsibility, location visibility, grocery-store foot traffic, and tenant improvement allowance that can help fund the buildout. Andrew also shares his evolving approach to equipment, layout, and gym design. He originally wanted the modern all-black aesthetic, but learned that equipment quality, durability, member experience, and long-term value matter more than matching colors. The two discuss used vs. new equipment, turf, power racks, platforms, selectorized machines, and building a gym that appeals to everyday members without losing the serious training edge. A major part of the episode focuses on SBA loans, financial projections, presales, founding memberships, and grand opening strategy. Anthony explains why starting with zero members creates unnecessary pressure and how presales can give a new gym a running start before opening day. They also talk through cancellation policies, simple membership options, selling goals instead of prices, the power of giving a proper tour, and why thinking like the customer can help a new gym stand out. For anyone who has dreamed about opening a gym but does not know where to start, this episode is a practical look at the real process: LLC, loan, lease, buildout, presales, software, and grand opening. In This Episode: * Opening a gym at 23 * Forming an LLC and getting an EIN * Building financial projections * Applying for an SBA loan * Negotiating a commercial lease * Understanding tenant improvement allowance * Choosing gym equipment * Designing a practical gym layout * Creating founding memberships * Building presale momentum * Planning grand opening giveaways * Keeping memberships simple * Making cancellations customer-friendly * Selling the tour before showing prices * Using SBDC and SCORE as startup resources Follow Andrew’s Journey: Instagram: @agonfitnessgym TikTok: @agon.fitness [http://agon.fitness] Facebook: Agon Fitness Connect with Gym Insight: If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want help managing memberships, billing, access, reporting, and daily operations, visit GymInsight.com [http://GymInsight.com] or call 855-367-4967. The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

How Justin Green Built a Serious Gym That Survived Planet Fitness

When Planet Fitness moved into his small town, Justin Green had a choice: panic, compete on price, or double down on what made his gym different. Justin Green, owner of The Source Fitness Center, joins The Gym Owner’s Podcast to share how he went from college athlete to gym owner, built a serious training facility in a small town, survived Planet Fitness moving into his market, restructured during COVID, and created a gym experience built on layout, equipment, community, ownership, and word-of-mouth. Justin talks gym ownership started after his college football career ended. After years of training and competing, he needed a new outlet and eventually started with a small 900-square-foot basement gym where friends could train with keypad access. That early setup eventually grew into The Source Fitness Center. Anthony, Natalia, and Justin discuss what separates The Source Fitness Center from big-box competitors. Justin explains that his gym is built for people who are serious about training — members who want to work out, be around other focused people, and train in a facility designed for progress instead of social hour. This episode focuses on what happened when Planet Fitness moved into Justin’s small-town market. Justin talks about the emotional impact, how his gym dug in, why COVID unexpectedly gave him the chance to rethink the business, and how he redesigned the entire facility around better flow, better equipment, and a clearer identity. Justin also shares how word-of-mouth became one of his strongest marketing channels after COVID. Instead of trying to compete on price, he leaned into what made his gym different: serious equipment, an intentional layout, a cleaner member experience, and a stronger sense of community. The convo also covers small-town gym ownership, member relationships, building trust, keeping the gym clean and updated, adding family-focused services, learning from mistakes, and understanding what actually sells a gym membership. Later in the episode, Justin talks through the member experience, from the entrance and locker rooms to turf space, cardio, machines, free weights, squat racks, specialty equipment, and photo-friendly branding opportunities inside the gym. Anthony and Justin also discuss customer service, finding reliable employees, the value of owning your building, simplifying membership options, whether new gym owners should buy used equipment, and the challenges of managing personal trainers inside a gym. For independent gym owners, small-town operators, and anyone trying to compete against low-cost chains, this episode is packed with practical lessons from an owner who has been through it, adjusted, and kept building. Chapters: 00:00:00 - From Basement Gym to Serious Fitness Center Justin Green shares how college football led him into fitness, how he started with a small basement gym, what makes The Source Fitness Center different, and how he survived Planet Fitness moving into his market. 00:13:01 - Small-Town Growth, Layout + Member Experience Justin breaks down what it takes to succeed in a small town, how he built a strong community, why gym flow and equipment matter, and gives Anthony and Natalia a walkthrough of The Source Fitness Center. 00:30:53 - Ownership Lessons, Staff, Building + Trainers Anthony, Natalia, and Justin discuss customer service, finding good employees, owning vs. leasing, simplifying memberships, buying used equipment, personal training challenges, trainer rent, and future expansion. Connect with Gym Insight: If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want help managing memberships, billing, access, reporting, and daily operations, visit GymInsight.com [http://GymInsight.com] or call 855-367-4967. The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

Meet Natalia: From Pilates Beginner to Fitness Pro and Gym Owner Advocate

Natalia started with Pilates at 19. Now she’s helping gym owners build stronger businesses with Gym Insight. In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony introduces Natalia Schulte, a new member of the Gym Insight team and a fresh voice on the podcast. Natalia shares how she got started in the fitness industry through Pilates at age 19 and how that early experience shaped both her body and her career. From working in Pilates studios to earning her NASM personal training certification, Natalia explains why fitness became more than just a job — it became a foundation for helping others take care of their bodies. Anthony and Natalia discuss the importance of core strength, how Pilates helped Natalia recover through pregnancies, surgeries, and car accidents, and why she believes in teaching from personal experience before coaching others. Natalia also talks about working in different fitness environments, including Lifetime, CrossFit, Pilates studios, and a brief role connected to bariatric care. She explains how her experience inside gyms and studios gave her a deeper understanding of what fitness business owners deal with every day. The episode then shifts into Natalia’s move to the other side of the industry: helping gym owners through Gym Insight. She shares how working with gym owners allows her to support the people who are supporting their communities, and why simple, helpful software matters so much when owners are trying to run their business without unnecessary frustration. Anthony and Natalia also talk about grand openings, helping new gym owners, customer success moments, and why having both East Coast and West Coast perspectives will bring more value to future episodes of The Gym Owner’s Podcast. For gym owners, studio owners, personal trainers, and fitness professionals, this episode is a quick introduction to Natalia’s background, her passion for the fitness industry, and the perspective she brings to the Gym Insight team. In This Episode * Natalia’s introduction to The Gym Owner’s Podcast * How she got started with Pilates at 19 * Why Pilates became her first love in fitness * How core strength helped her through pregnancies and recovery * Why she pursued NASM personal training certification * Her experience working at Lifetime, CrossFit, Pilates studios, and more * Why believing in fitness makes selling training easier * What moved Natalia from direct member support to helping gym owners * Why complicated fitness software creates unnecessary stress * How Gym Insight helps simplify gym operations * Why partnering with gym owners helps support entire communities * What Natalia enjoys most about joining the Gym Insight team * Why grand openings are exciting for Gym Insight customers * Natalia’s first “moment of magic” helping a Gym Insight customer * How Natalia will bring a new perspective to future TGOP episodes