Tired of watching small mistakes drain your gym's profits? Here's how to stop paying the “dumb tax” once and for all.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper explains how seemingly small business mistakes compound into million-dollar losses over time. More importantly, he tells you how to stop making these gym-sinking errors.

Coop presents three types of mistakes that destroy gym profitability:

• Compounding problems get worse over time. Example: hiring without proper training systems.
• Delaying problems punish you for procrastinating. Example: avoiding necessary price increases.
• Mounting problems are fueled by the increasing momentum of repeated errors. Example: dumping more members into a gym with a broken pricing model.

Chris also gets brutally honest about his own expensive mistakes as a gym owner, and he calculates the real cost of inaction and poor systems so you can see how errors affect P&L statements.

Tune in for the full breakdown and then take action before profit-killing mistakes put you on the path to bankruptcy.

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0:01 - Intro

1:39 - Compounding problems

7:59 - Delaying problems

11:43 - Mounting problems

14:58 - What’s the cost of change?

Most gyms don’t fail because of one big disaster. They fail because of small, repeated mistakes that drain money, energy and time until the owner burns out.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains how to spot and avoid common mistakes in your gym—in other words, how to stop paying the “dumb tax.”

From undercharging to chasing the wrong metrics, Coop shares how he paid the dumb tax in his own gym and learned some tough lessons.

He explains how to replace guesswork with clear data, build pricing and systems that work, and make decisions that increase revenue instead of eroding it.

Ever feel like you’re working harder and harder but never getting ahead? This episode will show you how to break the cycle and start building a sustainable, profitable gym. 

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0:52 - What is the dumb tax?

3:47 - Always chasing more clients

4:34 - Undercharging and discounting

6:18 - Confusing the model with the method

8:09 - How to avoid the dumb tax

In this episode, gym owner and CrossFit Games athlete Bryce Broome shares how he built a profitable, systemized gym that lets him take regular time off to travel, train, compete and recharge.

In fewer than two years, Bryce has developed a team that handles day-to-day operations when he’s away—without sacrificing client care or profitability.

He explains how business planning with a Two-Brain mentor set his gym up for success from Day 1: Before opening, he planned for staffing costs and scalability, identified his ideal culture, and hired staff who aligned with that culture.

The result? A gym that pays him well and gives him time to enjoy life outside it.

Proof: Bryce did this interview while on vacation, and he'll be taking more time off to compete in the CrossFit Games at the beginning of August.

Tune in to hear Bryce’s story and find out how you can start building a business that allows you to live the life you want.

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1:20 - Breakdown of Bryce’s gym

10:45 - Providing careers for staff

15:22 - The value ladder exercise

19:17 - How Bryce takes regular vacations

28:05 - Advice for other gym owners

Stop wearing every hat in your gym. It’s time to move from coach to owner.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper shares the exact steps gym owners can take to reclaim their time, take regular vacations and build businesses that run on systems.

He walks you through the process of “climbing the value ladder,” aka buying back your time:

- Identify the roles you fill.
- Calculate the replacement cost for each role.
- Write step-by-step instructions for each role.
- Delegate roles from lowest to highest value.
- Take time off to test the system.
- Identify problems and upgrade instructions so they're perfect.

Coop also explains how to coach and evaluate staff and why gym owners often mistake poor systems for “people problems.”

Tune in for the full playbook, then apply it and put it to the test by finally taking some time off.

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0:48 - The steps to take time off

2:57 - How Coop climbed the value ladder

4:26 - Get the systems out of your head

8:45 - Activate your staff

11:52 - Is it a people or process problem?

If you’re not regularly sitting down with your clients to talk about their goals, you’re leaving money on the table.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” gym owner and chiropractor Dr. Brian Strump shares how quarterly Goal Review Sessions became one of the most effective tools in his gym for increasing retention, referrals and average revenue per member.

Brian walks through exactly how his team at Live Active Charlotte uses these short conversations to keep clients engaged, identify new opportunities to help them, and increase gym revenue without running ads or pushing sales.

He also breaks down how he tracks key metrics and gets buy-in from his staff.

Tune in to hear the full breakdown, then implement goal reviews and watch what happens to your gym’s revenue and your clients' results. 

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Semi-Private Launch Playbook

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1:05 - Why use goal reviews?

8:53 - Impact on gym metrics

13:42 - When to do goal reviews

18:56 - Goal reviews help clients

23:50 - Brian’s No. 1 tip for gym owners

In this episode, Chris Cooper shares a preview of his upcoming training session for gym owners: “How to Add $10K in PT Without Adding a Single Member.”

During the live, interactive webinar, you’ll learn how to sell PT confidently, prescribe it in Goal Review Sessions and No Sweat Intros, and set simple targets to quickly grow your revenue.

Coop will also show you how to overcome common mindset barriers. For example, many of your members actually need one-on-one coaching to get better, faster results, and other members don't need PT but want it because they prefer convenience, attention and privacy.

You don’t have to chase new members to boost your gym's revenue. Find out exactly how to add $10K with personal training on July 8 at noon Eastern in Gym Owners United: http://gymownersunited.com

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John Bartholomeo, one of Two-Brain’s Top 10 leaders, added $15,000 in monthly revenue through annual planning and smart gamification of challenges at Mohawk Valley Wellness.

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” he shares how his gym uses simple, repeatable systems to run revenue-generating nutrition challenges and events that clients love.

These events aren’t last-minute attempts to fill revenue gaps. They're part of a clearly defined annual plan that's created each year in collaboration with a mentor to drive engagement, retention and profitability.

John reveals how he turns nutrition into a competitive game, using streaks and point systems to boost client results, consistency and fun. He also explains how challenges help onboard new clients and support long-term retention.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to bring in more revenue. Tune in to find out how predictable planning and mentorship can improve your gym’s bottom line.

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1:08 - $15K per month in additional revenue

3:44 - Planning events and challenges

6:60 - Gamifying nutrition challenges

15:47 - Converting to ongoing programs

18:51 - Where mentorship fits in

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper explains how the Top 10 gyms on the revenue leaderboard drive consistent, high-level monthly income.

These gyms have moved beyond the "group only" model to add high-value services such as personal training, small-group training and semi-private training. Some gyms are generating significant revenue with challenges and special events that include gamification to drive retention.

Chris shares what the top performers have in common—such as strong client avatars, structured annual planning and a focus on delivering measurable results—and explains why mentorship is a key part of their stories.

He also serves up quotes and tactical insights directly from gym owners who are generating $61,000-$114,000 per month.

Aiming for a big revenue milestone? This episode will show you what’s possible and help you start working toward your goal today.

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1:26 - Top 10 revenue leaderboard

2:53 - What the Top 10 have in common

8:06 - Tips from revenue leaders

9:45 - Gamification and challenges

15:42 - Success is possible

Erik Zeyher’s gym, Warlock CrossFit, generates over $200,000 in annual revenue from its semi-private training program. 

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Erik breaks down the exact steps he took to build a premium program that works across the board—for clients, coaches and the business. As Erik puts it, “It is aces.”

Erik shares how he structures sessions, pricing and coach pay, and he explains how he generated internal buzz around the program to fill it fast. When his first semi-private session filled up in just 45 minutes, Erik knew he had a winner. 

He also gets into logistics issues such as scheduling, onboarding, space constraints and last-minute cancellations.

Now, with expert mentorship and dialed-in systems, Erik can rely on his semi-private program to add $15,000-$22,000 to his gym’s revenue each month. 

Thinking about adding a high-value semi-private personal training program? Tune in to hear from a gym owner who’s done it successfully.

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The Prescriptive Model

Prerequisites for Semi-Private

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0:01 - Semi-private revenue boost

6:51 - Increased coach pay

12:41 - Biggest challenge in this model

18:36 - Time and space logistics

29:36 - Should gyms implement this?

Small-group and semi-private training can dramatically increase your gym’s revenue, improve coach pay and boost client results.

In this episode, gym owner and semi-private specialist Daniel Purington shares exactly how to build a high-revenue, high-retention semi-private program from the ground up.

Certain prerequisites must be in place before you offer this service. If you miss steps, your program will flounder, you'll get frustrated and your members won't sign up for coaching that can help them get better results faster. Daniel's got your do-this-first checklist.

Daniel also identifies the biggest mistake gym owners make when building semi-private programs, offers his tips for success and explains how to fill your program. Hint: You don't need to spend money on ads or create a new marketing campaign.

As a bonus, Daniel breaks down how his own gym—Woodslawn Fitness in Portland, Oregon—runs concurrent sessions in just 650 square feet, generates $230 per session and pays his semi-private coaches up to $11,000 a month.

Thinking of adding a high-value revenue stream to your gym? Tune in for a step-by-step guide.

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The Prescriptive Model

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1:00 - Small group & semi-private revenue

3:25 - How to know if you’re ready

6:56 - Big vs. small group logistics

14:13 - How to fill a program

20:41 - Next steps to get started