“You thought your customers were lazy on the gym floor. They’re even lazier with their brains.”

That’s how Donald Miller explained the hidden reason most gym marketing doesn’t work: it makes people think too hard.

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and Business Made Simple. He’s the author of several books, including bestsellers Building a StoryBrand, Marketing Made Simple, and How to Grow Your Small Business.

At the end of the Growth Summit in Nashville, Tim sat down with Donald for a live fireside chat in front of a packed room of gym owners.

Donald breaks down why most fitness messaging falls flat, why clever doesn’t convert, and how to build a brand message that sticks – not just with prospects, but with your own team. He explains how billion-dollar ad agencies still get it wrong, why presidential campaigns live or die by taglines, and why people would rather stay confused than burn mental calories figuring out your offer.

This conversation is filled with real examples, sharp takeaways, and the kind of clarity most gyms are missing. Give it a listen – and see what happens when your message actually lands.

Hit play.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Confusing words waste marketing dollars (02:09)
• Why ad agencies often get it wrong (04:25)
• Training staff on consistent brand message (07:46)
• Fitness doesn’t have to take a long time (10:18)
• Position yourself as the guide, not the hero (18:26)
• Soundbites win political and business campaigns (22:29)
• Use clear, singular offers in your messaging (25:15)
• Words shape your perceived value (29:11)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Most gym owners open a second location and hit a wall. Devin Gage is building to 100.

In just over two years, he’s grown from one gym in Pennsylvania to eight – all corporately owned, all self-funded, and all running on a lean, scalable model. Small footprint, low overhead, high-touch service, and centralized systems for everything else.

Each location is under 2,000 square feet, costs about $75K to open, and runs on 2.5 staff. Break-even is around 60 members. No in-person sales – all memberships are sold over the phone by one rep using a structured script and handoff process. That single rep is booking 20-30 trials a week across all locations.

In this episode, Tim and Randy sit down with Devin to unpack what’s actually working.

They talk about:

• early mistakes and the failed California test
• how the centralized sales handoff works
• what Devin looks for in a facility leader
• his data-driven accountability process
• and why grand openings are still a work in progress

Tune in and learn what real multi-location growth looks like.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Devin’s mission: 100 gyms by 2034 (01:58)
• COVID pivot: small-group model scales fast (03:46)
• First few gym expansions: what worked and what didn’t (04:28)
• Centralized sales process and tech stack explained (10:24)
• Coaches can’t also be great salespeople (13:24)
• How off-site sales work with high-level follow-up (18:16)
• Grand opening strategies and early adopter marketing (26:51)

Additional Resources:

- Little Gym, Big Heart with Devin Gage

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- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Some gym owners just keep pulling away – month after month, year after year – while others stall out, stuck at the same level no matter how hard they push.

It’s not because they’ve got better software or some secret funnel. And it’s definitely not luck.

It’s who they’re around.

This is the final episode in the 7 Habits of Winning Gyms series – and this one’s the big domino. The habit that makes the rest of the business easier... or sometimes not even necessary.

Because the moment a gym owner starts surrounding themselves with high performers – whether that’s on their team, in a mastermind, or through proximity to other driven operators – everything shifts. The belief system changes. The norm resets. And the ceiling gets shattered.

Winning gyms aren’t trying to pull people up. They’re getting pulled forward by people who’ve already done it.

This episode is about understanding when you’ve outgrown your current circle… and what happens when you step into a room where $70K months are just the starting line.

Tune in.

And yeah… it’s been said a million times, but it’s still true:

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong one.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Recap of the first 6 habits of winning gyms (00:52)
• Habit #7: Surround yourself with high performers (02:59)
• Masterminds can reignite growth after plateau (04:44)
• Comfort kills progress – challenge drives results (05:29)
• You’re only as strong as your weakest team member (07:06)
• The Iron Circle’s $70K/month benchmark explained (10:19)
• These 7 habits are a gym owner’s belief system (13:21)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Most gyms don’t realize they’re making business decisions in the dark.

They’ll cut the agency.

Hire a new closer.

Pause the ads.

Raise prices.

Then lower prices.

Change offers…

All based on instinct – or worse, frustration – without knowing whether the actual problem is upstream, downstream, or even real.

But there’s one voice in your business that doesn’t panic or sugarcoat anything. Numbers. They show you exactly where things are breaking down.

Habit #6 in the 7 Habits of Winning Gyms series is about the importance of knowing the numbers. It’s why winning gyms don’t flinch when things go sideways – they’ve got the data to back up every move.

They’re not guessing. They’re not reacting. They’re pulling the numbers. And more often than not, those numbers tell a completely different story than what it looked like on the surface.

Tune in as Tim and Randy break down what it really costs to run a gym on emotion – and why knowing exactly where you stand is the difference between fixing the problem and making it worse.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Business is like sports – scoreboard tells the truth (00:56)
• Most gym owners guess instead of measuring (02:06)
• Data-backed decisions beat emotional ones (03:05)
• Key marketing metrics to track daily (03:51)
• Accountability through regular reporting (04:57)
• Blaming ads often masks sales problems (07:16)
• Obsession with numbers fuels predictable growth (10:39)

Additional Resources:

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Have you noticed that most gyms look alike?

The offers are recycled – “first week free” deals and other copy-and-paste promos. The ads all sound the same. The classes run at the same time. From the outside, it looks fine. But under the surface, that copycat approach is the reason so many owners end up just blending into the crowd: there’s no real edge.

The truth is, a lot of the industry isn’t moving forward – it’s running the same plays over and over again.

Winning gyms step out of that loop. They recognize opportunities before they’re mainstream, they test ideas others dismiss, and they’re not afraid to take a risk while the rest of the market hesitates. Sometimes that means reshaping schedules, sometimes it’s shifting billing structures, or leaning into tools like AI. The advantage comes from trying what hasn’t already been copied to death.

This episode unpacks Habit #5 of the 7 Habits of Winning Gyms series: why winning gyms seek the competitive edge. Tim and Randy break down how smart owners challenge industry norms and create separation in crowded markets.

Tune in and see what it takes to stop blending in.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Winning gyms squeeze every opportunity (00:37)
• AI and tech adoption as a key edge (01:46)
• Creative scheduling: 40-minute sessions (03:52)
• Escaping industry echo chambers (05:12)
• Red ocean vs. blue ocean gym models (06:55)
• Copycat culture in the fitness industry (07:59)
• Weekly billing brings major benefits (09:54)
• Winning gyms always test and innovate (13:18)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Some gyms run full speed just to stay in place.

Revenue jumps, then drops. Cash flows in, then disappears. And it’s not because anything looks broken on the surface. They’re selling packages, running challenges, hitting their numbers...

However, the model resets every 30 days – so they’re always one deal away from falling behind.

But what if the gym didn’t have to reset?

What if revenue were predictable and enough to cover the bills before the month even starts?

Habit #4 in the Seven Habits of Winning Gyms is about the gyms that operate that way. The ones that treat recurring revenue like infrastructure – something to build on, not gamble with.

In this episode, Tim and Randy break down:

• how winning gyms protect recurring revenue
• why they pass on the dopamine hits of pay-in-full cash
• why they refuse to discount their value
• how they stay out of the scramble

This is the long game with consistent, compounding returns.

Tune in and find out why smart gyms say no to $15K upfront.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Recurring revenue – the biggest built-in advantage (00:39)
• Track your Delta to avoid panic and desperation (03:04)
• Packages create cash spikes but sabotage stability (06:23)
• Consistent months > revenue rollercoasters (08:25)
• Never discount paid-in-full (14:05)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Your campaign is good. And ads are working. And the leads are flowing.

And that’s exactly when most gym owners make the call that stalls their growth for the next six months.

They tell the agency to turn it off. Not because it’s broken. But because it’s working too well.

Because the systems downstream can’t keep up…

Because onboarding’s a mess...

Because service delivery’s maxed out…

So the tap gets closed and the engine cools down. And by the time they’re ready to turn it back on the algorithm’s changed and the market’s moved.

This episode breaks down Habit 3 of the 7 Habits of Winning Gyms – and it’s about what happens when you stop treating momentum like the fragile, high-value asset it is.

Tim and Randy are talking about treating lead flow like a faucet instead of a flywheel. Because what looks like a “pause” often turns into a full stop. And getting moving again costs way more than keeping things running in the first place.

If you’ve ever pulled back when things got too busy you’ll want to hear this one.

Tune in.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Never shut off a winning ad campaign (00:36)
• Momentum is like a train – hard to restart (01:27)
• Lead overflow usually means broken systems, not broken ads (02:39)
• Over 50 things must align before a sale happens (04:15)
• Marketing spend should multiply capital, not drain it (08:59)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

“We’re saving money on rent…” It’s something a lot of gym owners are proud to say.

And it’s also one of the most expensive mistakes they make without realizing it. Because what looks smart on paper often creates a problem you can’t outspend your way out of.

When the gym’s buried behind a warehouse, tucked in the back of a complex, or missing entirely from search results… that’s not just a location issue. That’s a visibility problem.

This episode covers Habit 2 of the 7 Habits of Winning Gyms, and it’s focused on how visibility drives growth and cuts costs. Tim and Randy are explaining why where you’re located – physically and digitally – determines how much you have to spend just to get people in the door.

Tune in to hear what really happens when a gym trades square footage for foot traffic – and why saving on rent usually ends up costing a lot more.

Winning gyms don’t wait to be found. They position themselves to be seen. And once you see the numbers, it’s hard to ignore.

Tune in.

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Winning gyms choose visibility over cheap rent deals (00:38)
• Prime locations cut marketing costs by two to threefold (05:32)
• Warby Parker showed that rent can lower ad costs (06:08)
• Gym moved 2 miles, gained $20k with zero ads (09:28)
• Online presence is today’s storefront (13:05)
• Relying on Instagram alone holds your gym back (15:54)
• No website makes your gym nearly invisible (16:25)
• Recap (18:58)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

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If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!