The Long Game: Wisdom From 10+ Years of Climbing Gym Growth

If You Pick the Wrong Market, It Won’t Work

In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, Chris Lopez chats with Ivan Vargas and Steve Bittner, co-owners of Mustangs Bouldering, for a conversation about market selection, risk, and how to break even. Mustangs opened without SBA loans, without heavy marketing, and in a smaller market by making disciplined decisions around location, rent, and other expenses. _ Show Notes: 00:00 – Intro 04:00 – Backgrounds in climbing and the industry 07:30 – Searching for the right space 10:30 – Why Mustangs chose bouldering only 14:30 – Competition myths in smaller markets 18:30 – Organic growth vs paid marketing 23:30 – Route setting philosophy and surprise 27:30 – Churn, seasonality, and outdoorsy markets 35:30 – Designing for early break-even 41:30 – Building the gym themselves to survive 48:30 – The mental weight of ownership 56:30 – Hard advice: markets matter _ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth] Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth [https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth] Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/ [https://climbinggymgrowth.com/]

The Long Game: Wisdom From 10+ Years of Climbing Gym Growth

In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I sit down with Aaron Parlier, owner of Center 45 in Boone, North Carolina. Aaron shares a grounded, long-term perspective on what actually makes a climbing gym successful. Not rapid expansion, flashy amenities, or forcing your gym into a predefined box, but focusing on community, routesetting, and creating a space people genuinely want to spend time in. We talk about slow, sustainable growth, why your climbs are the product, and how first impressions at the front desk shape everything that follows. This episode is especially valuable for new gym owners and operators in small or college towns. _ Show Notes: 00:00 – Aaron’s climbing background & early influences 03:00 – Discovering indoor climbing & falling all the way in 06:00 – Opening Center 45 with limited resources 08:30 – Crowdfunding holds & growing within constraints 11:00 – Capacity issues, weather, and space limitations 14:30 – Partnering with the university climbing wall 16:00 – Making the gym feel welcoming to new climbers 18:30 – Why intimidation kills the first-time experience 21:00 – Front desk energy & first impressions 22:10 – Final advice: slow growth & “it's about the bread” _ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth] Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth [https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth] Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/ [https://climbinggymgrowth.com/]

From One Small Bouldering Gym to Six Locations

In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I sit down with Andrew Coffey, founder of The Hive Climbing in British Columbia. From opening one of Canada’s first bouldering only gyms in 2012 to now running six locations, Andrew breaks down the lessons, systems, and philosophy behind The Hive’s growth. We talk about: * Expanding before systems were ready * The realities of scaling past 150 employees * The cost of building gyms today * How COVID reshaped their entire business * Why “Make Life Better” became their company mission _ Show Notes: 00:00 – Andrew’s backstory & discovering climbing 07:00 – Opening The Hive’s first gym & early lessons 15:00 – Expanding to multiple locations & unexpected challenges 23:00 – COVID, booking systems & changing member habits 30:00 – Profitability, pricing, and rising operational costs 38:00 – Managing 150+ employees & scaling culture 48:00 – Systems, structure & Wildly Important Goals 56:00 – Advice for new gym owners & sustainable growth _ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth] Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth [https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth] Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/ [https://climbinggymgrowth.com/]

Inside Uplift Climbing: Community, Conversion & Retention Strategies

In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I chat with Andrew Hou from Uplift Climbing in Shoreline, Washington. We dive into what it really takes to build a community first climbing gym in a competitive market. Andrew shares how he spent years preparing for ownership, why Uplift doubled down on overhanging terrain, how they differentiate themselves from other Seattle gyms, and why focusing on health over growth is core to their mission. _ Show Notes: 00:00 – Introduction 00:10 – Intro class & free week membership experiment 00:20 – Referral strategy that drives long-term growth 00:30 – Working on vs. working in the business 00:37 – Newsletters & building relational marketing 00:43 – Differentiation in a saturated market 00:54 – Andrew’s advice for new gym owners _ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth] Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth [https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth] Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/ [https://climbinggymgrowth.com/]

A Plan Is a Place to Deviate From

What does it really take to open a climbing gym from scratch? In this episode, I talk with Parker Sims, founder of Gravity Bear Climbing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We dive into how Parker identified a market gap, managed construction while holding a full-time job, and why he thinks climbing gyms are undervalued. _ Show Notes: 00:00 – Parker’s story & Tulsa’s climbing scene 05:00 – Opening Gravity Bear & early surprises 09:00 – The meaning behind “Gravity Bear” 12:00 – Learning flexibility through setbacks 30:00 – Membership goals & community building 45:00 – Why climbing gyms are undervalued 53:00 – “A plan is a place to deviate from.” _ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth [https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth] Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth [https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth] Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/ [https://climbinggymgrowth.com/]