Wednesday, November 29, 2023
You're a gym owner, pouring your heart and soul into your spot. You live for it. It’s your whole heart and soul. And everyone at some point runs into roadblocks. You need someone who's been there, done that, and can show you the way. And this is what I live for. In this article, I want to share some of the things that are foundational for me with every conversation I have with a gym owner and you can start to naturally build into your toolbox as a gym owner, too: Distance, Volume, and Variety.
Ever played Minecraft? My kids are into it, and I've played my share. Now, you might be wondering, "What's a block-building game got to do with my gym?"
Hear me out.
In Minecraft, you start with a map, but it's mostly blank. You can only see where you've been. As you travel, explore, and grow more confident, the map slowly populates. You begin to see the lay of the land. And trust me, that's valuable when you venture far from home.
But here's the kicker: If you die while exploring, you can lose everything you've collected. All those precious weapons, armor, and hard-earned treasures, gone.
You have to start over.
It’s devastating.
Think of your gym like that Minecraft world.
You're building up your basecamp, your spot. You're doing great things, but stepping outside your comfort zone, away from that basecamp, can be downright scary. The truth is, your map just hasn't populated yet. There are areas out of sight, unknown paths to success.
I love having conversations with gym owners for this very reason. Mainly because I’ve walked those paths, seen what's just beyond your view.
You’re often much closer to success than you realize; you just need that nudge to get outside your comfort zone.
This is where in just a few minutes together, we can start to see solutions to the problems that might seem huge from where you're standing. It's often as simple as taking a step back, seeing the whole landscape, and realizing, "Damn... That's so simple. Why didn't I think of that?"
When shit starts feeling really “real” and getting overwhelming, step back. Give yourself some distance. Shit, just shoot me a DM and let’s give you some distance to see the forest through the trees.
An easy way to give yourself distance from what you’re dealing with is by looking at others. Who is doing something similar to me? What are they up to? What do their websites look like? What’s their pricing? How are they running social media? This is incredibly beneficial, but can be a total shit show if you’re aren’t careful.
You think you've seen gyms? Let me tell you, I've seen them all. Hundreds worked with, nearly a thousand audited. And I don't just mean glancing at them from afar. I've been in the trenches, seen the best and the worst, and learned from every damn experience.
Thanks to the rise of technology, social media, and the internet, we're no longer bound by our local community.
Back in the day our knowledge-base and examples came from our friends, family, and local networks. Now we have all the whole world at our fingertips.
But this is a double-edged sword.
It's like a vast desert; you can get lost if you don't know what you're looking for.
I've seen gym owners blindly follow trends or copycat others. Hell, they don't even know why they're doing it!
You’ve got to know how to spot the pitfalls and seize the opportunities.
Go with your gut. There’s a reason they call it an “instinct”. And just because everyone else is doing it, is not the reason to do it. Remember that old adage your mom used to say when you were little, “If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would you do it?”
This is what the fitness industry has been doing for several years now. Just blindly jumping.
The access to the volume of examples out there isn’t just about numbers; it's about wisdom, insight, and the ability to make the right call.
And it’s about variety. Beware of the echo chamber. If everyone is stroking it to the same shit.. Take notice.
Let me spill the beans on something. And if you’ve listened to any of our episodes of The Gym Owners Podcast, you know this already…so I apologize for being repetitive.
I haven't just worked in the fitness industry.
I’ve worked in schools, administration, management, sales, coaching, teaching, web design.. Shit, I’ve detailed cars and worked for a moving company.
And this variety of experience is part of the secret sauce.
The principles, tactics, strategies, and systems that I use with my partner, Big Tyler Stone, with the gyms and fitness professionals I work with all come from this experience. Same goes for Tyler. And our collective success across all these fields is what gives us the ability to have unwavering confidence and clarity when we work with our gym clients.
It is never about a one-size-fits-all approach.
It's about understanding foundationally what leads to success, cutting the crap, and tailoring it to your passion.
The mistake many make is thinking that if something works once, it'll work forever. And pulling your ideas, influence, and deeming what’s successful or not solely from the fitness industry?
Is bullshit.
The world changes, and you’ve got to adapt. And the real solid stuff isn't being talked about right now in the fitness industry – at all.
What works consistently, everywhere? That’s worth noting. That's my (and now your) secret weapon.
And here's the real dirty secret: Nothing is new. The principles have been around for hundreds of years. Take what works, cut what doesn't, and apply it with guts and gusto.
This is how you set yourself to either win or win big.
Give yourself the distance, look around at what’s working beyond your four walls, and remember to give yourself a wide variety of viewpoints and examples beyond just the fitness industry. It can be done. I’m living proof.
And if you're tired of stumbling in the dark, dive into my world with Big Tyler Stone.
Steal everything you can from us and The Gym Owners Podcast and apply it to your business.
Success will follow; I guarantee it.
Got some roadblocks? Want to build a game plan for the future of your gym? Shoot us an email at thedudes@hackyourgym.com or drop one of us a DM, and we'll tackle that shit together.
P.S. Join The Gym Owners Revolution Facebook Group. Together, working to make our communities and world a better place, one member at a time. Join now at https://community.hackyourgym.com