“You have about one-tenth of a second before you’re discarded.”
Yikes.
Author Mike Michalowicz said that to Two-Brain CEO John Franklin on our podcast, “Run a Profitable Gym.”
Mike—author of “The Pumpkin Plan” and the headline speaker at the 2026 Two-Brain Summit—was talking about marketing.
You know he’s right because you scroll on social media. Every reel you see gets a fraction of a second of your time—unless it does something that compels you to watch.
To reach the people you want to connect with—prospective clients—you’ll need to figure out what that thing is, and Mike can help at the Two-Brain Summit in June.
You can watch the full interview below, and I’ll pull out some of Mike’s best gems for you here. This is sticky-note-on-the-office-wall stuff.
Use the DAD Framework
Differentiate—”It’s doing something that opens up that gateway to attention.”
Attract—Make people ask, “’Is this something that we want to pay attention to because we see potential value in gain for us?’ So you have to do something that is compelling.”
Direct—“Once they understand that you exist because you differentiated, they see that you have something that may compel them. Tell them specifically and explicitly what to do. … But it needs to be a bite-sized piece.”
Steal Hooks From Other Industries
Mike says: “Whatever someone’s doing successfully in another industry, take their idea and be the first to bring it into your gym.”
His example: He worked with John Briggs, author of “Profit First for Microgyms,” to replace the before-and-after pics in his gym’s window with funhouse mirrors.
“The sign then said, ‘We just transformed you in mirrors. Let’s do it in real life. Walk inside!’ And what happened to the foot traffic? I think it quadrupled. And the reason it quadrupled is not because they offered any new service. The marketing was radically different.”
Be Unexpected (but Faithful)
Brains open fast in response to three things: threats (snake in the grass?), opportunities (my pain is reduced?) and the unexpected (what the hell?).
Mike says: “Do what no one else has done.”
His qualifier: “Different works, but ‘weird different’ could not work in your favor.”
Be different but be true to your brand while you do it.
Log “Attention Triggers” for Marketing Ideas
Mike says: “Just become observant. And I’ll tell you the little hack. I call it ‘the double neck turn’: ‘There is data coming in that I can’t compute. We have to analyze.’ And that causes your head to turn twice. So just in life, whenever you do that double head turn, make a note.
“‘Oh my God—it’s because I saw this that my head looked twice. Can I deploy this in marketing my own gym?’”
The answer? Yes!
Attention, Action and Commitment
After you get attention, you must tell people exactly what to do next and seal a small deal. Any progress is a win.
Mike says: “Tell them specifically and explicitly what to do. … Always get a commitment in your marketing.”
That doesn’t mean you get a follow on social and ask the person to buy $5,000 of PT. It can be as simple as “click this link” or “fill in your email address.” Those are small commitments, and they add up.
Riches in Niches
Trying to serve everyone makes you generic. We all know this but we all still go through a phase where we try to “get every client.” (I did.)
Mike says: “If you serve everyone, you serve no one well.”
A better plan? Identify your perfect clients and replicate them—that’s “The Pumpkin Plan” summarized in seven words.
Grinding Be Gone
What clients value doesn’t always match up with what gym owners value. You might think your squat cycles are chef’s-kiss perfect, but the nuance is lost on prospective clients who just want to lose weight.
You must focus on the right stuff.
Mike says: “The vast majority of things we do, our clientele don’t notice, and therefore it has no impact on them. And we are pulling our hair out saying, ‘But I’m better.’ But no one’s noticing. So you have to do things that are noticeable. Different inevitably is better because it gets noticed.”
Ultimate Hack: Just Ask Your Clients!
Don’t build offers off your own assumptions—“Maybe they’ll like kettlebells as much as I do!” Just ask customers what’s working.
Mike says: “Do it because your customers tell you it’s what you’re doing right already. … When you have a client base, go to your best clients—the ones who are loyal, the ones who pay you on time, the ones that rave and review your gym favorably—and ask them this magical, Jedi-mind-trick question: ‘What are we doing right?’ And here’s the magic: Your clients won’t tell you what you’re doing right. What they’ll tell you is how you’re differentiated.”
Mike Michalowicz at the Two-Brain Summit
The stuff I listed above is gold.
But it doesn’t even scratch the surface with Mike.
And that’s why he’ll headline the 2026 Two-Brain Summit. Gym owners need to hear from Mike and take action, so we’re putting him in front of 1,000 fitness entrepreneurs in June in Chicago.
Mike alone is worth the price of admission, but we’ve got many more announcements for you in the coming weeks. We’ll fill the owners stage and coaches stage with the very best in the business—the people who can help you and your team most.
I hope you’ll join us. To make it easier for you to be in the crowd on June 6 and 7, early bird pricing is in effect until Feb. 1.
Get tickets at $200 off today: 2026 Two-Brain Summit.
