A lot of gym owners reach a point where the business is running smoothly – team's in place, sessions are full, money’s good, systems are working – but the fire’s not there anymore.

The energy that used to come from walking into the gym starts to fade. Years of handling cancellations, complaints, and the noise from a handful of clients who make everything harder than it needs to be… can wear anyone down. Over time, it’s easy to forget how great the majority of members really are. 

That’s when things start to feel heavy.

This episode is a reminder to reconnect with the human side of the business. Tim and Zach talk about why owners get jaded, what it means to protect the culture inside the gym, how a few toxic clients can skew your entire perspective, and why firing those people might be the best move you ever make.

They also talk about treating your role more like the “fun uncle” than the operations manager – getting out of the office, shaking hands, talking to members, and remembering just how cool your community really is.

Because gym success isn’t just about systems or policies – it’s about people, empathy, and showing up for the right ones.

Gym owners didn’t build their business to feel burned out and bitter. This one’s a reminder that you built something special – and it’s time to feel that again.

Tune in.

Key Takeaways: 

• Intro (00:00)
• Owners need a plan before stepping away from the gym (03:21)
• How toxic clients drain culture and energy (04:17)
• From manager to “fun uncle”: a mindset shift (05:17)
• Joey Coleman’s advice: fire your clients (06:53)
• Firing bad clients improves gym culture (08:02)
• Bending policies vs. breaking trust (14:39)
• Former members can still refer if they leave on good terms (16:27)
• Final thoughts: Showing up like it’s day one (18:08)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons 

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group 

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