Built To Grow Fitness Business

Most gym owners would never hand over the keys to their business… but they’ll hand over their programming without a second thought. It happens all the time – coaches making up workouts on the fly, tweaking things based on how they feel that day. Before long, they’re the ones controlling the delivery of the most important thing the gym offers. Meanwhile, a lot of gym owners don’t even realize it’s going on. In this episode, Tim and Randy break down why letting coaches take the reins on programming is one of the biggest mistakes a gym owner can make. They explain why it damages your brand’s credibility and how it puts client retention at serious risk. You’ll also hear how to fix it by creating a clear training philosophy and putting solid systems in place. That way, every client experience reflects your brand – not just your best coach’s personality. If a coach has ever taken clients with them, or you’re concerned it might happen, don’t miss this episode. Tune in now! Key Takeaways:  * Intro (00:00) * Programming is the product, not gear or music (01:46) * Letting coaches program risks client loyalty (04:49) * Your gym should own and store all workouts (07:59) * Semi-Private Pro keeps workouts consistent (09:19) * Educating clients bridges value perception gaps (13:25) * Most gyms overlook the product, focus on ads (15:17) Additional Resources: - Schedule your SpringBoard call [https://gymbusinesscoach.com/]   - Stop the summer slump before it starts - slash membership freezes by 50% [https://winninggym.com/summer-freeze]    - A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix [https://winninggym.com/matrix]  - Get 30 days of Semi Private Pro on us! [https://www.semiprivatepro.com/trial]  - Apply to join the Iron Circle [https://www.ironcircle.net/ic]  - Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville [https://fitprogrowthsummit.com/nash]  - Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings [https://winninggym.com/growth-summit-2024-recordings] - Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons [https://timlyonsbook.com/]  - ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/gymbusiness] - SOP in a Day Workshop [https://sopinaday.com/]  - Switch to Semi Private course [https://www.switchtosemiprivate.com/]  - Business Accelerator Program [https://winninggym.com/call]     [https://www.ironcircle.net/] --- If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/built-to-grow/id1457396337?mt=2]!

A lot of gym owners are grinding day in and day out – but if you ask them why they’re doing it, most don’t have a clear answer. They’re running sessions, managing staff, staying late – doing all the things they think they’re supposed to do. But without a strong sense of purpose behind it, the work starts to feel heavy. Like you're spinning your wheels with no real direction. That exact question came up during the last Iron Circle event: What are you doing this all for? For some, it’s about changing lives in their community. For others, it’s about building something that gives them time with family or the freedom to step off the training floor. The truth is, there’s no wrong answer. But you’ve got to know what yours is – because if your business isn’t built to support that mission, it’ll eventually pull you off track. In this episode, Tim and Randy break down why your model has to match your goals, how making money and making an impact can absolutely go hand in hand, and why building a team isn’t just smart – it’s essential if you want to scale your purpose. If you’ve been grinding without a clear reason for years, this is your moment to pause, zoom out, and get re-centered. Let’s get your business aligned with your why… before another 10 years slip by. Tune in! Key Takeaways:  * Intro (00:00) * Gym ownership starts from different motivations (00:35) * Importance of aligning business with your why (03:36) * Starving artist mindset limits gym owner success (06:03) * Clarity in goals drives better business decisions (08:26) * Hard work alone won’t create freedom (09:25) * Building a team allows scaling impact (12:06) Additional Resources: - Schedule your SpringBoard call [https://gymbusinesscoach.com/]   - Stop the summer slump before it starts - slash membership freezes by 50% [https://winninggym.com/summer-freeze]    - A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix [https://winninggym.com/matrix]  - Get 30 days of Semi Private Pro on us! [https://www.semiprivatepro.com/trial]  - Apply to join the Iron Circle [https://www.ironcircle.net/ic]  - Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville [https://fitprogrowthsummit.com/nash]  - Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings [https://winninggym.com/growth-summit-2024-recordings] - Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons [https://timlyonsbook.com/]  - ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/gymbusiness] - SOP in a Day Workshop [https://sopinaday.com/]  - Switch to Semi Private course [https://www.switchtosemiprivate.com/]  - Business Accelerator Program [https://winninggym.com/call]     [https://www.ironcircle.net/] --- If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/built-to-grow/id1457396337?mt=2]!

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse. Sometimes it’s quiet – just another late night, another underpriced session, another missed dinner with the kids... That’s where Lane and Payden Montgomery found themselves, thirteen years into running a gym. On paper, things looked fine. But behind the scenes, they were burnt out and stretched thin trying to keep up with a business that was too big, too messy, and too dependent on them. In this episode, Tim and Randy sit down with the Montgomerys to unpack their decision to completely flip their model – from large-group chaos to a clean, streamlined semi-private operation. They break down the exact moment they shut down large group training, what led to that call, and how it gave them back their time, their clarity, and their sanity. What’s cool about their story is how fast they moved once the decision was made. They went from 150 clients at $170 to nearly 100 clients at an average of $370 – more money, fewer headaches, and no more working 30 hours a week on the floor. But this wasn’t a quick fix or an overnight pivot. It was a deliberate, strategic overhaul made possible by mentorship, systems, and finally letting go of the belief that they had to do it all. Lane and Payden’s journey is proof that the business you want is within reach – you just need to make the leap. Tune in to learn more.  Key Takeaways:  * Intro and backstory (00:00) * Early signs of burnout and business overwhelm (01:49) * Discovering the Million Dollar Gym model at the Growth Summit (07:09) * Making the call to shut down large group training (09:47) * Introducing the new direction to members during Vision Night (14:07) * Shifting to semi-private training solves long-standing challenges (18:15) * Building a stronger team and stepping out of day-to-day coaching (23:38) * Semi-private brings freedom, structure, and personal time back (29:10) * Looking back: What they'd do differently and what they’ve learned (34:48) Additional Resources: - Check out Payden and Lane’s gym on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/goperformanceptc/] - - - - Schedule your SpringBoard call [https://gymbusinesscoach.com/]   - Stop the summer slump before it starts - slash membership freezes by 50% [https://winninggym.com/summer-freeze]    - A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix [https://winninggym.com/matrix]  - Get 30 days of Semi Private Pro on us! [https://www.semiprivatepro.com/trial]  - Apply to join the Iron Circle [https://www.ironcircle.net/ic]  - Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville [https://fitprogrowthsummit.com/nash]  - Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings [https://winninggym.com/growth-summit-2024-recordings] - Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons [https://timlyonsbook.com/]  - ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/gymbusiness] - SOP in a Day Workshop [https://sopinaday.com/]  - Switch to Semi Private course [https://www.switchtosemiprivate.com/]  - Business Accelerator Program [https://winninggym.com/call]     [https://www.ironcircle.net/] --- If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/built-to-grow/id1457396337?mt=2]!

Most gym owners work for years to open more locations, get out of the day-to-day, and finally have some freedom. But what if you get there, and it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would? In this episode, Tim sits down with Gerry Washack for a late-night, bourbon-in-hand conversation at the Iron Circle Experience. After 20 years in the fitness game, Gerry’s built something most gym owners would be proud of. He opens up about what it’s really like to go from coaching on the floor to running multiple locations – letting go of control, dealing with people issues, and trying to stay connected to the work that used to fire him up.  He talks about how giving equity to employees seemed like a great idea until it wasn’t, how a random idea during COVID turned into a salon business, and how different things feel once you’re not in the day-to-day. Now he’s making more money than ever… and seriously thinking about walking away. Tune in to learn why. Key Takeaways:  * Intro (00:00) * Gerry’s journey from trainer to multi-gym owner (01:21) * Working with family and learning leadership the hard way (02:52) * When equity deals with employees go sideways (07:33) * Why phantom equity might save your sanity (11:01) * From gym owner to salon co-founder during COVID (14:46) * Salon clients vs. gym clients – it’s a whole different game (17:45) * What success really feels like after 20 years (24:03) Additional Resources: - Gerry Washack on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/gerrywashack/?igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D&utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet] - - - - Schedule your SpringBoard call [https://gymbusinesscoach.com/]   - Stop the summer slump before it starts - slash membership freezes by 50% [https://winninggym.com/summer-freeze]    - A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix [https://winninggym.com/matrix]  - Get 30 days of Semi Private Pro on us! [https://www.semiprivatepro.com/trial]  - Apply to join the Iron Circle [https://www.ironcircle.net/ic]  - Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville [https://fitprogrowthsummit.com/nash]  - Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings [https://winninggym.com/growth-summit-2024-recordings] - Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons [https://timlyonsbook.com/]  - ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/gymbusiness] - SOP in a Day Workshop [https://sopinaday.com/]  - Switch to Semi Private course [https://www.switchtosemiprivate.com/]  - Business Accelerator Program [https://winninggym.com/call]     [https://www.ironcircle.net/] --- If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/built-to-grow/id1457396337?mt=2]!

Most gyms don’t have a marketing problem – they have a follow-through problem.  New leads pour in, but a few months later, half of them are gone. The team’s busy, the ads are running, but nothing seems to stick. In this episode, Tim and Randy sit down with Joey Coleman, bestselling author of ‘Never Lose a Customer Again’, to talk about the one thing that’s missing in most gyms: a real retention strategy.  Joey explains why selling someone into your gym is only step one – and why the handoff to your team can make or break trust on day one. As a leading expert in customer experience and loyalty, Joey brings a tried-and-true perspective on what actually keeps clients coming back. Retention isn’t about t-shirts, holiday parties, or generic gestures – it’s about listening, remembering, and proving to your clients that they matter after the sale. Even your most loyal members can quietly disengage if you’re not paying attention.  This episode breaks down why trust often collapses after sign-up, how misaligned teams disrupt the client experience, and what it really looks like to personalize retention in a way that actually makes a difference. If your client list looks great on paper but your revenue isn’t moving, this is the conversation that could finally connect the dots.  Tune in! Key Takeaways:  * Intro (00:00) * Customer need ≠ customer want in fitness (01:31) * Selling to existing clients is 3–4x easier (04:07) * Disconnect between sales promise and delivery ruins trust (07:55) * Organizational bias favors marketing over experience (11:11) * Retention rarely gets budget priority (16:30) * Epic becomes ordinary if repeated too often (21:20) * Personalization beats giveaways for loyalty (27:17) Additional Resources: - Schedule your SpringBoard call [https://gymbusinesscoach.com/]   - Stop the summer slump before it starts - slash membership freezes by 50% [https://winninggym.com/summer-freeze]    - A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix [https://winninggym.com/matrix]  - Get 30 days of Semi Private Pro on us! [https://www.semiprivatepro.com/trial]  - Apply to join the Iron Circle [https://www.ironcircle.net/ic]  - Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville [https://fitprogrowthsummit.com/nash]  - Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings [https://winninggym.com/growth-summit-2024-recordings] - Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons [https://timlyonsbook.com/]  - ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/gymbusiness] - SOP in a Day Workshop [https://sopinaday.com/]  - Switch to Semi Private course [https://www.switchtosemiprivate.com/]  - Business Accelerator Program [https://winninggym.com/call]     [https://www.ironcircle.net/] --- If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/built-to-grow/id1457396337?mt=2]!