This is the BEST Time to be a Gym Owner. Ever.
I know yesterday was a splash of cold water.
So today I want to follow up with some happier thoughts.
Please enjoy:
5 reasons why this is the absolute BEST time to be a gym owner in history.
With the advent of “everywhere AI…”
1) In-person human connection will become even more valuable.
Not everyone will want it, sure. But that’s always been the case.
But for many people,
Getting off their devices and around other people and being in their body will become even more valuable.
Related,
2) Our industry is more insulated than many from AI-disruption.
It’s going to be a volatile several years for professional roles mainly dealing with bits (digital world). There’s a reason a lot of private equity is pivoting to businesses dealing in atoms (physical world).
AI will play a role for gyms, too. It will help us be better at every part of our job.
Further, there will be new AI fitness solutions. This won’t hurt brick and mortars, so much as create different solutions that can help a different kind of avatar.
And of course, there WILL be in-person brands that take a swing using tech to handle all the coaching.
But it’s going to be many years before in-person fitness coaching can be truly replaced.
3) Gym owners are building empires.
Even a few years ago, it was rare to see owners with more than a handful of locations.
And even then, it was usually an open secret that the latter locations were a drag on a highly profitable first one.
For the first time, we’re seeing gym owners take a swing at double digit corporate owned locations.
Not only that, but the rise of newer franchises like Alloy, MADabolic, and Alpha Fit Club are pushing the industry forward.
To be clear, franchises are playing a different game than independents. But they’re inspiring small but important strategy tweaks. And they’re also creating an alternative path for gym owners with capital to scale using proven systems.
4) Owners are selling gyms for serious cash.
In the old days, most independent training gyms just shut down and liquidated equipment. Or at best, they sold at fire sale pricing.
These days more and more independent owners are building businesses attractive to buyers.
Top performing gyms have solid margins, tight systems, and a strong reputation. They’re selling to key employees, competitors, clients, or like in my case, former employees.
✅ NOTE: SELF-SERVING BUT TRUE COMMENT
3) Empires and 4) Sales have been largely made possible by gym coaching businesses.
Yes, many ad agencies and gym business coaching groups suck. Many of them high-pressure sell the sizzle, but can’t deliver the steak.
But the best ones have scaled operational excellence to independent brick and mortars.
So instead of fumbling around alone,
Reading business books that don’t map to what we do,
The strongest operators of this new generation are getting coached to run great gyms.
They’re running better businesses that make more money faster than ever.
Want to join the vanguard?
Watch this video with everything you ever wanted to know about the Unicorn Society (including pricing, how it works, our guarantee and more): WATCH ME
And most of all…
5) What we do has never mattered more.
📣 MICRO-RANT WARNING 📣
Tech has made some things much better.
But it’s also damaged our collective psyche.
I can often be found wearing a hat with a quote from artist Jenny Holzer:
“Protect me from what I want.”
Welp,
We got what we wanted.
We got convenience and a break from “other people.”
We can now sit in our homes and never leave.
- Why go to an office when you can have a remote job?
- Why go to the drug store when you can Amazon?
- Why go to a restaurant when you can order from an app?
- Why go to a theater when you can Netflix?
- Why go see your friends when you can Instagram?
But we were wrong.
Turns out our intuitions are off here. By opting out of no-longer-compulsory engagement with other people in the flesh,
Something important has been lost.
And it’s hurting us in profound ways.
It’s hurting our mental well-being,
It’s hurting our sense-making,
And it’s pretty much making our nations ungovernable.
Now this is a big problem. And I don’t pretend to be able to solve this.
But you know what I can do?
I can help gym owners create community gathering spaces.
Where they bring together like-minded people,
Who pursue the unqualified good of physical health,
In the context of love, care, and attention from other humans.
And that’s a hill I’ll die on all day long.
And that’s the game YOU’re playing.
And it’s a damn great way to spend your life.
Honored to be alongside you,
Mark
PS If you want to capitalize on this opportunity,
We can help.
We can get you out of your head and give you a proven plan,
To make your community better,
With a business that makes great money,
With proven systems that give you freedom,
And in the most direct path possible.
The first step is a 10-minute brainstorm call.
Book yours HERE.