In 2015, Corey Lewis expanded to a second gym before he was ready. He ended up with two failing locations instead of one thriving facility.

This mistake nearly sunk his business. Now, as a Two-Brain mentor, Corey helps gym owners avoid feels-good-in-the-moment traps that come with severe long-term consequences.

In this episode, Corey joins Mike Warkentin to break down some of the most costly mistakes gym owners make:

✅ Expanding before systems are in place.
✅ Promoting staff too quickly.
✅ Abdicating instead of delegating.
✅ Discounting rates.
✅ Chasing shiny objects instead of caring for "the golden goose."

Corey explains how mentorship helps gym owners see past emotion to make decisions based on data.

For example, if a gym owner is avoiding a much-needed rate increase, Corey will run the numbers, lay out the plan and provide accountability. He's successfully guided dozens of Two-Brain clients through this process: None lost all their members, and all made more money.

Don't make mistakes that will take years to fix. And don't avoid correcting your errors because you don't have a plan. Get help, make smart decisions and reach your Perfect Day sooner.

Use the link below to get free tools to help you run a profitable gym!

Don't have a gym yet? Start one with help from Two-Brain—just click the link below.

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Start a Gym

Gym Owners United

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2:33 - Expanding too soon

5:44 - No systems and poor retention

10:17 - Promoting staff who aren’t ready

13:09 - How to avoid costly mistakes

20:59 - Resources to start a gym

Just because a decision feels good now doesn’t mean it’s the right one for your gym’s long-term success.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper breaks down 12 choices that seem smart in the moment but can sabotage a gym's profitability down the line.

He explains how mistakes such as paid-in-full deals and monthly discounts erode value and bleed out revenue, and he shares how short-term conveniences, such as hiring friends or subleasing to trainers, create downstream operational headaches.

You’ll hear how ego-driven decisions to criticize competitors or train to be the best athlete in your gym steal focus from the systems that actually grow revenue.

Coop also discusses retention and pricing errors, and he explains how three major growth traps—expanding too early, trying to serve everyone and buying failing gyms—create more problems than they solve.

Tune in to learn the sustainable strategies top gyms use to avoid these mistakes and make smart decisions that pay dividends for decades.

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1:23 - Discount death spiral

8:07 - Staff and space nightmares

14:40 - Ego-driven mistakes

21:33 - Retention and pricing errors

24:50 - Growth without foundation

How do you turn 13 leads per month into sustainable gym growth?

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper and chief marketing officer John Franklin analyze new data from Two-Brain's 2025 “State of the Industry” guide and show you how to use it to grow your gym in 2026.

John, who is also co-founder of Kilo, explains why most gyms still struggle to get enough leads, what high performers do differently and how to make the most of every lead.

The pair dig into the numbers behind pricing, sales and average revenue per member, and they list simple changes gym owners can make to dramatically increase revenue.

To help you close more sales at your gym, Chris and John role-play common scenarios, demonstrating how to handle objections—such as timing, price and spousal concerns—and help clients take action.

They also provide tips to help you survive the slowest months of the year so you stop getting crushed by seasonality.

Watch this episode, then take action to generate more leads and add more clients to your gym every month.

If you want to dig deeper into the numbers, download the full “State of the Industry” report for free via the link below.

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State of the Industry

Gym Owners United

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1:08 - Lead generation and nurture

12:38 - Seasonality and planning

18:07 - Live sales role-play

30:03 - Pricing strategies and psychology

41:42 - Sustainable gym ownership