Should gym owners care about becoming millionaires? Even struggling gym owners who can’t see past the day-to-day challenges of keeping their gyms afloat?In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike Warkentin and Chris Cooper dig into Chris’ upcoming book, “Millionaire Gym Owner,” which will be out in early 2024. In the book, Chris shares his journey to reaching millionaire status, as well as stories from some of Two-Brain’s 43 certified millionaire gym owners. These entrepreneurs detail the steps they took to get from $100,000 net owner benefit (NOB) to $1 million net worth. On average, gym owners who invest in Two-Brain mentorship reach $100,000 NOB in two years, one month and nine days—regardless of starting point. And the average timeframe for reaching millionaire status is just under two more years after that. Listen to learn more, then start working toward your financial goals (a mentor can provide a plan). And be sure to read “Millionaire Gym Owner” when it comes out in 2024.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call3:13 - The plan6:03 - Scaling and investing8:44 - Make a stable business14:23 - The barbell strategy19:27 - Be inspired

Late in 2021, Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper issued a challenge to gym owners: get 100 leads ASAP. He provided an exact plan to help them start conversations with prospective clients, then said “go!”Amanda Chace of CrossFit Torque had great results with the sell-by-chat strategy and joins host Mike Warkentin to talk about them. Amanda shares how many leads she got and how many sales she made, and she offers other gym owners tips for success when using a public Facebook group to build an audience.Listen to this episode if you’re looking for new ways to market your services, don’t want to spend money on adds, want to learn more about content marketing or want to find out the best ways to connect with local people who might be perfect for your gym or nutrition programs.Links:Fitness Nutrition Mindset in Foxboro AreaGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:13—Lead totals and creating a Facebook group.9:35—How to start conversations.20:20—How to use chats to book free consultations.27:36—Weekly time commitment.31:58—Tips for gym owners.

If you don't post pictures of torn, bloody hands like you did in the old days, is it really your gym? If there isn't a shirtless athlete vomiting in the corner, is it really your gym? If you aren't the one unlocking the doors at 5 a.m. and locking them again at 9 p.m., is it really your gym? Things change, and so will your business if it's to survive the test of time. Here's Coop on which changes matter—and which don't.P.S. Coop's new book is out! For everything you need to start and scale a fitness business, get your copy of "Start a Gym" here.Links:Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:14 – The story of Theseus’ boat.3:06 – Grandfather’s axe.4:38 – The story that matters.

You get a scary-looking letter in the mail. The gist: "Pay us now or stop playing music in your gym!" Is it legit? Are they watching you? The truth is that's the smallest of mines gym owners must navigate on the legal battleground of gym ownership. Matt Becker knows firsthand. He's a gym owner, laywer and founder of gymlawyers.com, and here, he joins Chris Cooper to answer your top questions about the legalities of gym ownership.P.S. Coop's new book is out! For everything you need to start and scale a fitness business, get your copy of "Start a Gym" here.Links: Gym LawyersGym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:42 – ASCAP and music licensing fees. Are they legit? 10:36 – Do you need an AED on-site? What about training to use it?15:59 – All about waivers. What do they protect gym owners from? What don’t they? What should you absolutely have on yours? 21:16 – Why you need incident reports on hand.23:19 – Leases and escape clauses.30:37 – Noncompetes and non-solicits: What they are and whether they’re reasonable. 34:41 – Employees vs. independent contractors: rules and language to look out for.42:46 – When a noncompete clause invalidates an entire contract — and when it’s actually valid.45:57 – Non-solicits: Should you have one?49:16 – When to seek help from an attorney.

Aspiring gym owners: What if you had the solutions to all the newbie gym-owner mistakes BEFORE you made them? Current gym owners: What if you could get the answers to the problems that have been plaguing you since you opened your doors? Sit tight — all that and more is coming your way in Chris Cooper's latest book, "Start a Gym" (both the book and its namesake course will be available on Jan. 24, 2022). Here, Coop shares a preview of what the new book and course contain and how they can help new and existing gym owners alike build a stable, profitable business.Links:Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:00:14 – Now is the best time to start a gym business.6:13 – Should you buy an existing gym or start from scratch?6:58 – Should you take a partner? 8:32 – Choosing your method.10:16 – Choosing a location. 12:02 – Buying equipment.13:58 – Setting up your services.14:29 – Setting your prices. 15:13 – Selling your services.16:27 – Setting up your media platform.17:22 – Getting your first clients before you open. 18:36 – Pre- and post-launch checklists. 18:53 – Advice from millionaire gym owners. 19:44 – Rolling the dice. 

The client/member journey. Helping people lead better lives. Leadership and relationship-building.All of the above and more are key for building a healthy community with healthy community members — and Tres Kennedy is doing just that in two places: Move Church, where he serves as a pastor, and CrossFit Wotown, the gym he owns with his wife Erin.Here, he shares some of the lessons he's learned apply to both his flocks.Links:CrossFit WotownMove ChurchGym Owners UnitedTimeline:00:48 – Planting a church and starting a gym.3:57 – The member journey: surprising similarities.6:11 – Taking Two-Brain to church.8:12 – Breaking barriers.10:08 – Identifying drop-off points and taking action.12:02 – Taking self-improvement beyond the workout.16:24 – What being a pastor has taught Tres about entrepreneurship.21:19 – “People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”23:01 – Retention, self-worth and cynicism.25:47 – The critical thing gym owners must know to build tight-knit community.29:29 – Gym owners: your homework.

When you were new to your sport or discipline, you probably made a lot of mistakes. But what was the key to getting better? More reps, yes — but more importantly, better reps. To improve, you had to acknowledge what you were doing incorrectly and do something different. The same goes for entrepreneurship. You're gonna make mistakes. The key is to learn from them and do better — and not get stuck doing something that doesn't work just because you've already invested time and money in it. Chris Cooper is not immune to mistakes; Two-Brain Business is built on the mistakes he's made and learned from. Here, he shares the four simple steps you need to take after making a mistake to improve the outcome the next time around. Links:Incite TaxDrink O2Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:37 – The sunk-costs trap.6:01 – Only make new mistakes.6:59 – Never repeat mistakes.8:15 – Use trial timelines.9:50 – Determine what success looks like in advance.13:01 – Use the impact filter.16:50 – “Make mistakes, make ‘em fast, and learn from every one.”

Your business will never grow if you spend all your time coaching classes and mopping floors. So unless you want to do that for the rest of your life, you've got to make time to work on your business instead of in it. Chris Cooper explains how.Links:The 10-Hour CEOHow To Optimize Your DayDriven NutritionGym Lead MachineGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:00 – How Coop turned a crazy job into a great business.7:04 – Start with one hour per day. 8:00 – Creating time, space, and capital.9:57 – The principles at work: Parkinson’s law and the Pareto principle.11:08 – Free resources to take you from Founder to Farmer phase.

Nyan Cat. Doge. Charlie Bit My Finger. If all you think of when you hear "NFT" are funny internet things that inexplicably sell for tens of thousands of dollars, you need to listen to this podcast. Web 3.0 — in which creators license and sell their work on their own on the blockchain — is on the horizon, says Two-Brain Business founder Chris Cooper.  And with it comes some great potential opportunities for gym owners. Links:Forever FierceArboxGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:10 – The dawn of Web 3.0.4:41 – Gym owners and NFTs: Programming.7:39 – NFTs: eliminating the middleman.8:45 – Selling pull-up progressions as NFTs.10:13 – An example from the Two-Brain community.12:33 – Who stands to win big with NFTs.

In the fitness industry, voices will always say, “This worked for me, and it will definitely work for everyone!” Those are the “n = 1 experts.” And maybe their ideas will work for you. But their advice carries risk:What if they’re over-reporting results?What if they’re under-reporting downside?What if their idea only worked once?What if their idea only worked in their gym?What if their idea only worked with their clients?What if their idea will stop working over time?What if they’re incentivized to sell you on the idea?Worse are the n = 0 “biz coaches” who will sell you an idea they haven’t tested themselves. But data? Data eliminates risk and silences those without proof. Data also makes great things possible: Two-Brain created six first-time millionaires in 2021. Real millionaires. Not the shell-game success stories who say “I made $100,000 at my gym last month and expect it to continue forever!” Instead, we helped real gym owners grow their net worths to over $1 million.Our 2021 report contains information from 14,162 gyms. It is the largest and most comprehensive data set ever collected in our industry. It’s the info gym owners need right now.Links:Download the free State of the Fitness Industry 2021 reportArboxPushPressWodifyIncite TaxZen PlannerGym Lead MachineGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:04 – Why the data matters.4:38 – Where our data comes from.6:22 – Length of time in business.7:13 – How many clients the average microgym has and their avatars.9:23 – Who grew in 2021.13:43 – How much gyms are charging.15:38 – Where the revenue comes from.16:14 – How long members are staying.17:24 – What gyms are selling.23:50 – CrossFit Games Open participation rates.25:16 – Staffing and staff compensation.27:46 – How much gym owners are paying themselves.30:17 – What differentiates high earners from low earners.31:07 – Gym owner hours worked.33:51 – Profitability and square footage.34:45 – Profitability by sector.35:49 – Business debt.36:11 – Profit and post-COVID bounceback.37:15 – Why we made this guide — and are giving it away for free.

The gym down the road from you isn't doing so hot. One day, you get a call from the owner: "Do you wanna buy my gym?"There's a lot to consider—more than just gross revenue and client headcount.  How profitable is it? What mistakes and liabilities would you be acquiring? Do you actually need to buy that gym to get its clients? Two-Brain Business founder Chris Cooper breaks it down step-by-step with exactly what to consider and how to crunch the numbers before you buy—or sell—a gym.Links:Driven NutritionTwo-Brain CoachingFree ToolsGym Owners UnitedTimeline:5:36 – How to determine what a gym is worth.7:38 – Equipment and assets.10:32 – Accounting for liabilities. 14:22 – How it can all go wrong.15:57 – Why you should interview the coaches before you buy.17:13 – Talk to the seed clients.18:39 – Buying out a partner.20:01 – The importance of non-competes.21:49 – The question you need to ask yourself before you buy a gym.

Ever seen an ad promising "exponential growth" with one easy trick? "Buy this lead program and grow your gym exponentially!"It's a catchy buzzphrase, but true exponential growth—growth that continues to grow and expand on itself—requires intention. Here, Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares how to make referral marketing an active process to achieve truly exponential growth.Links:Level MethodDrink O2Affinity Marketing Cheat Sheet"Help First"Gym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:01 – Defining “exponential growth.”2:16 – What exponential growth looks like in the gym business.4:00 – Create a culture of referral.5:08 – How to ask for referrals.9:29 – Play the long game.10:57 – Using events to bring in new clients.15:07 – The events that don’t work.18:18 – Why you shouldn’t trade discounts for referrals.20:24 – How discounts for long-term contracts hurt your business.

The three most important stats when it comes to marketing are these: Set rates (how many appointments you book), show rates (how many people actually show up to those appointments) and close rates (how many of those people actually buy something in those appointments). In October, Kyle McGough of D1 Training Columbus led Two-Brain Business clients in all three. Here's how he did it. Links:D1 Training ColumbusGym Lead MachineForever FierceGym Owners UnitedTimeline:2:22 – The challenges of being a “legacy” franchise.5:24 – Flipping the system from high volume, low value to one-on-one relationships and high-value sales.8:51 – Merging mentorship and the franchise model. 12:33 – Franchise plus autonomy: The best of both worlds. 15:27 – Implementing Two-Brain practices in to the D1 model. 17:40 – The prescriptive model meets free trial workout.23:14 – The intro and consultative process.24:28 – One good month follows another: A peek at November’s numbers.27:25 – How Kyle gets so many leads — and how he gets them to show up. 33:19 – Who has time for all that lead nurture? 36:14 – The secret to closing. 39:11 – Finding the sweet spot between mentorship and the franchise model. 

You're an entrepreneur: You've got ideas, you're creative, and you want to do things your own way. We get that. But don't let your independent spirit cost you time and money.Instead, ask yourself the same three questions Chris Cooper asks himself before he tackles any new business venture—and watch as you save gobs of resources.Links:Chalk It ProArboxGym Owners UnitedFree ToolsTimeline:1:51 – “Who has solved this before me?”5:41 – “Who has solved this better than anyone else?”7:50 – “What’s the average solution?”10:10 – How to use the answers to those three questions to improve your business.

What's better than a free trial?  Providing value. Free knowledge won't get you long-term clients. Providing something of value will — and value isn't free.Here's Chris Cooper on the difference between value and price, and why you're doing yourself a disservice by offering free trials.Links:AGuardBeyond the WhiteboardGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:08 – Value vs. price.6:14 – Value is better than free.9:54 – Knowledge doesn’t create value. Action does.

You want your coaches to make a good living at your gym. But how can you pay them more without hurting your bottom line? It's not about giving staff a bigger piece of the pie, Chris Cooper says. It's about baking a bigger pie.Here's how to do it. Links:Two-Brain CoachingTwo-Brain ProgrammingGym Management: The Case for Part-Time CoachesIntrapreneurialism 101Go With ThemTimeline:2:31 – You earn more money by creating more value for more people.3:28 – Pay coaches more by helping them build their careers.6:57 – The wrong way to pay coaches more. 7:33 – Figure out what you can afford to pay per class.9:34 – What to do if that figure is too low.11:42 – The ratios stay the same—so bake a bigger pie.12:15 – Should coaches get paid the same amount?

If there's a business book out there, chances are Chris Cooper's read it. That's good news for you, because it means you don't have to guess which ones are worth your while. Here are Chris Cooper's top reads — books that actually made a measurable difference in his business — from 2021, as well as which ones you can stand to skip.Links:Incite TaxDriven NutritionGym Owners UnitedTimeline:1:49 – “$100M Offers: How to Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No” by Alex Hormozi.3:06 – “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown. 4:50 – “Steal the Show: From Speeches to Job Interviews to Deal-Closing Pitches, How to Guarantee a Standing Ovation for all the Performances in Your Life” by Michael Port.6:24 – “Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day” by Jay Shetty.7:40 – “The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.10:01 – “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life” by Jordan Peterson.11:44 – “Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy.14:29 – “Get Different” by Mike Michalowicz.16:13 – The books you can skip from 2021.

The holiday season: Chris Cooper calls it the "black hole of hedonism." Schedules fill up, good eating habits go out the window for weeks on end and frustrated clients pause their memberships—or even quit altogether. How do you keep your clients from getting sucked in?Here's Coop on the best way to retain clients during the holidays.Links:Drink O2Gym Lead MachineGym Owners UnitedTimeline:0:46 – A coach’s greatest weapon during the holiday season.1:48 – Give your clients a plan.2:48 – The habits tracker.4:04 – Go back to the CALM model.

Sales and marketing may be trendy and sexy, but retention is where you make your money. It's easier—and more cost-effective—to keep a client than to gain a new one. Nick Seabock owns CrossFit Off the Grid in New Jersey, and with an average length of engagement of 41 months per client, he was Two-Brain's retention leader for July.Here, he joins Mike Warkentin to talk retention tactics: How to keep clients new and old engaged and committed for the long haul.Links:CrossFit Off the GridBeyond the WhiteboardChalk It ProGym Owners UnitedFree ToolsTimeline:2:24 – Nick Seabock: Third in line to the gym-owner throne.7:13 – Going from head coach to owner.9:51 – Back to basics.13:13 – Social media: Your most powerful retention tool.18:32 –The power of touch points.21:26 – Systematizing retention efforts.24:34 – Automation vs. personalization. 27:28 – Don’t forget about your long-timers.32:59 – Tell your members’ stories.34:51 – What to do today to start improving length of engagement.

It's exciting to get lots of leads, but what really matters is how many of them show up—and how many buy.Matt Andrus, owner of Sequoia Fitness in Oakland, California, closed 75% of his leads in September. In this episode, he shares how he does it.Tune in to learn his approach to advertising, lead nurture and sales—and how he builds trust with potential new clients.LinksSequoia FitnessIncite Tax: Profit First for MicrogymsTwo-Brain CoachingThe Surge: Why Some Gyms are Thriving After COVIDBook a Free CallTimeline:2:02 – A look at Matt’s automations.3:55 – Analyzing the data.6:27 – Surfing the Surge.8:18 – What he did to close 75% of leads in September.11:16 – Evolving from the old school.14:59 – Pamphlets and sandwich boards.17:45 – Rustic but sophisticated.21:48 – What the luxury hotel industry taught Matt about sales.24:09 – “Not a consult, but a conversation.”27:27 – You have to believe your product is worth the price.32:16 – Teaching staff to sell.36:35 – “Hire for attitude, train for aptitude.”41:02 – Successful No-Sweat Intros.48:22 – You have to listen.

Two-Brain Radio With Sean Woodland, Episode 12: Stacie TovarOn today’s episode, Sean speaks with 8-time CrossFit Games individual competitor Stacie Tovar and her husband Dustin.Stacie first competed at the CrossFit Games in 2009 in Aromas. Her final year was in 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. She and Dustin own CrossFit Omaha in Nebraska—a gym that has been around for nearly 12 years—and recently became parents with the birth of their first son, Gavin. Sean talks with Stacie about her career as a CrossFit competitor and how she and Dustin have built their affiliate into one of the best gyms in Omaha. You'll also get insider knowledge of which Disney movies are Stacie's and Dustin's—and Sean's—favorites.Links: http://crossfitomaha.com/https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Farmer-Tinker-Thief-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07QH85HSXContact: Instagram: @stacietovar, @dustintovarTimeline:1:33 – Adjusting to parenthood.2:22 – Growing up on a Nebraskan farm: Disney movies, hard work and detasseling.6:31 – Inheriting a taste for competition. 8:28 – Finding CrossFit—thanks to husband Dustin.10:04 – When Stacie couldn’t do a box jump and why she kept coming back. 11:15 – Becoming a CrossFit Games athlete. 12:26 – Memories from the 2009 CrossFit Games at Aromas: deadlifts, dust and barbed-wire fences.15:49 – Sharing the veteran’s circle with Becca Voigt and Annie Thorisdottir.18:18 – Stacie’s retirement send-off moment at the 2017 Games and why she decided to retire.21:27 – Becoming affiliate owners and running a business with a spouse.25:40 – The most important qualities of a good affiliate. 27:37 – Developing staff.31:47 – Characteristics of a great coach. 32:28 – How CrossFit Omaha’s been successful for more than a decade. 35:26 – The future of CrossFit Omaha.

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 20: David OquendoOn today's episode of the Two-Brain Marketing podcast, Mateo Lopez speaks with David Oquendo, owner of Rapid Fit KC in Kansas City, Missouri.Though many gyms sell personal training, few sell it as the primary offering. Though Rapid Fit does offer group-fitness classes, the first step to joining the gym is to go through the Rapid Fit KC 90 Day Transformation: 90 days of one-on-one training that gets a new client up to speed and seeing results fast.This is a high-ticket item that, at $460, doesn't come cheap. However, David says the investment helps clients stay committed and the one-on-one attention gives them good results fast, making them more likely to stay long term.Links: https://rapidfitkc.comContact: rapidfitmethod@gmail.comTimeline: 2:10 – Why focus on personal training? 4:18 – Turning to Two-Brain after a $16,000 loss.6:01 – Selling confidence.9:58 – The value of a high-ticket offering.12:28 – A foundation of PT protects both client and owner.17:09 – Creating stable income for staff.19:13 – How to get clients to buy high-ticket packages.23:00 – The key to success: a great team. 

Two-Brain Radio With Sean Woodland, Episode 11: Mekenzie RileyOn today’s episode, Sean Woodland talks with four-time CrossFit Games athlete Mekenzie Riley.This week, Mekenzie will make her fourth career appearance at the CrossFit Games and her third as an individual, which she qualified for with an 11th-place finish in the worldwide CrossFit Open.She talks a lot about overcoming adversity. Mekenzie dealt with some pretty serious stuff when she was younger—including battling disordered eating, body-image issues and the loss of her parents—but overcame it all to become a successful CrossFit Games athlete. Mekenzie also shares how she prepared for the Games in Madison and what she would consider a successful season.Links: https://growyournutritionbusiness.com/2019-crossfit-games-workshop/Contact: Instagram: @itskenzierileyTimeline: 1:37 – Training in the weeks leading up to the CrossFit Games. 4:28 – Struggling with body image as a teenager. 6:55 – Overcoming anorexia and bulimia.10:39 – To overcome an eating disorder, you have to want to get better.14:31 – Remembering Mekenzie’s hero: Her mother. 18:50 – Dealing with the loss of her parents. 22:01 – From Zumba instructor to CrossFit enthusiast.24:27 – Becoming a CrossFit competitor. 27:39 – Lessons learned from Games past: Be grateful.30:48 – Training around the new CrossFit Games season structure. 37:45 – What will it take for the 2019 Games to be a success? 

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 19: Mauricio LealOn today's episode of the Two-Brain Marketing podcast, Mateo Lopez speaks with Mauricio Leal, head coach and co-owner of CrossFit Cypher in Richmond, California. Mauricio was one of Two-Brain Business' first clients and had been running CrossFit Cypher for four years by the time Two-Brain came along. Still, the gym was barely making ends meet and Mauricio was stretched to capacity—so he joined the family. Though he was apprehensive about the mentorship process at first, today, Mauricio says the experience has been integral to the gym's survival and revival. In this episode, you'll learn how Mauricio went back to square one to establish systems and processes, eliminate discounts and overhaul the No-Sweat Intro process. He also shares how he learned to manage Facebook ads effectively, today spending $1,000 a month on ads to generate $4,000 in front-end sales. Links: https://crossfitcypher.com/https://growyournutritionbusiness.com/2019-crossfit-games-workshop/Contact: mauricio@crossfitcypher.comTimeline:2:34 – On b-boying and b-girling and the naming of CrossFit Cypher.4:32 – Trading engineering for fitness.8:50 – The crossroads: How desperation drove Mauricio to mentorship.12:00 – The first steps with Two-Brain: Establishing SOPs and ditching discounts.17:11 – Selling the hero’s journey.19:21 – Attentive listening and the goal-review process.19:56 – Paid ads, lead funnels and building rapport with potential clients.22:58 – The No-Sweat Intro: making an emotional connection. 27:47 – Finding a tribe in the Two-Brain family.

 Episode 177: Handling Difficult Conversations With Per MattssonIn this episode, Greg Strauch speaks with leader, entrepreneur and Two-Brain Business mentor Per Mattsson. When it comes to leadership and entrepreneurship, Per has done it all. He spent more than a decade working in the education system—starting as a high-school teacher before advancing to vice principal and then principal—and has also served as a leadership consultant helping educators, administrators and politicians develop and improve their leadership and communication skills.In 2009, Per opened one of Sweden’s first CrossFit affiliates and 2015, he launched the food-delivery service PaleoBoxen. He’s the founder of the Coaches Congress—Europe’s largest annual gathering for gym owners and coaches—and he’s also a valued Two-Brain Business mentor. Join us to learn how Per navigates tough conversations and manages conflict.Links: https://twobrainbusiness.com/how-to-handle-tough-conversations/https://twobrainbusiness.com/mentor-item/per-mattsson/https://www.coachescongress.com/Contact: Per@twobrainbusiness.comTimeline:0:49 – Per’s background in education and administration. 2:35 – Dealing with difficult parents as an educator. 6:49 – How Per’s experience as a foster parent prepared him to handle problems as an entrepreneur. 8:44 – The inspiration behind a career of service and entrepreneurship.11:14 – Tough conversation tactic No. 1: Listen and gather information.14:42 – Tough conversation tactic No. 2: Ask questions. 18:00 – When tough conversations get emotional. 19:30 – Tough conversation tactic No. 3: Agree on a solution and make a plan for next time.

Episode 176: Mike FlynnToday we are joined by Mike Flynn: entrepreneur, author, podcast host and all-around good human being.Mike and Chris met through their mutual publisher, Scribe, and soon discovered they shared a connection: Mike's CrossFit coach, Greg Amundson—aka one of CrossFit's "original firebreathers"—was the very first Two-Brain Radio guest. He also worked with Chris in Kenya for CrossFit For Hope.In this podcast, Mike shares the fundamental principles of his book, "Master the Key: A Story to Free Your Potential, Find Meaning and Live Life on Purpose," and how they can help entrepreneurs find self-worth and pursue their passion through the six caves: Faith, family, fitness, friends, finances and fun.You'll learn why finding your "why" isn't enough to achieve lasting success, the true meaning of passion, how to break down your own narrative and reframe it for success, and how CrossFit—and your CrossFit gym—can help others do the same. Affiliate owners: Interested in learning how implementing a nutrition program at your gym could take your business to the next level? Attending the CrossFit Games? Join Chris and Nicole Aucoin, founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition, for a FREE breakfast and mini-workshop Saturday, August 3, at the Madison Sheraton in Madison, Wisconsin. Space is limited, so sign up here today: https://growyournutritionbusiness.com/2019-crossfit-games-workshop/Links:https://www.amazon.com/Master-Key-Potential-Meaning-Purpose/dp/1544502079https://theimpactentrepreneur.net/https://crossfitamundson.com/Contact: https://theimpactentrepreneur.net/contact/Instagram: @theimpactmikeTimeline: 2:47 – The four pieces of the key to success. 5:18 – Understanding passion.8:23 – Breaking down our own narrative and reflecting on adversity.11:48 – Actively exploring the deep, dark caves to find the treasure within.16:18 – "Worth before why."20:00 – Why entrepreneurs need community. 24:36 – Having uncomfortable conversations.28:49 – Mike’s journey to CrossFit.36:28 – CrossFit as a tool for the mind, not just the body.39:19 – How to find other like-minded entrepreneurs.43:02 – A glimpse of a class at CrossFit Amundson: more than a workout.

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 18: Ryan O'ShaughnessyToday we are joined by Ryan O'Shaughnessy, the former operator at Bowery CrossFit in New York City, one of the most competitive fitness markets in the world.In his nearly two years at Bowery CrossFit, Ryan honed and systematized the gym's lead nurture and sales strategies. Last year, he spent $10,000 on ads that resulted in a whopping 2,000 leads—and thanks to his systematic approach to lead nurturing, $70,000 in front-end sales.In this interview, Ryan explains his process from the first point of contact to No-Sweat Intro confirmation. He also discusses when and how to accept client feedback, how to cultivate community and how to deal with toxic members.If you find sales and lead nurturing overwhelming or intimidating, you won't want to miss this episode.Links: https://foreverfierce.com/Contact: ryan@twobrainbusiness.comInstagram: @_lucidvisionsTimeline:3:08 – How Mateo and Ryan earned their stripes together at Bowery CrossFit.6:39 – Finding CrossFit after a collegiate swimming career. 10:28 – Ryan’s cold-call sales experience at Yelp.12:15 – How to onboard new clients without alienating existing ones.13:47 – Why you should seek client feedback from both new and seed clients.16:43 – How to cultivate community: Lead by example and according to your core values.22:07 – Dealing with toxic clients: The soft approach.25:33 – The lead-nurture process.27:31 – The importance of staff communication during all stages of the lead-nurture process.28:47 – Address roadblocks before selling to a potential client.31:44 – How to replace yourself: Put processes in writing and teach according to how people learn.

Episode 175: The Green Light Program With Vaughn VernonToday we are joined by Vaughn Vernon, owner and director of Affiliate Guard, an industry-specific company that provides insurance coverage for CrossFit affiliates.In this episode, Vaughn discusses the Green Light program, a new Affiliate Guard service designed to help gym owners ensure their businesses are compliant with the Safe Sport Act—written to protect young victims from sexual abuse—due to go into effect in 2020.To be in compliance with this legislation, gym owners will need to conduct annual background checks on trainers, create anonymous tip lines, develop incident documentation procedures and more. Vaughn shares how the Green Light program will give Affiliate Guard affiliates the resources, templates and procedures they need in order to be compliant and shares best practices for avoiding litigation once this legislation goes into effect.Links:https://growyournutritionbusiness.com/http://affiliateguard.info/http://affiliateguard.info/resources/templates/Contact:vaughn@affiliateguard.info801-677-0076Timeline: 2:42 – The Safe Sport Act and what it means for affiliate owners.5:52 – Best practices for child injuries vs. adult injuries.8:30 – The birth of the Green Light program: a proactive reaction to legislation.10:31 – What you get with the Green Light program: background checks, templates, procedures, and more.13:48 – Scheduled equipment maintenance: Why you need to do it.20:27 – Beyond the Level 1: Affiliate Guard coverage extends to multiple certs.26:16 – Health sharing for owners and coaches: How Vaughn saved tens of thousands of dollars with health-care coverage through Affiliate Guard. 

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 17: Dan VisentinToday we are joined by Dan Visentin, Two-Brain Business mentor and marketing team member and owner of CrossFit 416 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Dan opened his gym eight years ago in a 1,200-square-foot space with just $25,000. Since then, the gym has moved twice and managed to not only survive, but thrive. But it wasn't easy.Dan takes us through the early days of his affiliate—when he was working too much, coaching too many classes and losing his passion—and shares how he revamped his business by defining his vision, putting the right staff people in the right places, and redefining himself as a mentor, not a manager. He also shares his ad-campaign and lead-nurture strategy, and how he turned $10,000 in ad spend into $30,000 in front-end sales revenue.Join us to learn how to hire and develop great staff and how to winnow your marketing and lead-nurture processes to get more clients. Links: CrossFit 416"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't"Contact: Dan.visentin@twobrainbusiness.com@crossfit_416Timeline: 3:00 – Intro to Dan Visentin.6:00 – The early days: Working too much and relocating out of panic. 6:53 – Why join Two-Brain? 8:17 – The first big “aha” moments: Creating a vision and developing staff.9:37 – Mentoring—not managing—staff.13:53 – What it means to be a great leader.16:04 – Hire people who share your values—then find a place for them.18:49 – Selling a solution to people’s problems.22:07 – Ads and lead nurturing: trial and error.28:35 – Selling the prescriptive model. 29:54 – Converting six-week challengers to monthly membership clients.34:04 – The key to success: Putting the right people in the right places. 

Founder, Farmer, Thinker, Thief

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 16: Tyler Lee and Jonathan GibbonsTyler Lee and Jonathan Gibbons own CrossFit Resurrection in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.The pair bought the gym three years ago, navigating the sticky situation of raising membership prices and firing the previous owners after they began sowing discord. Neither Lee nor Gibbons had any prior business, sales or marketing experience and felt overwhelmed at the prospect of advertising and nurturing leads—until they joined the Two-Brain family about eight months ago. Since then, they've totally overhauled and automated their No-Sweat Intro and ad campaign processes. Last month, they spent $800 on ads and generated more than $5,000 in front-end revenue.Join us to learn how Lee and Gibbons used Two-Brain practices to take their gym from surviving to thriving.Links:https://healthystepsnutrition.com/https://crossfitresurrection.ca/Contact:crossfitresurrection@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/crossfitresurrection/https://www.instagram.com/crossfitresurrection/?hl=enTimeline:3:49 – Intro to Jonathan and Tyler.5:54 – Life before Two-Brain: Running in circles.9:20 – The toughest business lessons they’ve learned so far: Firing the previous owners and raising prices.12:46 – Make decisions based on numbers, not emotions.18:09 – Why they turned down a marketer’s offer to get CrossFit Resurrection 100 new leads. 20:39 – Going through the Incubator: Learning to develop systems and train staff.27:29 – Overhauling the No-Sweat Intro booking process and lead nurturing.33:36 – Managing paid advertising campaigns.39:05 – Book No-Sweat Intros based on your schedule, not the potential client’s. 43:49 – The key to success? Communication.

Two-Brain Marketing Episode 14: Jack WheelerToday we are joined by Jack Wheeler, founder and CEO of 360 Fitness, a high-end personal training and small-group training studio in Red Deer and Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.In the last year, Jack spent $52,000 on Facebook ads and generated $400,000 in new-member revenue, and in this episode, he'll tell you how he did it. You'll learn how he markets to and funnels new clients in through evergreen 21-day and six-week challenges as well as how he retains new clients through customized offers and an education-first mindset. Plus, he shares how he generates additional revenue—enough to pay for a full-time front-desk and admin staff—through in-house supplement, shake and meal sales.Join us to learn how you can best invest your resources to generate new revenue.Links:http://360fitness.ca/Contact:http://360fitness.ca/https://www.facebook.com/jackwheelerreddeerTimeline:1:58 - Intro to Jack Wheeler.3:40 - How Jack and Mateo met.7:50 - The 21-day and six-week intro challenges.11:15 - An education-based approach to nutrition. 15:03 - Investing in free educational content for your members. 16:25 - To design resources and offerings, ask your members what they struggle with.19:15 - Make it easier for clients and generate more revenue by offering supplements, shakes and meal services.24:04 - Internal vs. external marketing strategies. 27:12 - Advertising copy and lead generation. 32:31 - The “know, like, and trust” factor.34:18 - Ad spend and ROI.36:17 - Constructing tailored marketing sequences. 40:55 - The client’s first experience and the conversion process. 46:28 - The key to success? Grow some balls. 

Episode 2: Bill GrundlerOn today’s episode of Two-Brain Radio with Sean Woodland, Sean talks with CrossFit Games broadcaster and masters athlete Bill Grundler. Bill has competed in the masters division at the Games twice, taking second in the 45-49-year-old division in 2015. He also owns and operates CrossFit Inferno, with locations in San Luis Obispo and Nipomo, California.Bill talks about how he found CrossFit nearly 20 years ago, his time as a competitor, and some of the struggles he’s encountered and lessons he’s learned running his gym for the last 10 years. Don’t forget about the 2019 Two-Brain Summit, June 8-9 in Chicago! We have some amazing topics and speakers for you and your coaches. Click here to register now!Links:https://twobrainbusiness.com/http://crossfitinferno.com/https://www.billgrundler.com/Timeline:00:03 – Introducing Bill Grundler.1:36 – How Bill got into CrossFit.7:30 – Becoming a competitor.13:50 – Transitioning to the masters competition.22:49 – The birth of CrossFit Inferno—and lessons learned.31:40 – Excellence in coaching.35:10 – Ensuring future success.40:02 – Bill's new Legacy program for masters athletes.46:58 – Final advice: Have a solid business model.

On this edition of the Two-Brain Marketing podcast, Mateo Lopez speaks with Jarrett Baston of Triumph Strength and Conditioning. You're going to hear about how Jarrett and his business partner, Mark McCain, went from operating a gym out of a car wash to running a thriving business in the massive, multi-room fitness facility they're in today. (Mark actually had to leave the interview because they had a surprise walk-in No-Sweat Intro!)Jarrett talks about how investing in a business coach or mentor can help you go from barely making ends meet to making a good living. He also demonstrates how to sell to potential clients by having empathy: meeting them where they're at, making them comfortable and really listening to them.Plus, Jarrett shares how Triumph Strength and Conditioning consistently turns $300 of ad spend into $2,000 to $3,000 in front-end revenue every month.Make sure you subscribe to Two-Brain Radio for more marketing tips and secrets each week. Don’t forget about the 2019 Two-Brain Summit, June 8-9 in Chicago! This year we have some amazing topics and guests for both you and your coaches. Click here to register and sign up now! Contact Jarrett:https://www.triumphstrength.net/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrett-baston-143589a/https://www.instagram.com/jarrettba/https://twitter.com/jarrettba Timeline:3:31 – Introduction to Jarrett Baston.5:04 – How Triumph Strength and Conditioning came to be.8:09 – Why Jarrett and Mark joined the Two-Brain family and the importance of mentorships.11:02 – Why gyms should charge appropriately for premium services.16:20 – Putting people first.17:54 – Selling the best hour of someone’s day.20:17 – Selling requires empathy.23:06 – What a No-Sweat Intro at Triumph Strength and Conditioning looks like.29:22 – To increase revenue from marketing, seek out mentors.32:47 – Treating marketing as an investment.34:01 – How to contact Jarrett.34:30 – Why you should connect with gym owners in your area to learn and network.

In business, the best storyteller wins.One of the first things every entrepreneur does in the Incubator is to map their clients' journey. That foundation helps us plan for better intake and retention. The client is the hero of their story; their coaches are the guides. The Level Method is based in science and math, but it's powerful because it tells a story. As your client moves from Yellow to Red in the Front Squat, they know they've achieved something. Take the best elements of gaming, badging, and martial arts grading, and you have The Level Method.At Two-Brain, we advocate services and products that can measurably improve your gym. We're not interested in dumping more ideas on you; we want to share things that WORK.The immediate benefit that most gym owners see from adding Level Method is an increase in 1:1 training revenue. But long-term, we're tracking LEG and adherence too, because we know that a sticky story draws people back to the campfire.We've been sharing Nate's story since the start, and we're big believers.  In 2016 Nathan developed what has become known as the Level Method. This is a completely unique, data-driven system that offers clients unparalleled insight into their fitness and progression. After implementing this tool at his own gym, Nathan has shared this powerful tool with many other gyms now providing unimaginably results for their members. Join us as we discuss the Level Method and Nathan’s experience in the CrossFit industry! Don’t Forget about the 2019 Two Brain Summit, June 8-9 in Chicago! This year we have some amazing topics and guests for both yourself and your coaches. Click hereto register and sign up now! Contact Nathan:https://www.levelmethod.com/https://www.levelmethodgym.com/https://www.instagram.com/nathanholiday/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-holiday-7b874266/ Links:Getting Things Done – https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280Pomodoro Technique – https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique Timeline:1:35 – Introduction to Nathan Holiday4:46 – Developing a unique tool for clients and CrossFit owners, the Level Method8:51 – How does the CrossFit Level Method work?11:25 – The importance of highlighting a moment for a client’s experience16:09 – The structure of the Level Method, Where does a beginner rank?18:16 – The process of leveling up in the Level Method, Performing an Assessment22:11 – Building a roadmap for your clients to reach their goal and stay engaged28:15 – The difference between Objective and Relevance Testing29:36 – The Level Method Phone App30:57 – What are the next steps for the Level Method going forward34:08 – Programming that goes along with the Level Method37:54 – Testing the Level Method at the Level Method Gym41:56 – Staying focused and putting a timer to your work46:05 – How to contact Nathan

This is our NEW podcast, Two-Brain Marketing, where we'll focus on sales and digital marketing. Your host is Mateo Lopez!Stop spinning your wheels.Use our Free Help Kit as a roadmap to a more successful gym. Click here to get your FREE Kit.Greg Strauch will be back on Thursday with the Two-Brain Radio Podcast.Thanks for Listening!To share your thoughts:Leave a note in the comment section below.Email greg@twobrainbusiness.com.Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. To help out the show:Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.Subscribe on iTunes.

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Episode 157: Running a Successful Event with TJ Belger Overseeing or orchestrating an event within your business is never easy. Today we talk with TJ Belger about running the CrossFit masters event in Northern California. We get into how he got started with CrossFit and how to identify problems, find the right people, and execute to a plan. Additionally, we cover a whole host of dos and don’ts for running a successful event.  TJ is originally from New Jersey and got his start in the fitness industry as a personal trainer. After gaining the itch to expand his knowledge and find a more competitive environment, TJ found CrossFit and soon after founded TJ’s Gyms. TJ holds many certifications from CrossFit HQ but he finds that it is his independent learning that really is most applicable to helping his clients succeed. His passion is helping people set goals, stay accountable, and lead better lives! Don’t Forget! Find out what stage of entrepreneurship you are in by taking the exclusive Two Brain test here: https://twobrainbusiness.com/test/ or schedule your free mentoring call by clicking here! Links: https://www.tjsgym.com/ Contact TJ:tj@tjsgym.com Timeline:1:34 – Introduction to Running a Successful Event6:06 – From small events to HQ endorsed large events12:46 – What are the key points to have in place before hosting a big event 16:40 – Performing an after action report on necessary changes post event23:00 – The competitive atmosphere of a CrossFit event29:15 – The importance of starting small32:15 – Being rejected from major sponsors35:45 – Correcting issues when things go wrong

1. “Heartily know, when demigods go, the gods arrive.” – Emerson. People leave your gym (or life) for a reason. Usually it’s to make way for better people.2. “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”– Eleanor Roosevelt. Seriously, you’re the only one worrying about your programming and most of the “box drama”. Your clients have lives outside the box.3. “They’re not your friends.” – Big Nick Your clients are your clients. They pay you money in exchange for service. Your friends do not. It’s black and white, not gray. You don’t do discounts for friends, or “cut them a deal.” If they ask, they’re not your friends.4. “How will this affect your best clients?” – Mike Michalowicz It’s very tempting, sometimes, to make an exception to get the sale. When a big company asks for a corporate discount, ask yourself if it’s fair for your new clients to pay less than your amazing existing clients.5. “You can always afford to be generous.” – OK, that was me. You don’t need money to help people. And you don’t need to give them money – or discounts – to help them, either. This week, I showed my financial planner how to set up a free seminar. I showed my accountant how to build a Facebook ad for tax season, and told a group of 14 millionaires how to write a book. They don’t really need your money; they need your brain.

Two Brain Mentor Series Jeff BurlingameAt Two Brain we have over 20 mentors from around the world. In this episode I interview mentor Jeff Burlingame to hear how he got started in the gym business, and his path to becoming a mentor. Jeff knew he wanted to be mentor in his late teens after years of watching TV shows like Kitchen Nightmares, Hotel Hell and Bar Rescue. As he started frequenting gyms he realised he wanted to mentor gym owners. Hear about his journey to get there, which includes, working in sales, becoming the owner of a gym and being fired. He talks about how he tuned his gym around and why action was the thing that got him through.  Discussion PointsWhat led to Jeff wanting to be a mentor (01:02)How he started his gym career as a personal trainer and how his career in gyms progressed (3:00)How having his daughter changed his attitude to working 15-hour days and led him back to the idea of mentorship (03:52)Finding the opportunity to open his own gym (05:52)Running his first CrossFit gym and how he ended up buying it (08:00)Working out how to make money from the gym and working with Two Brain (14:40)Turning his gym around (16:33)The importance of action and momentum (17:46)How Jeff became a mentor with Two Brain and the tough training he went through (20:35)That going through the tough times of running a business is what builds character (25:00)What Jeff has learned from being a mentor (27:11)Why authenticity and experience in the industry are important to look for in a mentor (30:20)The importance of talking to your potential mentor and seeing if you align (33:38)  LinksTwo-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym by Chris Cooper

Jeff Smith is the owner of Cannon CrossFit, a real estate investor, and leader of the TwoBrain Tinker program.In this episode, Jeff talks about his story, what it means to be a mentor, and what it means to help those in the Tinker Phase.​Contact Jeff:Jeff.smith@twobrainbusiness.comTimeline:2:39 – Introduction with Jeff Smith11:30 – Joining Two Brain as a mentor13:09 – Joining the military, the motivation behind the decision15:31 – Jeff’s other business, real estate.17:14 – The importance of being a lifelong learner21:27 – The benefits of splitting up your day with a workout22:39 – How has a real estate investing led to becoming a better mentor26:12 – The importance of learning while mentoring someone else ​29:53 – How to contact Jeff​​“For this reason, they must believe in the cause for which they are fighting. They must believe in the plan they are asked to execute, and most important, they must believe in and trust the leader they are asked to follow.”—Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and WinFounder, Farmer, Tinker, ThiefIn the Great Information Age, we all have access to more knowledge than we can absorb, let alone act upon. And action is the only thing that matters. So what knowledge should entrepreneurs have? What action should they take? When?The modern problem for business owners isn’t lack of knowledge: it’s too much knowledge. It’s paralysis by analysis. It’s overwhelm.Entrepreneurs pass through four distinct phases as they first grow their business, and then their leadership. These phases are Founder, Farmer, Tinker and Thief.In the Founder Phase, the entrepreneur leaps off the cliff with his big idea. His goal is simple: to survive.The Founder Phase takes a heavy toll — physically exhausting, financially terrifying, and the largest strain on every personal relationship the Founder has. My job as mentor is to get the Founder out of the Founder Phase as quickly as possible. Many never survive this phase.The Farmer Phase starts when the entrepreneur begins the shift from self-employed to business owner. He’s hired his first employee, even if it’s a low-level role. He’s begun paying himself a little. But he’s probably still the face of the company. He’s probably still baking the donuts at 4am, then answering emails and making sales calls “when he can”. He’s still working in the business instead of working on the business. He’s busy being busy.The Farmer Phase is where 90% of entrepreneurs spend the entirety of their careers. They call themselves “owner-operators”, and most will never even retire from their business, let alone become wealthy.But some do. These are the Tinkers.A Tinker has built a business that runs itself. Now she’s trying to build another; or to duplicate her first success; or to take her first idea to a new market; or to start over with a new idea. If she’s not given new challenges, the Tinker will probably stick her hands in the machine, constantly “tweaking” her original business until it’s broken.My role as mentor to Tinkers is to help them identify the Next Big Project, and then keep them focused on it. I’ve never met a Tinker who didn’t have at least three Big Projects in mind. Free from their original business — and still making passive income from it — the Tinker’s greatest risk is killing the golden goose.The Tinker’s attention must shift from developing their first business to developing themselves as a leader. That means a plan for physical activity, mental acuity, and mental training. It means peer support: “It’s lonely at the top” describes the Tinker to a capital T. It means mentorship from someone who has successfully navigated the “valley of death” created by hiring a management layer for the first time.

Two Brain Mentor Series: Jeff SmithIn this series we are diving into each mentor, finding out their journey and what makes them really great mentors.Jeff Smith is the owner of CrossFit Cannon in Houston.  Originally from Central Illinois, he played football in college before joining the military. After he left, he worked in IT and started investing in real estate and flipping house while working full time. Hear about his journey into fitness, how he discovered CrossFit and why he decided to open a gym.Jeff talks about why he has always sought out mentors, the benefits of being a lifelong learner and his journey to structuring his gym so he is not involved in it’s day to day running.Discussion PointsJeff’s journey from joining the military, working for an insurance company and flipping houses to getting into Crossfit and opening a gym (01:46)How he’s always sought out a mentor in every single thing he’s done (08:35)Why he started mentoring (10:45)How Jeff has always had a passion for service and deciding to joining the military (13:10)How his father flipped houses when he was growing up (15:50)The benefits from his attitude to learning and curiosity about everything (17:59)Why he and his wife decided to stay in Houston (20:06)How Jeff makes working out a part of the structure of his day (22:40)Why his diverse background makes him a good mentor (24:26)Stoicism and the warrior culture (27:00)What he learns from mentoring (28:30)Why he thinks mentors are important (29:49)LinksContact Jeff at jeff.smith@twobrainbusiness.comRobert Kiyosaki: Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Mindset- Carol DweckThe Dichotomy of Leadership- Jocko WillinkRemember It- Nelson DellisHelp First- Chris CooperLeaders Eat Last- Simon SinekStart with Why- Simon SinekTribe- Sebastian JungerThe obstacle is the Way- Ryan HolidayEgo is the Enemy- Ryan HolidayHow to Win Friends and Influence People- Dale Carnegie

Why Most Businesses Are Just Houses Made of CardsThe scientist Bertrand Russell once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how earth orbits the sun, and the forces holding our galaxy together. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady stood up in the back of the theater and said,"What you've just told us is rubbish. The world is a flat plate, resting on the back of a giant tortoise."Russell asked, "What is the tortoise resting on?'The old lady replied, "You're very clever, sir. Very clever. But it's turtles all the way down."When a gym owner books a free callwith me, I spend the first ten minutes asking questions. I want to know their story; I want to see if I can help them. And I want to find their bedrock.So I ask about their Perfect Day. I ask them to tell me the story of their business. I ask, "Who's helping you with this?" But what I'm really trying to find is their foundation: the systems on which their business runs. When I discover a lack of systems, I want to know their goals. And if they can't clearly state their goals--their giant, big WHY IN THE SKY--then I ask about their values. I'm looking for their foundation.Knowledge--in science, in myth, and in your business--requires a foundation of absolute truth.If I ask your staff, "Why do we open at 9am?" are they likely to say, "Because that's the time we've always opened"?If so, and I asked, "Why have you always opened at that time?", what answer would they give?"Well, that's what time everyone opens on this street"?And if I asked, "Why does everyone on this street open at 9am?"--what answer would I get then?But if, to the first question, your staff answered, "We polled our best clients, and they prefer to start visiting at 9am" or "Traffic patterns on this block show that people arrive around 9:30am", then I would know that your business had a solid foundation of data.When I worked in a treadmill store years ago, a traveling rep subjected ME to such questions."Why do you open Monday to Friday from 9 until 5; then open for a half-day on Saturday, and stay closed all day on Sunday?"My answer: "Because that's when people come in."He asked, "What other times have you tried?"I backpedalled: "Well, no one else in this mini-mall is open on Sunday. We'd be the only one."He asked, "Why do they all close on Sundays?"Finally, exasperated, I answered, "Well, I'm not going to work seven days a week! I need my Saturday afternoons and Sundays off!"His point: most people don't buy treadmills between 9am and 5pm, because they're at work. They buy treadmills between 5pm and 9pm, and on the weekends, because they're not at work. So why open during those other times at all? Why not run wide open for two weeks, track when people wanted to visit most, and then close for the rest of the time?As he asked me those questions, I realized that I had no bedrock. I didn't have REAL reasons for doing things the way I did. It was turtles all the way down. My business was a house of cards, and each card was just a guess.Here's how we build foundations at TwoBrain:We start with your values. What's your PERSONAL non-negotiable bedrock? What are you not willing to sacrifice? For example, I believe in transparency and fairness, so I don't offer discounts at my gym.Then we follow with goals. What's YOUR Perfect Day? Where are we heading?Next, we build playbooks so that staff find it EASY to do things the way you want them done. The playbooks become THEIR bedrock.Finally, we examine the gold standards in your industry and ask, "What are the BEST doing? What's a ten out of ten?" and work to improve all of it.Just as you can't add weight to a house of cards, you can't grow a business without a foundation. Myths and science alike fail when

"10:19pm. Leaving the gym. Missed my girls, but my 5am class will have clean floors. All about the hustle!""I don't care if this gym ever pays me. I love the community and I'll fight like hell to keep this box open!""A bunch of members quit when this new box opened down the road. They've got daddy's money and all the toys. But I'm just going to keep coaching my clients even better even if it means my wife has to go back to work."Scroll through the Instagram and Facebook pages of gym owners for an hour today, and I guarantee you'll find one of these. I know, because that's where I found all three.All came from excellent coaches who are changing their clients' lives.All came from coaches who had thousands of followers on Social Media.All came from coaches who deserve better. All came from dads whose kids deserve to see them at bedtime. All came from husbands whose wives deserve to live without stressing over the grocery bill.This has to stop.Here are the myths that lead to martyrdom, and what to do about them:No one can do it like I can. You *might* be the best coach in your gym, but I doubt you're the best cleaner. Or the best Instagrammer, best programmer, best website builder, best writer or best bookkeeper. You're definitely not the best at ALL of them, I promise. And there's a way to pay them that doesn't involve asking volunteer coaches to be volunteer cleaners.There's no money to pay myself. Yes there is. Your expenses will always expand to fill your revenues. If you pay yourself first, you'll get paid.I opened Catalyst on Monday, and had to get paid on Friday. I emptied the business bank account to do so, because there wasn't an option: make money, or don't eat. Not everyone has the luxury of absolute necessity, so they delay paying themselves. And then they get into the habit of working for free, and never start. Your business is not successful until it can support you. That's its purpose.Leaders eat last. A humble statement repeated by those who can feed their flocks and still have a feast left over. The statement should really be, "Leaders Eat."Let's say you're flying to Australia. It's a 20-hour flight, and the catering crew forgot to load the plane. One of the stewards finds a single sandwich in the fridge. Who gets it? I'd give it to the pilot, because if he goes hungry, the rest of us go into the ocean.There is no glory, no sainthood, in depriving yourself while your coaches get paid.I need to pay off all my debt before I take a paycheck. Also false. Cash flow is more important--especially at startup--than your annual balance sheet. When I had to buy my partners' share of the debt in 2010, I called the bank and asked to consolidate my loans and spread them out over a longer time frame. I was ashamed and embarrassed and felt like a failure.My loan officer said, "Oh, you've never taken a cash flow loan? Everybody does that." My monthly payments went down, my stress level went way down, I stopped missing paychecks and I found some breathing room. Then I started building my business, and paid off the loan in 3 years instead of 10...but only when I had the money.Sacrificing your pay to pay off a low-interest loan faster doesn't hurt the bank. It just hurts you.Everyone will forgive my exhaustion, bad temper and poverty because they'll respect my hard work. This is the biggest lie I've ever told myself: that I'll be respected, damn it, because I'm such a hard worker.But my kids still missed me at bedtime.My wife would rather have had me home, and not exhausted.My clients would rather have hung around a successful person. The friends of martyrs, zealots and desperate people tend to get sucked into their bad luck.Martyrs aren't typically known for extravagant lifestyles. But nearly all of them share one luxury: their hardline acti

I spent New Year's Eve with a friend named Matt. Matt's a farmer.We sat at his handmade kitchen table drinking Mad Jack, both of us stifling yawns: I'd been up since 4am. Matt had been up all night, fixing power lines in -30 weather for his "real job". Matt works for the power company, but he's still a farmer.Our wives were talking about a mutual friend who'd won the lottery in 2017. Half a million isn't enough to retire on, but it pays a lot of bills, and I asked Matt what he'd do with it."I'd farm until it was gone," he said.Most farms lose money. If you calculated the value of a farmer's time, each hour worked would be worth pennies or less. And yet Matt wears a shirt with a tractor on it. His kids' toys are all tractors. Look out any window in his two-story house, and you'll see farm.Matt doesn't farm to make money. Matt makes money so he can be a farmer.I know a lot of coaches like Matt: if they won the lottery today, they'd still show up to coach the 6am class tomorrow. In fact, it's one of the questions on our Gym Checkup, and almost everyone gives the same answer.All of us receive something greater than money from coaching. And many of us take "day jobs" to support our coaching habit. But that's where the similarities end.We NEED our businesses to thrive. Our clients depend on our ability to make the business work. Our coaches deserve success. Our kids deserve to see us at bedtime.We need to balance our "right brain" (emotion and care) with our "left brain" (systems and processes) to provide the best gym. Being excellent doesn't mean "just caring more"--it means being excellent at business, and providing an excellent service. It means wearing CrossFit t-shirts to your New Year's party, but it also means buying the wine.We have the unique entrepreneurial opportunity to start with almost nothing and scratch out a business that changes the lives of our clients. It's our responsibility to be successful, and then help the next guy do the same. Do you think the world will have another shot at this? If all the microgyms go, will they ever be replaced?If you own a box, you understand the plight of the farmer. Small gyms--like small farms--are constantly battling high-volume corporate brands. We're outgunned and outfinanced, but quality keeps us in the game. Many of us would spend our lottery winnings to prop up a failing gym, if it came to it.  Passion is not the problem. Profit is. We have to be profitable now.Matt looks exhausted until we talk about chickens. He hates chickens.  But he's a farmer, so he'd rather talk about chickens than about his "day job".  I get it. I used to hate "the business side" of my business--but it was my business, so I got excited about it when someone asked. Now that it's very profitable, I get excited about it all the time.Matt might never get the chance to go all-in on farming. You and I have that chance. It's now or never. 2018 is the year: succeed or fail. But if you're counting on passion for coaching to make your business a success, you might as well buy lottery tickets.

Do you have any idea how special you are?Over the last 72 hours, half a million people did the same crazy workout and then shared their score in public. Most of those people didn't win first place. Most of them didn't even want to compete.They didn't do it because Dave Castro made a workout so compelling that it made everyone jump off their couches and start exercising. They didn't do it because Greg Glassman's 2002 Journal articles made them want to exercise until their hands ripped or they felt like vomiting. And they sure didn't do it because they read this blog and wanted to make up an Intramural team of their own.They did it because you quit your job, took the second-largest loan of your life, or spent all your savings on a cold cinderblock space and some barbells that almost nobody really wants to use.They did it because they see you at 5am, and they know you're still there at 9pm when they're at home watching Shark Tank.They did it because you've put everything on the line for them, and they're willing to cross this one little line for you. For YOU, coach.They did it because they trust you to say "good job", and for dozens of others to follow in your exact example.They did it because you told them they COULD, and you're probably the only person in their life who says that.They did it because Betty-Lou from the noon group said, "Will you play for my team?" and nobody's ever done that, even in third grade. They got picked, coach. They got chosen. Because of you.They're not posting their pictures on Instagram because they're hoping to win a new pair of Reeboks. You made them a celebrity. You made them a first-round draft pick. You made them famous, wanted, cheered. You did.The things their parents wanted to give them--security, health, and friendships--you gave them those things. Their husbands wanted to put them on a pedestal--and you gave them a podium. You gave them the respect of their children and the love of their spouse. You.On some days, when the risk seems heavy; when the debt seems long; when the stress makes even the barbell too heavy; when it feels as if your vow of service was really a vow of poverty, I beg you to remember this:You gave up a "job" to start a business helping people.You spent tens of thousands of dollars with no guarantee of return, let alone reward.You give your clients a longer, healthier life. No one else can.On any given hour of any given day, you can change a person's life forever.And you do.Thank you, Coach.

Go ahead, give them a salary. Then type up the contract on your Electrolux typewriter, send them a turkey at Christmas, and flip your calendar ahead to 1983. 35 years from now, you'll ask your staff what they like; find their strengths; and put them in a job that rewards them financially and emotionally. Or feel free to jump ahead to 2018 now. Pay your staff for the value they bring to your business. Start by breaking down every role in your business. Think of these as the "hats" that must be worn to run it. Now determine the replacement value for each role. What must a person know to be good at that role? What's that level of education worth? (Don't worry, there's an example coming.) How much time is required every week to fulfill that role? How will you measure success? Now group the roles together to create jobs and careers (they're different). Add up all the roles in your business. Does your total payroll (including taxes and benefits) equal 44.4% of your gross revenue or less? Perfect. Sign the contracts! If your payroll is more than 44% of your total revenue, panic.  Just kidding! Take action to either increase your revenue or decrease your payroll. After you make the free appointment, read "The Salary Cap". If you have no idea what percentage of your gross revenue goes to payroll, Call a mentor. Now here's the example: Let's say a business in the Farmer phase has 14 different roles. These include bookkeeping, personal training, group fitness coaching, nutrition coaching, cleaning, Customer Service Manager, and a few others. We sit down with a staff member and ask a few questions (we teach the exact questions in the Incubator). The staff person says, "I really want to make this my career." We say, "Fantastic! We'd love to have you. Here's how we're going to do it!" We pull out our Career Roadmap tool (given to you in the Incubator) and start filling their cup. First, the big roles: "Here's how much you can make by coaching classes in our gym. Here's how much you can make by doing Personal Training." We total those opportunities. Then we turn to the smaller (but still client-facing) roles: "Here's how much you can make if we launch a kids' program. Here's how much you could make if we start a nutrition program with Healthy Steps." We add those to the bottom line. Then we turn to the other roles, which are paid hourly. We ask: "Do any of these roles fit into your Perfect Day?" We pay hourly for those roles. For more, read Specializing Your Staff. We add all the roles together, and we say "Here's the opportunity." Then we say "Here's how we'll get there." Here's an example with MATH: A coach says: "I want to make this my career. I need $50,000 per year to quit my job at the glue factory." We say: "Fantastic! Here's how we'll get there. $50,000 per year is $1000 per week, plus two weeks off." "I can give you 8 classes per week. We pay $25 per class, so that's $200 to start." "I can give you 15 personal training hours per week. That's $31.11 per hour. Add another $466.65 per week. We're two thirds of the way there already!" (If you don't have 15 hours of PT to give the coach yet, don't worry--make it clear that you will, and work with your mentor to get there.)&nbs

One of the most common questions asked by CrossFit gym owners is one of the most difficult to solve. Like so many things in fitness, the correct answer is "It depends." But I've never been satisfied on that answer, and when I hear it, I always want to reply: "Depends on WHAT?" So here you go: the real answer. Should you put your prices on your website? It depends what phase of entrepreneurship you're in. If you're not sure which phase you're in, start by taking thetest here. If you're in the Founder phase, keep your prices off your website. You need as many conversations with potential clients as possible. You might convert someone who would have been turned off by your rates before they experienced your coaching prowess; but more likely, you just need more practice doing consultations anyway. Get as many in the door as you can. Remain undaunted by price-objectors.If you're in the Farmer phase and have a high ARM (average revenue per member per month) and a high LEG (length of engagement), keep your prices off your website. You no longer WANT every client, but the high lifetime value (ARM x LEG) of the clients you DO get If you're in the Farmer phase and have either a low ARM or low LEG, put your prices on your website. Your best opportunity isn't to get new people in the door. It's to increase ARM and LEG for your current clients, and focus only on the clients who will drive those numbers out. Let people self-select based on price, and use the time on goal reviews with your current clients instead. If you're in the Tinker phase, put your prices on your website. Right up front. You no longer have time for people who need to be sold on price. When Catalyst passed the point of 33% profit margin, I started experimenting with our prices. I put the prices on our site; then took them off. Without a doubt, fewer new people booked consultations with the prices on our site. But by that point, I didn't want to talk to everyone. The exact thing I said to our GM was: "If only four people out of ten are going to sign up after our consultation, then I only want to talk to those four." The other six were mostly price objectors. When I put our prices on our site, our conversion rate virtually reached 100%. Did I miss a few people that I might have convinced? Maybe. But at that point, I was willing to let the "maybes" fall away, and focus only on the people who weren't going to think about our rate every month. One of the key differentiators between Founder, Farmer and Tinker phase is your Effective Hourly Rate (EHR). You determine your EHR by dividing the Time you spend into the Money you make (EHR is money divided by time.) We call this the Kingmaker Equation. When your time isn't worth much (your EHR is low), then spend it on consultations. Get people in the door. Work on talking to people and helping instead of selling. When your EHR moves past $50 per hour (Farmer phase), you have to think about the value of each potential client. If your ARM and LEG are high, then it's probably worth meeting as many people as possible, even if only 40% sign up, because their lifetime value is so big. If ARM and LEG are low, then you have bigger problems than how many leads you get anyway. But when your EHR moves past $500 per hour (Tinker phase), you really don't have time to waste on someone who doesn't know your price. It's not their fault they can't afford you; do everyone a favor and save them the time.

On this episode, we talk to Tammy Friedt. Tammy is one our amazing mentors here at TwoBrain, and she recently sold her business!Selling a business or a gym is not an easy task and it takes a lot of patience in order to do it correctly. Today hear directly from someone who has lived through this process and gains some insight and tips into how it all happens. Learn about what needs to be done to prepare and sell a business, what documentation and legal advice you will need, and also we talk about what it feels like after it is all over! Don’t Forget! Find out what stage of entrepreneurship you are in by taking the exclusive Two Brain test here: https://twobrainbusiness.com/test/or schedule your free mentoring call by clicking here! Links:https://twobrainbusiness.com/mentor-item/tammy-friedt/ Built to Sell – https://www.amazon.com/Built-Sell-Creating-Business-Without-ebook/dp/B004IYISQWRig Equipment Evaluation – https://rigquipment.com/Download our FREE guide here: How to Sell A Gym  Timeline:0:20 – Introduction to Selling Your Gym2:01 – Tammy’s background and starting her CrossFit Gym4:36 – What made Tammy sell her business earlier than planned?6:31 – What is the first step in initiating the sale of your business?8:15 – How to assess the value of your gym when planning to sell?12:08 – Negotiating a selling price between the buyer and the seller15:54 – Managing existing leases and existing contracts under your current business19:22 – Divulging information regarding your employees and creating a non-compete agreement21:20 – Approximately how long does it take to sell a CrossFit gym?23:55 – Is leasing to own an option when selling or buying a business?26:29 – The feeling you have when your business is finally sold.33:21 – Two Brain Stories with John Miller

Kaleda Connell has made it to Tinker Phase: She makes more than enough money at her gym She only does the work she wants Her staff initiate programs and sell memberships She owns her building ...and, as you'll hear, she's practically the mayor of her town. She even invites other entrepreneurs in to help THEM!And she's done it in UNDER THREE YEARS.In a town of 2500 PEOPLE.

Today we are joined by Michele Letendre of Deka CrossFit. Michele was the most successful coach at the 2018 CrossFit Games. Michele is a six-time CrossFit Games veteran herself and finished fourth in 2014. She is a former collegiate swimmer and national-level water polo player. Michele decided to retire from competition after the 2016 season to focus on her coaching career, and she now works with top CrossFit athletes across the world. Join us today as we discuss training methodology as well as what it was like to retire at the pinnacle of the sport!

This year at the Two-Brain Workshop, we're running a day camp for kids. It's called "Founder | Farmer | Tinker | Thief," and the kids spend the day creating their businesses, doing CrossFit, shooting videos, building obstacle courses, solving Escape Rooms, picking and preparing food to eat, doing Ninja Warrior challenges, launching catapults they build, designing their brand, playing Minute to Win It ... and there's even more.The week culminates in a one-hour "Shark Tank" where the kids, aged 8-12, pitch their business to a local entrepreneur. They invite their parents; we record the whole thing. It's pretty incredible. One of the media experiences the kids do each week is a podcast interview.In this episode, 5 of the FFTT kids share their new businesses with Two-Brain Radio.

Today we are joined by Rickard Blomberg, the President of US operations for Eleiko Sport. Eleiko has been the gold standard when it comes to weightlifting equipment. Since 1963, they have been building a weightlifting bar that lasts longer and performs better than any other in the industry. Join us today to learn how Rickard has helped transition this company into the modern age and carry on the company’s legacy since its founding!

Listen at www.twobrainbusiness.com/podcast ASK CHRIS A QUESTION: www.twobrainbusiness.com/podcast

The 2018 TwoBrain Summit is June 2-3 in Niles, IL! Book your spot here!I've always believed that CrossFit gyms have a higher proportion of female ownership than almost any other small business. HQ doesn't have the data to support or refute that claim, but my empirical experience, when compared to industry data held elsewhere, says that more women own CrossFit gyms than any other type, and the success rate for female entrepreneurs in CrossFit is higher than almost any other option.Today on the show we are joined by Danielle Brown and Anastasia Bennett. Both are longtime CrossFit box owners and mentors at Two-Brain. They both bring a wealth of business and CrossFit experience to the table as we discuss a range of topics on the show today. Be ready to take good notes and as always feel free to reach out to either mentor with any questions you may have!

Episode 109 – Greg StrauchToday on the show we are joined by Greg Strauch of CrossFit Unkown Elements in Clovis, New Mexico. Greg joins us to talk about how he got his start with CrossFit after the Air Force, What it takes to build a successful gym, and his transition into becoming a mentor with Two-Brain. 

Dr. Brian Strump is the owner of Live Active Charlotte, CrossFit Steele Creek, and a few other companies.  An early adopter of the prescriptive model, Brian was one of the first to offer hybrid memberships in a CrossFit gym. His current top membership rate is $919 per month.Part of my mission on this podcast is to change the perspective of scope for other CrossFit affiliates: to show where the high bars and gold standards sit and demonstrate to listeners what's possible. Just like seeing an athlete deadlift 600 lb. and then run a sub-six-minute mile, we all need models of what's possible at the top end. If you set your rates based on what other local affiliates are doing, or what you think "the market will bear," you're probably guessing. I did it too. And it's probably killing you, like it almost did me.Obviously, you can't jump from a $150 membership to a $1,000 membership overnight—at least, not with the same service, and not with the same mindset. What makes a difference? A larger view of your business. And mentorship.

You need to balance UPGRADES with unnecessary tinkering. How can you tell the difference?

Episode 97 – Getting Retail-Ready with Matt Albrizio of Forever FierceOn today's episode, Matt Albrizio of Forever Fierce shares his best practices for selling retail items at Christmas; how to buy gifts for your coaches; and how to create a Retail Plan for 2018.

If we're all going to be excellent--as athletes, as coaches or as business owners--don't we need a common definition as a target?

The marketing crisis for gyms has "almost" been solved - at least for now. What's the NEXT hurdle we'll face?

Brian Willis of the Excellence in Training Academy caught Chris for a one-hour interview. This is restricted content for Brian's private member site, but he allowed us to share it here. If you're involved with law enforcement trainers and would like to join the Excellence in Training Academy community they can use the code eitmonthfree at www.excellenceintrainingacademy.com and get the first month’s membership free.

During our Senior Mentoring Team Meeting at the TwoBrain Workshop last weekend, I asked, “What’s the biggest opportunity in front of the CrossFit community that no one is seeing yet?” Two years ago, that was adding nutrition programs. We introduced the world to a simple solution in HSN, and other services have cropped up since. That’s been huge for many. Before that, the opportunity was the Intramural Open; before that, it was Bright Spots. We agreed the biggest opportunity for some affiliates is to help other local business owners. This might sound like a left-field idea, but here’s why we love it: CrossFit has created over 15,000 new entrepreneurs. Though it’s very, very easy to start a new CrossFit gym, it’s very hard to keep one open. So we all jump in with both feet, and then SCRAMBLE to get profitable as quickly as possible. Then we hammer as hard as we can to add staff, and then to level up our businesses to true entrepreneurship instead of just owning a job. Heavy loads, long distances, for time. Most CrossFit gyms have to be successful before the end of their first lease. Most new businesses are now stared as “side hustles”–driving an Uber, doing task-based one-off “jobs”, or selling expertise as a VA. We have everything on the line. We’re just desperate enough to try stuff–and fail–fast. And though the network between affiliates is informal, we DO talk. In the middle of all the Kill Cliff/FitAid questions on Facebook, there IS some progression in our thinking. Granted, we started behind most entrepreneurs (we used to think “profit” was bad) but we’ve pulled ahead. And common knowledge in CrossFit is uncommon knowledge elsewhere. So when a CrossFit athlete who owns a machine shop asked for my advice this week, I said, “Oh, that’s simple.” because I solved that problem in my box seven years ago. When a cafe owner asked if she needed a website, I said, “Just a two-pager. But you could REALLY use a subscription model.” And then I told her how to make a great living in the food industry without crazy overhead. And she baked muffins for my kids. I got the idea from other gyms. When a local screen printer asked how to “get his name out there”, I suggested he focus on his current clients a bit more instead of worrying about attracting new clients. This is why I opened the Workshop in Sault Ste. Marie: because entrepreneurship can save my sinking city. But I believe it can save the world. And you, my friend, can do a lot to help YOUR city. Bonus: entrepreneurs make IDEAL clients for CrossFit gyms. You’ll hear more about the implementation of this idea in the next few weeks and months. But here’s a special bonus: while I still had three of the mentors at the Workshop, I dropped a microphone in our midst and put them all on a Hot Seat. I fired questions at them: “How would you get more clients for a hairdresser?” “If you owned a gym and had to make $5000 in ten days, how would you do it?” I gave them each a beer, hit “RECORD”, and let it flow. I’ll publish that episode on our podcast today. We’re calling it the Mentor Hot Seat, and I’ll do one every time I gather with this crew of growing TwoBrian Mentors. Enjoy. I sure did.

Last week, I published one of the longest blog posts I ever have. But I actually cut over half of it before hitting 'publish', because I didn't want it to be a rant.You've heard me talk about recruiting quality clients (instead of trying to attract a large quantity of clients) before. In this episode, I'll talk about identifying your BEST clients, and how to move them closer to "conversion"--signing up for your service.This episode won't be another tome on Facebook marketing, because I don't think "funnels" are the best way to build the best business in the service industry. Funnels are great for selling online courses, books and monthly makeup subscriptions; they're NOT great for finding great clients or saving you time.In this episode:The three Audiences"Warm" leads and "cold" leadsThe difference between "sales" and "marketing"Why the best clients don't come from funnelsHow to identify your best clientsWhere your NEXT best clients are hidingHow to write a "love letter"

Who is building on your platform?

This episode is a recording of Dave Tate's speech at the 2017 TwoBrain Summit.Dave is the owner of EliteFTS.com, the premier source of powerlifting equipment.Dave has been an inspiration to me since his first articles on T-Nation (the Periodization Bible Parts 1 and 2) almost a decade ago. His early stories were about training at Westside with Louie, but since then he's written extensively about his own experiences in business; learning disabilities; training; and even helping writers.Dave is excellent at identifying the work that NEEDS to be done, and doing it, instead of being busy for the sake of being busy. He's also a very down-to-earth guy; despite being famous in the fitness world, he always makes time to respond to emails (and even answer his phone when people call his private number.)In this recording from the 2017 TwoBrain Summit, Tate tells us all how SIMPLE success actually is.Dave is plain-spoken but very intelligent. This recording contains a LOT of f-bombs, and an exponentially higher amount of actionable knowledge. Enjoy.Dave's Strong(er) Business Summit is October 21 in Columbus, Ohio. Register here.Our 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit at Reebok CrossFit Thames is filling up! Register here.

Are you doing the RIGHT hard thing?

#ridebikesbehappyI’ve known Jan Roubal for probably 20 years. He's a personal friend who owns Vélorution, a bike store in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.What does a bike store have to do with owning a gym?As CrossFit gym owners, we are in the fitness industry. We own a service business, not a product business. We already KNOW that building a community is critical for our success. We also know: that's not easy.In the product sales business, that's even harder. Some would say it's impossible to build a community around a product when there are dozens of competing products in town. If a new cyclist can't tell the difference between a Cannondale and a Trek, won't they always make their decision based on price?Not if you're buying a bike from Velorution.You buy a bike from Jan because it makes you happy.His customers routinely show up to ride with him and help new cyclists. They tag him in pictures--#ridebikesbehappy--every weekend, wherever they are.I would never consider buying a bike somewhere else locally other than Jan’s shop and it’s all because of the atmosphere he has built around Velorution. Jan’s personality comes through in this interview--the first one recorded at the new TwoBrain Workshop. Jan strolled in wearing cycling shoes and jeans, and carrying two cans of his favorite beer. But this chill persona isn't innate: it's the person Jan has learned to be in order to become a better leader and business owner. And we can learn it too.

Who Will Lead Them? With Josh Price

Justin Bergh is the General Manager of The CrossFit Games. He is the man behind the curtain and he really makes the Games go--everything from making sure the athletes start their heats on time to making sure the events flow well. He is the guy that puts it all together. In this episode, we are going to talk about what it takes to guide massive team of volunteers; what it takes to keep everyone following the rules; and how the CBS and Madison deals came about. More importantly, I want you to know the human element of HQ. These are some of the friendliest, happiest people on earth and they are here to serve you.   Justin has a background in sports. He graduated from a sports management program and worked with the Jacksonville Jaguars and also at a sports technology company. Additionally he has worked with the PGA tour and also many other events. He found CrossFit in 2006 before there even was such a thing as the CrossFit Games. In 2008, as the world economy was falling apart, Justin took the risk of jumping from his day job and opening a CrossFit gym. Justin knew that he wanted to be a part of making people healthier through meaningful work. After opening the gym, he went to the CrossFit affiliate gathering and approached Greg Glassman about helping him with technological aspects of CrossFit. He was offered an internship chance on the CrossFit seminar staff which eventually turned into a full time position with CrossFit. As part of the early years of The CrossFit Games, Justin experienced many challenges while the groundwork for what The Games would eventually become was being laid. One of the most challenging aspect of The Games is that many events are unknown until just before the workouts are about to begin. This challenges the staff to keep the information secret and control equipment throughout the venue at the same time.For the first few years as the competition and the caliber of athletes was growing, they started touring a list of cities to host the annual CrossFit games. After looking at Madison and the Alliant Energy Center campus, the lightbulb went off and they really like what they saw.  Madison was a place where the foundation of CrossFit could be built going forward. First and foremost the goal of the CrossFit Games is to crown the fittest woman and man on earth. The second is to create a great community event and tell great stories through media. With these goals in mind, CrossFit feels like they have a great partner in Madison to provide more entertainment, education, and fun to the CrossFit games. Justin could not manage the CrossFit games every year without the help of over 800 volunteers.  The volunteers are extremely motivated to help the sport succeed and very experienced which makes running the event much easier. This is not to say the team has not made mistakes. Most of  the mistakes made by Justin and his team are from being too ambitious or attempting to be too precise. Ultimately the meaningful work is what makes the CrossFit Games successful and keeps Justin coming back for more every year. Timeline:0:55 – Justin Bergh Introduction 2:48 – Justin Bergh Story 13:41 – Justin on how he made inroads into CrossFit18:26 – How did the Home Depot Center get selected?21:20 – What prompted the move to Madison?28:58 – What is planned for next year for the CrossFit Games setup?36:12 – The type of leadership required to run the CrossFit Games43:02 – How many people come back every year to volunteer43:56 – How is conflict resolved amongst so many highly motivated people?48:06 – What is to come with CrossFit Games of the future? 

Episode 86 – Kate Foster & Taylor Kemp This episode is brought to you by Anvil Coffee Co. Today we are very lucky to be joined by Kate Foster former poster child for CrossFit for Hope. Her journey through two bone marrow transplants is well-documented in CrossFit Journal. I was there at St. Jude in 2013, and I share a small snapshot of that meeting in this podcast intro. Kate just graduated high school a few months ago and is going to be attending the University of North Carolina this fall. She will be studying biology and economics and would eventually like to become a doctor. She has a heart for medicine and is looking forward to helping others just like she has been helped before. One of the big causes that Kate supports is bone marrow transplants. Being that she has had two bone marrow transplants, she knows how important it is to have a matching donor. Taylor Kemp was Kate’s bone marrow donor. She was a student at the time at University of Georgia and she happened to be attending an event for bone marrow donations. Six months later, she got a call telling her that she was a potential match for a girl with leukemia. After a few extra tests, she was confirmed as a match for Kate!

What if we had 1000 mentors helping 1000 small businesses each?

I love entrepreneurs.Fitness led me to entrepreneurship. Now it's time to help other entrepreneurs find fitness.Why do business owners *really* need fitness? Sure, like the rest of us, they might need to lose a few pounds. And everyone knows that exercise relieves stress and improves focus.But entrepreneurship requires more than resilience and focus: it requires a fit BRAIN.One of my companies is IgniteGym. Our mission is to build cognitive fitness. These are the 10 elements of cognitive fitness: Memory Attention Motor Control Sensory Processing and Perception Organization, Planning and Logic Language Social, Emotional functioning Computation, calculation Motivation Creativity, imaginationALL of these are critical for entrepreneurs. And they're all enhanced by exercise. In fact, I'd argue they're the REAL purpose of exercise for business owners.But what KIND of exercise?In this episode, I discuss each of the 10 cognitive domains, and how to build them with different types of exercise. I share my personal regimen, and how I get business owners at the Two-Brain Workshop to build workouts into their day.Know a business owner? Share this episode with them.The first step is BDNF: Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. This is what John Ratey called "Miracle-Gro for the brain" in his book, "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain".What triggers BDNF? Aerobic exercise.In this episode, I talk about the necessity of developing BRAINpower for business owners. Then I tell you specifically WHAT to do; how I would build a perfect brain-training week for a business owner; and what I do every week to make me more effective at growing my businesses.If you're a gym owner, there are tips in this episode to help other entrepreneurs (and, let's face it: yourself.) If you own another business, this episode will tell you what to do; how long to do it; and where to find a coach (because you'll need one.)I refer to my podcast episodes with Ari Meisel of GetLeverage and Nelson Dellis, four-time US Memory Champion.I mention IgniteGym.com and Zecutive.com too. You'll find some sample workouts and challenges on the latter site. 

I get a LOT of questions.Sometimes it's from people who read my books. Sometimes it's people who watch our videos on YouTube or Instagram. Sometimes it's people who get an email from me--almost daily, lately.Sometimes it's from people listening to this podcast. If that's you, thank you. Sometimes it's even people who hear an idea on another podcast, or another website, or even the CrossFit Journal, trace it to the source, and find me that way. To those people, my deepest thanks for the extra work.I've said before that some of my OLDER content is outdated. There are parts of Two-Brain Business that weren't there in 2012, and there were parts in the original that are no longer in the new edition. New books are coming. And every few months, I'm tempted to pull Two-Brain Business--the bestselling fitness business book of all time--from the shelves, because things change.Instead, I record this "Ask Coop" episode every year or so as an update.The first question is one from a listener who pegged me on something I said a few months ago: that I see a polarization happening in the microgym community.The second one is from a reader who pegged me even HARDER on the subject of seminars and online courses and mentorship.I'm brutally honest in both questions, even though they might get me into trouble.With those out of the way, I get into the BIG stuff: Where should affiliates concentrate their marketing? How do you create SO MUCH content? Why do you shoot your videos in that other building? WHere's your gym? How do I work with sports teams? I have a big idea--how do I promote it to the CF Community? Do you display your workouts on your site? Why does your site have so many membership options? How do I know when to hire a GM? How Do You choose Mentors for TwoBrain?I get enough emails that I could literally do a Q+A on EVERY episode. But I like to connect you with big thinkers and big ideas instead of repeating myself all the time.Got a question? Email chris@twobrainbusiness.com.Need help? Visit www.twobrainbusiness.com/help, and watch FREE videos that will answer your biggest questions!

Guest host Amanda Hendren asks, "Are You Giving Too Many F*cks?"

Episode 83 – 3 Tactics To Self Motivation for OwnersNo matter how noble our mission, we ALL struggle with motivation.After a great weekend like I just had, it's tough to kick the sand out of my shoes (and between my ears) and get back to work at 4am. Even after 22 years as a coach and 12 as an owner, I still need to practice mindset techniques. In this episode, Craig is going to share three that have been extremely helpful.Craig Hysell is a close friend, a firefighter, the founder of Conviction Training Facility (CrossFit Hilton Head) and the co-host of Conviction Strong Radio.Craig is a mindset guy. I guess we're all "mindset guys"--but Craig WORKS on it. While most of us are the victims of our brains, Craig works hard to take control over his emotions, thoughts and feelings. His gym is built on a different hierarchy than most of ours:MindsetNutritionMobility and RecoveryStrengthConditioningBest Self.When I say Craig is one of my favorite gym owners in the world, I'm not exaggerating. He's been through everything with his gym, and his mindset pulls him through it all. He's a leader in the TwoBrain group because of his philosophy instead of his profit margin."Opportunity breeds motivation, success feeds motivation."Craig talks about 3 tactics to consistent self-motivation."Consistency is the key to progress; progress is the key to happiness.""When you chose to become a leader as a coach or business owner, you forfeited your right to be a victim. You're in charge now."Three great quotes out of dozens packed in this podcastThis is a short episode, but VERY powerful.Craig's message was part of the 2017 TwoBrain Summit in Chicago. We're only doing one more this year: the 2017 UK Summit at Reebok CrossFit Thames in London, England. You need to be there.

Episode 82 – Boot CampsIn the CrossFit world, Boot Camps can often have a bad name. However, today we are here to discuss how these can supplement your CrossFit gym and provide a non-threatening environment for new members to get their first start in the CrossFit world. Learn about how to setup a Boot Camp, what to price it at and much more!Ryan Webber from CrossFit Eternal and Sherman Merricks from CrossFit Dynasty join me to discuss this topic on the show today.Meet the nutrition needs of your gym with Healthy Steps Nutrition!Join us for the Two-Brain UK Summit on November 11th and 12th at CrossFit Thames in London! Register here to reserve your spot.In this Interview: Is Boot Camp just CrossFit Lite? What is the true difference between a Boot Camp and a full on CrossFit Program The secret to using Facebook ads effectively to drive sales for your Boot Camp Plus: How to make sure CrossFit coaches are on board with a Boot Camp Program. How to pick the right name and differentiate a Boot Camp from true CrossFit How many sales can a Boot Camp generate?Today’s Guests:Ryan Webber is originally from Maine but now resides in Charlotte, NC where he runs and owns CrossFit Eternal.  He began CrossFit after playing football in college and fell in love with the competitive nature of the sport. He founded CrossFit Eternal in 2010 out of his garage and has since grown it into a world class CrossFit gym. Sherman is the founder and owner of both Dynamic CrossFit, in Gainsville, Florida, and Notable Guidance. He discovered his passion for sports growing up in Florida and excelled at basketball through high school and college. After graduating and feeling a huge competitive void, he realized CrossFit could fit the bill and he has never looked back. He has a passion for helping others be their best by improving their fitness and now their life. Sherman’s main focus is to help people reach their goals and still have fun doing it. Timeline: 2:11 – Bootcamp Introduction4:30 – Is CrossFit the end all be all? Thinking about offering something different.6:16 – Is Boot Camp just CrossFit Light?8:19 – What is in a name? Differentiating a Boot Camp from CrossFit9:14 – Can you transfer clients from Boot Camp into a full on CrossFit program11:06 – The difference between CrossFit and Boot Camp programming16:54 – Finding the right coach for Boot Camp and how they differ from a CrossFit coach.20:44 – Offering Boot Camps as recurring classes instead of a one off challenge. 24:03 – How often and what schedule should a Boot Camp like class be run.27:10 – What should a Boot Camp type program be priced at?31:41 – How many sales can you expect within a Boot Camp program? 38:36 – What it takes on the backend in order to drive sales41:53 – The secret to using Facebook ads effectively to drive sales for your Boot Camp44:42 – The specific phrasing your Facebook ads need to have to be effective46:01 – How to make sure your CrossFit coaches believe in the Boot Camp program as well48:17 – How do you deal with weather issues when running a Boot Camp outside?51:55 – Allowing members to perform an express version of CrossFit

This episode is brought to you by the 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit, November 11-12 at Thames CrossFit in London, England. Register here!Episode 81 – PartnershipsDo you REALLY need a partner? I would describe CrossFit as an owner/operator model. But many of us need a little extra push or need money at start up; or a security blanket; or just a kick in the butt. So we take a partner.Today we talk about how to start a partnership; when you actually need a partner; and how to get out of a partnership gone bad.  Take good notes as this episode could save your sanity and your partnership!Be sure to download the Two-Brain Business Sample Shareholder’s Agreement. This will help your partnership get off to the right start!Meet the needs of your growing membership base, outfit a new facility, or refresh existing inventory with Rigquipment!In this Interview: My partnership experiences and lessons learned What are the first steps to starting a partnership? How to get out of a bad partnership?Plus: What role does the operating partner have within the partnership Why you should use a thirds party to adjudicate the breakup of a partnership How to define profit within your business and partnership agreement?Timeline: 2:54 – Partnerships Introduction 3:37 – Chris Cooper’s partnership story and how he started his first gym9:33 – First step to starting a partnership: Defining the roles and tasks of each partner10:29 – Second step to starting a partnership: Assign a value to each item a partner brings11:55 – Third step to starting a partnership: Defining what a perfect day for each partner is13:11 – Fourth step to starting a partnership: Discuss how each partner is to be paid13:42 – What is profit?16:35 – Final step to starting a partnership: Defining how a partner exits the agreement18:03 – Mapping out how decisions are made in a partnership in a fair manner19:34 – Having a plan for everything that happens in advance21:12 – Agreeing on pricing when engaged in a partnership 23:28 – Creating a feedback and accountability loop within your partnership29:29 – The role of the operating partner within a partnership agreement31:05 – Let’s say it’s time to get out. How to exit a partnership agreement.34:57 – What to do when you have less money than your partner37:42 – What to do when you have more money than your partner  41:23 – How to end a partnership when no agreement is in place44:12 – Signing a separation agreement when ending a partnership45:18 – Using a third party to adjudicate the breakup of a company48:35 – Two-Brain UK Summit Announcement

What can you CUT?

This episode is brought to you by the 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit, November 11-12 at Thames CrossFit in London, England. Register here!Today we are talking about hiring staff. We are joined by two special guests: Two-Brain Mentor Danielle Brown, and Jay Augusta of BarbellJobs.com. Hiring staff can be one of the most stressful and time consuming processes when it comes to running your gym. Danielle and Jay break down simple steps you can take to make this a painless process and get the right talent fast! First, Danielle will first talk about the different places you'll find the BEST staff: from stage 1 (build your own coaches from within your gym community) to stage 4 (post an ad.) That's where Jay's service, BarbellJobs.com, steps in.Jay talk about his new website which is helping gym owners hire coaches and personal trainers online.This episode is brought to you by Affiliate Guard. Affiliate Guard provides elite insurance coverage for affiliates. Visit their website at affiliateguard.info for more information!In this Interview: Should you be hiring from within your gym or outside sources? What important traits should a potential coach or personal trainer have? What are some examples of bad hiring experiences?Plus: What mistakes do people make when hiring coaches and personal trainers? What should the interview process look like when finding a candidate? How to screen online candidates effectivelyAbout Danielle:Dani grew up in a suburb just south of Boston, Massachusetts. As a kid she was always thinking big, as she contemplated growing up to become an anesthesiologist, an actor, or a marine biologist— but never a business owner, and certainly not a business owner in the fitness industry.Nonetheless, Dani had an unquenchable thirst for self-help and self-development, and by the age of eighteen she had accumulated about 100 books on those subjects. Fast forward to September of 2011 where Dani and her now-husband, Jason Brown, opened their gym CrossFit 781. Dani dove into learning anything and everything about business that she could, and found that she enjoyed it very much. A new passion was born. Her husband Jason brought 15 years of experience in strength and condition and practical application of training clients. It was truly a perfect complement.Today Dani puts all she knows about self-improvement, self-development, and the law of attraction to use every day in her business and while mentoring clients. She truly believes that there are only boundaries where one places them on themselves; that with education comes confidence, and with confidence comes belief in oneself. About Jay:Jeremy (Jay) Augusta is the owner of Barton County Strength Club. Like me, Jay runs a multifaceted entrepreneurial vision: he has a coffee company, BarbellJobs.com, and even ran an insurance company for MMA gyms for awhile.One of Jay's greatest innovations within BCSC was The Joy Prom, a full-on prom night for the local special needs community. You have to love the guy's heart; but his BRAIN is on full display in this episode, and his skill for identifying and solving problems is exceptional.Timeline:2:37 – Should you be hiring from within or are there other options?3:38 – What traits do internal candidates exemplify for hiring from within5:10 – The Advanced Theory Course and learning about what it’s like to be a trainer6:08 – What if nobody in your gym meets the requirements you are looking for?8:03 – Reaching out to other local gyms for help with coaches and personal trainers9:50 – What happens if no internal or local gyms have any candidates?12:36 – Looking online for coaching and personal training sites14:19 – What is the worst hiring experience Danny has ever had?   <

Who are you hiring? Is it yourself?

You have a LOT of opportunities.You probably also have a lot of hard things that you NEED to do. And FOMO. And overwhelm. And maybe a family that would love to see your face in the daylight hours…How do you take action on everything, or prioritize? Which thing do you do first? How do you overcome fear of possible outcomes and knock over the first domino?In this short episode, I’ll tell you how.This episode is brought to you by the 2017 TwoBrain UK Summit, November 11-12 at Thames CrossFit in London, England. Register here!If you’re a gym owner and haven’t read Two-Brain Business, you can get a copy here. My original blog, which started in 2009, was DontBuyAds.com (it hasn’t been updated in YEARS.)A few resources to get you started:Action! – my podcast episode from last monthSeth Godin’s blogWhatcha Gonna Do with That Duck? by SethThe ShipIt Journal (or I use 750words.com. Two-Brain family members use the 2017 CEO Book)The TwoBrain Incubator is here.The Dan Martell episode is here.Find Gino Wickman’s books (Traction and Get a Grip) here.UpCoach will soon be available to everyone, not just TwoBrain Business clients.Get free help from our series of videos here: WWW.TWOBRAINBUSINESS.COM/HELPNext week’s guest will be Jeremy Augusta of BarbellJobs.com!

What are the benefits of capping membership?

Jeff Smith of Cannon CrossFit in Texas joins us on the show today. Before becoming involved with CrossFit, he was buying up buildings and holding them to develop cash flow assets. This is a super important episode as we discuss the keys to developing and growing your investments to include an array of options. Take notes and be sure to reach out to Jeff with any questions you may have!Jeff and I both highly recommend Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.In this Interview:  What is a cash flow asset? The three ways that real estate investing makes you money The benefiting of getting started with an SBA loan Plus:  Understanding how cheap it is to own your own building - this is the calculator tool I use (make sure you choose "blended" under "payment types" to determine the real monthly payment). Why you should buy and hold instead of buy and sell Are mutual funds the best investment choice for my portfolio?    About Jeff:  Jeff grew up in Illinois playing just about every sport possible. Following his collegiate football career he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he served as part of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Jeff was introduced to CrossFit by some of his buddies who were still in the military. It was an immediate fit for Jeff’s competitive drive and the community aspect allowed him to make numerous new friends following his move to Houston.  When Jeff is not involved at his gym, he enjoys teaching and mentoring others for how to develop cash flow assets.  Timeline: 1:31 – Jeff Smith Introduction4:41 – What is a cash flow asset?7:34 – The three ways that real estate investing makes you money9:08 – What is the first step to buy your first building?11:48 – The benefit of starting with an SBA (Small Business Association) Loan13:30 – Understanding how cheap it is to own your building rather than rent.   15:52 – The ability to sublease your building and create extra cash flow17:22 – Splitting your business into two separate assets19:39 – Why are we recommending to buy and hold instead of buy and sell22:05 – What percentage of a portfolio should be in cash flow assets23:40 – Why mutual funds may not be the best investment choice28:19 – Jeff’s experience investing in residential and commercial real estate31:40 – Deciding between investing in residential versus commercial real estate33:21 – Where to find a real estate investment group35:00 – Investing in a franchise. Is it worth it?38:05 – Investing in others with peer to peer investing40:00 – Investing in the stock market via index funds42:05 – Is it possible to turn your business into a passive income business43:27 – At what stage does your time become too valuable to coach a class    Contact Jeff:Jeff@cannoncrossfit.comhttp://www.cannoncrossfit.com/ 

Is the old model of "hiring a full-time admin person"--or even hiring a GM for your gym--obsolete?If you've hired a GM before, you've probably broken out their task list in advance; then calculated the time necessary to do the work; then evaluated their ability to execute. Right?(If you haven't done this for all of your staff, including coaches, you need the Incubator.)And you've probably read The Four-Hour Workweek, where author Tim Ferriss uses Virtual Assistants (VAs) to help him reduce his workload and automate replicable tasks. When I read it, the idea of using VAs to help in the service industry seemed like a pipe dream. After all, we're not fulfilling orders: we're greeting people at the door, calling them on Fridays, and writing them love notes.The VA business has changed a LOT since Ferriss' book.  Virtual Assistants are everywhere, but the spectrum of help is broad--from highly-qualified freelancers to low-paid ESL speakers.Ari Meisel's company, GetLeverage.com, sits between highly-qualified VAs and your business. GetLeverage.com believes in two steps BEFORE hiring a VA:Optimizing your processesAutomating your processesTHEN hiring a VA, where possible. In this Interview: How Ari battled Crohn’s disease and came out on the other side Optimizing the 80/20 rule to get the best results possible An example of how Get Leverage can take on a process and outsource it Plus:  Prioritizing which ideas you want to take on in your business and personal life What is most important when consider which tasks to outsource The top ways that a virtual assistant can help a CrossFit Gym   About Ari:  Ari started his career back in 2006 in the real estate industry. After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease: A highly debilitating digestive ailment, Ari was unable to lead a normal life. He lost weight, energy and the ability to work with any regularity. Through large amounts of trial and error, Ari was able to regain control of his life and beat this seemingly unbeatable disease and is now symptom free.  Ari now runs a virtual assistant company called Get Leverage. Less doing and more living are the results of Ari’s amazing journey back to health happiness and wellbeing. Ari currently lives in New York City, where he spends every ounce of free time with his wife and four kids. Ari has written several books, including Idea to Execution and Less Doing, More Living.Timeline: 0:58 – Ari Meisel Introduction4:55 – What is an example of the type of work Get Leverage will do?6:05 – Optimizing the 80/20 rule to get the best results7:59 – Optimizing your time by creating processes9:45 – An example of a weekly process and how it is handled at Ari’s company11:19 -  Optimizing processes outside of work within your personal life14:01 – The manual of being you. Creating and documenting your steps16:31 – Prioritizing which ideas you want to work on in your business and personal life18:05 – What is most important to outsource to a virtual assistant?21:44 – At what stage should you outsource your primary service?25:25 – What are the concerns most people have with using virtual assistants?26:58 – What are the top areas that virtual assistants can help CrossFit Gyms29:07 – How much autonomy over money and time should we give to a virtual assistant?31:21 – Why Get Leverage uses Slack instead of traditional email33:00 – Thoughts on the freelance lifestyle and Ari’s service  Contact Ari:https://getleverage.com/https://twitter.com/arimeisel?lang=enhttps://www.fa

This is an important replay of an episode from August, 2016. I think everyone should listen to this episode every YEAR, and read Bob's book ("The Go-Giver") every year too. "The Go-Giver" is a career-changing book for many professionals. In this episode, co-author Bob Burg talks about value, influence and changing the way you look at business. Bob starts with an overview of the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success: Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity and Receptivity. Then Bob talks about INTRINSIC VALUE: the value that's built into your experience. These can also be broken into five parts: excellence, consistency, attention, empathy and appreciation. This is what you're giving people. Notice that Burg lists "consistency" as part of excellence. He also emphasizes individual attention (even in a group setting) and appreciation - which doesn't mean "discounts". Bob says "The key to receptivity is staying open to "Probably the biggest upside-down misperception about selling is that it's about taking. And it's not! Selling is all about giving." He continues: "Selling is simply discovering what the other person needs, wants or desires and helping them to get it." Bob has never heard our "No-Sweat Intro" or "Bright Spots" interview questions, but he virtually walks through the entire conversation verbatim. Start with a conversation. Ask questions. Make a recommendation as a coach--not as a salesman. This is why offering a "free CrossFit trial" Bob mentions "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, which I give to every prospective coach at Catalyst. "Ultimately, people do things for their reasons, not our reasons" - Dale Carnegie Here are 3 things Bob learned from Carnegie: Everyone seeks happiness Happiness is relative Resources are limited. How does a "Go-Giver" say NO to clients who are bad fits or opportunities that will squander their limited time and attention? Bob gives us tactful ways to do so. "I'm not a big believer in being a martyr." A quick overview of The Go-Giver: You can go to Bob’s website www.TheGoGiver.com and immediately download Chapter One from his international bestseller The Go-Giver and access lots of value-added resources such as the special report, The Go-Giver Way: Five Principles for Creating a Culture of Excellence. Buy The Go-Giver series here: tgg-bundle-low-res Music in this episode by The Blessed Cassettes. Recorded on August 11, 2016. Two-Brain Business is now available on Audible.com!

What are they willing to give up?

You probably have a great idea. I've never met an entrepreneur who didn't have at least one.You might even know the steps to get there.So why aren't you doing it?If you're a fan of this podcast, you probably own a business.You probably have an idea to make your business better.You might not know the first steps. Or (more likely) you're probably chasing TEN ideas and finishing none.This episode is dedicated to ACTION: doing the things that will make a difference. Knocking over the first domino. Shipping. Publishing.When I started writing DontBuyAds in 2008, there was a severe lack of knowledge in the microgym community. We didn't know what to charge, or how to sell our services. I was guilty. So as I learned from my first mentors, I published everything on that blog (and then in Two-Brain Business, yada yada.) But in the new age of abundant information, there's a new problem: lack of filtering.Believe it or not, you probably already know more than you need. The scope of opinion on how to run your business online is vast. Even when it's backed by comparison and data, the sheer volume can be paralyzing. I wrote, "Do You Know TOO Much?" last week, if you want to read more.There are two parts to the "success" equation: knowledge, and action.In my first four years spent mentoring other gym owners, I focused on knowledge: my seminars were crazy-long lectures; I sold courses online of my talking head. I no longer do either, because both stopped working for people.Gym owners would attend these 16-hour knowledge dumps, go home and--take zero action. Or they'd buy an online course, watch a few videos, get overwhelmed, and stop.When I founded TwoBrainBusiness.com, I took the opportunity to build our programs around what WORKS: mentorship, accountability, AND knowledge. Anyone who compares the 2017 program with the model I used in 2012 (or even 2015) will immediately see a huge difference in the updated delivery...and the results.Why are TwoBrain gyms so successful? They're coached to take action.How can I produce this much content, and still have time to take 5-6 phone calls lasting an hour every day? How did I write two books (Help First and Two-Brain Business 2.0) in 70 days? How do I focus on shipping when I have over 80 emails, 40 text messages, and hundreds of Facebook notifications every single day?This is my strategy for Action.I share this with TwoBrain gym owners on our regular calls, and I'm sharing it with you now. I know this will probably further the divide between gyms doing very, very well and gyms who aren't going to make it. Gym owners who take action will pull even further ahead of gym owners who don't, and this episode will make that divide even broader. I'm okay with that. To save The Movement, I believe some of us need to push even farther, and then model success for everyone else. Are there millionaire gym owners out there? You'd better believe it. Do they own multiple locations and have thousands of clients? Not most of them. What IS the difference between you and them?Action.Enjoy the podcast, and when you're ready to take your OWN action, click here to kick off the Incubator.

You suck at selling your service. So does Chris Cooper.In fact, he hates selling. So he doesn't. In this episode, he'll talk about how you can to increase client numbers, revenue and profit without feeling like a salesperson. Some people enjoy sales. Chris really doesn't. Here's how he's been incredibly successful at making sales without "selling" anything.

What are you avoiding?

Today’s guest, Gretchen Bredemeier, is here to talk about coaching kids. Most people have a lot to learn about motivating kids. Why do I say "motivating" kids instead of "training" kids? Because there are already a lot of programs out there on how to train kids; however, the kids must want to be there. The parents have to bring them, but if the kids don’t like the class, they won’t stay. Gretchen is an expert in this area. Success is important for motivation—even more so with kids than adults. While Gretchen frequently asks kids to create their own games, she doesn’t let them run wild for the entire hour. On the other hand, she doesn’t burn herself out by trying to have full control over every second of a kids class. In this episode, Gretchen talks about how they get more kids, keep more kids, price their programs and grow their programs. Gretchen’s personality is also something you should note. If you can find someone like Gretchen to embrace "intrapreneurship" and grow a kids program under your umbrella, it can be a win for both of you. Be sure to take good notes and reach out to Gretchen with any questions you might have at the conclusion of the episode.About Gretchen: Gretchen has been at Loco CrossFit for almost four years and coaching since 2015. In addition to coaching regular classes, she is the coordinator for the youth programs at Loco and hopes to expand into classes to include the elderly, as well as those in detention centers and shelters. She is an expert in body-weight movements and has a background in deaf education. She also works as an interpreter. Originally from Indiana, she currently lives in Leesburg, Virginia, with her husband, Brian. Timeline: 0:57 – Gretchen Bredemeier introduction. 4:03 – What brought Gretchen to coaching kids and coaching CrossFit? 5:36 – Starting to coach kids at CrossFit Loco.6:53 – What does a well-run kids program look like? 8:58 – Implementing an on-ramp for a kids program.10:32 – What to charge for a kids program session.10:52 – How exposing kids to a group environment can create a barrier. 11:53 – Recognizing kids who demonstrate leadership ability through a workout.15:08 – Teaching kids that is OK to be emotional in front of peers. 16:52 – How does progression happen within the kids program? 18:31 – Dealing with parents who feel their kid needs to be at a higher level.20:03 – The most convenient time slots for parents and kids.22:25 – Letting kids be kids and eliminating too many rules. 26:20 – Getting kids to take nutrition seriously.28:42 – What is an appropriate coach-to-athlete ratio in a kids class? 31:37 – Intrapreneurship and how much ownership Gretchen has of the CrossFit program at Loco. 34:54 – Where can current box owners find a person like Gretchen to help with kids? 36:18 – How to prepare for a kids class and psych yourself up. 39:19 – What authority does Gretchen have over financial decisions for the kids program?41:26 – Can kid involvement within CrossFit bleed over and encourage parents to be involved? 42:12 – All about the Loco CrossFit sports program. 46:44 – How did the CrossFit Loco sports team program start and how big is it now?51:34 – How to grow a sports team program at your gym.53:04 – How to contact Gretchen.

For years, I've been surprised at how quickly CrossFit gyms have embraced yoga but ignored Pilates. Mobility is a virtue, true; but stability is a necessity. Mobility and stability are the yin and yang of every joint's function. Getting really, really bendy might put you in better positions...but won't help you hold weight there. Pilates can.Yoga is great. But it's hard to introduce into a CrossFit gym, as hundreds have discovered. Doing yoga requires more than a soft mat on your black rubber flooring; it requires an environment that's very different from the "just get it done" setup of a typical box. At least in my own gyms, yoga and mobility programs are usually met with excitement when introduced, but fade to zero within two months.But Pilates was built from the misfit mindset, like CrossFit. You don't have to embrace a 3,000-year-old culture or religion to do Pilates. And you can teach the basics very quickly.Today’s guest is Sara Benson of BoxPilates.com and CrossFit Reanimated. She has been a Pilates instructor for years, but only when her husband Dan got a back injury did he start incorporating Pilates into his CrossFit routine. Now they are starting a course online to teach you how to incorporate Pilates into your own CrossFit gym, how to put together a specialty group, and how to incorporate Pilates into regular stability work. Sarah will be presenting at the TwoBrain Summit on June 3-4, but if you can’t make it,  reach out to her with any questions you may have!In this Interview: What it’s like to quit your corporate job and start a CrossFit gym Comparing and contrasting CrossFit with Pilates The importance of pelvic control and how Pilates can help with this issuePlus: Finding the right balance between Stability and Mobility Integrating BoxPilates into your own gym Gaining control and stability within the transverse abdominal region About Sara:Athletics, health and fitness have always been a major part of Sara’s life. Prior to becoming a CrossFit level one trainer, Sara pursued her passion for fitness and helping people improve strength and stability through Pilates. After injuring herself in 2008, discovering Pilates became a blessing and enabled her to return to her chosen sports and make drastic improvements in performance. It was soon after that she discovered CrossFit and the many similarities between the two that complemented each other.It is now Sara’s passion to help people become more active and live healthier lifestyles. She teaches both CrossFit and Pilates and is helping other gyms integrate Pilates into their workout routines and programs. Timeline:2:45 – Box Pilates Introduction6:09 – Sarah Benson’s story and how she got her start with Pilates and CrossFit9:10 – Opening CrossFit reanimated along with a Pilates studio10:29 – Quitting a corporate job to start a CrossFit gym11:07 – The difference between mat Pilates and Pilates with equipment12:49 – What is the difference between Yoga and Pilates?15:01 – Joseph Pilates and the founding of Pilates18:24 – Working through full range of motion with CrossFit and Pilates19:49 – Comparing and contrasting CrossFit and Pilates22:16 – How does on ramp work for an integrated gym that includes CrossFit and Pilates25:11 – Stability versus Mobility27:16 – Lack of stability and how to address it30:33 – Gaining control and stability within the transverse abdominal region 34:45 – What is the point of improving stability and posture?36:40 – The importance of pelvic control and how Pilates can help38:04 – Success stories from Pilates44:43 – What are the biggest challenges that clients face within the gym47:10 – How can you star

It is very easy to open a CrossFit gym, but it’s hard to keep one running. CrossFit gym owners must learn fast and develop their skills in areas like Facebook marketing and email lists. But what's MORE important is developing in-person relationships with the people around you, including other businesses with overlapping target markets.Many entrepreneurs don't possess the skills or mindset to develop a solid cross-referral program. But Tammy and Kaleda do, and in this episode they'll share how to approach other businesses, how to use the "help first" mindset to start a referral program, and even how to mentor others to be more successful.Tammy and Kaleda are provide many actionable steps you can take starting today. I also hope that you realize how much you know and how great of a position you are in to help those in your community do better. Entrepreneurship is the lynchpin of our economy and it is necessary to save not only my local economy but yours too!The 2017 Two Brian Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th. Be sure to register here for this event!In this Interview: What does forming partnerships with a local business look like? How to form a business group within your CrossFit gym What knowledge are other businesses missing out on?Plus: The "help first"principle and how to implement it Being rewarded for helping other businesses in your community Going out of the way to help a competitorAbout Kaleda:Kaleda is from Palmerston, Ontario where she grew up on her family’s farm.  She has been training using the CrossFit method since 2012 and before that was an avid hockey and soccer player. After realizing there was nowhere to work out within in her town, she started Degree CrossFit Seaforth. She began by working out of her own garage but now she owns her own affiliate and is a successful box owner!About Tammy:Tammy is an experienced coach having trained others in spinning, kickboxing, metabolic conditioning, boot camps, and yoga. After participating in her first WOD she was instantly hooked to CrossFit. She now own CrossFit TPA near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is focused on helping her clients get healthier and obtain the results that they desire!Timeline:2:49 – Thinking Outside the Box introduction6:17 – Kaleda’s story and how she got her start with CrossFit8:53 – Tammy’s story and how she got hers tart with CrossFit13:06 – What does forming partnerships with local businesses look like? - Kaleda14:30 – Starting a conversation with a local business and forming partnerships - Kaleda16:32 – Forming a business group within your CrossFit gym - Tammy 21:21 – What are the lessons you have learned that you can teach other business owners - Kaleda25:00 – What knowledge is passed on most often to other business owners - Tammy30:47 – How often do tech related problems come up when helping other businesses - Kaleda32:53 – Why videos are more impactful than a regular post on social media -Tammy36:31 – Revitalizing old machines by creating posts on Facebook37:13 – How has implementing the help first principle come back to you -Kaleda39:18 – Are other businesses providing active referrals for helping them first? - Kaleda40:42 – What rewards have you seen from partnering with other businesses?  -Tammy44:46 – Taking time to help another gym owner within your community - Kaleda47:02 – Going out of your way to help someone open a nearby CrossFit gym -Tammy

What does "professional" mean?

It's 8am in Rochester, NY. Brian Lelli sits and waits for the moving van to arrive at his house.On Thursday, Brian said goodbye to his CrossFit community. He's moving his young family to Florida and leaving his gym in the capable hands of his GM.I talk a LOT on this podcast about the ability to walk away from your business for days, weeks or months. Maybe you just need a few hours each day to work ON the business instead of IN the business. Or maybe you're like me, and have other businesses to group. Maybe you just need a damn nap. Brian is an outlier, running his gym completely remotely. But his experience shows us what's REALLY possible.The people who I want to talk to on this podcast are the gym owners pushing the limits. The guy netting a million dollars is interesting. So is the guy who can leave his gym, move five states away, still own it, and still make a profit.Listen and play close attention to the infrastructure and systems Brian discusses to run his box smooth and efficiently - they're the SAME systems, with the same feedback loop, you'll need to take ANY time off from your business.The 2017 Two Brian Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th. Be sure to register here for this event!In this Interview:Which systems are necessary for a gym to run independentlyHow much communication is necessary when running a gym from afarHow to grow staff from low levels of responsibility to FULL responsibilityThe icon problem with small business owners, and how to beat itPlus:How much money will Brian be making while working remotelyKey characteristics of a general managerImplementing feedback loops and accountability amongst staffAbout Brian:Brian first got into fitness back in college while at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he started a weightlifting club with some friends. This was Brian’s first chance to learn coaching from others. For the next decade Brian trained and competed as a power lifter until in 2011 he decided to create a better healthier body for himself. At first a CrossFit denier, he quickly found his home training CrossFit and opened his own box in his garage. Brian is super helpful and a very experienced coach who is always available for questions!Timeline:3:29 – Brian Lelli Introduction5:11 – Brian’s story of how he got into CrossFit7:34 – Does training or working at another CrossFit gym help before starting your own?8:39 – Moving to Florida and leaving the CrossFit gym behind independently11:47 – What systems are necessary for a gym to run independently13:52 – Implementing feedback loops and accountability within a CrossFit gym15:02 – How much communication is necessary when running a gym from afar?16:37 – When hiring someone what to look for first17:36 – More on the key characteristics of a general manager20:26 – The advantages of having a hard date set for accomplishing your goal21:03 – How can other gyms be run independently through a proficient general manager22:23 – The role of a joy girl in a CrossFit gym24:24 – Adding more and more roles to the general manager position25:27 – How much decision-making power does the general manager have?26:35 – Announcing a large change to members of your gym28:51 – The icon problem with small business owners30:18 – How will Brian be spending his extra time in Florida?31:50 – Will Brian’s box still be profitable while he is away and how much will he be making?

"Can You Go?" - how long could you leave your business? Included is an ACTION you can take this weekend to get you started.

What's your intent: In your training? In your business TODAY? In listening to this podcast right NOW?

On today’s podcast we are joined by Tate Stewart of CrossFit 1420. Tate is a former college football player and strength-and-conditioning coach from Houston, Texas. Today we talk about leadership in the service industry. Tate is an accomplished gym owner, and he's about to complete the Two-Brain mentor-in-training program. Read more about The Path to Mentorship here.Reminder: The 2017 Two-Brain Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th in Chicago. Be sure to register now!In this Interview:A unique story about service to others from ChrisThe process of raising your gym’s ratesThe TwoBrain mentoring philosophyPlus:How Tate started with CrossFitLearning from mentors and the important role they playIs a Lion Untested a Lion At All? About Tate:Tate is a former college football player at the University of Houston. After suffering from a bad injury he transitioned into a college strength-and-conditioning coach and helped athletes prepare for the NFL draft. Tate was introduced to CrossFit and while initially hesitant, he became hooked very quickly. With the motivation to provide a better life for his family, he opened a CrossFit gym, CrossFit 1420. Tate is a selfless leader, constantly putting others before himself. This can be credited largely to his mentors throughout his life. The importance of good mentorship is invaluable and something Tate believes strongly in. Timeline:2:47 – A unique story about service to others8:33 – Tate Stewart introduction and how he got started in CrossFit10:27 – Tate’s start as a college football strength and conditioning coach11:37 – The first impression of the CrossFit world13:48 – Making big changes to open a gym and provide for a family15:58 – Turning to others to find help, how to find a mentor20:53 – Tate’s introduction to the Two-Brain Family23:15 – What is the greatest lesson Tate ever learned from his father?26:50 – The mentorship of legendary coach Lee Hayes28:57 – The personnel structure of Tate’s gym and keeping everyone on the same page35:18 – The process of raising rates by exhibiting authoritative and servant leadership39:57 – The response from clients after raising rates44:04 – Grandfather Rates and how to implement them and deal with inconsistent rates54:03 – How important is it for a mentor to have gone through struggles in their own life61:56 – The process of being trained as a Two-Brain mentor68:36 – The mentoring process under the Two-Brain philosophy    Books we mention in this episode:Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene EdwardsThe Power of One, by Bryce CourtenaySilence, by Shusaku Endo 

Who are you serving?

 Episode 69 – Raphael Paulin-DaigleToday’s guest is Raphael Paulin-Daigle of SplitBase.com. He is a conversions expert who is extremely passionate about helping businesses grow. He'll teach us not just about website and Facebook marketing conversions, but also about the first impressions clients receive when they come through the door and how to follow up with people. With Facebook ads in particular, many business owners boost a post or build an ad, hoping for an immediate payback. What they SHOULD do is plan the result they want to get, create a solid offer, target the exact people they can help MOST, then build the ad. And then test, test, and test again.For example, a common problem many people report is a high response rate (lots of views, shares and comments) with no action. This is conversion: Do your "leads" from your ads take action, or not? You can have a fantastic ad leading to a very poor landing page, and get zero results. If so, you're not bad at marketing; you're bad at converting. Raphael is very, very GOOD at converting.Marketing is all about helping people and building a relationship. Be sure to follow along and take good notes on all the strategies presented today!The 2017 Two-Brain Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th. Be sure to register here for this event!In this Interview:The process behind improving your business marketingThe hidden roadblocks that are losing you salesHow often should you be surveying your customersThe importance of placing testimonials on your landing pagePlus:How many questions should be on a customer surveyApplying data to your business to help it growHow to use persuasive copy to overcome and avoid objectionsAbout Raphael:Raphael became involved in digital marketing through his first startup about seven years ago. It is no surprise conversion optimization was the first thing to catch his attention. His creativity and admiration for good design, combined with his interest in psychology, human behaviors and growth made conversion optimization the perfect match. It was at this moment that SplitBase was born. Raphael assembled a team of conversion analysis, copywriters, and designers to deploy and execute his full conversion methodology within his client’s promises. A methodology that has continually produced millions of dollars of growth for SplitBase clients. Raphael has given keynotes and workshops to marketers, bank executives, and CMOs of Fortune 500 companies around the world. He now oversees conversion strategy and operations as the CEO of SplitBase.

What are you asking your clients?

Dan Martell is one of my OWN mentors.Last September, I traveled to the Archangel summit in Toronto, Canada to listen to Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk and Robin Sharma. As lunchtime rolled around, I wanted to leave and get a sandwich; but then Dan Martell was introduced. His talk was so compelling in the first TWO minutes that I stopped short of the door and sat back down. When I finally DID go for lunch, my phone died. I didn't check my messages for six hours. When I did, I discovered several missed text messages from Dan himself. Dan is a CrossFitter. His coach saw my post about attending Archangel, and texted Dan to meet "the CrossFit business guy." I'm now part of Dan's mastermind group--15 entrepreneurs from all over North America who are growing their business from the $2 to $5 million mark. On the podcast today, Dan is going to be talking about how he helps entrepreneurs obtain better focus, scale their business, and maintain their entrepreneurial confidence. This is not my typical "how-to" episode, but there are almost a dozen strategies you can use TODAY to become better at business, relationships and life. Like man, Dan prioritizes "perfect day" thinking instead of "just do more work". After all, more work isn't the goal: a better life IS.

So...what are you doing on Monday?

What if your TOP became your bottom?

This is a short post I wrote for Medium.com on the coach's role in youth sports. The correlation between coaching fitness and coaching sport is massive - in other words, almost the same. We as fitness coaches can teach volunteer coaches a LOT, and I feel compelled to do so. Plenty more to come on this topic, mostly published at TwoBrainCoaching.com.

Would a rose, by any other name, smell as sweet? How do you describe your service?

 Episode 67 – Q & A with CoopToday we are staying warm by the fire and doing a long overdue Q+A session.We have a pretty long list of emails that we get after every show and I want to make sure that I give my attention to some of these because they are really good! I won’t be addressing questions addressed on previous Q & A episodes as those have already been talked about however, be sure to check out Episode 30 for more great questions and answers:If you need help, you can watch our free videos that will help you transform your business here.Be sure to check out Two-Brain Business 2.0 on Audible.com!In this Question and Answer Session: What are the things I wish I had updated in the original Two-Brain Business audiobook? Is adding an "open gym" service to your CrossFit box a mistake? When is it the right move? The "employee vs contractor" debate for a CrossFit box Why do I always say, “Ask your clients what they want" instead of "How to give your clients what they need.” What are my top tips for content marketing? Why should you pay for the mentoring program when I publish so much stuff for free? How do I fill CrossFit Kids classes? Who are my mentors and why is having a mentor important? Why do I want to be a landlord instead of coach? What should you follow the intramural open with? Why do I talk about profit so much? Isn’t that secondary to how many clients you have? Why does Help First talk about other service industry businesses?Timeline:0:57 – Question and answer session introduction2:11 – What are the things I wish I had updated in the Two-Brain Business audiobook?2:58 – Is adding an open gym service to your CrossFit box a mistake? When is it a good idea?5:28 – The "employee vs contractor" debate for a CrossFit box6:53 – Why do I always say “ask your clients what they want" instead of "Here’s how to give your clients what they need.”10:33 – Why it is important to also ask your staff what THEY want in their job11:15 – My top tips for content marketing12:16 – The first rule for content marketing: don’t wait13:25 – The second rule of content production: don’t repeat yourself.13:49 – The third rule of content production: treat all of your content as fishing nets15:53 – The number four rule of content production: repeat yourself16:58 – The number five rule of content production: it doesn’t have to be perfect18:09 – The number six rule of content production: be a storyteller19:33 – The seventh rule of content marketing: keep it simple20:02 – Why should you pay for the mentoring program when I publish so much for free?21:56 – How do you fill CrossFit Kids classes?24:55 – Helping parents overcome their fear of CrossFit for their kids25:38 – Who are my mentors and how do they help?28:30 – Two-Brain Summit and modeling's place in the mentorship process30:20 – Why do I want to be a landlord instead of coach?32:26 – What do you follow the intramural open with to keep that momentum going?34:45 – Why do I talk about profit so much?36:45 – Why does Help First talk about other service industry businesses?

Ray Gowlett leads our UpCoach program. He is a former MMA fighter and motocross rider. In addition to this he is a big questioner of authority specifically within the education system. Ray in many ways is a shit disturber and what he doesn’t like is dogma, fake research, and unqualified opinion. If you are part of our UpCoach program you’ve spoken to Ray and you know he bounces around a lot. Today we are talking about the ten basic habits that every coach should have. The UpCoach program develops these qualities as he has learned himself so if you are looking for help within your gym be sure to reach out. Ray’s lectures at the Two-Brain Summit this summer will be amazing. If you have not already register do it now!Reminder the 2017 Two-Brain Summit coming this June 3rd and 4th in Chicago. Be sure to register now!Top 10 Habits Every Coach Should Adopt: Limit your coaching cues when working with clients Be an expert in personality types so that you can relate to clients effectively Adapt your coaching style to each client and personality Give clients what they want and not what you want See the big picture for your business and your client Eliminate arrogance within your coaching style Be wary of the "next big thing" Learn and become educated to understand evidence and research Understand the different needs and positions of your clients Learn the "bend, don’t break" principles relation to exerciseAbout Ray:Ray Gowlett is a former professional MMA fighter, motocross racer and current research skeptic. His lab contains almost 600 subjects (it’s a high school) and Ray is constantly seeking new ways to teach and coach. Many of these kids are high-level athletes; just as many don’t want to be in the class at all. He’s always trying new things, but this cross-pollination of students means every innovation has to satisfy two standards: It has to make people fitter; It has to make people happier.Ray coined the phrase we repeat at Catalyst often: “Exercise until you’re happy.” It’s the base of the hierarchy he teaches students. He also teaches research skepticism: how to read and rank the value of “research.” Imagine a generation of people who believe what they read on Facebook: that’s what’s coming, except for the students in Ray’s classes.Timeline:1:33 – Ray Gowlett Introduction2:44 – The top ten really simple coaching habits every coach should adopt4:02 – The importance of having mentors and coaches throughout your life4:46 – Coaching Habit 1: Keeping your coaching cues to three or less9:26 – Coaching Habit 2: Learn about personality types to effectively adapt to clients11:03 – Personality tools to determine your personality type12:33 – Coaching Habit 3: Being a different coach for every person15:23 – Coaching Habit 4: Give clients what they want and not what you want17:25 – Coaching Habit 5: See the big picture for your business and clients19:58 – Coaching Habit 6: Eliminate arrogant coaching22:52 – Ridiculous and arrogant posts from CrossFit box owners23:35 – Coaching Habit 7: Be weary of the next big thing25:35 – Cyclical knowledge and trends within the fitness industry26:23 – Coaching Habit 8: Learning about understanding evidence and research29:49 – Coaching Habit 9: Sharpening the saw and being critical of new ideas31:38 – Coaching Habit 10: Understand all the different needs and positions of your clients33:20 – Understanding projection bias within your program35:41 – Coaching Habit 11: Be the voice your client wants to hear38:38 – The way in which you should talk to your clients39:46 – Coaching Habit 12: Bend don’t break principle41:26 – The many types of conjugated periodizat

Do you NEED it?

Episode 65 – MindsetI am always fascinated by the mechanics and emotions of the entrepreneurial brain. There are a lot of highs and lows that you need to buffer against.  I am also really into the tools that we can use to be better at it by avoiding shiny objects; dealing with stressors, lawsuits, copy cats; how we can meet people with confidence; and avoid feeling like a salesman. Instead of just one guest, we have four for this episode! We talk to Sherman Merricks of CrossFit Dynasty, Tommy Hackebruck of Ute CrossFit, Craig Hysell of Conviction Training, and Josh Price of Loco CrossFit all about the entrepreneurial mindset and the tools and skills they use keep their eyes on the prize, keep from being derailed, and avoid stress.   Join us for this action packed interview and be sure to take notes!Reminder the 2017 Two-Brain Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th in Chicago. Be sure to register now!In this Interview: The importance of Focus and its role in the entrepreneurial mindset Why you should have an emotional reason to succeed Moving on from anger and focusing on what you can controlPlus: When to bypass diplomacy and put your foot down Achieving success by avoiding cognitive overload  The importance of discipline for the entrepreneurial mindset What IS success?Today's Guests:Sherman Merricks of Dynasty CrossFitTommy Hackenbruck of Ute CrossFitCraig Hysell of Conviction TrainingJosh Price of Loco CrossFitTimeline:1:31 – An introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset4:24 – The first component of the entrepreneurial mindset is focus6:46 – How to deal with too many opportunities to choose from7:39 – Having an emotional reason to succeed9:07 – Sherman Merricks on setting goals and staying focused10:31 – An example of an emotional goal to keep you on track and keep you motivated12:45 – What to do next after hitting an emotional goal?13:52 – Achieving success with cognitive overload15:34 – Learning to focus on what’s important the hard way18:08 – Tommy Hackebruck on focus and obsession despite the circumstances20:24 – Channeling the inherit skill of focus in the right direction23:02 – The importance of discipline for the entrepreneurial mindset26:44 – Dealing with the extraordinary stress of copiers31:38 – Being pissed for five minutes and then moving on34:59 – Spending $170,000 training coaches before learning how to filter36:18 – Josh Price of Loco CrossFit introduction40:37 – Is help more powerful than anger?44:11 – A practical way to get into a steady mindset from a state of anger47:43 – The art of practicing not to be your first thought48:39 – Having success is necessary for motivation51:22 – Can motivation occur after being discouraged?52:24 – Flipping the tables on success56:46 – Being at rock bottom is a huge advantage57:51 – The romantic notion of the entrepreneurial grind is false58:27 – Craig Hysell on how people should define success in the CrossFit industry59:53 – What are the steps to determine what success is62:01 – Ineffective leadership by asking the wrong questions64:04 – When to bypass diplomacy and put your foot down.65:10 – The best favor you can do for people is to tell them what you want them to do70:14 – How to choose which ideas to focus on as an entrepreneur72:44 – The process of saying hell yes or noBooks mentioned during this episode:Extreme Ownership - U.S. Navy Seals by Jocko WillinkGood to Great by Jim CollinsGates of Fire by Steven PressfieldThe War of Art by Steven PressfieldTurni

Episode 64 – Training Think Tank Sometimes I invite a guest on the show because they are nowhere near as popular as they should be. This is the case with today’s guest, Max El-Hag. You will hear a lot of humility from Max in this episode but don’t mistake it, as he has profound knowledge of the fitness industry. In this episode we talk about his company, Training Think Tank, and how it is helping athletes of all sports connect with coaches who are able to advise and train them to the highest abilities. We talk strategy, methodology, and more related to his business and life! Reminder: The 2017 Two-Brain Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th in Chicago. Be sure to register now! In this Interview:What are the first steps to creating an online training programTesting Philosophy with remote clientsDo athletes need an individual mindset to be successful? Plus:Finding the right balance with the commoditization of intensityThe one message all CrossFit gyms need to hearBuilding nutrition into remote training programs About Max: Max has had a long career as an athlete and was first inspired by his father who was an Olympic fighter. After qualifying for the CrossFit Games a team and making it to Regionals as an individual, Max decided that coaching is what truly inspired him. At this point Max coached many clients from models and future NFL stars to ultra-runners and CrossFit athletes. He now runs Training Think Tank, a company that focuses on remote coaching, educational courses, and online programs for athletes and coaches.  Timeline: 0:58 – Training Think Tank introduction  2:41 – The lead up to Training Think Tank with Max4:52 – Finding CrossFit for the first time8:05 – Starting out as a personal training prior to CrossFit9:18 – CrossFit principles mixing into training for fighters11:10 – How Training Think Tank has grown to where it is today14:07 – Training Think Tank from a global perspective in today’s world16:45 – What are the first steps to starting an online training program?19:09 – Tools needed to start a remote coaching program20:30 – Testing Philosophy with remote clients according to their goals23:56 – How often should you be retesting clients on their progress?  25:27 – Building nutrition into a remote training program28:18 – Keeping workouts nontraditional leading up to the CrossFit Games32:41 – Different training programs for games athlete’s vs non games athletes37:00 – Finding the right balance with the commoditization of intensity41:00 – The top solutions gym owners take away from Max’s program45:03 – Recommending group training to individual clients46:20 – Do games athletes have to have an individual mindset to be successful47:50 – Firing individual clients when it’s not working out49:43 – Keeping clients compliant with the program51:06 – Giving athletes a win when you know they are down54:49 – Creating a template for your clients leading up to the CrossFit Open56:10 – Establishing a format of training for your gym59:18 – Where should a client look to do individual training in a group training gym?61:03 – How to implement a culture of one on one training in your gym63:16 – The one message all CrossFit gyms need to hear Contact Max: https://www.trainingthinktank.com/max@trainingthinktank.comhttps://www.facebook.com/trainingthinktank/https://www.instagram.com/trainingthinktank/

Episode 63 – OPEXToday we are joined by two very special guests from OPEX. James “OPT” Fitzgerald joins us as well has his business partner Jim Crowell. James Fitzgerald was one of my primary motivators when I first started CrossFit. James started OPEX soon after moving to Arizona which has become one of the most popular training programs in the world. Now on the eve of the rollout of the OPEX physical location gyms, James and Jim join me to discuss the OPEX model, how it works, program design, and flaws they see in the group model. Reminder the 2017 Two-Brain Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th in Chicago. Be sure to register now!Contact:Contact: http://opexfit.com/Timeline:1:31 – James OPT Fitzgerald & Jim Crowell introduction5:10 – Optimum Performance Training to OPEX: The story7:47 – What do the day-to-day operations of the OPEX gym look like?8:30 – Jim’s story and how he fits into OPEX9:48 – What is the OPEX model and how is it different?10:41 – What does the intake process look like for a new client in the OPEX gym?12:24 – How does an absolute beginner learn when they are brand new?13:17 – Movements for a brand new client post first assessment15:15 – How to determine when a client is ready for more complex exercises?18:32 – Is there a point where you restrict your clients from pushing further?23:12 – How frequently is the ongoing prescription for a client?25:27 – Helping clients realize that the gym is individualized26:44 – Reassessing with clients and upping their training program28:44 – How OPEX incorporates nutrition and broader lifestyle choices for clients32:30 – An example of a burned-out client and how to give them a break34:18 – High-intensity fitness and its effect on coaches36:46 – Is there a place for individual and group training in the same gym.39:03 – Ensuring that each client is receiving equal attention in a group workout session 41:03 – The important relationship between a coach and a client42:01 – How to deal with a client that needs more attention than others44:09 – The business model for brick and mortar OPEX gyms46:28 – The long term vision for OPEX48:50 – How to get your brand name out there to the masses50:07 – Fine-tuning the structure of OPEX for continued scaling in the future52:48 – How is OPEX best positioned to meet emerging opportunities and join the tribe 54:45 – Certain things that OPEX used to recommend but no longer does57:35 – What is retention like for brick and mortar OPEX locations60:57 – Who determines the pricing model for each OPEX gym64:05 – What systems come with the OPEX license?67:24 – What is the coach’s compensation model in an OPEX facility?69:01 – Who are the mentors to James and Jim?73:56 – Best advice for entrepreneurs in the fitness industry

How do you feel about money?

Episode 62 – The Power of StoriesToday we talk about using the power of stories to help grow your business, help your clients, and help you live a better life.  Today I share some personal stories and strategies for how to connect better with clients when telling a story. I also talk with Jason Cohen about how he is using the power of stories to help veterans with PTSD. The 2017 Two-Brain Summit is coming this June 3rd and 4th in Chicago. Be sure to register now!In this Interview:My first phone call with Greg GlassmanThe "Hero's Journey" and how it applies to CrossFitHow Jason Cohen is helping Veterans with PTSD Why stories are so effective for sales and marketingPlus:Testimonials versus client storiesThe gamification of CrossFit and exerciseExtrinsic versus intrinsic motivationAbout Jason:Jason Cohen is a former Marine where he was originally introduced to CrossFit.  After five years he retired from the Marine Corps and got his degree at the college of Charleston. Jason then started coaching full time. He is now the founder of SemperFit Squad, a company that provides workout plans based around stories to help veterans with PTSD.     Timeline:0:57 – The true power of great stories1:56 – A personal story about Greg Glassman3:20 – An introduction to telling great stories4:09 – The hero’s journey within a great story5:50 – The hero’s journey boiled down more simply and applied7:33 – Why does the hero’s journey matter to you?7:59 – Making Joe the hero of his own story17:13 – The real happy ending for a client17:39 – How does a coach fit into a story?18:17 – Jason Cohen Introduction19:03 – Jason Cohen’s Story20:57 – How stories can help veterans diagnosed with PTDS23:54 – Compelling someone with PTSD to get started exercising25:43 – The gamification of exercise and CrossFit27:06 – Moving people from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation27:51 – Placing people into life like stories within a CrossFit gym30:41 -  Drawing people in to stories where they feel like the hero31:14 – How does placing someone in a scene help someone with PTSD?32:40 – Developing a platform for veterans in need with PTSD  33:35 – Where to find Jason’s scenarios to try them out   36:14 – Getting wrapped up in a story37:05 – Where the mentor, or coach, in the hero’s journey comes in39:36 – The first test for a client, the social test41:44 – The second great test for a client, becoming injured44:51 – The implementation of the prescriptive model by creating heroes45:37 – Why are stories so effective for sales and marketing?49:01 – Testimonials versus a client story49:59 – A client’s primary barrier to signing up for CrossFit50:20 – The 2017 Two-Brain Summit AnnouncementSAMPLE:Today's Mission: It's June 6th 1944: D-Day. You're with the 101st Airborne flying high above the Douve River taking heavy anti-aircraft fire. Your unit's mission is to destroy 2 bridges over the river so the soldiers on Utah beach can push forward. As you approach your jump window, your aircraft takes a hard hit and loses its #2 (starboard) engine. The time to jump is now or never...GO GO GO. As you hit the ground you check your map and realize you're over 1 click south of your drop zone. You've landed in thick marsh and walking through the mud is like dragging your feet through wet concrete. To make matters worse, you've got to get prone from time to time because enemy patrols saw your open chutes and are on the hunt for you and your men. Your Mission: Complete 5 Rounds of: 2

Where's your focus?

78% of new clients at Catalyst (my gym) in 2016 listed an aesthetic goal as their top priority."Fat burning" trumped "performance". "Fat loss" beat "strength". No one said, "I want to move better", keeping my 21-year-streak alive.If your clients want to look like bodybuilders, why NOT incorporate some bodybuilding movement into your programming?The line between "functional movement" and "bodybuilding" has never been a clear one. What makes a biceps curl non-functional? What makes a bench press un-CrossFit?No one is adding mirrors to CrossFit gyms here. But would adding a hypertrophy element to your programming address what people actually WANT when they come to your gym? Food for thought.Most guys who walk in your door don't want a better "Fran" time. They just want to look like Bill.Bill Shiffler is the founder of CrossFit Renaissance, of Philadelphia. He's a professional bodybuilder, and today' he'll answer questions about combining physique-specific work with CrossFit.Bill's program is Renaissance Physique. Today we dive into all sorts of topics about this program, how it works, and how you can start implementing the program at your gym. Check out this two-week starter template for more information on how it works. In this Interview:What is Renaissance Physique and Hyper Metabolic Training?Hypertrophy and its relation to CrossFitGetting bigger and building size with CrossFitPlus:How to calculate a client’s basic metabolic rate (BMR)Endurance athletes and CrossFitDetermining a safe rate of weight loss About Bill:Bill is the founder of CrossFit Renaissance and Renaissance Physique. Prior to CrossFit, Bill was a wrestler and body builder.  He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), Level 2 CrossFit trainer, and natural pro bodybuilder. He is passionate about helping people reach their goals whatever they may be. His new program Renaissance Physique uses HMT (Hyper Metabolic Training). This program is based on cutting edge and science based techniques to maximize both hypertrophy and superior metabolic conditioning delivering maximum results. Timeline:1:31 – Bill Shiffler Introduction2:32 – Renaissance Physique Introduction4:25 – Bill Shiffler’s background and start with CrossFit and Body Building6:52 – The Renaissance Physique training methodology7:26 – Who is Renaissance Physique for?8:18 – What is Renaissance Physique?11:34 – Hypertrophy and its relation to CrossFit13:11 – Getting bigger and building size while doing CrossFit14:50 – Specific movement focus for someone wanting to gain weight with CrossFit  16:14 – How many reps should you be doing to build mass?17:32 – Volume is key with hypertrophy training17:53 – Preventing accidental weight gain19:40 –  Showing a desired physique picture during a consultation21:29 – Addressing body aesthetic through nutrition22:46 – Calculating a client’s BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate)23:18 – Determining a safe rate of weight loss24:00 – Setting up a client’s macronutrient partition25:44 – Customizing a client’s nutrition and training program26:41 – Why choose Renaissance Physique over pure CrossFit27:41 – Why recommend pure CrossFit for a client over Renaissance Physique29:16 – Hypertrophy based classes as a group30:24 – Delivering Renaissance Physique to a client33:13 – Focusing on body aesthetic after the CrossFit Open34:30 – Marrying CrossFit Physique with bodybuilding36:00 – Using the two week CrossFit Physique template for male and female clients37:48 – Would hypertrophy and CrossFit be good for en

What if you guaranteed results?

If you read the habits and tricks of very successful people, most of them say they start their day at the gym. Their readers ooh and aah at their dedication to exercise habits at 6am.But what about US - the one turning those lights on before Mr. GrowthHacker shows up? And in the CrossFit world, all too often, it’s the same person who turns the lights off at night.Sherman is really exceptional at balancing work, faith and family. He's got his priorities straight. His business is built to support his family and his time...instead of the other way around. I think this is an important one.

Is It Worth It?

Why I Started Reading "Tools For Titans" - And Why I StoppedI love Tim Ferriss. There, I said it.I love his podcast. "The Four-Hour Workweek" got me looking for ways to increase the value of my time. So I was really, really excited to get his book.300 pages in, I still loved it. But I put it on the shelf. The interviews, commonalities and stories were good. But I wasn't taking action on ANY of it.“Knowledge without action makes you a fool. Knowledge with action makes you successful.” - Jim RohnIt's easy to become trapped in a web of great ideas. But as coaches, we know that our clients don't need more IDEAS. They need more action.They don't need another "ripped abs" program from a magazine. They need to get protein at each meal. Starting today.My clients (gym owners) don't need to choose between FitAid and Kill Cliff. They need to write down how they run a CrossFit class. Today.You probably don't need more ideas. In fact, if you listened to the 2016 episode, and didn't take action on any of those ideas, stop listening now and go write contracts for your coaches. Take action.If, though, I haven't talked you out of listening to this episode, then press "Play".Timeline:2:49 – The Prescriptive Model 7:48 – Who can we coach?13:16 – Corporate opportunities for CrossFit17:23 – The Pre-OnRamp Program24:26 – The Challenge Mindset26:18 – SobrietyWOD27:50 – Gym "hubs" to develop coaches and services31:03 – Cobranding and helping other gym owners34:26 – Gamification 37:31 – Overarching expertise 40:44 – The subscription model within healthcareI struggled with recording this one. Last year's episode was a very popular one (and a watershed moment for some listeners, who DID take action and saw some huge results.)Many of the ideas that appear on this podcast are quickly copied and redistributed as fresh catch from other fishmongers. As a writer (albeit amateur) this really grates on me. As the founder of the largest mentoring practice in the fitness industry, it stirs up my legal soup.BUT as a gym owner who was once struggling to pay himself, I know that one idea can mean the difference between buying groceries and going hungry. That's why I'm going to keep this podcast going for another year.It's also the reason most of the content on the TwoBrainBusiness.com site has direct, actionable steps. Ideas are a beautiful web; but they're so sticky that we're sometimes caught.It's easy to get caught in a web of consumption.The Incubator is all about ACTION. Most gym owners who do our free consultation have lots of ideas; they don't know Step 1. That's the Incubator. Clear, step-by-step instructions and mentorship to get their business MOVING.

Last year, Nicole Aucoin of Healthy Steps Nutrition was my guest. She was launching a program to help gym owners add a nutrition component in their gym with minimal work. Nicole, a Registered Dietitian, teaches staff how to run the program, provides the gym with templates to use (for challenges, restaurant partnerships, and even corporate groups) and mentors the coaches running the program. It's an amazing value, and a year later, she has dozens of affiliate gyms.NOW she's opening a CrossFit affiliate, and with a blank slate, she's making nutrition a key component to her service offering.Adding a nutrition component in my gyms has done more than increase revenue. It's given us a new perspective on value, and what a fitness prescription should include. It's also opened the door to a larger stream of clientele than exercise has alone, because most people seeking weight loss will try a "diet" long before they'll try exercise.In this episode, you'll:Learn about how to set up a nutrition program at any CrossFit gymGenerate additional revenue totaling into the thousands of dollars annuallyAdd a critical piece to your coaching practice.What we cover:The foundations of a solid nutrition programThe prescriptive models relation to nutritionHydration's role in weight loss and performanceLifestyle changes for the long termPlus:Is Coffee okay to drink regularly?How to avoid the drive through and learn to prep foodPre and Post workout nutritionFirst steps to starting a nutrition planAbout Nicole:Nicole is the founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition. She realized at a young age how important nutrition was when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. She attended the University of Florida and was part of the cheerleading team. It was during this time that she realized nutrition was a field she wanted to pursue long term. She has worked in the nutrition and fitness business for over 10 years helping thousands of clients around the world. Her program is currently run at over 40 CrossFit gyms worldwide where she helps empower people to make healthy lifestyle changes.Timeline:1:30 – Nicole Aucoin Introduction4:20 – Nicole’s background and how she became a dietician and got started with CrossFit7:22 – The foundations of a solid nutrition program9:30 – Accountability and consistency within a nutrition program12:00 – The prescriptive model and its relation to nutrition12:36 – Introducing nutrition to your CrossFit box members15:12 – The Sugar Shocker. How much sugar is in your food?15:43 – Hydrations role in weight loss and performance16:24 – Is coffee okay? Well it depends.16:54 – Lifestyle Changes for the long-term17:32 – Avoiding the drive through and prepping food18:19 – Tools for continued nutrition success18:46 – Supplementing your nutrition19:07 – Pre and Post workout nutrition20:24 – Testing, working a plan, and coaching nutrition development23:17 – Creating a challenge for your clients and tracking fairly25:31 – Ongoing coaching and long-term nutrition for corporate clients31:40 – Legality and what can a dietician and nutritionist legally advise33:46 – First steps to starting a nutrition program35:49 – The procedure for starting a new nutrition program39:11 – How to work with a restaurant on nutrition41:30 – First steps to take to become a nutrition expertNOTE: In the last six minutes of this interview, a pesky little echo appears (I shouldn't have taken out my earphones - whoopsie.) My artistic sense said, "Cut this section out" but it's SO valuable that I left it in. My apologies. 42:38 – Common challenges to starting a nutrition program at their gym43:48 – How to local with a local dietician or nutritionist45:18 – Starting a CrossFit gym with a blank slate48:56 – How to reach NicoleContact Nicolehttp://www.healthystepsnutrition.com/

What Are We Selling?

Who are YOU? A three-sided question this week.

Today’s episode is a re-run from a recent webinar entitled “How to Set Your Rates.”In this episode, we talk about raising rates at your gym and the tactics and repercussions that go along with this action. I also lay out a plan for how to make this happen and perform a question and answer session.In this Interview:•Calculate the income you need for your perfect day.•The top services and other revenue streams you need.•The math behind raising costs.•My story of starting my first gym.•Why discounts should be eliminated!•How to calculate gross income and profit margin.•Question and answers from gym owners.Timeline:0:17 – How to set rates introduction.2:06 – Poll of who is joining the webinar.2:49 – Why should you eliminate discounts.4:15 – My story of starting a gym.6:36 – Hiring a business consultant.7:10 – What is your perfect day?8:25 – How much income do you need?9:17 – How to calculate gross income and profit margin.10:12 – Extrapolating your net goal to a gross goal.11:22 – Client payment spectrum.13:31 – What are your diverse revenue streams?15:15 – What are the top services and other revenue streams?17:54 – What is your premium service?19:49 – The math behind raising costs.26:13 – Using the Two Brain Business template.27:14 – Explaining rate increase to clients.28:57 – Pulling the trigger on a rate increase.30:43 – How to apply the Two Brain methods to your business.34:16 – Question and answer time. 

Are you an inventor? Should you be?

Kyle Posey, founder of Powered by Awesome, joins us on the show today. His company specializes in lead generation and marketing for micro gyms. I met him in Atlanta at an affiliate summit a few weeks ago where we had a chance to chat. He is an all-around great guy and truly believes in helping others first.A quick side note: The day after I did this interview I was on a free call with an affiliate. At the end of the call he told me that Kyle had referred him to me. This is the kind of guy that Kyle is.Always helping and putting others first!In this Interview:What you’re doing to sabotage your businessHow to get out of your own wayHow to generate more leadsPlus:Are CrossFit gyms learning marketing faster than most?The romanticization (I made that word up) of the “hustle”.Where do hot leads come fromAnalysis of the CrossFit brandAbout Kyle:Kyle is the CEO and founder of Powered by Awesome, a lead generation and marketing company. They specialize in creating websites for CrossFit affiliates across the world. Powered by Awesome has been around since there were fewer than 60 gyms worldwide and they have been creating cutting edge websites for over 12 years. The company loves fitness and community and this is the driving factor behind creating websites that will actually help your business do better!Timeline:0:17 – Kyle Posey Introduction1:58 – How Kyle got started in CrossFit4:13 – Dissecting the skull and crossbones logo6:09 – These things used to work in CrossFit but not anymore7:32 – Why is CrossFit trending in a new direction for marketing8:24 – Are CrossFit gyms learning marketing faster than most?10:43 – You don’t know how valuable your service and brand is13:19 – The romanticisation of the “hustle”.14:30 – Stop acting like a salesman18:07 – Getting more people into your box21:11 – What makes a website convert more customers27:48 – The difference between hot leads and cold leads29:33 – How to approach hot vs cold leads31:06 – Where do hot leads come from36:17 – How to find more people like your top members38:18 – Creating a more general gym experience39:38 – Motivating best clients to refer more clients40:51 – The dogma about marketing43:34 – Analyzing the CrossFit brand45:49 – Screen time vs face time and marketing47:58 – First steps to refining your marketing approach50:07 – Ask your clients what their favorite thing is about the gym51:58 – The importance of an outside expert52:18 – How to reach Kyle and Powered by Awesome

Episode 55 – The Path to Profit On today’s show, I replay a webinar entitled “The Path to Profit”. CrossFit gyms are doing great at keeping people healthy and fit but not that great at pursuing excellence in business. Many times they are martyring themselves -- admirable in the short term but not in the long term. Owning a gym requires a long view and a pursuit of excellence in business. This is not about buying yachts but about being around for years to come. In order to make this happen, it is necessary to get on the path to profit. This is an interactive webinar so be sure to grab a pen and paper to take notes along the way! In this episode: My Gym's Backstory How to get on the Path to Profit How to determine the amount of clients you need Why are gyms not more successful How to implement the Prescriptive Model Plus: An interactive goal setting exercise The step by step math to making a profit How to retire as a gym owner Question and answer session Goal Setting Exercise Questions What do you want to make in 2017? What are you going to learn in 2017? Where will you travel in 2017? What needs to be upgraded in your in 2017? How will you help other people in 2017? Timeline: 0:18 - Path to Profit Introduction 1:28 - Start of Path to Profit Webinar 3:10 - Learn about Chris Cooper’s Backstory 6:26 - The Underpants Gnomes 8:11 - Fitness vs. Business model and how to balance 9:02 - The basis of making a profit is consistency 11:45 - How to have a dedication to service 13:59 - Grab your pen and paper for a goal setting exercise 20:10 - Do we have to modify profit goals for emotional goals? 22:00 - The step by step math to making a profit 24:09 - Practical ways to build multiple revenue streams 26:21 - Dunbar’s number or the maximum relationships you can retain 27:48 - Unlikely sources for diversifying revenue streams 29:07 - How to determine the amount of clients you need 30:30 - Focus on the easiest goals first 32:06 - Moving from low value goals to high value goals 36:25 - How to implement the prescriptive model and become an authority 40:05 - How the heck do you retire from being an affiliate owner? 41:20 - Why you should focus on the top 10% of potential clientele 43:42 - The REAL Reason gyms aren't successful 46:26 - Q+A TwoBrain mentoring clients get the full webinar with slides and downloads, as well as two more in December!

Do you need to win to WIN?

I used to HATE retail. But I fixed my retail operation. And I asked Matt Albrizio (Forever Fierce) and Bruno Guevremont (Syndicate Gear) to come on the show and tell YOU how to do the same. I no longer inventory extra shirts, or lose money buying stuff my clients don't want. These guys came up HUGE: they put together videos and templates to help. Bruno offered to send a free sample box to any affiliate who wants one. Matt has given you preorder forms and access to his private "reminder" calendar - which makes me thousands every year. It's a huge gift, and thank them for it (not me.)

Are your actions having any effect? Can you prove it?

Jeff Burlingame is the owner of Friction CrossFit in MI, but he spent most of his career managing globo gyms, where he taught staff how to do more personal training business. At one point, he had 160 trainers working under him. Jeff studied sales techniques for a decade, but after reading "Help First," he realized the best path was to simply help his clients by recommending the best option for them. Now he combines an objection-based approach with the TwoBrain "No-Sweat Intro" and the results are staggering: He's already hit 250% of his 2015 revenue in 2016, and he still has a month to go.Jeff mentions his "WhyNot" sheet, and walks through each question in the podcast. He's sharing the sheet with Two-Brain mentoring clients for free.In this interview:-Jeff’s CrossFit story Learn how to sell more personal training sessions at your box-Different types of personal training sessions and how to tailor these to your clients-Breakdown of a proper client assessment and needs analysis-Jeff’s “WhyNot List” is covered in-depth-Plus: Balancing family and business-Selling Treadmills and badmouthing CrossFit-Birth of Friction CrossFitAbout Jeff Burlingame: Jeff Burlingame started out playing Rugby at Michigan State where he received his B.S. in Exercise Science and Fitness Leadership. Wanting to continue with sports and athletics, he became a sales director and personal trainer director for many leading gyms throughout the country. As Jeff’s career advanced and time spent at home with the family became less and less, he was ready for a change. It was at this time that he decided to open Friction CrossFit. Through many ups and downs, Friction CrossFit is now a successful CrossFit affiliate based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.Jeff’s Why Not List, for overcoming rejection from new clients is available to members of the Two Brain Business Family exclusively. Be sure to check it out!Remember to fill out the 2016 affiliate survey. This important survey allows us to better serve affiliates and also allows some time for reflection on where your business has been and where it is headed.Timeline:1:32 Jeff Burlingame Introduction3:14 The Jeff Burlingame Story4:40 First Personal Training Experience7:28 Finding CrossFit11:05 Opening a CrossFit Gym16:26 Full Time to Friction CrossFit18:32 How to Sell Personal Training25:35 Creating New Clients29:48 Which Training Program Is Right32:43 Client Body Analysis35:33 Proper Client Needs Assessment43:50 Why is Personal Training Important?Contact Jeff:http://www.frictioncrossfit.com/about/meet-the-coaches/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-burlingame-68380286 https://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Burlingame/38512666 https://www.facebook.com/frictioncrossfit/?pnref=lhc 

What difference did TODAY make? Did you move your business forward...or just go to work?

Where are all the millionaires?After five weekends on the road, Chris reflects on conversations with box owners; the need for models of business success; and how TwoBrain is helping.Then he addresses the "9 Myths Gym Owners Believe" from a blog post last week. The myths were:People join CrossFit for “the community”The most important number to track is how many athletes you haveEveryone except you is doing wellClients choose a gym because of its workout programmingPeople in your town are scared of the word “CrossFit”Average household income in your area mattersPeople seek a low price-point to startGyms with 300 members are successfulSharing thoughts on the election is a great ideaHe also mentioned to the "Should You Deaffiliate?" Podcast (episode 38).

What job are you doing now - a $5 job? $50 job? $500 job?What SHOULD you be doing instead?

On this episode, I provide an excerpt from my book Help First: Sell Less, Profit More. (here it is on Audible.)Content marketing is a critical skill for gym owners (and anyone in the service industry.) If you're using the CrossFit brand, it's especially important.HQ has done a fantastic job of making your audience aware of CrossFit. That's their responsibility. Bridging the gap between "What's CrossFit?" and "Here's how CrossFit is going to solve YOUR problem, Mr. Jones" is your responsibility. Content creation fills that gap.I introduce the episode with a few examples of the content I use on my Catalystgym site; mention a few others in this space, and why we believe the authority of non-experts; and then give you a 30-Day Challenge that you can use with your coaches. The Challenge will generate momentum in your community, push people who are "on the fence" toward your service, and help your coaches share their expertise.Tags: @twobrain, #twobrain, @twobrainbusiness on Facebook on InstaGram.Download FREE TEMPLATES for a lot of my content strategy here.The biggest takeaway: content doesn't have to be perfect. Just start publishing.Like this article? Fill out our 2016 Gym Owners' Survey so we can create MORE in 2017!

What are your goals for 2017? Here's how to set them.

If you're a Gym owner, where do you turn to get help? John Manser, from CrossFit Dynamo in Atlanta, GA joins us today, and he is the go to resource for CrossFit affiliate owners to get answers. John is an experienced CrossFitter and has been ranked as high as 147th best in his age group. He has a long sports career including collegiate tennis and a being a sponsored triathlete. He is a certified level 2 coach, has extensive programming experience and has been noticed by the Garage Games for his plans. John got in to CrossFit and wanted to start a box but knew he could not afford to fail. He went online to solicit advice from others on Facebook and get advice from current box owners. From this, the Affiliate Owners Group (AOG) was formed. John talks about how the group was formed and how it grew from its humble beginnings in Atlanta, GA. In today’s episode we cover topics such as how the AOG was formed, the most popular questions/topics on the AOG, and the future of the AOG. We also cover an important topic, the Abundance Mindset. John defines this as, “The Giving of your skills to the people that need them around you, without necessarily expecting anything in return”. This is truly what the AOG is all about. For John, there truly is nothing in it for him besides helping other affiliates.Be sure to send John an email and thank him for all his hard work he and other admins do at the AOG!Timeline:3:06 John Manser Introduction3:55 Trying CrossFit for the First Time5:05 Getting CrossFit Advice Online8:50 Creation of the Affiliate Owners Group12:05 Recurring CrossFit Questions15:07 Recruiting the First Moderators of AOG18:30 Dealing with Leadership Problems20:24 The Abundance Mindset21:41 Managing Expectations24:49 Why AOG is so Popular?26:12 Guidelines of the AOG28:56 Best Lessons from the AOG30:53 Lessons That Did Not Work32:52 Deleting Comments on the AOG34:31 More Best Lessons from the AOG35:21 Most Important Posts to Read (How to Find Customers)37:48 Avoiding Problems Other Owners39:02 What is the Future of the AOG42:26 The Upside of the AOGContact John:https://www.facebook.com/groups/319154731484810/ (Affiliate Owners Group)https://www.facebook.com/johnmanserjrhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/AffiliNation/http://affilination.org/http://crossfitdynamo.com/https://www.facebook.com/CrossfitDynamo

Josh Trahan from CrossFit Breaux Bridge in Louisiana joins us today. Josh is a military veteran, level 3 certified trainer, and successful CrossFit affiliate. Although accomplished and successful this was not always the case for Josh. He is a recovering alcoholic and drug user of four years. A problem that soon began after leaving the Marine Corps. Josh’s love for working out stems from his high school football days. He was always strong and enjoyed helping others train. After high school he was still looking for a competitive spark so he joined the Marine Corps and served through several deployments in Iraq. After serving Josh began to struggle greatly with alcohol and drug use causing weight gain and general unhappiness. After a disastrous series of events, Josh moved to Georgia and embarked on his road to recovery. Josh was living in a halfway house and working at McDonalds where he would walk to work 8 miles each day. It was at this moment that he began intently focusing on CrossFit and initially recruited his roommates train with. After continued hard work Josh set out to become a CrossFit trainer and open his own box. He worked at local affiliates and learned as much as possible about box management and training techniques. Josh then completed his certification and opened his own successful box. Josh enjoys competing in CrossFit but most of all he enjoys bringing CrossFit to the general public. Listen today and learn how Josh pulled himself out of addiction and how he is helping others do the same today with Sobriety WOD. Timeline:1:25 Josh Trahan Introduction2:42 Josh’s Beginnings4:41 Joining the Marine Corps7:30 Life After the Marines12:59 Hitting Rock Bottom17:55 The Last Drink25:50 Honest Appraisal of Self28:15 First CrossFit Workout31:58 CrossFit and Sobriety39:14 What is the Point of Fitness49:12 How CrossFit Sobriety Works54:09 Succeeding with CrossFit and Sobriety57:28 Segmented Training1:00:55 Tracking CrossFit Sobriety Progress1:07:04 CrossFit Sobriety Seminar1:11:15 The Value in ServiceContact Josh:https://twitter.com/jwtrahanhttp://www.sobrietywod.com/http://crossfitbreauxbridge.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH-DC_V5bUYzAkrf-X3Sgsg

Are you better off than you were 3 months ago?

The worst word in the English language is...

Who are your "One In Ten"? and last call for Calgary!

"Nobody wants our job. But everyone thinks they do." These are the words TwoBrain Mentor Jay Williams texted me on Friday night. After a rough week in which even my podcast interview didn't happen on schedule, I reflected on how well I handle stress NOW than I did five years ago. I recalled those dashboard-punching, angry-email-sending days, and thought, "I bet these lessons can help someone else get through it."This episode is dedicated to the martyr; to the workhorse; to the owner who thinks, "I'll just outwork everyone else, and things will be okay." It's not going to happen, and you're hurting everyone (including yourself) in the meantime. You need to do something different. But that's stressful. Here's how to deal with it.Other times, things are going to go wrong. Sometimes they'll all go wrong at once. When they do, here are the tools to get you through.

This week's Food For Thought question comes from Dan Martell.

Robin and Aaron Maier of Stone Brook Strength and Conditioning join us today.They founded CrossFit Regina and operated it from 2007 until 2013. Since moving back to Manitoba, they have gotten the CrossFit itch again and have started CrossFit in their own basement. Learn how they started over and what they are doing differently at Stone Brook Strength. Robin started CrossFit in 2007 as a New Year’s resolution and it has since became a way of life. She enjoys how the workouts are functionaland that they relate to making you stronger and fitter for real life. She enjoys working with people and helping them reach their goals. Aaron started CrossFit in 2004 and began with his own homemade equipment. In 2007, he coerced his wife to start. They built a business from their garage to a huge gym. Then, in 2013, they sold their share and started over in Manitoba.In this episode, we'll talk about their journey, what they're doing differently this time, and what they've learned.Timeline:1:52 Getting Started in Fitness5:46 Where to Obtain First Clients8:29 A Typical Day for a New Gym9:10 Where to Spend Your Time10:11 Adding a Partner to The Business 11:12 Leaving the Business Behind12:18 The Last Straw13:14 Selling a CrossFit Business14:20 Getting Started Again15:35 Working towards Critical Mass18:26 Opening Up a New Location21:32 What to Do Different24:38 Diversifying Revenue Streams27:20 Change in Mindset at New Location30:12 Local CrossFit Competition32:52 Starting from Scratch33:46 How to Maintain a Happy LifeContact:robin@stonebrookstrength.comaaron@stonebrookstrength.comhttps://twitter.com/sbscrossfithttps://www.facebook.com/StoneBrookStrength/https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1017169164/Links:http://www.stonebrookstrength.com

What are your SUNK COSTS - or the bad decisions you wish you could erase?

Lon Kilgore, from the Kilgore Academy, joins us today.Lon has a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Physiology and is an accomplished weightlifting and athletic coach. You can read his full CV, including his published research, here. He has competed in powerlifting, the first CrossFit Total event, wrestling, and rowing. In addition to this, he is the developer of the Basic Barbell Training and Exercise Science specialty seminars for CrossFit. He is a military veteran and currently runs the Kilgore Academy. Lon has authored many bestselling books including Starting Strength, Fit, Practical Programming for Strength Training, and Anatomy Without a Scalpel.Today’s episode is focused heavily on education for coaches. We spoke with Lon for two hours in this episode! We talk about where the best education in fitness can be found, how do you do it, and where do you learn. We also talk about certifications, the Kilgore Academy, and more!The second hour of the episode covers a discussion of Academic versus Commercial training for Fitness instructors. In this hour we discuss the pros and cons of both and Lon’s experience in each track.Timeline:11:06 Getting Started in Fitness19:20 Practical Programming28:07 Academia vs Practice32:49 Applied Fitness Research40:53 Publishing Fitness Papers45:53 Good Research vs Bad Research51:04 The Most Up to Date Science54:13 Fitness Advice Red Flags56:34 Placebo Effects of Training60:09 Experimenting on Clients63:37 Kilgore Academy Online Courses67:02 Academic vs. Commercial Training72:21 When to Pursue Academic Education74:24 Starting a Fitness Career84:08 Technology’s Role in Education89:01 More on the Kilgore Academy100:28 Replacing Academic Education103:00 Lon’s Creative Side110:49 Never Stop LearningContact:Lon Kilgore: lon@lonkilgore.com https://www.facebook.com/lon.kilgore Links: http://lonkilgore.com/ http://www.kilgoreacademy.com/ http://www.itcamefromasciencejournal.com/ 

Small successes are great. How will they trigger the larger successes?

What's the future "model" for successful microgyms? The original CrossFit gym did Personal Training, and then small-group training with 2-4 participants. Years later, we were told (by a third party) that massive groups of 12 and up was the best way to profitability. In 2012, I introduced The Stratified Model in my book, Two-Brain Business. I think the *next* model is The Prescriptive Model.This podcast is the first time I've spoken about the topic outside our mentoring program and TwoBrain Seminars. My Rx is not your Rx. Brian Alexander of CrossFit Illumine in Chicago is my guest. Brian owns one of the top CrossFit gyms in the country and is a mentor at twobrainbusiness.com.Despite having a booming gym, it was not too long ago that Brian was feeling disconnected from his members. He realized that to truly COACH people, he needed to know where they were headed. He decided to start a google doc and use it to track members' goals. It failed. But he tried again, and this evolved into Brian re-engaging with his members and helping them passionately pursue their goals. Today he uses lifetick.com to track goals and engage with his members.Throughout the episode, Brian talks about the importance of settings goals and how this strategy has helped his business grow to new heights. Personal engagement with gym members is extremely important and is many times the reasons good gyms are good and bad gyms are bad. Being personable and writing each member their own prescription is an essential part of growing your gym and helping members reach their goals. The mindset is as important as the practice.We talk about how to write this personalized prescription and how you can get started helping your members today.Timeline:1:25 The Stratified Model3:22 Brian Alexander Introduction4:04 Your Duty as a Coach7:12 Good gyms vs Bad Gyms8:36 The No Sweat Intro11:04 "Mrs. Jones" - Sample Consultation16:19 Identifying your Best Clients - (here's the Mike Michalowicz interview)20:24 Goal Setting with Clients24:59 Meeting with Members - Brian uses the InBody (TwoBrain members get a discount) 27:09 Reaching Goals30:15 Results of Good Goal Setting32:31 How Important is Goal Setting?36:02 The Best Opportunity to Help More39:32 Fitness Coach vs Physician: Our Scope of Practice The "Swim Coaches vs Lifeguards" talk is here.Contact:Brian Alexander: Brian@crossfitillumine.com http://www.crossfitillumine.com/ This week's sponsor is Forever Fierce. 

Keith Zimmer from CrossFit Happy Valley in Clackamas, Oregon joins us today.Keith is an experienced CrossFit coach and affiliate owner. He got his start by crossing paths with CrossFit co-founder Lauren Glassman nearly seven years ago. Keith’s pursuit of excellence is unparalleled and today we talk with him about his rise from a twelve-foot-by-twelve-foot corner gym, to an 11,000 square foot CrossFit Mecca.After first just going to a CrossFit gym to see what the fuss was about, Keith was instantly hooked on this newfound religion. He immediately passed through the certifications needed and even took many of them twice. After moving to Oregon and breaking up with Lauren, Keith found himself broke with no money, no clients, and no way forward. Desperate to continue his dream, he started a small gym in the corner of his friend Jason’s MMA gym. In need of clients, he offered $40 for unlimited workouts 24 hours a day. As the struggle continued, Keith thought about quitting many times. He nearly packed up shop, moved back to Utah, and continued his trade of working as an electrician.However, an intervention spurred Keith to stick it out and stay the course. He slept on a couch in the back office of the MMA gym and lived off of Raman Noodles and canned chili. After building his clientele, Keith found himself outgrowing his space and was able to make the move to his own gym and open Happy Valley CrossFit.Keith learned about running his gym from one of the best, Lauren Glassman. He says that her single biggest piece of advice is to not focus on yourself but focus on nurturing the client. Keith describes his gym as a Thanksgiving feast where it is simply like having family around all the time. In some instances, he can take this motto too far and become so focused on the client that he is essentially acting like a martyr.Many of these self-defeating mindsets came from Keith’s upbringing and always trying to please his mother and father. As his business grew, it was obvious that several changes needed to be made and his reluctance to do so was negatively affecting not only himself but his clients.As Keith worked with Two Brain Coaching to raise his rates to be more in line with what was fair, he began to see the positive impacts of doing so. By raising rates instead of being scared of running customers off he was able to provide higher quality service, pay his coaches better, and provide better equipment.Now that Keith has implemented these new business approaches he is living with less stress, frustration, and anger. Follow along today and learn exactly what Keith did to improve his business, his life, and his client’s lives so you don’t have to reach the bottom to figure it out.In addition, Keith will cover questions like: How much should a CrossFit affiliate make? What does it take to succeed? Is it necessary to hit the bottom before making the changes necessary to succeed?Timeline:0:18 Keith Zimmer Introduction.2:31 How Keith found CrossFit and grew his desire to coach.6:19 Meeting Lauren Glassman co-founder of CrossFit.11:43 Moving to Portland and breaking up with Lauren.15:45 Broke, Hungry but filled with passion and desire.21:52 From humble beginnings to success.26:30 Best advice from Lauren, the co-founder of CrossFit.29:45 The CrossFit Gym is like a family Thanksgiving.30:28 Being a CrossFit martyr.34:25 The need to make others happy and its effects on his business.39:10 What stopped Keith from raising rates.40:28 Trusting the Two-Brain Business method.42:06 A wild dream that related to my business.45:05 Projection of feelings and ideas onto clients.48:20 How has life changed as Happy Valley CrossFit has grown.52:27 A gym based on false reality.53:08 How much should an affiliate make?55:09 Is it necessary to hit the bottom before maki

Two is one and one is none. Is there one client, one staff person, or one coach whose departure could kill you?Is it you?

Where did your rates come from?How did you choose them?Why?

Nelson Dellis is one of the most interesting CrossFitters in the world.Nelson is a four-time US Memory Champion. I flew to Manhattan to watch him win his second in 2014 and wrote about the experience in the CrossFit Journal. He was introduced to CrossFit by a mutual friend in Miami, whose coaches were struggling to remember the names of the athletes in their large classes. He’s also attempted to summit Everest three times, dragging camera crews along with him more than once.He’s the founder of the Extreme Memory Tournament, the author of “I Forgot Something (But I Can’t Remember What It Was)” and the founder of Climb For Memory, a charity for Alzheimer’s Research.He’s been featured on Today, The Dr. Oz Show, Nightline and Saturday Night Live.“Client Experience” is one of our 7 Areas of Gym Excellence. When your coach remembers important things about you, your bond is reinforced. Nelson talks about paying attention, remembering details about your clients, and how to make both easier.Our UpCoach Challenge: Client Scavenger Hunt was a huge hit last month. Nelson’s most important lesson to me is this: make massive goals, go after them hard, and take the big lessons.

What are you abdicating?

"The Go-Giver" is a career-changing book for many professionals. In this episode, co-author Bob Burg talks about value, influence and changing the way you look at business.Bob starts with an overview of the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success: Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity and Receptivity.Then Bob talks about INTRINSIC VALUE: the value that's built into your experience. These can also be broken into five parts: excellence, consistency, attention, empathy and appreciation. This is what you're giving people. Notice that Burg lists "consistency" as part of excellence. He also emphasizes individual attention (even in a group setting) and appreciation - which doesn't mean "discounts".Bob says "The key to receptivity is staying open to"Probably the biggest upside-down misperception about selling is that it's about taking. And it's not! Selling is all about giving." He continues:"Selling is simply discovering what the other person needs, wants or desires and helping them to get it."Bob has never heard our "No-Sweat Intro" or "Bright Spots" interview questions, but he virtually walks through the entire conversation verbatim. Start with a conversation. Ask questions. Make a recommendation as a coach--not as a salesman. This is why offering a "free CrossFit trial"Bob mentions "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, which I give to every prospective coach at Catalyst."Ultimately, people do things for their reasons, not our reasons" - Dale CarnegieHere are 3 things Bob learned from Carnegie: Everyone seeks happiness Happiness is relative Resources are limited.How does a "Go-Giver" say NO to clients who are bad fits or opportunities that will squander their limited time and attention? Bob gives us tactful ways to do so."I'm not a big believer in being a martyr."A quick overview of The Go-Giver:You can go to Bob’s website www.TheGoGiver.com and immediately download Chapter One from his international bestseller The Go-Giver and access lots of value-added resources such as the special report, The Go-Giver Way: Five Principles for Creating a Culture of Excellence.Music in this episode by The Blessed Cassettes.Recorded on August 11, 2016.

Each week, I give you a BIG question to chew on over the weekend. This one is SO big that I give you an exercise to help get you started.

In this episode of Two-Brain Radio, Mike shares how to build a business with profit in mind, how to identify your BEST clients and build your business around them, how to fire the rest, and how to stay atop the new fitness wave.

In the fitness industry, August is the month for slowest growth. That means it's the best opportunity for consolidation. How are you optimizing your business to be ready to grow in September?

Are the best days of gym ownership behind us? Has the wave crested...or are we on the verge of a surge?Before Mike Michalowicz (author of The Pumpkin Plan, Profit First and Surge) comes on the show next week, I'm talking with box owners about the past and the future. Do they miss that dusty ol' Ranch? Are they excited for the huge ocean of new clients before us?

How much should you pay your coaches? 

What's in a name? Would a gym by any other name still draw people to you? What's the value of the CrossFit brand on YOUR front door?This week on the podcast, I ask some original affiliates some questions about the value of the brand.Recorded from July 18-July 27.

This episode is sponsored by Liquid State Design and Healthy Steps Nutrition.The TwoBrain Summit ended yesterday. It was JAMMED with great conversation, some excellent presentations and amazing food. We might have lifted a few weights, too.Our goal at TwoBrain Business is to ask bigger, better questions, and create an entirely new paradigm for gym owners and coaches. Why DON’T average gyms gross in the millions and net in the hundreds of thousands? Why is a coach who makes $100,000 per year something to brag about, when it should be the norm?More importantly, what does it take to be HAPPY?Ribs are part of the answer, as we found out. So is comradeship with our peers: the best and brightest in the industry, brought together over coffee and barbells, in a supportive environment.Yes, we talked about new possibilities in Facebook marketing. But we also talked about industry tipping points, huge opportunities that dwarf most gyms’ perspective, and the bright shiny future the best gyms will enjoy.These are tiny keyhole insights into the weekend. I hope they help. This weekend I’ll be doing the same thing at the Games.Recorded from July 15-19, 2016.

For full show notes, including a sweet banded power clean demo video, visit: http://twobrainbusiness.com/episode-36-programming-with-jason-brown/

From Wikipedia: Dunbar's number is a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. These are relationships in which an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person.[

We think all the time, "How do I attract more people to me?" But the first question should be, "What's STOPPING people?"

Ken Andrukow is a Two-Brain Mentor and owner of Reebok CrossFit Ramsay.Ken charges one of his clients over $2,000 per month. He's working on a deal with a major hotel chain. His secret? Ken asks his clients how he can help them.As I wrote in "Help First," it sounds almost too simple. But identifying opportunities doesn't come naturally to most first-time entrepreneurs. We teach and reinforce the practice in our mentoring program, but Ken's been doing it for a LONG time.In this two-part episode, Ken talks about:How to identify opportunities to work with corporationsWhat corporate clients actually WANT from youWhat the first conversation with a busy CEO looks likeSetting up a "corporate challenge"Different ways Ken delivers service to a local hotel chainThe app we're developing can be seen in beta here. We'll be partnering with Two-Brain gyms first, of course, because we already know the operational quality therein.Not mentioned: The hotel chain is working to offer corporate discounts to Two-Brain gyms. You can download our sample Corporate Intro Letter here.Ken and I are working on a big project for training CEOs and business owners remotely, and we mention it in the interview.But first, Ken and I talk about a pet project: CF24, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Athletes. We’re joined by Matt Le Quelenec, who works on the Special Olympics side. This is a very unique challenge with a live leaderboard and even a live video feed between gyms.Cognitive challenges are very close to my heard (I’m also cofounder of IgniteGym.com) and so I’m offering a bounty to gyms who participate: a $1500 credit toward mentorship or the UpCoach program. That’s enough to get you through RampUp, or about six months of mentoring afterward, or really train your coaches to the next level. It’s the most leveragable $1500 you can ever spend (many report a year-over-year ROI of 50Xpurchase) and you can win it by helping these athletes. Go to CF24.ca for details. In the States? More info coming soon.Want to jump straight to the Corporate stuff? Go to 24:15.“No one’s ever going to slap you for thinking too big.” – Ken AndrukowRecorded on June 23 and 25, 2016.

Every Friday, I give you a BIG-PICTURE question to chew on over the weekend. This week: turning Garbage into GOLD.

Michael Scott and Mike Collette are co-owners of CrossFit Prototype in MA. They’ve been open for three years, and now they’re expanding.Instead of opening a second location or adding space to their original box, Michael and Mike are starting to acquire other local boxes. I’m in a privileged position of trust: box owners are more willing to talk openly when I’m in the room as a “broker”. So at the beginning of May, I flew to Boston to hang out with them for a few days, visit other boxes, eat dinner with other affiliates, and sit in on some of these negotiations.In this short interview, Michael and Mike talk about:WHY they’re acquiring other gyms, instead of expandingWHO would make an ideal partner in an acquisitionWHAT they look for when valuing a gymWHERE they’re expandingHOW they determine value.You can use the Business Valuation Calculator. You can download it free here:Rigquipment Finance DCF Worksheet for TwoBrainBusiness.comMichael Scott also refers to EBITDA as another valuation tool.Whether you’re thinking about selling your gym, thinking about BUYING other gyms, or just wondering about what makes your gym valuable, this is the perfect episode for you. We don’t get drug down into the math, but we do identify some key metrics to track.Michael and Mike are completely transparent, even when I ask hard questions. But if I missed anything and you’d like to know about it, email chris@twobrainbusiness.com and I’ll pass your questions along.In the meantime, please visit iTunes and give this podcast a 5-star review if you liked it.In “Critical Questions”, I talk about consolidation vs. expansion, the TwoBrain Summit and the big questions I’m working on right now.  Here’s “Growing Too Fast?”Recorded on June 17, 2016.

Another HUGE question for you to ponder this weekend...are you projecting your OWN fears and biases onto your clients? What's that costing you?

Vaughn Vernon is the guy behind Affiliate Guard.Vaughn insures over 2200 affiliate gyms, and we get together whenever possible to share “War Stories.” Some of these are funny, it’s true. But the point is to identify the potential tripping stones for gyms.This is NOT a boring episode about insurance. It’s a glimpse into the future. It’s a chance to analyze your defense. Vaughn is definitely not a boring guy, and we can leverage the hard lessons learned in the trenches to avoid gym-killing mistakes in our own businesses.The gyms in these stories aren’t owned by dummies. Most of these coaches have the same expertise, same fantastic community and same passion YOU DO. In most cases, they’ve simply run into one tiny instance of bad luck. Sadly, some didn’t survive.Imagine this: you spend ten years learning how to change lives. You care so greatly it keeps you up at night. You’re profitable; your coaches own houses and cars; your clients are off Lipitor. Then one day, a client collapses mid-WOD. Will you lose it all?Some have. But others were prepared and survived. We can learn from both.In a few cases, this is a hilarious conversation. In others, it’s as serious as a heart attack (literally.)0:00 – Vaughn’s background and (funny) intro to CrossFit4:30 – Running events at your gym: are you covered?9:12 – What are the easiest mistakes to avoid in YOUR gym?11:44 – Homemade equipment14:00 – A recent case in CA where a client died of a heart attack, and how it affects YOU16:58 – Blood-borne diseases – does anyone in your gym rip their hands?19:15 – Do waivers REALLY protect you?20:57 – How an OnRamp or Foundations program might save your gym22:20 – Using pictures on your website23:21 – Background checks (download the free form here.)24:06 – Kids getting rides to and from the gym – Download a Child Pickup Authorization form here:Child Pick Up Authorization Article25:30 – Kids’ competitions28:10 – Do we need a written assessment for all athletes at intake? (hint: the TwoBrain family is working on this for you.)30:31 – The absolute basics: taking attendance31:38 – The Big “R” (free rhabdo waiver here, along with a TON of other free stuff)37:37 – Why Vaughn is buying into a CrossFit gym38:48 – You’ll need an AED soon. Here’s what Vaughn is doing to help(Do you need one ALREADY? Click here.)41:20 – Remote programming: are you liable?43:00 – Nutrition challenges and prescriptions: what’s legal?44:10 – Renting space to other coaches47:00 – Why clients sueIn “Coach’s Confessional”, I talk about being proud of the wrong things instead of those that DO matter. Further reading: The Hustle Is A Lie.Recorded on June 7, 2016.

The purpose of this episode is to give you a "BIG PICTURE QUESTION" to ponder over your weekend. It's a doozy!Special bonus: a special signup rate for our TwoBrain Summit, July 15-17, 2016.

AJ and Megan Dwyer own MAD Strength and Conditioning and CrossFit SwampFox. Since December 2015, they’ve affiliated and opened a second location. Their rapid growth is fueled by AJ’s focus on youth athletes, and sports teams. AJ brings a unique approach to intake, testing, prescription and training, and he’ll share his methods in this podcast.00:5:00 – AJ’s story: MMA, bodybuilding, military deployment to Afghanistan and finding CrossFit10:30 – AJ trains his first “sport-enhancement” client12:05 – “Sport-specific” training vs “Sport-Enhancement” training17:00 – How AJ works with local coaches19:30 – Misconceptions athletes have when starting the program22:20 – AJ programs for athletes all day. But he uses BoxProgramming.com for his CrossFit members. Why?23:15 – We start walking through the client experience from the first inception point, through intake and assessment, and then programming. We start with an overview.26:45 – We go back through his process in very small detail, from recommendations to testing to recruitment.34:00 – AJ and I talk about his testing process. He’s currently refining his testing in preparation for rollout to other coaches, so there are some details we skim. But the original model came from mine, which you can read here. Two-Brain Coaching clients are given a copy to use verbatim, but you can replicate the idea without cutting and pasting.You’ll also see the “report card” we give athletes at each test.37:00 – What athletes actually need vs what they don’t41:00 – How “sport-enhancement” programs differ from CrossFit youth programs42:00 – Problems AJ is seeing with kids who play sports, and how he corrects them44:30 – How AJ recommends PT, small group or large group training for different clients46:30 – How AJ would get 50 more kids if he had to49:00 – How AJ describes his program to coaches51:00 – AJ offers to help other gyms assess and program for athletes to build their programIn Critical Questions, I answer, “I have lots of great ideas. How do I actually get the time to DO any of them?” I refer to the “10-Hour CEO” template tool. Recorded on June 6, 2016.

Zach Even-Esh is the founder of UnderGround Strength.I first encountered Even-Esh's work in T-Nation in 2005. The "Old School Training" article was less an epiphany about training methods to me than a potential business model: suddenly, I could foresee a way to own a gym without investing hundreds of thousands of dollars. This guy - Even-Esh - was doing it. He didn't have a pec dec, or treadmills; he had a corner of his dad's garage, some big tires and sandbags. And his athletes were killing it. In this episode, Even-Esh talks about his background, his future, and his commitment to train athletes ONLY. It's not the easy road, but he's never walked the easy road. This podcast is sponsored by Healthy Steps Nutrition and EpicRaceGear.com.Timeline:1:45 - Even-Esh talks about Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding as the original source of training information. 4:10 - "I was writing articles probably every other day."5:00 - Zach's online certification is here.9:00 - Zach talks about the "expensive" business course - $25/month - that spurred him to take action and become a "change maker."11:30 - Zach goes to prison and writes about it.14:45 - Zach finds the CrossFit message boards.17:40 - Transitioning from training out of his house to his first location, and selling "Strength and Conditioning" to a market unfamiliar with the term.19:00 - "Convenience and excellence are never found on the same road."20:30 - Tough kids and soft kids.21:00 - Tim Ferriss' "Four-Hour Body."24:15 - How has the training of athletes changed since you started?28:00 - How does Zach get new clients?33:30 - Knowing what he does now, would he have taken the same path?39:00 - How Zach coaches a broad spectrum of athletes in a group setting.41:30 - How athletes are differentiated by physical AND emotional maturity, then separated without discouraging them.44:00 - What advice would Zach give to someone opening a gym today?46:00 - Zach's certification is here.45:00 - In Coaches' Confessional, I talk about the big mistakes I've made when hiring staff and how I now answer the question, "How do I train new coaches?"Recorded on May 25, 2016.

Since I started this podcast six months ago, I've received an increasing amount of questions via email.Originally, I thought I'd answer one or two every few weeks. But as the volume - and quality - of questions increased, I realized the necessity of dedicating one full episode to answering them.These were asked via email, Twitter (@TwoBrainCoach) or on our Facebook page.3:00 - "How Do I Get More Members?"14:45 - "Why Podcasting?"15:55 - "How Do I Break Into The Corporate Market?"20:40 - "What's the Best Seminar Out There?"25:20 - "What's The Best Strategy for Facebook Marketing?"28:35 - "What Happened With 321Go?"29:50 - "What Is The Best Booking and Billing Software?"32:50 - "How Do I Stop Cheating At My Gym?"37:50 - "What's the Best Purchase I Can Make To Attract Members?"43:02 - "How Do I Find A Buyer For My Gym?"Recorded on May 23, 2016.

This episode is sponsored by InBody.Commander Mark Divine is the founder of SEALFit. He’s the author of Unbeatable Mind, The Way of the SEAL, 8 Weeks To SEALFIT and his new book, Kokoro Yoga. In this episode, Mark talks about using Yoga to develop a warrior’s mindset and improve athleticism. This isn’t the foo-foo stretchy-pants-and-fancy-mats yoga from a Lululemon poster: this is the battle-born practice of preparation.0:00 – Commander Divine talks about his background and development: being trained as an accountant, and finding his way to war7:00 – Mark finds CrossFit7:40 – “Yoga is really a personal development system”10:00 – Developing SealFIT, the “working out” program and the “working in” program 10:45 – Kokoro Camp is a test11:40 – “Not everyone in the world is attracted to SEALFit-type training. My desire is to reach as many people as possible.” Mark talks about using his service to approach entrepreneurs and corporate types in a different path from athletes.15:50 – The Flow State20:20 – “Yoga means integration." Mark talks about the functional movements of CrossFit and getting into the “flow state.”21:55 – “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind” by Chungliang Al Huang 25:20 – Why getting “pumped up” for sports isn’t always best – practicing mental power vs triggering the “arousal state”28:00 – How to introduce yoga to warriors and athletes in your gym29:00 – “Mobility and durability are just a side effect of yoga.”30:30 – Mark talks about his first “airline yoga” on a transport into Baghdad33:30 – Stripping down yoga in a war zone40:00 – What yoga REALLY is44:40 – The importance of understanding WHY you’re doing anything45:50 – The best ways for gyms to introduce yoga into their practice49:00 – “Coach” vs “Senior Student”50:50 – Mark’s dog has a dream about snatching51:10 – Why you need mental development to help avoid injury54:10 – How to win the battle before it starts54:55 – The 80/20 rule of starting a yoga practice57:00 – Keeping “the main thing” your main thing1:00:00 – Mark lists his mentors1:02:00 – “Feeding the courage wolf” and teaching the concept to kids1:06:00 – Mark’s advice to CrossFit affiliates 

Jim Wendler is one of the best-known names in modern powerlifting. Thanks to his association with Westside Barbell, EliteFTS and his book, you probably think you know a lot about him already. In this episode, we go deeper than the Wikipedia page to talk about Jim's mentors, his values, and his concept of "freedom."

On August 12, 2011, Jason Brown and Danielle Bjorkman went for coffee. By September 19, they owned an affiliate together.The CrossFit gym was their first bond, but not their last. Within that first month, they started a relationship and moved in together."I don't like to gamble, but if there's one thing I'll bet on, it's myself."6:35: "No one outworks my husband. And I'm sure he'd say the same thing about me."8:39: Living on credit cards14:00: How the Browns spend a typical day doing the things they LIKE15:14: Jason talks about BoxProgramming.com (more to come on this)17:26: How defining roles helps partners respect one another19:15: Knowing the RIGHT roles for staff22:38: How paying others makes you the time to make more money27:00: Danielle talks about where she gets her huge ideas, like the WOD & Wine, Bright Spots and #CEOSaturday29:20: What to do when you have GREAT IDEAS and NO TIME35:57: Danielle gives advice on surviving business startup as a couple37:40: How to disagree on business decisions and still thrive39:51: Removing doors in the gym to make a better experience for members40:50: How to avoid bringing the job home43:00: "Does money help?"45:10: Creating the time to improve your relationshipRecorded on April 21, 2016.

People who do Obstacle Races want three things:1. Something new2. Something they can do with their friends3. Something that scares them a little.They can find all of those things in CrossFit, of course, but many don't know it yet. Rich Borgatti sits at the nexus between Obstacle Course Racing and CrossFit. In this episode, he talks about the overlap; how to train racers; and how to get them into your gym.

Dr. Ryan DeBell is founder of The Movement Fix.He's been doing CrossFit for 9 years. When he opened his clinic, Dr. DeBell began traveling around to CrossFit gyms with a little two-hour presentation to help lifters. After he published a watershed post, "The Best-Kept Secret: Why People Have to Squat Differently," he was invited to bring his paid seminar to over 20 boxes. That was two years ago; he's already booked for 30 weekends in 2016.This podcast presents a fresh perspective on some prevalent dogma in our community. You'll see topics like "butt wink", the "perfect" squat and foam rolling in a new light!4:15 - "Can you have too much mobility?"6:10 - Two types of stability11:45 - Different methods of abdominal bracing, from wall balls to heavy cleans15:10 - Learning and "muscle memory"17:00 - Why your squat doesn't look like mine18:30 - The Real Purpose of the "Butt Wink" (link to blog post)25:20 - "Are the ones we see on TV just the ones who didn't get hurt?"26:00 - Dr. DeBell's personal warmup process28:50 - How your body adapts to foam-rolling34:30 - The REAL definition of "muscle tone"43:00 - How can we test people at intake? What's best?48:00 - The scope of practice for coaches50:00 - What's covered in "The Movement Fix" seminarDr. DeBell's podcast is excellent. You'll find it here.In "Critical Questions", I turn the tables and suggest the NUMBER ONE QUESTION you should be asking your clients, your staff--and yourself.Recorded on April 12, 2016.

F your Funnel.Why start your marketing plan with the people LEAST likely to want your service, and then try to filter out 90% of your audience? It's like cutting down a whole tree to find the right twig.Instead, start from a seed. Build a tree on which EVERY branch bears fruit. That's Affinity Marketing.Affinity marketing starts with your SEED clients: those perfect members who are most tightly connected to your brand. Then we move outward from the center: helping those people who are most tightly connected to your perfect client. Then, ring by ring, we identify the spheres of influence owned by the client.I give a few examples in this podcast, and then diverge into psychological and behavioral retention strategies.

You should be able to make a great living from 150 clients.The "low-rate, high-volume" approach doesn't work. Every week, I get on a phone call with a gym owner who sums up their failing business this way:"I just need more clients." Usually, they don't.As strong gyms begin to absorb weak ones, owners on the cusp of success are finding their way to our mentorship at an increasing rate. In many cases, one of the first orders of business is to increase rates and eliminate discounts.Usually, the gym owner is nervous about raising rates. Sometimes they realize it has to be done to save their business; these are the lucky ones, because the burden of choice has been removed from them. But with the strategy I'll outline below, the process is NEVER as bad as they think, and usually results in a large immediate gain.Shannan Garcia purchased Adamant CrossFit when the gym was at a low point. It had a great community, led by a charismatic coach...but wasn't even breaking even. Her plan was to wait a few months, then gradually raise rates. But we decided the change presented the perfect opportunity to make the business sustainable. So over the course of a weekend, Shannan implemented a multi-part strategy to make the gym sustainable long-term.You'll see the outline of that strategy below. But first, listen to Shannan's story, and ask yourself, "What do I really have to lose?"

Pieter-Jan Buysmans is the owner of CrossFit Hasselt in Belgium.He's also an innovator. When a back injury sidelined his career as a professional snowboarder, Pieter found CrossFit. Now he owns two gyms, and his systems are so dialed he ran both remotely for six weeks after a recent surgery.This time away from the day-to-day operation gave him weeks to pursue new ideas and growth--the things we call "CEO Time" in Two-Brain Business. But he's been pursuing the idea of Heart Rate Monitoring for over a year.In this second of two episodes on Tech, Pieter walks through using heart rate monitors from two perspectives: as a coach and as a gym owner. Are they effective training tools, or just a nice novelty? We're going to find out.

Ray Gowlett is a professional MMA fighter, motocross racer and research skeptic.His lab contains almost 600 subjects (it's a high school) and Ray is constantly seeking new ways to teach and coach. Many of these kids are high-level athletes; just as many don't want to be in the class at all. He's always trying new things, but this cross-pollination of students means every innovation has to satisfy two standards:1. It has to make people fitter;2. It has to make people happier.Sound familiar?Ray coined the phrase we repeat at Catalyst often: "Exercise until you're happy." It's the base of the hierarchy he teaches students. He also teaches research skepticism: how to read and rank the value of "research." Imagine a generation of people who believe what they read on Facebook: that's what's coming, except for the students in Ray's classes.I introduce this episode with the question, "Are we measuring 2016 results with 2001 technology?" CrossFit coaches are the champions of objectively-measurable fitness, and exercisers become addicted to having a "score." But other gym chains, like Orange Theory, are beginning to nibble at our lunch: giant scoreboards focusing on one correlate of fitness draw huge crowds. We can be defensive, or we can do better.This episode is the beginning of that conversation: how do we leverage tech to enhance fitness? Will measurement and feedback help us reach higher levels...or is it only useful to get clients in the gym more often?In "Coach's Confessional," I talk about the one of the (very few) mistakes I HAVEN'T made myself, but see all too often in struggling gyms: the "lifetime membership." It's a monkey's paw, and I'll explain why.My next seminar is April 16 in Charlotte, NC. Get signed up!

Larris Hutton is a Major in the US Army, a JAG lawyer, and a box owner. He has a unique model: fewer clients with higher value in a smaller space.CrossFit Prelude provides full-time careers for his coaches. Larris' box isn't one of the most expensive in the area, but his ARM is very high. And he does it all in 1100 square feet.How? He believes a box owner should behave like a LEADER instead of a COACH. In this interview, he'll tell us the difference.In "Critical Questions," I talk about the difference between seminars, systems and mentoring. Our next seminar is April 16!

In this episode, I talk with Jason Ackerman about selling two of his gyms and setting up his third. More and more, entrepreneurs are purchasing gyms from others, or buying out their partners, or selling their gyms. To help, I provide a Gym Valuation Tool (thanks to RigQuipment) and then answer the question, "Should I De-Affiliate?" (answer: no.)

Sam Brumenschenkel is a behavior therapist and co-owner of CrossFit Port Orange with her husband, Kyle. Nicole Marchand is a Registered Dietitian in Florida, where box owners can't legally prescribe a diet without the oversight of an RD.Before the conversation started, I mentioned two great ideas from other affiliate owners:Butch Santucci uses the Meijer grocery "curb" service in Michigan. Butch owns Wreck Room CrossFit.Jennifer Broxterman is the owner of NutritionRx, and her husband Dave owns CrossFit London. Her "Healthy Meal Exchange Group" is described here. You can download instructions to run the program in YOUR box free here:Healthy-Meal-Exchange-GroupWhen Sam and her husband Kyle learned about the Stratified Model through Two-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym (Volume 1) and the mentoring program, they decided nutrition was their best path to increase ARM...but in Florida, legal hurdles stopped her from using her Precision Nutrition certification with her clients."I wanted a program that I could implement immediately that I couldn't mess up."Sam found Nicole Marchand, a CrossFit L1 trainer and owner of My Healthy Steps, when Nicole visited CrossFit Port Orange. Using Sam's understanding of behavior modification and Nicole's huge knowledge base, they built a program for the box.Read the rest of the show notes here: http://www.twobrainbusiness.com/episode-18-adding-nutrition/

I do up to a dozen free calls every week. On 90% of them, I hear this comment:"I just need 10 more clients."It's usually not true.But if it IS true, this episode will present a new option for getting a ton of clients. Tommy Hackenbruck has acquired well over 100 after running the program three times; Ken Andrukow signed up 120 after running it ONCE.Full show notes at http://twobrainbusiness.com/episode-17-the-new-you-challenge-with-tommy-hackenbruck

Every gym owner is aware of the "Baby Boomer" market--that massive way of the newly-retired--but most aren't sure how to attract seniors into their program. The key, says Alexander, is to understand what THEY want--or what their kids want FOR them.Many of these 50-60-year-olds are watching their parents decline into decrepitude, physically and mentally, and think, "That's never going to happen to me." At the same time they might perceive a regular CrossFit class to be beyond their capacity. Some, like Wayne, will seek Personal Training; but others will be attracted to Alexander's model. And we go through the pricing, programming and marketing components in this episode.Tyler Belanger is cofounder of IgniteGym and co-author of Enrichment Through Exercise. His daily BrainWODs are being used in gyms around the world to help special populations and add cognitive enrichment to exercise classes. BrainWODs can be a differentiating element in your Seniors' program, and research shows it's the ONLY buttress against cognitive decline. IgniteGym's "101" course launches today (they only take 50 gyms at a time.)Full show notes at:http://www.twobrainbusiness.com/episode-16-the-legends-of-illumine/

Imagine it's 2003. Your high school volleyball coach decides weightlifting will help the team's jumping, so he Googles "clean and jerk Santa Cruz."The coach was Tony Budding, and Pat Barber was on the volleyball team. Over the last 13 years, Barber has "grown up" with CrossFit, first training in the original HQ gym and then becoming part of the early CrossFit Media staff. His first competition was filmed in "Every Second Counts" (Barber is the cover model) and he's made the Games as an individual and Team athlete several times since 2008.Now he's Head of Coach Development for NorCal CrossFit, and founder of WarmupandWorkout.com with his wife, Taz.In "Coach's Confessional," I talk about trying to keep every client (mistake!) and how to fire the bad ones. Recorded on January 15, 2016.

Sean Manseau is the author of “By The Numbers.”A former animator, Sean found CrossFit in 2005 and believed he was “the only person in New York who had ever heard of CrossFit.” As often happens, he was drawn to coaching after a few years as an athlete.In the animation world, a “master animator” draws the major positions of movement, and then an assistant draws all the joint angles between those positions. Sean teaches the major positions and assigns them a number–hence, “By the Numbers.”Sean refers to “rhyming positions”–positions that are identical across different exercises. “The second position of the deadlift is really close to the bottom of the KB swing, which is really close to the hang position of the clean…” he says. When he’s coaching, he can relate new cues to previous positions.We talked about “drawing the line” between intensity and sloppy movement. Sean says the line will depend on an individual coach’s “quality of mercy.” While he agrees a coach must take the long view on client training, he names different modes of training through which an athlete passes.See the full episode notes here: http://twobraincoaching.com/episode-14-sean-manseau-of-by-the-numbers/

Doug Chapman was the 13th CrossFit affiliate. At his peak, he had 400 members at HyperFit in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Though that number has declined in recent years, he's best known for his online programming for athletes such as Julie Foucher. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, Lindsey Valenzuela, Jennifer Smith, Nick Urankar, Neil Maddox, Chyna Cho, Jacob Heppner—they're all coached remotely by Doug. But his gym doesn't focus on competition. "If you focus on competitive CrossFit, you're going to ruin your business," he said. At the 1:09 mark, Nancy arrives. She's a retired lawyer and law professor, and she has a lot to say about training seniors with CrossFit. Doug steps aside for a few minutes and lets me talk to Nancy instead. As Doug moves more toward personal training and small group training (instead of teaching classes,) he talks about what makes a great trainer vs. a great coach and why many coaches should do more PT to improve their class coaching.

This podcast is about ideas.Every week, I try to introduce a guest whose ideas aren't exactly the same as your own. Sometimes they're VERY different; sometimes they iterate an old idea differently. Sometimes I agree with the idea, and sometimes I don't. That doesn't matter: the ideas provide context.Too often, we all get caught in the "get 10 more clients!" mindset instead of looking at the bigger picture. We think more about spearing fish on our little reef than rising above the surface to check the tide, position of the sun, and look for storm fronts.Luckily, I get to talk to hundreds of gym owners every week - a few dozen in person, a few hundred online, and thousands through blog posts and this podcast. There's some amazing stuff happening in gyms, through gyms and around gyms. There are ideas out there that are strange now, but could become the norm within three years.

Coach Mike Rutherford did his "Level One" before there was a "Level One." The group was so small, Greg Glassman introduced each person. When Greg reached Rutherford, he reportedly said, "He is my Coach. I've been learning and copying what Rut does. It is essential to CrossFit now. Our athletes are getting so much better.He is my Coach." Two attendees of the same seminar (Michael Halbfish and Jeff Martin) confirmed that quote. The owner of Bootcamp Fitness KC (CrossFit Kansas City), Rut created the Max Effort Black Box (MEBB) system, and later DBWOD.In "Critical Questions," I talk about automating tasks that aren't worth your time. Last week's big 8-Day Giveaway ended on a massive note, with a free email automation from RunYourGym.com. Almost 300 gyms signed up to get the gift (thanks again, Matt and Jake!) and I see "Couch to CrossFit" posts everywhere. Like many, I thought I'd just take the free gift and roll with it...and then realized just how MUCH content they were giving away. So I signed up to have them automate the program for me because my time is worth more than the $99 they were charging.How do you figure out the value of your time? I provide a simple calculation, and then links to other resources that can optimize your time, like 321GoProject's Momentum Program.

Jake Johnson served two tours in Iraq as a Marine. He returned home and pursued a career as a firefighter, where he now serves as a lieutenant. After one particular call to rescue an obese woman, Jake decided to open CrossFit Gettysburg to proactively help people.Now he's partnered with Matt Verlaque to create RunYourGym.com, an email marketing service specifically made for gyms. Today, he's GIVING you an amazing gift.The Couch to CrossFit strategy is a standalone program geared towards getting new members into the gym. The downloads you'll get free are over 8,000 words of free content including:14 pre-written emailsa facebook post4 handoutsan infographica complete 4-week training program.Show notes: http://twobraincoaching.com/episode-10-automated-marketing-and-huge-giveaway/Link to get the gift: www.runyourgym.com/chriscooper

Brian Costello is the owner and Head Coach at CrossFit Long Island.Brian is also the former captain of Team USA Lifeguarding, a former State-level wrestler, a competitive weightlifter, and high-level finisher at Regionals (both individual and team.) He’s one of the few CrossFit Level 3 trainers on Long Island. BUT…as Brian will attest, none of those things are as important to his clients as the way he coaches them.Trained as a teacher, Brian writes “lesson plans” for every single workout, every single day.Starting today and running for the next week, TwoBrainRadio is going to give you some really valuable FREE materials, starting with Brian Costello’s Fall 2014 programming (3 FULL MONTHS!) and a week's worth of daily lesson plans. Amazing stuff, and very valuable to any gym owner or coach.Full show notes and details here: http://twobraincoaching.com/episode-9-brian-costello-and-the-8-day-christmas-giveaway/

"If you can afford him, you need to go see Greg Glassman." In 1999, Brian Mulvaney found Greg in a dojo in Santa Cruz after his neighbor--a fitness trainer herself--described Greg as "the best in town." Fifteen years later, Mulvaney is the director of strategy for CrossFit HQ. The brand, which didn't have a name then, has become a worldwide phenomenon. But the exercise prescription hasn't changed. "A CrossFitter today would recognize the programming from 15 years ago," Mulvaney said. In this interview, Mulvaney walks us through the history of CrossFit through the eyes of an insider. Then we get into the real purpose of the interview: the philosophy at HQ that makes CrossFit take up arms against Big Soda, licensure and bad science. Mulvaney answers the question, "Why US?" Full show notes: http://twobraincoaching.com/twobrainradio-episode-8-brian-mulvaney-strategist-at-crossfit-hq/

I should have hit "record" before I dialed the phone. And I should have hung up before I hit "STOP."I first encountered Dave Tate over fifteen years ago on the Supertraining Forum, and I've read or watched something from him every week since. But I still wasn't prepared for the depths we reached in this conversation.Eleven minutes into the call, I had to say, "Stop, Dave. I have to start recording this stuff!" and we started over. But he didn't miss a beat, and I was laughing within 30 seconds--"I was probably looking for porn" is how he answered the first question.But don't think this is a "powerlifter in the locker room" inside-joke episode. This is a show about big ideas, not big lifts. It's not Dave's autobiography, not a step-by-step guide to using accommodating resistance, and not a sales pitch for EliteFTS.com products (though it could be.) It's a view of the field through the eyes of the guy pulling the plow.Full episode notes are at: two-brain-radio-episode-7-the-dave-tate-effect

Knowing WHY you choose a given exercise can have a lot to do with its correction and instruction. In this episode, we run through a few common mistakes Dr. Phillip Carlyle teaches through his SpinalFit program.But MORE importantly, we talk about what CrossFit coaches are doing RIGHT. Phillip is a CrossFitter, a chiropractor and owner of SpinalFit.co, and he believes most chiropractors will want to work with you if you handle the relationship properly.To read the full episode notes and watch two videos from Phillip, visit here: http://twobraincoaching.com/two-brain-radio-episode-6-how-to-work-with-chiropractors/

Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics is almost a household name. Anyone (especially in the USA) interested in weightlifting has heard of Everett—but why? Greg is an incredible coach. But he's an even better producer of content, and that's why he's able to make a great living as a nationally renowned coach. Get that? He's a great coach—and he knows how to tell you so. Greg spends almost as much time sharing his knowledge and building his audience as he does coaching. And that's a very, very smart move. In this episode, Greg talks about the "art of coaching"—the stuff between the reps that makes a trainer a "real coach." He also talks about his business, CrossFit, models and mentors. His website is https://www.catalystathletics.com/

Jay is co-owner of CrossFit Thames -- arguably the best-known gym in Europe -- and CrossFit Hale in California. He believes gym owners can do just as well with a small gym as a large one IF they focus on individual coaching and retention instead of large class sizes.Jay has learned to be an entrepreneur through his CrossFit gyms, and believes "The Cat in the Hat" to be a great read for new business owners.

Several months ago, Deacon Andrews sold his brick-and-mortar box, packed his family into a horse trailer and started driving toward California. He kept a squat rack, his dirt bikes and a love for coaching.Deacon moved all his programming online to SisuStrong.com. I was lucky enough to be included on the project as a mentor, and saw the idea go from concept to delivery.With any new technology, you're bound to try things that won't work. These aren't mistakes; they're just tests of the system. And Deacon's rapidly pushing the envelope. In this episode, he shares his bright spots and his challenges as he pioneers online coaching for action sports.

Episode 2 - Jason AckermanI met Jason Ackerman at St. Jude's Children's Hospital in 2013. Over the next several months, Jay and I shared a weekly call to discuss business, but regularly digressed into training clients, diet and programming.After a few months, Jay accepted an offer for his affiliate (CrossFit Albany) that was the highest price I've ever seen paid for a gym of this type. Most "box"-style gyms really aren't worth more than the value of their used equipment. But Jason managed to sell a BRAND, not a BOX. We go into great detail on that process in this interview.

The original CrossFit firebreather, Amundson is still coaching sixteen years after his first WOD. His coaching is self-described as "old school," but his spiritual approach to exercise is cutting-edge.