When I opened my first gym, I spent years chasing the wrong things: big ideas, new programs, big partnerships and high-level business deals … while my bathrooms were dirty and my operations inconsistent.
My mentor told me: “You shouldn’t even be marketing right now—the people who come in will hate it and quit.”
It was the exact right advice at the exact right time.
Here’s the problem with taking random advice—even good advice—at the wrong time: It won’t help you.
The secret to gym owner success is matching your focus to your phase of business.
💡 Founder Phase: Break Even First
🔭 Focus: Get enough paying clients to cover your expenses.
❌ Ignore: Fancy marketing campaigns, high-overhead expansions and big hires.
✅ Do: Build your own systems, keep costs lean, and fill your personal schedule before adding staff.
🚫 Don’t: Dig yourself a huge hole by signing a big lease, buying a ton of equipment or hiring staff before your own schedule is full.
🪴 Farmer Phase: Predictable Owner Income
🔭 Focus: Pay yourself what you need to live your Perfect Day.
❌ Ignore: Overpaying staff before securing your income, undercharging to be “nice.”
✅ Do: Hire for low-value roles first, use playbooks and checklists, and buy back your time (work up from least expensive replacement cost). Teach your staff exactly what to do and evaluate their progress regularly.
🪛 Tinker Phase: Build Your Net Worth
🔭 Focus: Scale wisely and invest your profits for the future.
❌ Ignore: Shiny new ventures that distract from your golden goose.
✅ Do: Scale your gym, invest externally, invest in yourself and invest in your lifestyle to stay sharp.
💰 Chief Phase: Lead and Protect
🔭 Focus: Grow yourself as a leader and create other leaders.
❌ Ignore: Coasting in your business or selling for the wrong reasons.
✅ Do: Build the next generation of leaders, strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem and protect the freedoms that make it possible.
The Right Thing at the Right Time
The wrong move at the wrong time can stall your progress for years.
The right move at the right time can catapult you forward.
A mentor can help you select the thing you need to do right now to live the life you want.
To help you get started on the path to success, I wrote a new guide: “Open a Gym and Retire Rich.” To get it, send me a DM.
