With U.S. Thanksgiving just past us, I thought I’d give you a look at what some successful gym owners are thankful for.
I remember some years when I wasn’t thankful for much as a gym owner.
I started our fiscal year underwater because I hadn’t planned for the summer drop-off, and I was trying to figure out how to add revenue in fall. I was dreading the local competition season as well as the fun but high-stress Open season to come after that. Then I was worried about revenue lost to all sorts of winter vacations.
And so on. If you’ve ever run a business that struggles to turn a profit, you’ll understand the daisy chain of worries.
A mentor helped my wife and I realize you don’t have to run classes from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., try to fill each slot with a dozen people, and pay trainers but not yourself for coaching. That insight changed the path of our business, and I’m grateful for it.
In the spirit of the season, I asked Two-Brain gym owners to complete this sentence: “I’m thankful a Two-Brain mentor helped me … .”
Here’s what they had to say.
“I’m Thankful a Two-Brain Mentor Helped Me …”
“… prioritize my tasks to get shit done.”
“… prioritize tasks and be accountable.”
“… realize that owning a business is more about leadership and delegation than it is about being a sole owner and operator!”
“… figure out how to overcome and develop my weak points to help me grow my business as an owner.”
“… save my business. If it wasn’t for Two-Brain, my business would have been closed right now. But instead it is growing and helping people to get better and fitter.”
“… quit my corporate job and maximize my gifts and abilities!”
“… charge what I am worth and not be scared about it!”
“… realize and understand how to define my own version of ‘success.’”
“… see that my own shortcomings are holding me back.”
“… realize my dreams are not big enough. I am capable of so much more than I thought.”
“… have the confidence to sell higher-value packages.”
“… regain control of my life and gave me the tools to build a brighter future.”
“… turn a hobby into a profession.”
“… navigate a hard price increase and leave a corporate job I had to pick up after the pandemic. My mentor is a sounding board every month for all that business ownership (and life) throws my way.”
“… extend opportunities that empower not only me but those around me as well.”
“… face hard situations and push us to the last price increase.”
“… navigate a tough price increase back in 2023 that I don’t think I would have done without them.”
“… buy my dream house (by strategizing finances, using resources available to small businesses and learning how to leverage those for personal financial freedom).”
The Big Picture
You’ll note that almost all these responses involve big concepts such as confidence, leadership, self-actualization and personal development.
That’s high-level stuff—and it carries over outside each owner’s gym.
For example, having the confidence to do hard things makes an entrepreneur better at life.
But it’s worth mentioning that big changes come from small positive actions that are repeated until they become habits.
Example: Raising rates. Our mentors give their clients clear directions and a toolkit to do the work. They don’t just say, “You’re worth it. Raise your rates. You’ve got this!”
They also say, “Let’s work through this spreadsheet to determine the exact rate increase. Then we’ll put a timeline in place to roll it out. Here’s the exact message to send when it’s time to announce the increase.” And so on.
The point? Major changes are supported by clear daily actions. Not just rah-rah, rally-the-troops speeches in the locker room.
If you want to build confidence, become a better leader and develop key entrepreneurial skills over the next year, do the small things to build your business every day. Don’t do them once in a while or until Feb. 22. Do them every single day.
To help you improve a little bit every day, here are two resources for you:
“The Golden Hour” by Chris Cooper
The Golden Hour Challenge—this six-week habit-building exercise is in progress in our private group for gym owners. Check it out and follow along!
