Twobrainradio

You might be the best gym around but no one will know about you unless you tell them. In his mentorship practice, Chris Cooper stresses the need for his clients to produce meaningful, consistent content in order to get and maintain clients. But where to start? In this podcast, Chris lays out a content model that will get you in the practice of regularly producing content. In this clear, step-by-step guide, you'll learn what you must do each day to produce great content that resonates with your existing clients and attracts new ones.Book a free call2:50 - Publish 5x per week on a platform that you own3:23 - Motivation Monday: Give people a reason to come to your gym4:13 - Teaching Tuesday: Teach something helpful (meal prep, how to do a squat, etc)5:00 - "Who" Wednesday: Who is coming to your gym? Tell their story6:15 - Thank-you Thursday: Gratitude post8:00 - Bright Spot Friday

New gym owner Jason Tebedo was able to open his doors at CrossFit Angier on launch day with a whopping 83 members. In this episode, he dishes the secrets to his opening-day success. Working with his Two-Brain Mentor as part of the StartUp program, Jason laid out his foundation in advance and got the right plan in place to acquire and keep members from the get-go. Jason breaks down what exactly he did to set up his Founders Club, social events, 1:1 nutrition counseling, social media marketing, No Sweat Intro system and more. LinksCrossFit Gym Business Plan2:06 - Founders Club5:22 - Getting new clients and client avatar7:33 - First steps and mistakes14:53 - Two-Brain resources19:27 - Leasing and finding the right space23:00 - Setting rates27:01 - Staffing and programming

What do we want from life?Misha Saidov has pared it down to an acronym - FERMI: Flow (the experience of optimal feeling of engagement in the moment), Engagement, Relaxation, Meaning and Ideal. Ultimately, people want to feel better. As a life coach, he offers experience which serves to help alter their perspective, and therefore how they feel in their lives.In this episode, Misha and Chris Cooper discuss the idea of emergence, the difference between dreams and goals, limiting beliefs, moving from non-desired outcome to desired outcome, and how to change your behaviour.Ultimately, life coaching is about helping someone create a life that is worth living; gym owners can see a positive return by integrating these principles into their coaching practice. 0:24 - The New FERMI Paradox13:25 - Dreams vs. Goals22:25 - What is Life Coaching?30:33 - What is Metacognitive Programming?37:54 - Misha’s Process for building Life CoachesThink Meta

Entrepreneurial confidence is key to sustaining success - but it's something many gym owners overlook. In this episode, psychotherapist and executive coach Bonnie Skinner breaks down exactly what entrepreneurial confidence is, how a lack of it shows up in your life, and what reps you should be doing to build that muscle. Making a concerted effort to boost your entrepreneurial confidence can result in a better mindset overall; this spills over into both your personal and professional life and will help you grow your gym business. https://www.yourmentalfitness.ca/https://www.facebook.com/groups/mentalfitness4ceos1:30 - What is entrepreneurial confidence?5:56 - Common areas of insecurity8:59 - Confidence vs. Competence11:21 - Overcompensating for lack of confidence12:48 - How personal narratives become your SOPs14:47 - Self-assessment21:28 - Rate increases and how to deal25:48 - How to build confidence

For decades, CrossFit gyms have programmed workouts according to a prescription: the Rx. With this style of programming, each workout has a singular goal. How athletes execute the workout might vary, but the goal is the same. But what if not all your athletes have the same goal? That's why Brooks DiFiore created Beyond RXD, a programming system that provides workouts and briefs customized according to client avatar. Here, he joins Chris Cooper to explain why and how it gets clients results while boosting retention. Links:Beyond RXDGym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:27 – What’s a client avatar? 3:18 – What does Beyond RXD programming look like? 6:35 – Programming by avatar. 8:53 – How to keep track of client goals in a class setting.12:59 – What about cherry-picking? 14:27 – Implementing the system: How long does it take? 16:30 – The retention connection. 18:09 – A fresh take on benchmark workouts.25:55 – Applying Beyond RXD to groups vs. one-on-one training.

When Ameet Shah first introduced Wodify to the CrossFit community, he had his work cut out for him. Convincing a bunch of gritty, low-tech fitness die-hards to ditch the whiteboard and put up a TV screen was a tall order. But he did it — and today Wodify serves more than 5,000 gyms around the world. Ameet joined Chris Cooper to talk about his journey from crab-sales website designer (yes, you read that right) to tech start-up founder to business leader. Links: WodifyGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:01 – From MBA to ilovecrabs.com.6:23 – Starting his first company.7:42 – The birth of Wodify. 12:05 – Convincing people to trade the whiteboard for a digital tracker.16:55 – Learning from a $750,000 mistake.19:34 – Funding Wodify’s creation. 22:03 – Providing high quality with low overhead. 24:21 – Developing Wodify’s culture. 27:17 – Admitting mistakes.33:21 – Communicating with customers, overselling, and the product roadmap.40:58 – Why Wodify walked away from a partnership with CrossFit, LLC.45:22 – From entrepreneur

When the entrepreneurship bug hits, it hits hard — and some gym owners find that owning a gym isn't enough. There's so much else to explore: retail, supplements, gear — even coffee. But is it possible to run multiple profitable businesses? And if so, how do you pull it off? For the answers to those questions and more, Chris Cooper turned to Danny Lehr, owner and founder of CrossFit Excel and the wildly successful Caffeine and Kilos.Links:CrossFit ExcelCaffeine and KilosGym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:13 – How Danny become a gym owner. 5:12 – The birth of Caffeine and Kilos. 11:05 – Caffeine and Kilos today. 14:04 – Where Caffeine and Kilos’ sales come from. 17:01 – Building the Caffeine and Kilos brand while also growing a gym. 23:31 – Running both businesses at once. 25:56 – Building systems and hiring the right people. 30:07 – What’s next for Caffeine and Kilos. 33:51 – What to consider if you’re considering a second business.40:07 – Knowing the value of your time. 42:55 – How to get involved with Caf

Brendon Collins has always had the itch to help people change their lives.At one time, he did it as a pastor. Then, he did it as a fitness coach and gym owner. Now, he's helping people find their way as a life coach touching on all of the above. How'd he get there, and what, exactly, does being a life coach look like? Here, he chats with Coop about all that and more.Links: Chat with BrendonTransformation AcademyCertified Life Coach InstituteInternational Coaching FederationTimeline:00:41 – Becoming a gym owner in one fateful night. 4:55 – Post-pandemic weariness and getting the passion back.10:12 – What life coaching isn’t. 13:45 – Life coaches: not here to solve your problems.16:42 – Health and fitness meet life coaching.19:05 – Finding a specialty. 22:39 – Revisiting spirituality. 25:56 – On being a connector. 29:43 – Marketing oneself as a life coach. 33:14 – The credentialing process. 35:15 – Certs vs. results. 

In order for your marketing to be effective, you've got to market to the right people—you have to define your avatar. And a great way to do that is to start with data: Who's actually coming into gyms these days? Nathan Holiday, founder of Level Method, has the numbers. Here, he and Two-Brain Business founder Chris Cooper discuss who's interested in trying fitness programs like CrossFit (and who's not) and how to use that information to build the most effective marketing, onboarding, and delivery systems targeted to that audience.Links:Level MethodGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:00 – What the data tell us about who’s coming to the gym.4:25 – What two-thirds of people coming into your gym look like.9:49 – Business implications: onboarding.12:57 – Business implications: avatars.16:23 – Business implications: marketing.19:44 – Direct marketing with Level Method.

Chris Cooper's most popular book is "Two-Brain Business," but the book that most say is his best is "Help First." That's because it solved the problem of being afraid of being a slimy salesman: It teaches gym owners how to sell by doing the thing coaches do best—helping.Here's a peek at what's inside.Links:"Help First"Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:01 – Chris Cooper: The world’s worst salesman.4:29 – Why you need to get your message out there.5:43 – Selling is coaching.6:26 – Don’t worry about price.6:55 – Remove the choice about price.8:26 – Retention—and caring enough to tell the truth.9:07 – The right way to approach staffing and staff pay.10:30 – Why you should give away knowledge—but not coaching—for free.

It's that time of year—your Facebook feed is full of athletes hoping to make the leap to elite, and once again you find yourself thinking: "The CrossFit Games are cool—but do they matter for my business?" The answer is yes—and no.Here, Coop addresses that question and provides three strategies that will help if you want to use the competitive CrossFit season to help grow your gym.Links: Intramural Open GuideGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:50 – Who the Open is for, and how it can benefit your business.4:27 – How Regionals (or Semifinals) can get your staff fired up. 6:46 – What can the Games actually do for your clients? 9:21 – Gym business models that benefit from the CrossFit Games. 11:39 – It’s the stories that matter.13:53 – Using the Intramural Open to boost retention. 15:21 – Going to Regionals/Semifinals to maximize inspiration. 16:12 – The CrossFit Games as a networking and learning opportunity. 

Open a gym. Be a phenomenal coach. Make lots of money. If only it were that simple.You do need to be an excellent coach and provide excellent service, but that isn't enough to run a successful gym business—and we've got the data to prove it. We've also got the data that shows what DOES work. Here's Chris Cooper on the three business models of the most successful CrossFit gyms, the pros and cons of each, and what kind of gym owner they work best for. Links:How to Make $150,000 Per Year With 150 ClientsGym Owners UnitedGreg Glassman on Two-Brain RadioTimeline:1:52 – The method is not the model.7:20 – Model No. 1: Owner-operator. 9:56 – Model No. 2: How many gym owners shift from barely breaking even to $100k per year.13:31 – Model No. 3: Building diverse revenue streams and moving out of the business.17:48 – Mix and match if you want—but don’t start from a blank slate. 

We all know sleep is important, and if you're a fitness trainer, you've probably told your clients to get more of it. But beyond that, most trainers draw a blank. They might toss a sleep hygiene article at clients and tell them to get a sleep tracker. But how helpful are those things really? And how important is it to coach sleep when you've got big fish like exercise and nutrition to fry? Nick Lambe founded The Online Sleep Coach to address those questions and teach trainers what they need to know about sleep, how to teach it to their clients, and how to build systems around sleep coaching. Links:The Sleep Coach Course@theonlinesleepcoachGym Owners UnitedTimeline:3:36 – Coaching sleep: The void in the fitness industry.4:59 – Where does sleep rank in the hierarchy? 9:46 – Why coaches don’t talk about sleep enough.13:07 – The oversimplification problem.16:41 – How to implement sleep into a coaching practice. 21:46 – Getting clients to buy in.25:25 – Sleep trackers: Yea or nay? 35:29 – Helping tr

You wouldn't go to the doctor and expect to have to choose your own medication and dosage, right? So why are you leaving the same decision in the hands of your fitness clients? Goal reviews are a key element of the prescriptive model of sales, but they're about more than selling. It's your responsibility as a professional coach to check in with your clients, find out what their goals are, and tell them exactly what they need to do to reach them—regardless of whether that means an upsell or not. Two-Brain gyms do goal reviews with their clients three times per year. Here's what they look like and why they're critical for success—for both your clients and your business.Links:Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:00:14 – The prescriptive model. 4:18 – A client’s first 90 days. 5:05 – The first goal review. 6:57 – It’s not about upselling; it’s about providing the solution. 8:01 – The Two-Brain goal-review process.9:23 – The power of celebrating your clients. 

If you're stuck on how to grow your gym, you may be tempted to look at the more successful gym down the street and do what they're doing. Charge what they're charging. Advertise like they're advertising. But the perspective you actually need is that of an outsider—even one as far outside the box as to be outside the fitness industry altogether. There are six key strategies you can use to grow your business, says Chris Cooper, and for each of those strategies, Coop has a recommendation for a great book packed with objective advice from an outside perspective.Links:Profit First for MicrogymsThe E-Myth RevisitedGood to GreatRich Dad, Poor DadNever Lose a Customer AgainHow to Win Friends and Influence PeopleState of the IndustryGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:05 – CrossFit: founded with an outsider’s perspective. 4:47 – Your method isn’t your business model. 5:51 – “Profit First for Microgyms”6:29 – “The E-Myth Revisited” 7:07 – “Good to Great”7:34 – “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”8:49 – “Never Lose a Custom

It's the end of the month, and you've got a little nugget left over. Awesome! You can get that air bike you've been salivating over for so long! But is that really the best use for the extra cash? In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Chris Cooper explains the difference between expenses and investments and how to spend money in ways that will actually give you a measurable return.Links:Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:52 – Expenses vs. investments. 4:47 – Drawing a clear path from money spent to ROI.

Dane McCarthy owns West Village Athletic in New York City. He signed up for mentorship with Two-Brain Business only looking for some casual tidbits and content suggestions.What he got was a mentor dedicated to helping him overhaul his business—and 80 new clients in the first 30 days.Here's how.Links:West Village AthleticsGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:18 – Starting RampUp out of sheer anger.3:34 – Revamping the intake process.4:56 – The power of the sales binder.6:17 – What’s the deal with squads?9:51 – Seeking mentorship.11:14 – When he knew it was working.13:03 – Conquering the fear of the rate increase.15:56 – Making it in Manhattan.18:13 – Getting staff on board with changes.19:36 – Creating a staff playbook.23:37 – Looking to the future: Making more money with more services.28:14 – The cost of mentorship: Is it worth it? 

"Your business will not rise to the level of your marketing. It will fall to the level of your systems." — Chris Cooper No matter how cutting-edge your marketing funnels may be, your business will fall to the level of your systems. There are six systems that you need for your business to thrive — and here's exactly what they look like. Links:Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:07 – You need a self-payment system. 3:46 – You need a marketing and sales system.6:36 – Earning more per client.8:38 – Retention.11:49 – Ascending yourself.13:28 – Improving ROI.14:46 – The five audits.

Mike Turnquist has done it all. He's sold million-dollar homes. He's lost more than 100 lb. He's opened a CrossFit gym—and has another one ready to go with an appetite for a third.Before Mike opened his second location, he tripled his monthly revenue at the first. Now, he's ready to launch Gym No. 2 with systems, staff, and even some members ready to go from Day 1. Here's how.Links:Start a GymProfit First for MicrogymsGym Owners UnitedTimeline:3:12 – Helping build a gym—and then buying it.7:38 – Tripling revenue with the Profit First model.8:38 – Eyes on another and biding his time.12:06 – Starting with a blank slate.13:09 – Dividing staff and time between two gyms.15:14 – A jumpstart on membership with the Founders Club.19:59 – From selling million-dollar mansions to hundred-dollar gym memberships.21:46 – The magic of onboarding.24:23 – The power of systems.26:19 – What you need most before opening a second gym.

If you follow Two-Brain Business on social media, YouTube, TwoBrainBusiness.com or even this very podcast, you may have noticed a pattern: We want to make gym owners millionaires. But why? Have we lost sight of what really matters—saving and changing lives through fitness? Absolutely not. It's because of that very mission—your mission—that we want you to make more money. We want your gym to survive for the long haul and support you and your family well into your golden years when you might not want to coach that 4:30-a.m. class or mop the floors at 9 every night. Financial freedom is not greed. It's an opportunity. Links:Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:00:16 – Coop gets you—because he is you. 2:35 – Why Two-Brain Business talks so much about money. 3:40 – How much money you need to make to live the life you want. 5:31 – Why we want you to make more than you need. 7:25 – The mistake gym owners make with their money—and what to do instead. 9:46 – It’s about your future.