In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, we sit down with Gonz, owner of The Kage Gym, to break down his incredible journey from inheriting a gym with only 10 members to building a thriving business generating $15,000/month in dues.

Gonz shares the real story behind the turnaround — from the early struggles of keeping the doors open to the strategic decisions that fueled explosive growth, including expanding his space, upgrading equipment, and creating an experience that keeps members coming back.

In this episode: ▶ The reality of taking over a gym with almost no members ▶ Key moves that drove growth from $7K to $15K/month ▶ Why expansion changed everything ▶ Lessons for gym owners who want to scale

Starting a gym can feel impossible until someone breaks down the actual steps.

In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale sits down with Andrew Bono, a 23-year-old entrepreneur preparing to open his first gym, Agon Fitness. Instead of hearing from an owner years after opening, this episode captures the gym startup journey while it is still happening.

Andrew shares how he first connected with Gym Insight after seeing Steven Harvalias of Super Fitness talk about the software, and how those early conversations helped him start mapping out the path from idea to execution.

Anthony and Andrew walk through the startup process step by step, beginning with forming an LLC, getting an EIN, building momentum, preparing financial projections, and understanding why the first move is often the hardest. Andrew explains how creating his LLC took less than 30 minutes once he finally decided to take action.

The conversation also covers commercial lease negotiations and why new gym owners should avoid signing anything without the right guidance. Anthony and Andrew discuss lease terms, CPI increases, HVAC responsibility, location visibility, grocery-store foot traffic, and tenant improvement allowance that can help fund the buildout.

Andrew also shares his evolving approach to equipment, layout, and gym design. He originally wanted the modern all-black aesthetic, but learned that equipment quality, durability, member experience, and long-term value matter more than matching colors. The two discuss used vs. new equipment, turf, power racks, platforms, selectorized machines, and building a gym that appeals to everyday members without losing the serious training edge.

A major part of the episode focuses on SBA loans, financial projections, presales, founding memberships, and grand opening strategy. Anthony explains why starting with zero members creates unnecessary pressure and how presales can give a new gym a running start before opening day.

They also talk through cancellation policies, simple membership options, selling goals instead of prices, the power of giving a proper tour, and why thinking like the customer can help a new gym stand out.

For anyone who has dreamed about opening a gym but does not know where to start, this episode is a practical look at the real process: LLC, loan, lease, buildout, presales, software, and grand opening.

In This Episode:

• Opening a gym at 23
• Forming an LLC and getting an EIN
• Building financial projections
• Applying for an SBA loan
• Negotiating a commercial lease
• Understanding tenant improvement allowance
• Choosing gym equipment
• Designing a practical gym layout
• Creating founding memberships
• Building presale momentum
• Planning grand opening giveaways
• Keeping memberships simple
• Making cancellations customer-friendly
• Selling the tour before showing prices
• Using SBDC and SCORE as startup resources

Follow Andrew’s Journey: Instagram: @agonfitnessgym TikTok: @agon.fitness Facebook: Agon Fitness

Connect with Gym Insight: If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want help managing memberships, billing, access, reporting, and daily operations, visit GymInsight.com or call 855-367-4967.

The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

“Before you sign a lease, the negotiation has already started.”

“Whoever has the most options wins.”

Ken Jorgenson, National Director of CARR, explains why commercial real estate can make or break a gym business. Anthony, Natalia, and Ken break down lease mistakes, buildout timelines, tenant improvements, free rent, CPI increases, renewals, lease vs. buy decisions, and why gym owners should not negotiate commercial space alone.

In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale and Natalia Schulte sit down with Ken Jorgenson, National Director of CARR, for one of the most important conversations any current or future gym owner can hear before signing a commercial lease.

Opening a gym is exciting, but the real estate decision behind that gym can quietly become one of the most expensive parts of the entire business. Ken explains why gym owners need to understand lease terms, landlord representation, tenant improvement allowances, free rent periods, buildout timelines, annual escalations, CPI clauses, assignment language, parking, signage, renewal options, and the hidden costs that can turn a promising gym location into a financial nightmare.

This episode is especially valuable for first-time gym owners, expanding fitness businesses, studio owners, personal training facilities, and anyone trying to decide whether to lease, buy, renew, relocate, or open an additional location.

Ken also explains why simply browsing LoopNet, calling the number on a building, or negotiating directly with a landlord’s agent can put gym owners at a disadvantage before the real negotiation even begins. The conversation covers how professional tenant and buyer representation can help gym owners create leverage, compare multiple properties, understand market data, and negotiate from a stronger position.

CARR specializes in commercial real estate services for healthcare and fitness tenants and buyers, with services that include start-ups, lease renewals, expansions, relocations, purchases, due diligence, and more. CARR’s website also includes articles, FAQs, glossaries, videos, and other resources for business owners trying to better understand commercial real estate.

In this episode

• Why gym owners should not treat commercial real estate like residential real estate
• Why calling the number on a building can weaken your negotiating position
• How landlord agents use early conversations as leverage
• Why LoopNet is not enough when searching for gym space
• What gym owners should negotiate beyond monthly rent
• The difference between buildout time and free rent after opening
• Why tenant improvement allowance can save gym owners serious money
• How permitting delays can wreck an opening timeline
• Why assignment language matters if you ever want to sell your gym
• How CPI increases and annual escalations can quietly raise your rent
• Why lease renewals should start about a year before the lease expires
• When buying real estate makes sense — and when it can hurt the business
• Why location, parking, signage, visibility, and traffic patterns matter
• How data-driven decisions can help gym owners choose smarter locations
• Why CARR focuses on educating tenants and buyers before they sign

Visit CARR.us to connect with CARR and learn more about commercial real estate services for fitness tenants and buyers.

Visit GymInsight.com or call 855-367-4967 to learn how Gym Insight helps independent gym owners manage and grow their business.

Brian Way took a small hardcore gym and turned it into a $130K/month brand by making it authentic, inclusive, and impossible to ignore.

In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale and Natalia Schulte sit down with Iron City Gym's owner for a powerful conversation about gym ownership, culture, branding, leadership, and scaling a fitness business without losing its identity.

Brian shares how he first came into Iron City Gym as a member, became a trainer, built relationships with the previous owners, and eventually took the leap into ownership. Brian admits he was intimidated by the idea of leading a hardcore bodybuilding facility. Instead of trying to become someone else, he leaned into his own strengths: vision, creativity, people, and culture.

Hear how Brian transformed Iron City Gym from a small hardcore gym into a larger, more inclusive fitness brand while still keeping the edgy, authentic atmosphere that made it special. He explains why bodybuilders help create the gym’s credibility and energy, but why a gym also has to serve everyday members if it wants to grow.

Anthony, Natalia, and Brian also discuss the importance of leading by example. Brian talks about cleaning equipment, knowing the business from the ground up, making the space his own, building a team, and creating a culture where members feel seen, valued, and comfortable.

The ep also covers social media, TikTok, influencer content, member-generated videos, personal training revenue, hiring from the member base, team meetings, and why training can be one of the biggest missed revenue opportunities for a gym.

Later, Brian shares how he handles difficult members, uncomfortable behavior, complaints, second chances, and protecting the member experience. He explains how direct conversations can sometimes turn problem members into strong promoters, while still making it clear that safety and respect come first.

The episode wraps with a guided tour of Iron City Gym, including its expanded layout, branding, apparel, smoothie bar plans, posing room, turf area, equipment, and the personal touches that make the facility feel like a true destination.

For gym owners, operators, trainers, and fitness entrepreneurs, this episode is a real-world look at what happens when a gym owner builds with passion, leads from the front, protects the culture, and turns a facility into something people want to belong to.

In This Episode:

• How Brian went from member and trainer to gym owner
• Overcoming fear of owning a hardcore gym
• Scaling Iron City Gym to roughly $130K/month
• Making a hardcore gym feel more inclusive
• Why culture starts with the owner
• Balancing bodybuilders with everyday members
• Why bodybuilders create atmosphere but do not always pay the bills
• Building a gym around authenticity and passion
• Using social media and member content for growth
• Turning members and influencers into organic promoters
• Missed personal training revenue opportunities
• Hiring from the member base
• Building a team that believes in the gym
• Handling difficult members and complaints
• Protecting female member comfort
• Giving second chances without losing control
• Touring Iron City Gym’s layout, equipment, posing room, turf, apparel, and future smoothie bar

Connect with Brian Way and Iron City Gym: YouTube: @IronCityGym

Connect with Gym Insight: If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want help managing memberships, billing, access, reporting, and daily operations, visit GymInsight.com or call 855-367-4967.

The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

The waiver protecting your gym may not work the way you think it does

Dr. JoAnn Eickhoff-Shemek, founder of the Fitness Law Academy and author of Law for Fitness Managers and Exercise Professionals, joins Anthony and Natalia to explain waivers, negligence, liability insurance, trainer agreements, equipment maintenance, emergency-action plans, group fitness safety, incident documentation, and the legal responsibilities every gym owner should understand.

In this special episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony Pasquale and Natalia Schulte sit down with Dr. JoAnn Eickhoff-Shemek — better known as Dr. JES — founder and president of the Fitness Law Academy and author of Law for Fitness Managers and Exercise Professionals.

With nearly 50 years in the fitness profession, Dr. JES has dedicated much of her career to helping fitness managers and exercise professionals understand legal liability, risk management, and safety.

The conversation begins with one of the most misunderstood areas of gym ownership: waivers. Dr. JES explains why waiver law varies by state, why some states may not enforce fitness waivers, and why every waiver should be prepared or reviewed by a qualified attorney in the facility’s jurisdiction.

She also explains the difference between ordinary negligence and gross negligence, the role of express assumption-of-risk documents, and why beginners need proper instruction before they can fully understand and assume the risks of an activity.

Using real fitness-industry cases, Dr. JES shows how preventable mistakes can lead to serious injuries and lawsuits. These examples include inappropriate exercise programming for a client with osteoporosis, facilities with ineffective emergency-action plans, and AEDs that were present but not operational.

The episode also covers liability insurance and the importance of reviewing exclusions carefully. Gym owners should confirm that every program, service, facility feature, and new activity is covered. Dr. JES recommends that trainers and instructors carry professional liability insurance and explains why management should require — and ideally provide — that coverage.

Anthony, Natalia, and Dr. JES also discuss independent contractors, trainer-rental agreements, worker classification, equipment maintenance, written contracts, and why undocumented maintenance may be treated as maintenance that never happened.

Later, the conversation turns to group fitness, beginner-level instruction, lesson plans, class evaluations, incident documentation, unsafe member behavior, and membership revocation. Dr. JES emphasizes that risk management is not one document or one policy — it is an ongoing safety culture supported by trained staff, clear procedures, legal counsel, insurance advisors, medical advisors, and consistent documentation.

Connect with Dr. JES and the Fitness Law Academy: Website: https://www.fitnesslawacademy.com Instagram: @fitnesslawacademy Textbook: https://www.fitnesslawacademy.com/textbook

Legal Disclaimer: This episode is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction. Consult a qualified attorney in your state regarding your facility, contracts, waivers, policies, insurance, and legal responsibilities.

Connect with Gym Insight: Visit GymInsight.com or call 855-367-4967.

The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

When Planet Fitness moved into his small town, Justin Green had a choice: panic, compete on price, or double down on what made his gym different.

Justin Green, owner of The Source Fitness Center, joins The Gym Owner’s Podcast to share how he went from college athlete to gym owner, built a serious training facility in a small town, survived Planet Fitness moving into his market, restructured during COVID, and created a gym experience built on layout, equipment, community, ownership, and word-of-mouth.

Justin talks gym ownership started after his college football career ended. After years of training and competing, he needed a new outlet and eventually started with a small 900-square-foot basement gym where friends could train with keypad access. That early setup eventually grew into The Source Fitness Center.

Anthony, Natalia, and Justin discuss what separates The Source Fitness Center from big-box competitors. Justin explains that his gym is built for people who are serious about training — members who want to work out, be around other focused people, and train in a facility designed for progress instead of social hour.

This episode focuses on what happened when Planet Fitness moved into Justin’s small-town market. Justin talks about the emotional impact, how his gym dug in, why COVID unexpectedly gave him the chance to rethink the business, and how he redesigned the entire facility around better flow, better equipment, and a clearer identity.

Justin also shares how word-of-mouth became one of his strongest marketing channels after COVID. Instead of trying to compete on price, he leaned into what made his gym different: serious equipment, an intentional layout, a cleaner member experience, and a stronger sense of community.

The convo also covers small-town gym ownership, member relationships, building trust, keeping the gym clean and updated, adding family-focused services, learning from mistakes, and understanding what actually sells a gym membership.

Later in the episode, Justin talks through the member experience, from the entrance and locker rooms to turf space, cardio, machines, free weights, squat racks, specialty equipment, and photo-friendly branding opportunities inside the gym.

Anthony and Justin also discuss customer service, finding reliable employees, the value of owning your building, simplifying membership options, whether new gym owners should buy used equipment, and the challenges of managing personal trainers inside a gym.

For independent gym owners, small-town operators, and anyone trying to compete against low-cost chains, this episode is packed with practical lessons from an owner who has been through it, adjusted, and kept building.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - From Basement Gym to Serious Fitness Center

Justin Green shares how college football led him into fitness, how he started with a small basement gym, what makes The Source Fitness Center different, and how he survived Planet Fitness moving into his market.

00:13:01 - Small-Town Growth, Layout + Member Experience

Justin breaks down what it takes to succeed in a small town, how he built a strong community, why gym flow and equipment matter, and gives Anthony and Natalia a walkthrough of The Source Fitness Center.

00:30:53 - Ownership Lessons, Staff, Building + Trainers

Anthony, Natalia, and Justin discuss customer service, finding good employees, owning vs. leasing, simplifying memberships, buying used equipment, personal training challenges, trainer rent, and future expansion.

Connect with Gym Insight: If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want help managing memberships, billing, access, reporting, and daily operations, visit GymInsight.com or call 855-367-4967.

The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.

Natalia started with Pilates at 19. Now she’s helping gym owners build stronger businesses with Gym Insight.

In this episode of The Gym Owner’s Podcast, Anthony introduces Natalia Schulte, a new member of the Gym Insight team and a fresh voice on the podcast.

Natalia shares how she got started in the fitness industry through Pilates at age 19 and how that early experience shaped both her body and her career. From working in Pilates studios to earning her NASM personal training certification, Natalia explains why fitness became more than just a job — it became a foundation for helping others take care of their bodies.

Anthony and Natalia discuss the importance of core strength, how Pilates helped Natalia recover through pregnancies, surgeries, and car accidents, and why she believes in teaching from personal experience before coaching others.

Natalia also talks about working in different fitness environments, including Lifetime, CrossFit, Pilates studios, and a brief role connected to bariatric care. She explains how her experience inside gyms and studios gave her a deeper understanding of what fitness business owners deal with every day.

The episode then shifts into Natalia’s move to the other side of the industry: helping gym owners through Gym Insight. She shares how working with gym owners allows her to support the people who are supporting their communities, and why simple, helpful software matters so much when owners are trying to run their business without unnecessary frustration.

Anthony and Natalia also talk about grand openings, helping new gym owners, customer success moments, and why having both East Coast and West Coast perspectives will bring more value to future episodes of The Gym Owner’s Podcast.

For gym owners, studio owners, personal trainers, and fitness professionals, this episode is a quick introduction to Natalia’s background, her passion for the fitness industry, and the perspective she brings to the Gym Insight team.

In This Episode

• Natalia’s introduction to The Gym Owner’s Podcast
• How she got started with Pilates at 19
• Why Pilates became her first love in fitness
• How core strength helped her through pregnancies and recovery
• Why she pursued NASM personal training certification
• Her experience working at Lifetime, CrossFit, Pilates studios, and more
• Why believing in fitness makes selling training easier
• What moved Natalia from direct member support to helping gym owners
• Why complicated fitness software creates unnecessary stress
• How Gym Insight helps simplify gym operations
• Why partnering with gym owners helps support entire communities
• What Natalia enjoys most about joining the Gym Insight team
• Why grand openings are exciting for Gym Insight customers
• Natalia’s first “moment of magic” helping a Gym Insight customer
• How Natalia will bring a new perspective to future TGOP episodes

If your gym signs up 100 members but loses 80, you are not growing — you are leaking.

Chris from Rosamond Health & Fitness joins The Gym Owner’s Podcast to break down real-world member retention strategies for gym owners, including seasonal promotions, social media, rate increases, cleanliness, onboarding, cancellation saves, and lower-usage membership options.

Visit GymInsight.com to learn more about gym management software built for independent gym owners.

Connect with Chris and Rosamond Health & Fitness:

Visit RosamondHealthandFitness.com to learn more about Chris Giumarra and Rosamond Health & Fitness in Rosamond, California. You can also follow Rosamond Health & Fitness on Instagram at @rosamondhealthandfitness and on Facebook at Rosamond Health and Fitness.

For Chris’ personal coaching content, follow @chris_g_coaching or visit ChrisGCoaching.com.

Connect with Gym Insight:

If you own a gym, studio, or fitness facility and want to learn how Gym Insight can help you manage memberships, billing, access, reporting, and member retention, visit GymInsight.com or call 855-367-4967.

The Gym Owner’s Podcast is powered by Gym Insight.