Level Up Your Gym

Long time, long distance friend Scott Caulfield has years of experience in coaching and management.

Scott currently works at Colorado College where he directs the oversight, development and management of individual and group strength and conditioning programs for all student-athletes.

He has over two decades of involvement in fitness and athletics.

And with that all comes a plethora of wisdom.

He has learned how to lead and train with resilience, strength, and compassion.

To do so, it is important to understand that...

1.) Nothing Is Above You

2.) Always Seek To Improve

3.) Make Your Clients Feel Important

Drew Massey from Game Time Sports has a wealth of knowledge on how to be successful in the fitness industry.

If you want to amplify your gym, incorporate these tips for business success.

1.) Identify What Makes Your Sessions Great

2.) Use Your Members As A Marketing Tool

3.) Don't Spread Yourself Too Thin

The pandemic has impacted the fitness industry in ways we could have never imagined.

From my experience working through the shut downs, regulations, capacity restrictions, etc, I have found 3 ways to manage your gym through COVID to set yourself up for success now and in the future.

1.) Communication to Members

2.) Special Offerings

3.) Marketing Strategy

Real Estate professional Jeremy Strifler knows the ins and outs of commercial real estate.

As a gym owner, you're likely going to be renting your first facility space.

But what is the right location?

Are you overpaying?

How do you negotiate with your landlord?

From his experience, Jeremy put together his top 3 tips to locating your first gym facility.

1.) Know Your Clients
2.) Don't Buy What You Can't Afford
3.) Work With An Expert

What direction should you be taking your marketing in 2021?

Social media is a great new age marketing tool.

But the platform is becoming oversaturated.

But where should you focus now?

Take the time to tighten up your internal strategy.

This includes reactivations, referrals, and nurturing current members.

Once you've ironed out your internal strategy, it's time to attract new members - new members who may have never heard of your gym before.

This can be done using 3 strategies. Local Joint Ventures, Youtube, Podcasts.

Years ago I had the opportunity to welcome Michael from the UK to New York to talk exercise and show him our facility.

Fast forward 7 years later, today we were able to connect virtually to talk about the business side of the fitness industry.

Like many of you, Michael has many questions about the behind the scenes of running a successful fitness business.

We sat down together where he was able to pick my brain as I answered his 10 Questions About Building A Fitness Business.

Questions like What business model do you use? What's the biggest pivot you have had to make? What did you spend money on building your business that you wish you hadn't? and more!

No matter what industry you are operating in, you want to be known for delivering remarkable service.

Ryan Sohn has years of restaurant and hospitality education and experience, focusing on management and business.

There is a lot to take away from offering a hospitable and professional service to your clients.

Ryan shared his top tips to deliver high quality service and experience to your members.

1.) Be Present

2.) Be Aware

3.) Be Active

At the beginning of my business journey there was a point where I went from a "know it all" to "damn I don't know anything at all".

Thankfully at the time (and still to this day) my gym member, Kevin Blake, was there to provide me with  helpful business advice to steer me back on track.

He's found that encouraging his company to give back to the community leaves their impact value greater, making them a "local legend".  Kevin shared some of the most successful ways to do so!

1.) Mission Statements

2.) Offer Support

3.) Know Why It Matters

Joey Szatmary from Lion’s Den Elite Training in Pennsylvania is a force to be reckoned with in the gym business community.

Joey has done an excellent job coming from a body building background and transitioning his knowledge into training everyone to be strong.

Joey has created strong bodies, strong minds, and a strong gym.

Prior to the successful gym that he has today, Joey experienced the ups and downs of failed business ventures in the past.

He’s learned a lot over his business and entrepreneurial journey and has taken away 3 big picture tips to create a unique and successful gym.

1.) Start Small

2.) Have A Clear Target Customer

3.) Create Your Online Presence

Whether you have 1 employee or 1000, HR is an important aspect of your business.

And who better to gain tips on managing HR from then Erica Mcquade, HR professional at Lockheed Martin.

During our conversation, she answered my "need to know" questions about hiring and managing staff effectively.

Today's episode is a story of when I was forced to make a decision. The lesson? Choosing to do nothing has consequences.

Team bonding with your staff can help develop strong get relationships and get them engaged.

I have 3 favorite ways to get my staff learning and involved.

1.) FAQ Game

2.) Emotional Charades

3.) Team Building Exercise

John Gaglion has his fitness business focused on his powerlifting niche in Long Island, NY.

But many of his communication tactics he has learned from other industries.

Improvisation has helped John improve his leadership and communication.

He has condensed his knowledge into 3 Top Communication Tips

1.) "Yes, and"

2.) Focus On The Positives

3.) Look Good

Most gym owners know how to do an amazing job with their training.

They just need a little push in the right direction when it comes to the business side of things.

To make sure that you are using your resources wisely, there are 3 power questions to ask yourself on a regular basis.

1.) What Is The Most Important Thing I Should Be Doing?

2.) Is There A Simpler Way To Do This?

3.) What Can I Stop Doing?

Joe Kenn has 31 years of experience as a performance specialist and strength training coach, with 9 years in NFL conditioning. Safe to say that Joe has a world of experience. He shared his top tips he has taken away from his success. 1.) Know Your Numbers. 2.) Identify What Business You're In. 3.) Create A Productive Atmosphere

Don't lose your valuable leads! Past members are one of the best for (re)activation because they know your quality and character. Always 1.) Learn Why They Left,  2.) Give Them a Reason To Return and 3.) Leave The Door Open.

Wouldn't you like the know the ins and outs of the fitness industry!? It all comes with experience. Today I am joined with AJ Roberts, who has experienced first hand the many ups and downs within the fitness industry. Through his journey, he has taken away 3 main lessons gym owners need to know.

You've spent time and money to bring in members to your facility. Now you need to keep them! But how? In today's episode I discuss the 3 areas you need to focus on to keep client retention high: The Onboarding Process, Setting Proper Expectations, and Attendance. 

Whether you have 1 facility or 100, there are some foundational tips for success that always apply, no matter how large or small.Today I am joined with Liberty Bernal,  an expert in the franchise space. Liberty has growth her own business as well has helped many others grow theirs. She shares 3 things that all gym owner's should focus on; marketing, making your members the star, and continued learning.

Connect with Liberty at @libertybernalfitness

In today's episode I discuss staff development and why it is so important. There are 4 ways to set your staff up for success and that is through clarity, support, meetings, and independence. 

Looking for the rules to successful fitness coaching? Today I'm joined with Brendon Rearick, a fitness professional and author of Coaching Rules: A How To Manual For A Successful Career in Strength and Fitness. He shared his 4 rules to a successful career in fitness. 1.) Communicate clearly. 2.) Do No Harm 3.) Keep It Simple 4.) Serve Others.

In today's episode I'm joined by Andy McCloy, who has devoted 20 years into the athlete development business. To succeed with in a niche, you need to maintain your focus and adapt to overcome the challenges around you. Andy shared 3 tips that have allowed him to succeed in a business that many people tend to drop out from; offset seasonality with adults, don't put all of your eggs in one basket, and to be a local legend.

Welcome to the Level Up Your Gym Podcast. Joe Hashey, owner and founder of Synergy Athletics here to discuss all things gym business. Most gym owners are amazing trainers, but need help growing their companies. Every business owner deserves access to a strong education but there’s always a few bumps in the road. Level Up Your Gym is your secret weapon to level the playing field and grow your business.