Open Gym

Open Gym episodes:

• 09.01.2020

  Are you looking to help at-risk kids in your area?

  Leora Hafri is the executive director of the Steve's Club National Program. Alongside more than 20 gyms running local clubs, they are working hard to get fitness, community, & mentorship to at-risk kids all over the country.

  
• 08.25.2020

  Why does representation at the highest level matter?

  SayKay Brown and Cam Brown co-own CrossFit HCS in Michigan. Together, they started Robin Hood Fitness, a nonprofit aiming for a "redistribution of health." We talk about their hopes for the future of diversity in CrossFit.

  
• 08.18.2020

  What's it look like to be in it for the long haul?

  Adam Kramer is a coach & mentor at the Green Beret Project, an organization providing long-term mentoring to at-risk youth. They do that by providing opportunities, demanding discipline, & teaching them how to get healthy.

  
• 08.11.2020

  Can passion & patience help overcome the odds?

  Adam Kramer has been helping the Green Beret Project grow since 2016. Their mission: to provide long-term mentoring to at-risk youth by building relationships, providing opportunities, & teaching them about discipline & health.

  
• 08.04.2020

  How can you borrow other peoples' experience?

  Ben Davis is the founder of Noble Clay Fitness in Atlanta, Georgia. In part two of our conversation about the gym, Ben talks about how he was able to build an experienced team who are helping him see the mission...

  
• 07.28.2020

  Is individual design better for the underserved?

  Ben Davis is the founder of Noble Clay Fitness in Atlanta, Georgia. Together with his team, he's working to build the YMCA of functional fitness. In the first of a two-part conversation, he explains how & why he's doing that.

  
• 07.21.2020

  [Rest Day] What might be, but so far isn't?

  Patrick offers some thoughts on the last few episodes of Open Gym & why leaders need to always strengthen their creativity & their courageousness.

  
• 07.14.2020

  What steps are you taking to keep members safe?

  Dr. Michael Ray is an ER physician & the co-founder of CrossFit Flagstaff. As the gym opens, & as Arizona responds to an influx of new coronavirus cases, Dr. Ray remains cautious about how to best resume classes.

  
• 07.07.2020

  How might personal training promote racial equity?

  Jon Feinman is the founder of Inner City Weightlifting, an organization working hard to bridge social capital & create economic mobility for people too often written off by society through skill development & job placement.

  
• 06.30.2020

  Could seniors be your next wave of new members?

  Jon Levell is the co-owner of CrossFit by Overload. Late last year, he built a relationship with a family medicine office that created a thriving, seniors-only program at the gym. Here's his advice on building one at your gym.

  
• 06.24.2020

  [Rest Day] Are we asking better questions?

  Patrick offers some thoughts on how to get the most out of these trying times.

  
• 06.16.2020

  How are you analyzing your future post-COVID19?

  Austin Malleolo is the co-founder of the One Nation gyms in Massachusetts. A few months into the shutdowns, they made the hard decision to close one of their facilities. Here's what went into knowing it was the right call.

  
• 06.09.2020

  Do you strive to be welcoming or to be accepting?

  Lieven DeGeyndt is the co-owner of Petworth Fitness in Washington, D.C. On June 5th, they posted an open letter to CrossFit HQ regarding their decision to de-affiliate due to HQ's silence after the killing of George Floyd.

  
• 06.02.2020

  Why don't more gyms offer a nutrition program?

  Nicole Aucoin is the founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition & CrossFit HSN. As you work hard to spin up revenue sources that are non-group based, she thinks there's never been a better time to start an internal nutrition program.

  
• 05.26.2020

  [Rest Day] Will we remember to keep the stillness?

  Patrick offers his thoughts on one of the biggest lessons he's taking away from the last few episodes & the last few months.

  
• 05.19.2020

  Have you given yourself permission to experiment?

  Adrian Bozman has been a flow master for CrossFit's L1 seminars & is currently serving as the manager of online courses for the company. His advice to gym owners today: embrace experimentation & define success for yourself.

  
• 05.12.2020

  Will your programming be different as you reopen?

  Dr. Sean Pastuch is the founder of Active Life Professional & a former gym owner. As gyms begin to reopen, he wants you to be intentional in how you're reintroducing members back to load & intensity. Here's his prescription.

  
• 05.05.2020

  Are you having the hard conversations about money?

  Dan Goodman is the co-owner of Varsity House Gym in New York. When the virus hit, 20 members abruptly canceled their memberships. To get ahead of more doing the same, they came up with a unique idea: Membership bail-outs.

  
• 04.21.2020

  Have you identified your perceived value builders?

  Jason Leydon is the owner of CrossFit Milford, which has been in operation for 12 years. With the gym temporarily closed, Jason has been leaning on areas of the business his members care about most to continue adding value.

  
• 04.17.2020

  Rest Day: Dan Uyemura, Episode 20

  Patrick offers his three big takeaways from this week's episode with PushPress CEO Dan Uyemura.

  
• 04.14.2020

  Are you prepared to accelerate out of the downturn?

  Dan Uyemura is the CEO of the gym management software company PushPress. When gyms started closing their doors, his team worked quickly to build a Gym Survival Guide to help. Here's his take on where we are & where we're...

  
• 04.10.2020

  Rest Day: John Briggs, Episode 19

  Patrick offers his three big takeaways from this week's interview with John Briggs, author of Profit First for Microgyms & co-owner of CrossFit GSL.

  
• 04.07.2020

  Can you exit this crisis more financially fit?

  John Briggs is the author of Profit First for Microgyms, founder of Incite Tax & Accounting, & co-owner of CrossFit GSL. Here's the financial advice he's giving the gyms his firm works with to best weather the current storm.

  
• 04.03.2020

  Rest Day: James Hobart, Episode 18

  Patrick gives his top three takeaways from this week's interview with CrossFit One Nation's co-owner James Hobart.

  
• 03.31.2020

  How does coaching change when class is via video?

  James Hobart is a co-owner of the One Nation gyms near Boston. In the wake of going dark during the virus response, they worked fast to get virtual classes online. Here's what they're doing & his thoughts on the road...

  
• 03.24.2020

  Have you diversified your services by going online?

  Zach Even-Esh operates two Underground Strength Gyms in New Jersey & has been building a brand online since 2002. While the gyms are closed during the pandemic, he's pointing even more energy toward his digital business.

  
• 03.17.2020

  How can you turn a crisis into an opportunity?

  Chris Cooper is the founder of Two Brain Business. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, Two Brain is working with gyms all over the world on how to turn this obstacle into an opportunity to become more resilient.

  
• 03.10.2020

  What does it mean to have professional coaches?

  Nicole Christensen started CrossFit Roots in 2008. These days, Roots boasts a 10,000-foot facility & seven CF Level 3 or 4 coaches on staff. Attracting & developing that kind of coaching expertise didn't happen by accident.

  
• 03.03.2020

  Are you aiming for growth, scale, or impact?

  Jeremy Thiel co-founded CrossFit Central in 2005. Through the boom years of affiliate growth, Central stretched to 5 locations. But that kind of scale ultimately didn't work for them. Here's where his ambitions are these days.

  
• 02.25.2020

  What's your plan for pregnant & postpartum members?

  Brianna Battles teaches coaches who want information & context to become more valuable to their pregnant & postpartum athletes. Her contention: That more coaches with this skill-set are good for members & good for business.

  
• 02.18.2020

  Is a group fitness model a flawed delivery system?

  Marcus Filly once drank the CrossFit kool-aid, co-owning a gym & competing at the Games. Then he began questioning why the fitness he was delivering to members looked different from his own & whether there was a better way.

  
• 02.11.2020

  What kind of expertise is your gym offering?

  Spencer Nix opened CrossFit Dallas Central over a decade ago. In 2018, he asked himself a simple question: "Are we really helping people?" Here's how the gym has begun working toward an answer they can be certain of.

  
• 02.04.2020

  Are you actively building your support network?

  Charlie Lima opened College Station CrossFit in 2008. At the same time, he became more intentional about creating a support network of mentors he could lean on to help continue leveling-up. Here’s how to build one yourself.

  
• 01.28.2020

  What questions do you have?

  When we started the show, we knew we wanted to be able to bring your questions & your voices into the conversation. Now that we've got some episodes out, we'd like to formally invite you to share your thoughts.

  
• 01.21.2020

  Is your ego blinding you to better opportunities?

  Max Isaak co-founded the CrossFit TILT franchise alongside Ben Bergeron & LJ DiCarlo. They're about to open their fifth location. Before TILT, Max had plenty of opportunities to open a gym by himself. Here's why he didn't.

  
• 01.14.2020

  Have you set the right rules to avoid burnout?

  Jason Ackerman has started & sold three affiliates. His new book, "Best Hour of Their Day," chronicles the ups & downs of the journey. One of the important lessons: Put rules in place to maximize your own sustainability.

  
• 01.07.2020

  Is nutrition embedded in your gym's culture?

  EC Synkowski is a CrossFit Level 4 Trainer & creator of the 800g Challenge. Years of experience have led her to the three steps a gym needs to take to make nutrition a central part of their culture. Here's what...

  
• 12.31.2019

  Are you designing to optimize for consistency?

  Jon Gilson is an entrepreneur & CrossFit L4 trainer. He said something to me recently that felt true & worth exploring, that the job of the affiliate is to get their members to come back tomorrow. Here's what he meant.

  
• 12.24.2019

  Should more gyms cater exclusively to women?

  Nerida Bint is the owner of Lissome, a multi-site gym in New South Wales, Australia open only to women. Despite the narrow market, business is booming. Find out why Nerida thinks the "how" is just as important as they "who"...

  
• 12.17.2019

  What's it mean to curate a professional culture?

  David Osorio is the owner of the wildly popular CrossFit South Brooklyn in New York City. From the early days, David knew he wanted to surround himself with professional coaches. This is how he's been able to do just that.

  
• 12.10.2019

  Why is embracing diversity good for business?

  Alyssa Royse has long been a voice for greater diversity within the CrossFit community. In this conversation, she tells us how Rocket CrossFit is striving to be an example of exactly what that looks like.

  
• 12.03.2019

  Are you playing an infinite or a finite game?

  Ben Bergeron has been operating CrossFit New England for more than ten years. From the very beginning, he knew he didn't want to take money from investors or partners to grow the business. Here's why.

  
• 11.25.2019

  Are you willing to move the gym into your garage?

  Kurtis Bowler co-owns Rainier CrossFit alongside his wife Laurie. They've been an affiliate for nearly 15 years, which is why I was surprised to hear they've spent the last 12 months running classes out of their 4-car garage.

  
• 11.19.2019

  Introducing Open Gym

  Welcome to Open Gym, a new weekly podcast from Patrick Cummings and Morning Chalk Up that explores the affiliate community of CrossFit with some of the most successful, experienced, and visionary voices within it.