The Surprising Thing My Visitors Say

Catalyst gets a lot of drop-ins in the summer.
Located at the intersection of I-75 and Highway 17 (Canada’s only coast-to-coast highway), the Sault is Canada’s gateway. Visiting CrossFitters show up almost every day in the summer. Some of them have heard of Catalyst through the CrossFit Journal, or TwoBrain Radio, or the CrossFit Podcast.
 
When possible, I take the visitors for coffee at our cafe next door. I always ask, “How does Catalyst compare to your own gym?”
 
The most common answer I get is, “It’s not much different at all…”
 
And if you’re a gym owner, that should make you very excited.
 
I have cool equipment. So do you.
I have amazing coaches. I’m sure you have some too (or are one yourself).
I have nice bathrooms, nice t-shirts, and fun workouts. Just like you.
I don’t have a whiskey bar, or a dedicated stretching room, or couches where athletes can “chill out” and talk about how they’re going to stay at Catalyst forever.
 
So WHY do I get to work 20 minutes at Catalyst every two weeks, and still make a great living? How can I possibly own the gym, and its building, and all the property surrounding it, and the building next door, and still take long bike rides and write books and sponsor dozens of kids–and you can’t?
 
Because when it comes to building a business, those things don’t make a difference.
 
I don’t make more money than you do because my coaches are 30% better.
 
I don’t get all this time off because my floors are cleaner. And my wife doesn’t tease me about being retired because my marketing game is amazing (it’s not–my marketing game is mostly handshakes and “good morning!”s)
 
Those things–excellent coaching, clean bathrooms, classes starting on time–are the bare minimum requirements.
 
No one is Googling, “Biggest CrossFit gym in Sault Ste. Marie”, “Best community in the Sault” or “compete every day in northern Ontario”. Nope.
 
The difference is in the things you DON’T SEE.
 
My gym runs on systems, not on the sweat of my brow.
My pricing makes me profitable, not my headcount.
My staff have houses and cars and opportunities, not salaries and clocks to punch.
…and a thousand other things, all invisible to the client. And to the visitor.
 
We love visitors. When a box owner visits, I cram them full of free coffee and books. But they don’t need coaching tips, or advice on which floor cleaner to buy, or a recommendation on which supplements to sell (we don’t.)
 
Most gyms–including YOURS!– already HAVE all the pieces. That means everything I’ve accomplished can be accomplished by YOU, too!
 
IF I CAN DO THIS, YOU CAN TOO.
 
Want to talk about it, but can’t make it to the Sault? Book a free call, brew a coffee, and I’ll show you the map.
 
 

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Did you know gym owners can earn $100,000 a year with no more than 150 clients? We wrote a guide showing you exactly how.