Using mostly unconventional marketing methods, Mike Doehla built a nutrition company that sold to Anytime Fitness for eight figures.

In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host John Franklin chats with Mike, former owner of Stronger U Nutrition.

Prior to its sale, Stronger U had over 50,000 lifetime members, and about half of those members were in its Facebook group, where Mike focused on sharing knowledge and building community.

Outside the group, Mike’s marketing tactics ranged from sticking business cards inside nutrition books to sitting in coffee shops with a giant laptop sticker that read “Hi, I'm Mike. Ask me nutrition questions.”

If you’d like to ask Mike nutrition questions—or business questions—you can reach him on Instagram: @mikedoehla

Links

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

3:30 - Creating community

9:00 - First 100 clients

23:04 - Getting traction with groups

35:12 - Generating buzz for small gyms

48:59 - Removing unnecessary boundaries

Conversations equal conversions.

If you’re a gym owner who’s tried running social media ads, blogging and posting reels without seeing a bump in your member count, it’s time to start initiating more conversations with potential clients.

“But how do I do that?”

In this episode, Two-Brain chief marketing officer John Franklin shares proven strategies for having more conversations and getting new members in the door with zero ad spend.

His tips involve reaching out to leads on platform, looking for referral opportunities in local social-media groups, creating your own fitness-focused community group, hosting events like bring-a-friend day and—as uncomfortable as it may sound—going out into the real world.

You’ll walk away from this episode equipped with tried-and-true tactics you can use to accomplish a goal: Talk to five new people about your gym every day.

Links

Sell-by-chat cheat sheet

Kieran O’Dwyer on creating free guides

Gym Owners United

1:34 - Getting clients today

3:28 - 6 ways to have more conversations

16:04 - How to find inspiration

20:06 - The real world

Specialty programs can significantly boost a gym’s revenue—if they’re set up properly.

The key? Don’t run every specialty program under the sun. Determine which option might serve your current clients and local market better, then test it with several six-week blocks before putting a full, ongoing program on the official menu.

Today’s guest on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Brian Foley, is an expert when it comes to running successful programs for older adults—often called “masters” or “legends” classes. His gym, Activate, in Kerry, Ireland, generates about 10 percent of its gross revenue with its 55-plus program.

The program is at capacity, its length-of-engagement stats beat the numbers from Brian’s other programs, and its average revenue per member numbers equal those of his core programs. So it's a clear winner.

Early retirees have time and money to invest in their health, but it isn’t all about the cash for a gym owner. Brian and host Mike Warkentin agree that this is the most rewarding demographic to coach in a gym. Masters clients are generally vibrant, energetic and open to coaching—and they get great results that improve their quality of life and longevity.

Listen to hear some of Brian’s top tips for starting a 55-plus program in your gym—and if you want the full, step-by-step plan, he’ll share it at the Two-Brain Summit on June 8 and 9 in Chicago.

There are only a handful of tickets left, so act fast and get them via the link below.

Links

Two-Brain Summit

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

2:44 - How Brian got clients

9:33 - How did Brian identify his market?

15:03 - Raising rates and keeping clients

21:00 - Program must-haves

25:07 - Tailored personal training