Do Gym Owners Really Need a Business Mentor?

A practical look at whether mentorship is necessary—or simply a faster, less costly path to growth for gym owners

In brief…

No.

I do not think every gym owner needs a business mentor.

But most gym owners will benefit greatly from an outside eye, at least at some point. Otherwise most get stuck at some level of growth and spin their wheels.

Others can figure it out by binging professional development and trial and error.

Having said that,

Even for those that WILL figure it out,

It’ll take longer to get there. 

And it will cost more time, energy, and money.

And it will be a more stressful ride. Because they’ll make at least some otherwise avoidable mistakes.

There’s also a real emotional cost to going it alone. Not purely because of slower progress; because of functioning without a community of other people who get what you’re doing.

And at least on the margins, a slower pace means they will help fewer people, make less money, and have less time for their family and loved ones.

So the more operative question is not:

Do I NEED a business mentor?

The question is:

Would I BENEFIT from a business mentor?

Ultimately, the answer depends on how satisfied you are with where you’re at and your speed of progress.

If you feel good about both, it may not be worth the investment. At least not yet.

But here are two final points:

1) First, cards on table…

You should ALWAYS ask about someone’s incentives when making a recommendation.

I’m 100% sincere that virtually all gym owners would benefit from having some kind of business mentor. Or at least, be involved in an intentional professional community.

AND…

I’m self-aware enough to know this is “a barber saying you need a haircut.”

😉

2) Every single time I’ve invested in my business, 

I’ve gotten a return that made it worth it.

To varying degrees, virtually all those experiences and relationships improved my business and  financial situation, and enriched me as a human.

So listen, I’m not the guy going to “sell” you that everyone always needs a mentor.

It’s self-serving when coaches say that.

And it’s flat-out wrong.

But the point stands.

Most owners need mentors (and professional communities) at various points in their journey.

And whether it’s mission critical or not, pretty much everyone would benefit from supportive outside eyes.

Always being real with you,

Mark

PS: If you think you could be getting where you want to go faster,

And you want both mentorship and community support,

I’d love to tell you more about The Unicorn Society.

You can book a no-pressure 10-minute intro call HERE.