Darren drove up gross revenue by an average of 42.5 percent every year from 2020 to 2023, and as of 2024, he was on track to increase gross by another 20 percent.
Darren ran a great gym when he opened Defy in 2018.
He had a great location, premium gear and good systems, and he was getting results for clients.
He just couldn’t find more people to help.
He tried two mentorship programs that didn’t work, and he found Two-Brain when he was researching Facebook marketing in March 2019. In April, he used a mentor’s help to drive up gross revenue 2.5X.
The impressive revenue growth has continued: 40 percent growth in 2020, 9 percent in 2021, 77 percent in 2022 and 44 percent in 2023—his first million-dollar year. He’ll close out 2024 with 15-20 percent growth.
No longer “the guy who does everything,” Darren, a retired British Royal Marines Commando, now employs five full-time coaches, a GM and a client success manager. His systems are dialed in, and he’s a regular on Two-Brain’s leaderboards for key performance indicators including average revenue per member and net owner benefit.
A world-class business offers Darren a chance to help other gym owners.
“I wanted to become a mentor because, like many people who start a gym business, I was a coach who needed to make more money.
“When I started my gym, I was missing some tools that I needed to be successful. Mentorship directed me to the right places to acquire the tools that I was missing, and I want to be able to help others do the same by sharing my experiences. I want to help people build amazing businesses that allow them to live great lives.”
Darren’s special skill as a mentor is helping owners create solid business systems, and he’s also A+ when it comes to helping an owner provide full-time careers for professional coaches.
He has three children, an amazing wife and two dogs, and the entire crew spends lots of time outdoors camping, hiking and hunting. Darren is into Ironman triathlons, mountain biking and adventure races—“If it sucks, I’m in!” He also leads GORUCK events as part of the cadre.