Most gym owners think getting from 100 members to 200 is about finding a better marketing strategy.

Sean McKirdy disagrees.

In this episode, Sean breaks down the lessons he's learned from growing Elevate 98 in Edinburgh from a one-man PT business into a 220-member small group personal training gym with seven staff.

We discuss why every gym seems to hit "sticky points" at certain membership numbers, how Sean gradually removed himself from the day-to-day coaching, why he believes investing in staff beats investing in equipment, and the marketing system that's helped them grow consistently for five years.

You'll learn:

• Why 50, 75 and 100 members often become growth plateaus.
• The mistake gym owners make when trying to push through those plateaus.
• How Sean built a gym that continued running while he disappeared for a three-week honeymoon.
• Why your marketing channels should work together rather than in isolation.
• How to make your messaging resonate with everyday people—not other coaches.
• The surprising reason Sean keeps doing every new member consultation himself.
• How case studies outperform generic testimonials.
• Why consistency beats novelty when competing against bigger gyms.

Find out more about Sean:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmckirdy98/
• His Gym: https://elevate98.co.uk/

How does a gym survive, and thrive, for more than 25 years?

Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California, has been one of the most respected gyms in the world since 2000.

In this episode, I sit down with Alwyn Cosgrove to unpack what has allowed Results to keep growing while so many gyms have come and gone.

We discuss the three pillars every successful gym needs, the KPIs every owner should know, why "price objections" are usually value objections, how to evolve your business without losing your identity, and why the future of fitness marketing may have far less to do with fat loss than many coaches realise.

We also cover:

• The People, Process, Product framework
• The three KPIs every gym owner should track
• Why most coaches are white belts at business
• Sales, guarantees and overcoming objections
• Marketing in a GLP-1 world
• Reinventing your gym without chasing trends
• Why systems make average coaches great
• The importance of hiring your own coach

Find out more about Alwyn:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwyncosgrove/

This week I'm joined by Krista Scott-Dixon, one of the most respected coaching educators in the world and author of Applied Nutrition and Coaching: Counselling.

Rather than talking about programming or nutrition, we explore something that's arguably far more important: the coaching relationship.

We discuss what PTs & in-person coaches can learn from counselling, why remembering the little things can transform client retention, how to repair fractured coaching relationships, and why trying to "fix" clients is often the wrong approach.

• Why the coach-client relationship matters more than technical knowledge.
• The simple behaviours that make clients feel genuinely cared for.
• The biggest mistakes that quietly damage coaching relationships.
• Why behaviour always serves a purpose (even unhealthy habits).
• How to help clients create better habits without relying on willpower.
• Why experiments beat advice.
• How to stop caring more about your client's goals than they do.
• Practical lessons from counselling that every PT can use immediately.

Find out more about KSD:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stumptuous/
• Website: https://kristascottdixon.com/
• Her new book (Applied Nutrition Coaching Counselling Practice): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Applied-Nutrition-Coaching-Counseling-Practice/dp/B0GYQM4SP1/

This week I'm joined once again by Lisa Jarratt from Downham Ladies Fitness, just weeks after opening the doors to her brand-new facility.

We discuss why she decided to move gyms, how she generated 70 new trial members before the doors even opened, the systems she's put in place to protect the coaching experience as the business grows, and why she's chosen retention over squeezing every last penny out of the gym.

You'll learn:

• How Lisa signed up 70 new trial members before opening her new facility
• The Meta ad strategy generating a strong return without a complicated funnel
• How to create marketing that answers your clients' biggest objections
• Why one-to-one inductions have helped her onboard dozens of new members successfully
• The programming system allowing clients of all abilities to train together
• Why she believes protecting service and retention is more valuable than increasing coaching ratios
• The biggest lessons she learned from investing nearly £50,000 into a new gym space

Find out more about Lisa:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downhamladiesfitness/

This week I'm joined once again by George Branford from Intent 91 to discuss what's working inside one of the UK's fastest-growing gym businesses.

We dive into the marketing strategies bringing in members today, how George uses AI and sales-call transcripts to create better content, the retention systems keeping clients for nearly two years on average, and the hiring process that's helped build a strong team across five locations.

If you run a personal training business or small-group gym, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can implement immediately.

You'll learn:

• How to create marketing that actually sounds like your ideal clients
• Why recording sales calls is one of the best business decisions you can make
• The retention system that's keeping members for 18–20 months
• How to personalise coaching inside a group setting
• George's hiring process for finding coaches who genuinely fit the culture
• The biggest lessons he's learned from scaling to five gyms

Find out more about George:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgebranford/

In this episode, Stuart sits down with Michael Keeler from Business for Unicorns to discuss what separates thriving gyms from struggling ones in 2026.

The conversation centres around a simple idea: successful gyms aren't usually doing magical things... they're doing the basics consistently.

Michael explains that the best-performing gyms have:

• Reliable lead generation systems instead of hoping referrals magically appear
• Multiple "poles in the water" for attracting clients
• Strong retention systems built around meaningful relationships
• Weekly leadership meetings that keep the business on track
• Clear metrics they review every week
• Simple, low-barrier offers that make it easy for prospects to get started
• Regular referral campaigns and seasonal promotions
• Processes for keeping long-term clients motivated and engaged

One of the standout lessons is Michael's "Mission Control Meeting"—a weekly 30-90 minute meeting where owners review key metrics, identify opportunities and issues, stay accountable to quarterly projects, and make decisions based on data rather than feelings.

The episode also covers:

• The 3 marketing numbers every gym should track
• Why most gym owners become the bottleneck in their business
• The best low-barrier offer they're seeing right now
• How often to change your offers
• Why "Momentum Coaching" can dramatically improve retention
• The difference between leading and lagging indicators in business

Find out more about MK:

• BFU Website: https://businessforunicorns.com/

In this episode, Stuart interviews Emma Storey-Gordon (@esgfitness & @afmentors) about personal finance, investing, pensions, and financial freedom for PTs and gym owners.

Emma's core message is simple: Financial freedom isn't about getting rich quickly. It's about creating security, options, and peace of mind through consistent, boring financial habits.

She explains why coaches should stop ignoring money, start building emergency funds, contribute to pensions, invest regularly, understand tax basics, and educate themselves on personal finance rather than outsourcing all responsibility to accountants or financial advisers.

The conversation covers:

• Building a 3-6 month emergency fund
• The "Coffee Match" investing habit (£1-£5/day invested automatically)
• Why pensions are often overlooked by PTs
• ISAs and tax-efficient investing
• Avoiding lifestyle creep as income grows
• Why financial freedom beats flashy purchases
• The impact of inflation on savings
• When to hire an accountant
• Recommended books including The Psychology of Money and Die With Zero
• Emma's goal of becoming financially independent by 30 and how she achieved it
• Overall, it's a practical guide to the financial habits most coaches wish they'd started 10 years earlier.

Find out more about ESG:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esg_afm/

In this short episode, Stuart details some key things that help turn a new client into a long-term member of your gym.

Stuart's email: [email protected]

Stuart's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuart__aitken/

This week on the Small Group Gym Podcast, I sit down with Greg Mikolap from ICON to unpack nearly a decade of gym ownership, the realities of scaling small group personal training, and why the model he originally built nearly broke the business.

Greg shares:

• Why he moved from a 4:1 model to sessions as large as 16:1
• The financial mistakes that cost him almost £300,000
• What he learned from visiting elite US training gyms
• Why most gym owners think about attrition the wrong way
• How to make difficult business changes without panicking about member backlash
• The balance between coaching quality, profitability, and sustainability

Find out more about Greg:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmikolap/
• His gym: https://www.instagram.com/iconmaidenhead/

In this episode, Fionn MacCullagh shares how Tailormade Coaching scaled to 8 locations and more than 850 clients by simplifying its offer, raising prices, systemising referrals and obsessing over retention.

You’ll learn:

• Why Tailormade sells one simple membership instead of multiple packages
• How the “Committed Club” improves attendance and reduces churn
• The pricing mistake that cost years of profit
• How Fionn handled a price increase that led to a 27% member loss
• The referral system that rewards both the client and their friend
• Why flyer drops still outperform many modern marketing tactics

Find out more about Fionn:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionnmaccullagh/
• His gym: https://www.instagram.com/tailormade_coaching/