Jim Crowell is the CEO of OPEX. I first met Jim back in the OPT days at one the CCP certifications in Scottsdale - and now he’s friggin' running the place. We talk about how to think about competition in the fitness industry (you’re not just competing with other gyms offering similar services…), how to find the balance between creating systems and structure while still allowing for the creativity and craftsmanship of the coaching profession, and how to leverage tribalism in your target audience to create a marketing message that actually resonates.

Check out more from Jim here:

• Instagram: @crowelljim//@opexfitness
• Website: www.opexfit.com//www.opexgyms.com
• LinkedIn: @jim-crowell

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Show Notes

• [3:21] How Jim's background as an MBA hedge fund guy with degrees in finance and economics set him up for entry into the CrossFit market as a true capitalist. “I need to build this thing because somebody else is going to build it if I don't.”
• [11:18] The winner-take-all dynamics of local fitness businesses - and why you must be the leader in your subcategory
• [20:48] How OPEX is seeking to create the "personalized fitness" category in the market - and how they are looking to position themselves compared to personal training or group training
• [26:38] The necessity of targeting a specific audience to reap the benefits of tribalism – versus risking speaking to no one at all. “You don't create your brand; the market tells you what your brand is…You can just try to influence what that market reaction is.”
• [32:53] The growing pains of restructuring and the importance of not confusing and alienating your target audience - and how OPEX decided to split out the remote coaching business of Big Dawgs from the work of certifications and licensing.
• [40:40] Tribalism and the desire “to be a part of something…[and feel] a deeper meaning behind why they're doing what they're doing" - and how this relates to marketing and retention in facilities
• [56:06] Allowing for creativity in coaching while still providing standardization and consistency in processes.
• [01:04:34] How the start-up cost and business structure of opening a CrossFit gym has changed since 2005 to now.
• [01:10:25] Differences in managing a gym with 150 members versus a gym with more than that, and attempting to get in front of problems before they happen.

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Box Tour: Integrated Fitness from the CrossFit Journal
• OPEX
• OPEX Coaching Certificate Program (CCP)
• CrossFit Games
• Penn State
• University of North Carolina
• Orange Theory
• Peloton
• YouTube
• CrossFit Central (TX)
• OPEC
• F45
• Fit Body Boot Camp
• CrossFit
• Apple
• Samsung
• Huawei
• Facebook
• MySpace
• Ben Thompson's “Stratechery”
• Amazon
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• South Loop Strength & Conditioning
• Tesla
• Colgate Palmolive
• Johnson & Johnson
• Big Dawgs
• CrossFit Invictus
• Misfit Athletics
• Tribalism
• Tristan Harris
• Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
• Tyler Cowen's The Age of the Inforvore
• Tyler Cowen's Marginal Revolution blog
• Biohacking
• Tim Ferriss
• James FitzGerald
• Tony Robbins
• SoulCycle
• Rogue
• OPEX Coach’s Toolkit