What does it take to build a seven-figure gym with world-class retention and margins—without losing your soul? In this episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson sits down with Mitch Phillips, co-founder of Real Fitness Training (RFT), to unpack a decade of lessons turning a 100 m² start-up corner into a premium semi-private powerhouse. Mitch shares how tragedy, Covid, and fatherhood reshaped his leadership; why RFT treats exercise as just 4% of the result; and how their tech-enabled coaching and accountability model drives 22-month average client tenure and $11k+ lifetime value. You’ll hear exactly how RFT runs 45-minute, 10:1 small-group sessions that still feel personal, the attendance systems (72-hour no-show check-ins), the first-six-weeks onboarding focus, and why 90% of their team are full-time so coaches can do career-best work. We also dive into building a product so good it markets itself (RFT ran zero paid ads for six years), lifting standards across the industry, and Mitch’s mission to impact 1,000 lives a week. If you’re serious about retention, culture, and profitability, this one’s a must-listen.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“People stay for how we make them feel.” – Mitch Phillips

“We specialise in coaching and accountability.” – Mitch Phillips

“The standards you walk past are the ones you choose to accept.” – Mitch Phillips

“There’s no magic bullet—just be consistent and do the reps.” – Mitch Phillips

“My team are my product.” – Mitch Phillips

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Guest:

Mitch Phillips is the co-founder of Real Fitness Training, where a decade of refinement has created a premium semi-private model (45-minute sessions, ~10:1) anchored in personalisation, coaching, and accountability—backed by industry-leading retention and margins.

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: retention, semi-private, leadership, standards, mentorship, feedback, professionalism, employment model, small group training, community

What if halving your member count doubled your profit? In this solo episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson breaks down how to reposition your offer, marketing, sales, and delivery to win “the 9%” - the affluent clients who drive 45% of category spending. Dan shares the story of Rob Young’s Fremantle facility shifting from a high-volume, low-price model to a premium, high-touch service with fewer members and far greater margins. You’ll learn how to dismantle limiting money beliefs, build a concierge-level offer, craft education-led marketing, sell with authority (not pressure), and deliver an experience that prioritises speed, results, accountability, and ease. If you’re ready to charge more, serve better, and stress less, this playbook shows you how to design for margins - not masses.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“Price is just a belief.” - Dan Henderson

“You don’t get paid what you’re worth; you get paid for the value you deliver to the person willing to pay for it.” - Dan Henderson

“The quickest, most effective way to a profitable fitness business is to target the affluent - target the 9%.” - Dan Henderson

Resources:

Locker Room – executive personal training case study (Sydney)

Soma Collection – exclusive, limited-membership wellness club (Sydney CBD)

Saint Haven – premium health club & retreat (Melbourne, expanding to Bondi)

Young For Life – Rob Young’s premium pivot (Fremantle)

Evolve Training Systems – info-night model for affluent buyers (Bayswater)

Real Fitness (Mitch) – seven-figure semi-private model

Physique Performance Specialist (Johnny Allenhouse) – multi-site premium semi-private (Perth)

Empower 360 (Kate) – added premium option for recurring revenue

Bodhi Blitzer (Josh) – layered 1:1 + team training for higher front-end sales

Resources:

Dan Henderson - ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: affluent clients, premium pricing, semi-private training, education-based marketing, accountability, offer design, sales process, biohacking, longevity, menopause messaging, retention

Are you spending hours every week bogged down in admin tasks instead of growing your business? In this solo episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson reveals the game-changing secret that every fitness business owner needs: a virtual assistant. Dan shares how hiring offshore talent transformed his business, allowing him to step out of the weeds and focus on high-value activities like sales, marketing, and leadership.

From understanding what VAs can do, to where to find them, how to onboard, manage, and avoid costly mistakes, Dan gives you the complete roadmap to building a world-class support system. Packed with personal stories, proven strategies, and hard-won lessons, this episode shows you how to delegate the $10-an-hour tasks so you can elevate to $100-an-hour work. Listen now to discover how to buy back your time, minimise stress, and create the freedom to focus on what truly matters.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“Delegate to elevate.” – Dan Henderson

“Business owners don’t just need more time. They need more space – to think, to create, to connect.” – Dan Henderson

“This is a necessity, not a luxury. Every fitness business owner needs a virtual assistant.” – Dan Henderson

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: virtual assistant, delegation, outsourcing, productivity, leverage, business growth, fitness business, leadership

What will the most successful gyms and studios be doing differently in the next few years? In this solo episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson reveals his “Future Five” – the five biggest shifts transforming the fitness industry right now. From personalisation and performance-driven training to AI-powered efficiency, Dan explains exactly how to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in a changing market. Hear why retention is replacing acquisition as the key growth driver, how to build deeper trust with your audience, and why embracing wellness, recovery, and premium service models will be essential to long-term profitability. Packed with real-world examples, actionable strategies, and industry insights, this is your roadmap to future-proofing your business in 2025 and beyond.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“Revenue feeds the ego. Profit feeds the family.” – Dan Henderson

“The winners in 2025 will be those who keep their clients longer and have them spending more.” – Dan Henderson

“AI is the amplifier, not the replacement.” – Dan Henderson

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: business growth, leadership, fitness business, community, transformation, mentorship, martial arts, gym ownership, mindset, entrepreneurship

Most fitness business owners are missing one crucial ingredient in their marketing: a full-funnel strategy. In this episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson is joined once again by digital marketing expert Bec Anderson, who breaks down exactly how to structure your ads for success in 2025. Together, they unpack why bottom-of-funnel-only tactics are failing in today's saturated and sceptical market—and what to do instead. From brand awareness campaigns to lead magnets and trust-building testimonials, Bec shares practical insights on building a funnel that not only attracts leads but nurtures them into high-quality clients. If you're still running the same ads as 2023, this is your wake-up call.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“Your ads can’t look like they did in 2023. It’s just not going to be good enough anymore.” – Bec Anderson

“You’re not asking people to marry you yet. You’re literally just saying, ‘We’re here.’” – Bec Anderson

“If you can only run one ad, run a VSL. You, talking to the camera, telling people who you are and how you fix their problems.” – Bec Anderson

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Bec:

Bec Anderson is a fitness industry veteran and Meta Ads specialist who works with over 60 clients globally, helping fitness businesses generate quality leads through smart digital marketing strategies.

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related:

meta ads, digital marketing, AI, lead generation, customer acquisition, video ads, fitness business, advertising strategy, CAC, LTV, ad creatives

Are your ad campaigns stuck in 2023? In this episode of Profit Made Simple, Dan Henderson is joined by media buyer and fitness marketing expert Bec Anderson to break down the biggest Meta Ads changes every fitness business owner needs to know in 2025. With over 17 years in the fitness industry and 8 years in the digital ads space, Bec unpacks how Meta's push towards AI, Advantage+ campaigns, and video-first creative is transforming the way we attract leads online.

From autofill pitfalls to OTP-protected lead forms, Bec explains why quality leads now matter more than ever—and how you can get them. Dan and Bec also dive into how to calculate your real cost per acquisition (CAC), the role of strong creative in a competitive digital space, and the biggest misconceptions that are costing fitness businesses thousands in wasted ad spend.

This episode is your step-by-step guide to running high-performing campaigns that convert, without burning cash or time.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“It's not good enough to throw up any old ads and expect it to work.” – Bec Anderson

“You can't mess around with your marketing. It's the first impression people have of your business.” – Bec Anderson

“If you're still running ads like we were in 2023, you're already behind.” – Bec Anderson

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Bec:

Bec Anderson is a fitness industry veteran and Meta Ads specialist who works with over 60 clients globally, helping fitness businesses generate quality leads through smart digital marketing strategies.

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related:

meta ads, digital marketing, AI, lead generation, customer acquisition, video ads, fitness business, advertising strategy, CAC, LTV, ad creatives

How do you turn $500 and a second-hand bootcamp kit into a thriving fitness facility with a powerful community and world-class team? In this inspiring episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson sits down with Matt Gorman, founder of My Good Feeling, to unpack his remarkable business journey. From humble beginnings running sessions out of his Mitsubishi Lancer to building a purpose-built studio with Reformer Pilates, Matt shares the wins, mistakes, and pivotal moments that shaped his growth.

Together, Dan and Matt explore the sacrifices and leadership evolution required to step away from burnout and into sustainable business success. You’ll learn how Matt shifted from doing everything himself to building a strong team, creating systems, and scaling with intention. Matt also gets candid about reaching breaking point, rediscovering his ‘why’, and redefining success around family, freedom, and feeling good.

This episode is packed with practical takeaways for any business owner stuck in the grind—and a timely reminder that growth isn’t just about bigger, it’s about better.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“Don’t stress the little things.” – Matt Gorman

“If you can’t make tough decisions, you shouldn’t be in business.” – Matt Gorman

“I started this brand because I wanted to create a space that gave people a good feeling.” – Matt Gorman

Resources:

Matt Gorman – ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mattgorman___/

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Guest:

Matt Gorman is the founder of My Good Feeling, a high-performing fitness facility that exists to help members feel better every day. With a clear purpose and commitment to community, Matt has grown his business from a bootcamp in the park to a vibrant wellness hub offering strength training, group fitness, and Reformer Pilates.

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: business growth, fitness industry, leadership, burnout, delegation, rebranding, entrepreneurship, systems, culture, team-building

What if your gym did more than just help people get fit—what if it changed lives and built lasting community? In this episode of Profit Made Simple, Coach Dan Henderson sits down with Van Marinos, founder of Community Moves, to unpack how he turned a single gym into a thriving multi-location business by focusing on connection, inclusiveness and purpose. Van shares how his personal values inspired his business mission, and why catering to older adults became a powerful niche. From launching lean, testing ideas before going all in, to embracing leadership and stepping out of the operator role, Van’s journey is packed with practical lessons. Dan and Van also dive into the emotional rollercoaster of business ownership, the power of conviction in your messaging, and how clarity of values can shape every decision—from marketing to member retention. If you’re looking to scale with purpose and build something truly meaningful, this episode is for you.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“Your health cannot be dependent on me. You have to take ownership over that yourself.” – Van Marinos

“We’re a social club that exercises together.” – Van Marinos

“The biggest trees grow the slowest roots.” – Van Marinos

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: business growth, leadership, fitness business, community, transformation, mentorship, martial arts, gym ownership, mindset, entrepreneurship

Who are the key people who shaped the success of one of Australia's top fitness entrepreneurs? In this episode of Profit Made Simple, Dan Henderson switches seats and becomes the guest as long-time friend Kevin Fraser dives deep into the eight mentors who left an indelible mark on Dan’s life and business journey. From sales lessons in the corporate world to building million-dollar companies with purpose, Dan shares the exact principles, philosophies and turning points he’s taken from each mentor.

You’ll hear why joy is non-negotiable in your work, how to build a values-driven culture, why energy is everything in business, and why mentorship isn’t optional if you want to grow. This episode is filled with practical wisdom, personal stories, and powerful mindset shifts that will inspire you to reflect on who you learn from—and how those lessons are shaping your own trajectory.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“You don't pay people to stress you out.” – John Mark

“Vision is your number one currency.” – Jack Delosa

“Your business is a mirror.” – Dan Henderson

“Fitness is just the background. You’re really in the experience industry.” – Thomas Plummer

Mentors mentioned:

Jim Brennan – Joy and energy in work

Craig Ballantyne – Life-first business structure

John Mark – Team alignment and stress

Thomas Plummer – Delivering an unforgettable client experience

Jack Delosa – Vision, values and leadership culture

Taki Moore – Make sales easy through great marketing

Dan Bolton – Vibrational energy and abundance

Martin Rooney – Relentless standards and professionalism

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Fitness Profit and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: mentorship, business growth, values, mindset, leadership, sales, marketing, coaching, energy, entrepreneurship

Why do so many coaches freeze up when faced with a sales objection? In this episode of Profit Made Simple, Dan Henderson is joined once again by the sales expert himself, Kevin Frazier, to break down the art of objection handling—without sounding pushy or desperate. Together, they unpack the psychology behind objections like “I need to think about it,” “I don’t have time,” and “I need to talk to my partner,” showing how these are often just signals of deeper concerns. You’ll learn how to lead sales conversations with empathy, curiosity, and clarity, guiding prospects to self-discover why your offer is the solution they need.

From practical strategies like the three-step objection handling framework, to powerful go-to lines and pre-handling techniques, this episode arms you with everything you need to turn hesitation into commitment. Whether you're a gym owner, coach or fitness professional, these insights will help you close more sales with confidence and integrity.

Our favourite quotable moments:

“I believe it's one of those two things—they either don’t believe in you, or they don’t believe in the mechanism.” – Kevin Frazier

“People will only do what they self-discover.” – Dan Henderson

“Our job is to find the truth, not to win the argument.” – Dan Henderson

Resources:

Dan Henderson - Website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

About Kevin:

Kevin Frazier is a seasoned sales coach and trainer who helps fitness professionals and business owners create world-class sales systems that convert with confidence and ease. With decades of experience and a track record of results, Kevin is a trusted authority on the evolution of sales in the digital age.

About Dan:

Dan Henderson, founder of Fitness Profit, is a coach and business consultant who helps fitness owners achieve more freedom, impact, and income. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Dan is a well-respected leader, owning two successful businesses within the space: Growth Agency and Australia's largest fitness conference, Filex. As a published author and entrepreneur, Dan shares his knowledge on the Profit Made Simple podcast, where he interviews industry experts and offers practical advice for growing your fitness business, building your brand, and achieving your goals. Join Dan each week and take your fitness business to new heights with Profit Made Simple.

Related: sales, objections, closing, empathy, mindset, confidence, communication, fitness business, coaching, self-discovery