The Fullout Cheer Podcast

By Next Generation Gym OwnersBusiness Entrepreneurship

The Fullout Cheer Podcast episodes

October 15 Waiting for Things to Slow Down? Listen to This.
“I’ll do it when things slow down.”

Gym owners, that sentence can keep you stuck for years. Next month won’t magically give you more time to train your staff, fix your systems, or finally get something off your plate.

In this short, straight-to-the-point episode, Danielle delivers the wake-up call busy owners need: if nothing changes in how you operate, nothing changes in how overwhelmed you feel.

From phone calls that hijack your day to repetitive tasks you could automate, she breaks down two changes you can start making this week—even without a big staff.

If you feel too busy to listen, press play. Then block 30 minutes to change something. Your calendar needs more than another promise that next month will be better.
7 min
October 08 Throwback: Turn Around Your 'Meh' Start to the Season
Throwback episode!

🚨 Start-to-the-Season Check-In Time!

Remember those goals we set in June? Yeah… we’re revisiting them in this follow-up to the fan-favorite “Rebuilding After Dumpster Fire Season.” Spoiler alert: not everything went according to plan.

In this episode, we’re sorting through what worked, what flopped, and what needs a full-on rework before the season officially ramps up. It’s your chance to reflect, reset, and maybe even actually follow through this time.

#GoalSetting #PreseasonReset #PersonalGrowth #FullOutTierPodcast #DumpsterFireSeason #ProductivityWithChaos
26 min
October 01 I Automated My Cheer Gym in One Day. Here’s What Changed.
AI is most useful when it takes a recurring task off your plate. In this episode of the Fullout Cheer Podcast, I share what I automated in my gym in about a day and how those systems help me and my staff stay on top of work that used to get missed.

I explain what I use ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok for, with real examples: daily sales reports, retention analysis, inbox cleanup, attendance, and calendar updates. I also talk about the cost, the time it took to set things up, and where I still check the results myself.

If you’re a cheer gym owner who wants a practical place to start, pick one task you repeat every week. This episode will help you see what you could automate first.
40 min
September 24 5 Things Event Producers Do That Drive Gym Owners Crazy—with Kim Schaub
Why are spectator fees so high? Why do events get canceled? And why does your team sometimes end up competing alone?

Danielle sits down with MCDA owner Kim Schaub to discuss five things event producers do that drive gym owners crazy. Kim shares what is really happening behind the scenes, from venue costs and small divisions to scheduling problems, scoring differences and less-than-ideal locations.

Danielle brings the gym owner’s perspective, Kim brings the event producer’s side, and neither one holds much back.
57 min
September 17 Working With Family Without Wrecking the Relationship
Working with family in your cheer gym can be one of the best parts of owning a business... and one of the hardest.

After 15 years of owning a family-run gym, Danielle has worked alongside her husband, kids, in-laws and plenty of other family dynamics. In this episode, she shares what she's learned about making those relationships actually work inside the business.

From clear roles and accountability to avoiding favoritism, setting boundaries and knowing when NOT to create a job for someone you love, this episode tackles the situations that can quickly turn business problems into family problems.

Because working with family can absolutely work. But love and loyalty can't replace structure.
32 min
September 10 You Either Speak "Teenager" or You Don't
Coaching teenagers is different. They don't want to be treated like little kids, but they're also still learning how to be adults. And if you coach a senior team the same way you coach your minis or youth athletes, you're probably going to create frustration for everyone involved.

In this episode, Danielle breaks down what she's learned from more than a decade of coaching senior athletes, raising teenagers, and hosting teenage exchange students.

She talks about why teenagers often need immediate consequences, why tone doesn't always mean what you think it means, how their best effort can look different from one practice to the next, and the coaching mistakes that can make an athlete shut down completely.

Most importantly, she explains why you can't demand respect from teenage athletes. You have to earn it.

From handling corrections without embarrassing athletes to respecting the parts of their lives that have nothing to do with cheer, this episode is about learning to “speak teenager” and becoming the kind of coach your senior athletes trust, respect, and want to work hard for.
39 min
September 03 Cheer Makes Absolutely No Sense... Until It Does: Jay Yoder
If you've ever tried to explain all star cheer to someone outside the industry, you already know how ridiculous it can sound.

In this episode, Danielle sits down with comedian, former teacher, and award-winning social media creator Jay Yoder to talk about his unexpected introduction to the cheer world as a dad. From vicious team names being yelled for tiny children to confusing score sheets, rhinestone-covered merchandise, 5 a.m. arrival times, expensive competition weekends, and coaches absolutely losing their minds in front of the mat, Jay shares the parts of cheer culture that still make him stop and ask, “Is this normal?”

But behind the comedy is a bigger conversation about what makes the cheer community special. Jay shares how cheer became a way to connect with his daughter, Alicia, who has autism, why inclusion matters to their family, and how coaches can become some of the most influential adults in an athlete's life.

It's funny, honest, and a reminder that all star cheer makes very little sense from the outside... until somehow you're completely invested in it.
47 min
August 27 Throwback: Hijack the Back-to-School Hype
Back-to-school season is here, which means families are getting back into routines, schedules are filling up, and everyone is competing for their attention. So we’re bringing back an episode that couldn’t be more timely.

In this throwback episode, Danielle shares five creative ways gym owners can take advantage of the back-to-school rush and turn it into more visibility and enrollments. She covers when to run your fall ads, how to time an open house, getting involved with local schools and back-to-school nights, simple events that bring new families through your doors, and ways to turn your current athletes into some of your best marketing.

You don’t have to reinvent your marketing every fall. Sometimes it’s about showing up in the right places, at the right time, with an offer families actually notice.

This episode originally aired previously, but the strategies are just as relevant today — and back-to-school season is the perfect time to put them to work.
21 min
August 20 Don't Take the Bait: How Great Leaders Stay Calm
Every gym owner will eventually deal with an angry parent, frustrated employee, or emotional customer. The question isn't whether it will happen. It's how you'll respond when it does.

After witnessing a heated confrontation between a passenger and an airline gate agent, Danielle breaks down the leadership mistakes that escalated the situation and the lessons every gym owner can apply. She shares practical strategies for de-escalating conflict, maintaining professionalism under pressure, setting boundaries without becoming defensive, and refusing to let someone else's emotions dictate your own.

The strongest leaders aren't the ones who win arguments. They're the ones who stay composed when everyone else loses their cool.
20 min
August 13 Don't Send the Email! How to Deliver Difficult News Effectively
Every gym owner will eventually have to deliver bad news. Whether it's leveling down a team, changing payroll, losing a staff member, canceling an event, or making an unpopular business decision, difficult conversations are part of leadership.

In this episode, Danielle shares the biggest mistakes leaders make when delivering bad news and the five principles that can help protect your culture during challenging moments. You'll learn why important conversations should happen face-to-face, why your managers should never be caught off guard, how to handle emotional reactions professionally, and why finding the ""win"" matters more than you think.

Bad news is inevitable. Damaging your culture doesn't have to be.
32 min

About The Fullout Cheer Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Fullout Cheer Podcast with Danielle Johnston is the ultimate resource for cheerleading gym owners, all star cheer coaches, and industry professionals who want to grow their gyms, lead successful teams, and thrive in the competitive cheer industry. Hosted by Danielle Johnston — now in her 14th season as a cheer gym owner, co-owner of Next Generation Gym Owners, and author of the must-read “The Cheer Gym Owners’ Handbook” — this podcast delivers proven strategies and real-world insights from someone who’s built a thriving cheer program from the ground up.