How a 27-Year-Old Built 6 Gyms, a Statewide Equipment Company, and a New National Repair Service — with Colton Burt

Ep 199: Small Town Domination — How 27-Year-Old Gym Owner & Equipment Expert Colton Burt Built an Empire Across Rural Wisconsin

Core Themes:

• Building profitable gyms in towns of 500–5,000 people
• How to launch multiple locations with low overhead
• The power of saying YES to opportunity
• How the fitness equipment industry really works
• Gym Repair Now — the new service that’s changing equipment repairs forever
• Contact Colton directly for equipment/repairs (details below)

Most gym owners believe you need a huge city, big budgets, and prime real estate to grow a successful fitness business.

But today’s episode proves the exact opposite.

Scott Carpenter sits down with 27-year-old gym owner and equipment operations expert, Colton Burt, who built:

🔥 6 profitable gyms (“Grizzly Fitness”) in rural Wisconsin

🔥 Priority Fitness — a 20,000–25,000 sq ft equipment install/moving company

🔥 Gym Repair Now — a new national mobile diagnostics and repair service

…all starting from flipping used gym equipment in a town of 1,200 people.

His story is INSANE — and filled with practical, replicable lessons for every gym owner, big or small.

🔍 Inside the EpisodeHow a Simple Craigslist Hustle Became a Multi-Business Empire

At 18 years old, Colton just wanted a place to record workout videos.

He ended up stumbling into a gym space… then into buying/selling equipment…

then into partnering with a local equipment dealer…

then into full-scale installs…

then into owning dozens of machines…

…which snowballed into a gym empire across Wisconsin.

His first studio?

1500 sq ft, $200/month rent.

His next space?

3000 sq ft, $500/month.

Only in small towns.

Why Small Town Gyms Are MASSIVE Opportunities

Colton breaks down the rural advantage:

• Zero competition
• Ridiculously low rent
• Tight-knit communities
• Members stay loyal for years
• “You’re the only game in town” pricing power
• Incredible word-of-mouth

And the kicker:

Small towns with lakes or summer tourism become year-round revenue engines.

The Business Model: Open Gym → Semi-Private → Full Ecosystem

Colton shares how he:

1. Opens an unmanned or lightly staffed open-gym facility
2. Uses his equipment business to reduce startup costs
3. Grows membership to profitability
4. Adds semi-private training for high-margin recurring revenue
5. Uses each gym as a “warehouse” for his equipment operations
6. Moves that warehouse to build the next location

A repeatable, scalable small-town blueprint.

Behind the Scenes of Priority Fitness

Colton explains exactly how the equipment industry works:

• Manufacturers ship equipment to his facility
• His team assembles, preps, installs, and extracts old equipment
• They refurbish or recondition used units
• They buy out old equipment at gyms
• They source used + affordable new machines for gym owners nationwide

He even reveals how he saves gyms hundreds of thousands by sourcing smart.

Gym Repair Now — The Future of Equipment Diagnostics

Gym owners HATE repairs.

The industry is slow, expensive, and full of upsells.

That’s why Colton launched Gym Repair Now — a fast, mobile diagnostic service where:

• You submit photos/videos of the problem
• His team diagnoses remotely
• You get honest feedback on whether it’s worth repairing
• They source the parts cheaper than most providers
• They can connect you with a local repair tech
• No travel fees, no wasted visits

He explains exactly how it works, how it saves money, and why most traditional repair companies overcharge.

Why Colton’s Story Matters

Because it proves:

“You don’t need big cities, fancy buildings, or giant loans. You need hunger, resourcefulness, and the courage to say yes before you’re ready.”

His story is proof that you can build a multi-location gym business from practically nothing — if you know how to leverage your environment.

🎯 You’ll Walk Away With

• A replicable blueprint for opening gyms in small towns
• How to start a gym with low overhead
• How to source gym equipment without overspending
• How to avoid getting ripped off by equipment repair companies
• The hidden profit potential in rural markets
• How to add semi-private training for more predictable revenue
• How to diagnose equipment problems BEFORE paying a tech
• Why saying “yes” before you’re ready leads to explosive growth

🔧 Resources MentionedGuest Contact — Colton BurtPriority Fitness (Equipment Install / Used + New Equipment Sourcing)

📧 [email protected]

🌐 PF-Pros.com

📞 Customer/Service Line: 920-765-3644

(Calls & texts — staffed 24/7)

Gym Repair Now (Fast Mobile Diagnostics + Parts Sourcing)

🌐 GymRepairNow.com

Submit: serial number, photos, video → get diagnosis & part sourcing

🎟️ Gym Profits Summit 2026 — Official Event Mention

🚀 Gym Profits Summit 2026

February 12–13, 2026 — Scottsdale, AZ

📍 Venue8600 – 8600 E Anderson Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85255

🎟️ Capacity: 120 gym owners only

Join Scott Carpenter and special guest Matt Wilber — multi-location gym owner & creator of the 7-Figure Marketing Method — for two days of hands-on implementation.

Inside the Room, You’ll Learn:

• Build a Winnable Model (profit with 150–200 members)
• High-Ticket Sales Framework ($10K–$20K/month without extra members)
• 7-Figure Marketing Method (flood your gym with profitable trials)
• Retention & Pricing Power (why charging more increases loyalty)
• Done-in-the-Room Systems (leave with scripts, offers, funnels ready to deploy)

👉 Grab your ticket: ptlegends.com/gym-profits-summit

⚠️ Will sell out — waitlist gets first access



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1️⃣ Subscribe to the Profit Lifestyle Podcast

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Questions about mentorship or events?

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