Categoriesbusiness

3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Open A Gym

A few weeks ago I asked for a little insight on what you, my loyal readers, would like to see me write more about.

Oddly, “How adorable your cat is” didn’t make the cut.

What was a popular answer, almost resoundingly so, was for me to go into a little more detail on the business side of the fitness industry. Specifically, gym ownership. Even more specifically, to reflect and pontificate on what that means to me, and to offer any sage advice to those considering traveling down that path.

Read on…

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3 Questions To Ask Before You Do Something Stupid Open a Gym

1. What The Fuck Are You Doing?

Are you sure you want to do this?

I’ve come to realize there’s one of two tangibles that serve as the impetus for someone wanting to open their own gym:

  1. They’re passionate about fitness.
  2. They want to stick it to the man.

To Point #1 (passion).

I’m passionate about a lot of things too: Health, fitness, & helping people (obviously), techno, cheese, and movies.1

You have to be careful with passion.

It makes us do dumb things and make irrational decisions.

This is why I’ve yet to open up Tony’s Techno Palace of Gruyere and Sick Hip-Hop Beats.

Following one’s passion, while commendable, can be a tricky situation. Before you know it you’ve opened up a 10,000 sq. ft facility with all the bells and whistles, yet have zero idea on where or how you’re going to get clients.

Rent’s still due at the end of the month by the way.

More to the point, and this is something I’ve hit on before, I think there’s this idea (or even stigma) that the only way you can become relevant or give off the guise that you’ve “made it” in this industry is to own a gym.

Many trainers/coaches put this unnecessary pressure on him or herself to be a gym owner despite 1) not really having the desire (not to mention career capital, experience, or skill-set) to do so and/or 2) because it seems like the natural career progression to take.

NEWSLFLASH: You don’t have to do shit.2

You don’t have to be a gym owner to be successful in this industry. There are innumerable fitness professionals out there who work in commercial, boutique, box, or studio gyms who do very well for themselves.

As far as “progressing” one’s career (which, let’s be honest, means: “how can I make more money?”) I’d suggest the more pertinent question people should ask isn’t so much “Hey, should I open a gym?”

…but rather…

“Hey, what can I do to incur additional revenue streams so that I don’t have to be coaching on a gym floor 40-50 hours per week?“

That’s a deeper discussion for another time (especially when we consider how COVID-19 affected everything within the health/fitness industry), but suffice it to say this is where things like online coaching, writing, consulting, producing educational products, affiliate marketing, private coaching groups, and public speaking come into the picture.

Not ironically, all of the above are typically only fruitful when someone has spent years working in a commercial gym setting and harvesting much-needed experience.

To Point #2 (sticking it to the man)

This is also called the “my boss sucks so I’m going to open up a gym” argument.

I get it, I really do.

I spent the first five years of my career working in various corporate and commercial gyms and I’d be lying if I said I never got frustrated.

  • Why do I have to work so many floor hours?
  • Why are they taking a larger percentage of my sessions?
  • How come they won’t let me train people with my shirt off?
  • (tosses chair through a window) THIS PLACE IS A PRISON!

Stop being a child.

Read THIS post by Pete Dupuis.

2. How Are You Going to Open a Gym?

Is this a self-funded endeavor? Partners? Investors? You found a magic lamp?

When we opened up Cressey Sports Performance back in 2007, Eric Cressey, Pete Dupuis, and myself did things the old fashioned way: we cut each other’s hands with a razor blade and shook on it.

Okay, not really.

But we did sit down and discuss what each of our respective roles were going to be and also made it clear who owned what percentage of what.

We were a little different than most gym start-ups in that Eric more or less funded the entire thing out of his own pocket and we already had a set client roster primed and ready to go between the two of us.

Not many gym owners have that luxury.

NOTE: We were able to do that because 1) Eric had been saving money since he was seven months old and 2) We made it a point to START SMALL with a very bare-bones approach.

The initial CSP was 2200 sq. feet located in the corner of an indoor batting facility.

And while we had several people offer to invest at the start, as a group we wanted to avoid that at all costs.

We didn’t want to be held accountable to anyone else but ourselves. Too, we just wanted to avoid weird situations.

With investors you run the risk of too many demands/opinions being thrown into the pot – “When will we start hitting “x” numbers?” or “Why don’t we buy this $5000 leg press?” or “What do ya’ll think of adding in BOSU ball Light Saber battles as part of the warm-up?”

We wanted our gym to be ours.

The rule of thumb is this: If you don’t have a minimum of 6-months of operating costs set aside – to cover rent, utilities, insurance, any CAM fees, etc – than you shouldn’t consider opening a gym.

But if you do, do yourself a huge favor and email Pat Rigsby.

Which serves as a nice segue to…..

3. Is What I Did An Option?

To speak candidly, I never wanted to own a gym. Sure, I was (and still am) considered a co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, but I’ll be the first to admit I wanted nothing to do with the business side of the equation.

All I wanted to do was show-up, coach my tail off, and do my best to serve as an ambassador to the brand.

I let Pete and Eric worry about the TPS reports.

When I decided to leave CSP in the Fall of 2015 it wasn’t to open my own place.

An opportunity arose where I could sub-lease at a location that was really close to my apartment.

In short, I paid an hourly rent in order to have “access” to a space to train clients. It was a perfect fit for me. There was no overhead on my end and since I already had a bunch of people lined up and ready to train with me in Boston the risk was pretty low.

(Also, the 1-mile commute as opposed to a 45 minute drive both ways didn’t suck).

Fast forward several months and the person whom I was sub-leasing under informed me she wasn’t renewing her lease and asked if I’d be interested in taking it over?

After unclenching my sphincter I put pen to paper and crunched the numbers. I came to the conclusion that if I had even one person sub-leasing under me paying me rent, that it would be a cheaper alternative on a month-to-month basis compared to what I had been doing.

I was in.

CORE was born.

Part of what helped settle my fears was that I knew what I didn’t want CORE to be. I had zero aspirations (and I still don’t) of building anything close to the pedigree of Cressey Sports Performance.

To be honest, I don’t think I have it in me – either in skill-set, acumen, or talent.

All I want (and need) is a small space to coach clients ~20 hours per week. This still allows me the ability to write, travel (when it’s allowed), and spend time with my family.

Sub-leasing is a great fit for me and I believe it’s an option more and more gym owners are considering, particularly in a COVID world.

I currently have three coaches sub-leasing under me at CORE. They’re not employees and I am not in charge of their schedule nor setting their price points.

All I do is provide a well-equipped, clean space that they can utilize and build their own businesses.

And (hopefully) thrive.

It’s a small space – 550 sq. feet – so only one coach can utilize the space at a given time. There’s a shared calendar and if someone blocks off the time, the studio is their’s to use. I’ve been using this system for just over five years and it’s worked splendidly.

If you’re someone who’s more hands-on and prefers the challenge of building a business, it’s likely not going to be a satisfying approach. However, if you’re someone like me and want something a little more low-key and are also looking for ways to offset your overhead, this option may be a home-run.

HOWEVER: As it happens I am now looking to scale the business into a larger footprint and turn CORE into CORE Collective…

…an all-in-one health/wellness location that not only provides top-notch personal training where a team of coaches can share and utilize the space, but also physical therapy, massage, nutrition counseling, and psychotherapy to boot.

Who knows, maybe I’ll also host Laser Tag tournaments on the weekends.

Which brings me to Point #1 above.

What the fuck am I doing?…..haha.

That’s That

I hope this was helpful?

Categoriesbusiness

What Social Media Isn’t Telling You About Owning a Gym

Long before I owned CORE, and even now, as a current gym owner, I’ve championed the message that gym ownership is not for everyone, and more to the point that it should not be perceived as the holy grail of the fitness industry.

There’s a running theme – which is nauseatingly prevalent on social media – that owning a gym provides some sort of pinnacle, “I’ve made it!” mentality, and that once it happens it’s nothing but rainbows and kitten kisses for everyone.

Sure, the fairy tale ending can happen.

However the reality is, for many….being a gym owner is fucking brutal.

My friend and colleague, Mike Connelly, who’s a recent former gym owner, took the time to write this beautifully honest guest post today on the trials and tribulations (and general dumpsterfireness) of owning a gym.

Cue slow clap.

Copyright: gekaskr / 123RF Stock Photo

What Social Media Isn’t Telling You About Owning a Gym

“I’m so sorry to hear about that.  Must be tough, man.”

I’ve heard that line from a lot of people in the past two months. The reason I’m hearing that so much is because after six years I am moving on from owning my business, Rebell Strength and Conditioning, and all I can think about when it comes up is how happy I am about the situation.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you it all went as I planned and that I’m coming out of this footloose and fancy free.

That’s not the case.

But, since being out of the operation of my business for the last two months, my life has changed and only in positive ways. I’m averaging just about twelve more hours of sleep a week, I’ve lost thirty pounds, my mental health is back to being stable (as stable as it will get anyways), and, most importantly, I feel like myself again.

When you own and run a business, it’s easy to get so caught up in things that you don’t even realize what is happening to yourself.  You think about bills, timelines, clients, marketing, bills, social media posts, blogs, bills, complaints, finding new clients, keeping current clients, bills, programming, systems, bills, platforms that run your business, networking, bills, finding good employees, keeping good employees, how to manage your revenue, and finally…. bills.

It’s a lot.

It’s nauseating at times. To feel stress at a molecular level (Paul Lyngso hit that description on the head) all the time becomes your new normal.

And it sucks.

But you keep going because you’re “living the dream.”

A mentor of mine once described entrepreneurship to me like this:

“There you are, riding the bull that is business, through town. People are cheering for you and admiring your courage to go out and do it on your own. You are revered and respected at the mere mention that you own a small business. Yet, through all the accolades all you can think about is, “how the fuck do I get off this bull?!”

I know that’s not the case for all business owners.

There are some out there that are owning it through and through. These people are running a business and not just getting paid for their hobby. It took me a long time to realize and then admit it, but I never broke through to that level of ownership.

I never owned my business.

My business owned me.

I could go on vacation whenever I wanted, but I always had to add the cost of people covering my work to the price tag. I didn’t have a boss, but a long client list that could, at times, be much worse than a boss.

I had the opportunity to take as much free time as I wanted, but it always came with the sacrifice of progress. When all that became too much, the progress suffered, and once that ship sails, it’s hard to get it back to shore.

As coaches, we should teach our clients to own movement, not just survive it. Well, for a long time I was merely surviving being a business owner. And that, my friends, is not a path to success or happiness.

I’m not writing this to shit all over your dreams of being a business owner.

Nope, far from it.

Nor am I here to make excuses.

I fucked this whole thing up.

I always had good intentions, but that and a nickel will get you a jaw breaker from a vending machine at your local arcade. I wanted to share this with you because the coach in me wants you to move forward with caution. I want you to realize that before you get on that bull, you better have those ducks in line and know that the glory and freedom that often get put on owning a business rarely become a reality.

I want to share this cautionary tale, because chasing down the dream of business ownership seems to be trending in our industry, and I don’t hear too many people talking about why it might be a bad idea.

I’m not the smartest guy around, but I’m not the dumbest either. I’m intuitive and have a wicked creative side. I’m strong willed and will fight to the death at the drop of a hat.

I’m a Marine.

I once did 177 get ups in one hour with a 24Kg bell for a fundraiser and then drank whiskey and danced the night away at a wedding. I can get shit done – when I want to – and that’s the thing about being a business owner that caught up to me.

The accounting, the marketing, the interviewing, the blah, blah, blah side of business that I didn’t like finally became not as fun anymore, so I just let off the gas and coasted.

That’s how you lose $4,000 in revenue in a month, and that’s the thing about losing business, it always goes much, much quicker than it comes.

It wasn’t over a bad customer experience either. In six years I can count those on one hand.

It’s because people move, lose jobs, get in relationships, and any other reason that has nothing to do with you.

There is no amount of success that can protect you from that and for that reason, you can never let up. Never.

Well, I did.

I knew what I had to do, and I just didn’t want to anymore. It didn’t make me happy like it used to. I know, I know, you’re supposed to delegate and hire out for all those items that you suck at, and that brings me to my next shortcoming.

I suck with money.

via GIPHY

I mean, I’m good at spending it without thinking, but I really suck at doing the right thing with it.

If you don’t want your business to own you, you better have a fucking stellar plan for every dollar that comes in the door.  It seems to me that every successful business has a numbers guy somewhere in the mix.

That’s no coincidence.

Then there’s me, just throwing money at things that won’t do me any good in six months, let alone a year.

I paid my staff too much; I charged too little for my product; I wasn’t patient with purchases, and I got into a lease that put me in a position where I was fighting uphill from day one.

I never gave myself a chance, but I never saw it because I always thought that if I treat people better than they would ever expect, then that would motivate them to produce. I thought that if I was aggressive with purchases and leases that it would pay off overall.

I’m not saying that employees shouldn’t be paid well and that aggressive moves don’t pay off. I’m just saying that you should have a plan for everything, and it better make sense to someone that knows numbers.

Have a numbers person!

In the end, that will make or break your business no matter how good your product is.

There are plenty of shitty gyms out there making a large profit because they have their numbers on lockdown. There are also a lot, and I mean a lot, of unbelievable coaches getting their asses kicked because they are not equally as good of a numbers person.

I’ve learned from the many, many mistakes that I’ve made over the years.  I know that I will continue to learn as I sort through and process all of this.

For that, I am grateful.

Any time we can learn from our mistakes it was worth it.

The only thing I’m ashamed of is that I allowed myself to think that my identity and character were defined by a title that I slapped on myself but was never really cut out to live up to.

That kills me a little bit when I think about it.

I let it stress me out and change who I am. It stressed all my relationships and probably none more than the one that I have with my family. My hope is that maybe one or two business owners out there who are feeling alone and completely fucked mentally read this, and it lets them take a breath and realize that they are not bad people or coaches because they are having a hard time with their business.

It’s easy to feel like a failure in that position, but the reality is that you had the guts to take a shot and that’s great. If you’re the type that just cannot go back to working for someone, then I hope this pushes you to get the help you need to right the ship.

But if you’re like me and can be perfectly happy and have a lot to contribute in another arena then I hope this gives you the guts to do the right thing for yourself and the people that you love.

About the Author

Mike Connelly: Former Owner of Rebell Strength and Conditioning for 6 years, current Fitness Director for Fitness Formula Clubs at their Oak Park, Il. location and co-owner/coach at Strength Faction.

Serves as a consultant to the Chicago Blackhawks organization for off-season camps for the past three years.

Categoriesbusiness

Business Advice For Trainers From Trainers

When I first started in this industry my business competence was pretty low. If you asked me what the term “overhead” was or what it meant to itemize business expenses I would have been like “say what again?”

I’m still not someone I’d consider to have a lot of business pedigree, but I think I’ve done pretty well for myself.

My friend Shane McLean went around and asked a bunch of coaches – including myself – some standard fitness business and gym ownership questions that I hope will resonate with people.

Enjoy.

Copyright: ruigsantos / 123RF Stock Photo

Business Advice For Trainer From Trainers

Personal trainers get into the fitness industry because they’ve got a huge passion for exercise and for changing people’s lives. However, some have no idea about the business side of coaching, particularly those who are new to the industry.

Newbie (and experienced trainers) work crazy hours to please clients which makes having any sort of social life outside of work very difficult. Trainers then start to realize there’s more to this coaching gig than meets the eye because:

  1. You’re trading a lot time for little money.
  2. It’s real hard yakka.3

Furthermore, exercise is big business nowadays. According to the website Statista, the US spent 25.8 billion dollars in 2015 on all things health and fitness. (1) That’s a fair chunk of change that has some trainers saying…….

The same hard work that goes into becoming proficient at coaching needs to be applied to the business side also.

But how do you get started?

Don’t worry this Aussie has your back.

I asked some prominent people in this industry – David Crump, Eric Bach, Johnny Tea, Chris Diamantakos, and some cat-obsessed nerd named Tony Gentilcore – a couple of hard hitting questions that will provide you with actionable takeaways on the business side of coaching.

Read on and learn things.

David Crump – Entrepreneur and Coach at DaveCrump.com 

1. At what point in your career did you realize that you needed to know more about the business side of coaching and how did you go about it?

Fortunately, I started my training career in a big box gym and moved into management relatively quickly. This gave me the opportunity to learn more about sales and the business side of fitness early on.

I did, however, realize that this gave me a leg up on many of my contemporaries as soon as I wanted to branch out on my own.

Despite my early advantage, I was still aware that if I wanted to stay ahead, that I would have to continue learning more and I found the most benefit from reading content from some of the big names in the industry as well as reading a lot of books from thought leaders in other industries.

2. What were your go to people/resources that helped you expand your business knowledge?

I can’t overemphasize the importance of having great mentors in this area. Some of the people that I have learned from directly or indirectly include Mark Fisher, Alwyn Cosgrove, Jon Goodman, Thomas Plummer and others.

It should also be mentioned that the experience of making mistakes and learning from them is paramount. Getting to make mistakes on someone else’s dime (at a big box gym) was a very valuable experience.

3. What advice would you give a coach looking to open a gym?

I would tell them to get VERY clear on what they want long-term. Many coaches and trainers think that opening a facility is the most logical next step, but that is not accurate.

Being a great gym owner means being a coach takes a back seat and increasing your level of responsibility exponentially. You have to be prepared to make your gym your number 1 priority for at least the next 5 years.

I think there are a ton of coaches that would be much happier simply renting space someone and having full freedom and control of their schedule and life.

If, on the other hand, someone knows that it is what they really want then I would tell them to start small. That means your first place shouldn’t be your 6000-square foot dream facility with every piece of equipment under the sun.

Instead, starting a modest gym and building it organically will put you in a better financial position to work the kinks out over the first couple years and eventually grow into a larger facility without being up to your eyeballs in debt.

4. The best book you’ve read about business and why?

I can’t narrow it down to 1, but I think there are 3-4 that really helped define my beliefs about business:

  • How To Win Friends And Influence People – Businesses are built on dealing with people and this book really delivers great tips on how to have better interactions and make people enjoy working with you.
  • The E-Myth Revisited – The classic business book that helps newbies learn how to move from being a “technician” to a “manager” of business owner through the use of systems in simple terms.
  • Start With Why – The most successful businesses in the world understand what they stand for and why they exist. This book helps a business owner really crystalize what makes their business unique and how to help customers understand its purpose.
  • Delivering Happiness – Written by the founder of Zappos, this is the best book on business culture, values, and customer service I have ever read.

Eric Bach, CSCS, PN1 and owner of Bach Performance.

1. At what point in your career did you realize that you needed to know more about the business side of coaching and how did you go about it?

My first training job at a big box gym gave me a first class look at the limitations of the personal training industry. Frequent policy changes, ownership transitions, and inconsistent sales goals led to a ton of stress on my business early on.

After I built a full book of business and deep relationships with clients’ ownership cut trainer-take-home pay by 30% to follow a “group training system”. At this point I was left with the decision: let my business be gutted and play the game or rewrite the rules on my own terms.

I decided to rewrite the rules, seek out mentors who had built a business I wanted to replicate and invest heavily in myself by paying for their services.

2. What were your go to people/resources that helped you expand your business knowledge?

Early on I followed the typical path: reading sporadic articles on the internet. I read everything I could on training from coaches like Dave Tate, Jason Ferruggia, John Berardi, Tony Gentilcore, John Romaniello, Jon Goodman, Nate Green, Christian Thibaudeau, and Eric Cressey.

When it came to business I dug into work by Ryan Holiday, Dale Carnegie, Chip and Dan Heath, Seth Godin, and Tim Ferriss.

Not long thereafter Jon Goodman introduced his Viralnomics coaching group to personal trainers looking to build their online business.

He was my first business mentor and pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and start treating my business like, well…a business and not a hobby.

3. What advice would you give a coach looking to open a gym?

Think long and hard whether you’re ready to run a business. Today everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and a business owner, yet no-one ever tells you not everyone is meant to run a business.

There will be long days, short nights, lots of coffee, and a constant battle to improve. While some folks are built for this challenge others simply aren’t.

Make sure you’re truly willing to make the sacrifices needed to create something great from the ground up before exploring leases, equipment deals, and opening a brick and mortar facility.

4. The best book you’ve read about business and why?

The One Thing by Gary Keller – In an age where information travels faster than ever and there’s an endless supply of “tips, tricks, and hacks” it’s far too easy to get bogged down in the minutes.

Trainers looking to build their online business fall into the same trap many of our personal training clients do: getting stuck in a cycle of information overload and inaction.

The One Thing reinforces getting clear on your number one priority for the day, week, month, and year and makes taking action on accomplishing this task the most important focus.

Johnny Tea Strength Coach, Manual Therapist

1. At what point in your career did you realize that you needed to know more about the business side of coaching and how did you go about it?

As soon as I decided to go out on my own and become self-employed in 2008, I realized I needed to learn a ton more about the business side. As new trainers, we tend to start off by thinking to ourselves, “Oh, I don’t care about the money part. I just want to train people and the money will eventually come.”

As we all know, there’s a lot more to it than just winging it and seeing where it goes in business. I’ve always loved the quote “Plan your work and work your plan”. Write down your goals (both short term and long term), and continue chipping away.

I reached out to other fellow colleagues/friends, read books, attended workshops, and picked the brains of some of my clients with a business background, and even brainstormed ideas with a trusted friend (in this case my wife).

With all this information I gathered, I applied the ideas that made sense for my business and made adjustments if needed.

2. What were your go to people/resources that helped you expand your business knowledge?

I specifically reached out to people that I respected in our industry who had a ton of success. Eric Cressey, Pete Dupuis, Chad Landers, Mark Fisher, Tony Gentilcore, John Rusin, Dean Somerset, Eric Bach, Jordan Syatt, John Goodman, John Romaniello, and David Dellanave are just a few names that come to mind, but this list is honestly endless.

Important side note: make sure you go about reaching out to people the right way. Meet with them at workshops/seminars or offer to pay them for their input and time.

Genuinely try to develop a relationship with the person before seeking advice.

No one likes creepy needy people seeking free advice.

3. What advice would you give a coach looking to open a gym?

I would say first ask yourself: why do you want to open a gym? I don’t mean that in a negative way but it’s a valid question. Here are some important questions to consider:

  • Do you want to open a gym because you just want a big fancy building with your name on it?
  • Do you have enough clients to support a gym and what’s your strategy to attract new clients?
  • Have you considered the amount of money it would cost to get started? (Oh, and don’t forget about the hidden fees too).
  • Do you have the capital to cover you for at least 6 months, just in case your business doesn’t start booming like you expected?

A lot of people want to go big and open a gigantic facility like Cressey Sports Performance (awesome facility and people by the way), but are probably better off starting small.

I would recommend possibly considering training facilities/studios that allow you to rent out space. This will give you time to build up your clientele while keeping your overhead cost low.

4. The best book you’ve read about business and why?

This is a tough one because there’s so many good books. I really enjoyed “Ignite the Fire” and “Viralnomics” by Jon Goodman because they were written specifically for people in the fitness industry, and gave actionable steps on how to become successful.

Chris Diamantakos NSCA-CPT

1. At what point in your career did you realize that you needed to know more about the business side of coaching and how did you go about it?

When I decided to leave the gym, I was looking to start my own PT business. I realized I knew nothing about business and marketing. I had a small-time frame of six weeks to learn as much as I could and actually apply it.

I picked the brains of a few gym owners and successful freelance trainers I knew and had been directed to a couple fitness business coaches who could help.

2. What were your go to people/resources that helped you expand your business knowledge?

I ended up following Jonathan Goodman and theptdc.com. If you’re wondering why, it’s because Jon personally took the time to answer my questions and he seemed to truly care about improving the fitness industry by helping trainers and gym owners with business.

3. What advice would you give a coach looking to open a gym?

Spend a shit load of time figuring out the niche you want to service and become a true expert in that field.

Realize how you can help these people the most, and continue to work hard at being great. One quote that’s stuck with me from Jon since day 1 is:

“1. Do a really good job 2. Make sure everyone knows about it.“

4. The best book you’ve read about business and why?

There are obviously tons of great business resources out there but the one that’s helped me the most directly is “Ignite the Fire.” It’s specific to personal trainers and up to date in terms of marketing techniques.

Tony Gentilcore, You’re Reading His Site Right Now*

* You’re really smart

1. At what point in your career did you realize that you needed to know more about the business side of coaching and how did you go about it?

Not soon enough to be honest.

There’s still a huge part of me that feels I’m behind the curve when it comes to business acuity and savvy.

Then I think to myself, “Huh, I’m making a profit, I’m still getting a nice stream of new clients, and my landlord hasn’t given me an eviction notice yet…I’ve got to be doing something right!?”

To answer the question, though, it wasn’t soon after meeting (and then living with) Eric Cressey that I soon learned the err of my ways. It’s hard to be around a guy like that and not absorb his work ethic and be a little more in-tune with going the extra mile to get better.

If I had to be exact, I’d say the week Eric, myself, and Pete Dupuis decided to put our balls out there and open up Cressey Sports Performance – July 2007 – was when I finally diving head first into more business-related content.4

Alwyn Cosgrove was a major influence on us when we opened up CSP, and from there all I did was following the scent of other successful trainers/coaches – Mike Boyle, Joe Dowdell, Dan John, John Berardi, to name a few – and try to emulate what they read or did.

2. What were your go to people/resources that helped you expand your business knowledge?

Giving credit where it’s due, I feel I was able to live in this unique “learning business bubble” by being in the proximity of Eric and Pete for eight years (I left Cressey Sports Performance in the Fall of 2015).

When I decided to leave I was so scared and nervous.

I thought for sure I’d fail.

Low and behold I was quite surprised to realize I didn’t suck at business as much as I thought I would.

In fact, I took solace in something I used to hear Pete always say:

“99% of operating a profitable and efficient fitness facility is application of common sense.“

That sentence alone helped mute a lot of my self-doubt and negative self-talk about business.

I mean, in a sense, business can be dwindled down to one simple act:

Don’t spend more than you collect.

Does your facility really need that expensive leg press machine or life-size early 90’s Mariah Carey statue?

3. What advice would you give a coach looking to open a gym?

The holy grail in this industry is NOT owning a gym.

There’s a connotation that you’re only successful in this industry if you own a gym.

That’s bullshit. And if anyone wants to read more of my thoughts on that I’d encourage them to check THIS out.

I could sit here and wax poetic on all the reasons why someone would and would not want to open their own gym.

I’ll just say this: I think every trainer should work in a commercial setting for 2-5 years before the words “gym ownership” are uttered. It’s times used to learn the craft, to get really good, and to understand how to develop relationships with people from all walks of life.

4. The best book you’ve read about business and why?

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, hands down.

No one book has helped shape my approach to running my business than this book.

About the Author

 Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.