The Fitness Retention Podcast

This episode features one of the most interesting guests we've ever had. We learn all about Travis, his history, and operational excellence. Enjoy!

What is a pole dancing studio doing on the Fitness Retention Podcast? Teaching all of us something we need to know - that great ideas come from everywhere - all we have to do is look for them. Amy Bond and I discuss building a business and a community from the ground up.

I first was introduced to Mark after he gave a great presentation at IHRSA 2019. His session was easily one of my favorites. This episode focuses great stories and lessons he has learned from 18 years of leadership in the fitness industry.

Rose Bentley has been ahead of the "Customer Experience Wave" for years. She is extremely skilled in helping companies understand what data to collect and what to do with it. This episode focuses on what the fitness industry can borrow (or steal) from other industries with the capabilities we already have to measure key metrics. For more information on CloudCherry visit cloudcherry.com

Paul and I chat about the next wave of "customer understanding" and how companies can turn data into insights. Paul is extremely smart, so if you are curious about what it really means to understand your customers - look no further.

Tyler and I sat down to chat about his rise through the ranks at Life Time. Tyler truly cares about the industry helping his team give their members everything they can. This episode features a ton of practical tips and lessons for anyone who is looking to be promoted while also being a team player.

With over a decade of experience on both coasts of the US, Kelly is an industry vet who is reinventing herself as a leader in the management and coaching space. Complete Fit Pro is a name you'll be hearing more and more about in the next year. 

Lyndsay is a sales leader for OTF in Canada. This awesome episode focuses on the main difference in the sales process in big box and boutique gyms. With over a decade of experience and a killer attitude, you'll see why she and OTF have made a big footprint in the Toronto Area.

Greg is an expert sales coach working with Anytime Fitness franchisees throughout Australia. He's smart, funny, and a great listener. AKA he knows a thing or two about selling Personal Training, and if you listen to this episode, you will too.

Jeff is the head of Strategy and business development of Excel Fitness Holdings - which operates and helps 60+ Planet Fitness locations run as smoothly as possible. Jeff is a systems and people whiz, if you are looking for sound advice on how to grow your club/s, this is the episode for you.

James is the founder of the FitPosium conference and Podcast. He helps businesses and fitness entrepreneurs increase their income and efficiency. He's also the author of "Fit Business Guide: The Workout Plan For Your Brand". This is an awesome episode for anyone who wants to think outside the box when it comes to running their business.

Mike has been in the industry 25+ years and has always been 100% focused on results. His passion led him to found BodyEvolver as a way to help clients and gyms remain accountable to their customers. His software has helped thousands of trainers make the industry better, and he's continuing to pursue results with more gusto than ever before.

IHRSA speaker Ashley Selman is the owner of Evolution Trainers in Mountain View CA and also an expert in helping small business owners maximize profits and efficiency. This is a great episode if you are looking for tips on employee retention.

Going to my first IHRSA was a great learning experience. In this episode, I look at the first 50 episodes of The Fitness Retention Podcast through an "IHRSA Lens" and offer what I think is the key to evolving the fitness industry.

Today we chatted with Lisa Reither - long time fitness consumer, loyal member of United Barbell, and visual manager for Williams Sonoma. So many awesome nuggets in this episode around how customers perceive your business from the ground-level.

Bill McBride joined me to discuss language, leadership, and understanding customers. Listen and Learn!

In this new segment, we'll be talking to fitness consumers who are loyal to a single brand. We'll learn about what makes them so devoted to a single brand. We'll also learn about their day-to-day lives and what they do in their job. (And what we can borrow to make our industry better)

If you are listening to this podcast, you probably already know about Dr. Paul Bedford's work. Sit back and enjoy!

Josh founded GYMGUYZ which is now the fastest growing fitness franchise business of all time. 10 years and 200+ locations later, Josh is building the Amazon of fitness, and when you listen to this interview, I bet you'll walk away thinking he's fully capable. 

Tim is a gym owner and marketing specialist. He helps gyms around the country solidify their online strategy. We chat about the best ways to attract new clients, keep existing ones, and build your client base through referrals and excellent service.

Blair and I dive into the details of what makes businesses repeatedly successful. Does your business do things FOR the customer or TO the customer? Find out here...

Jack joined me to discuss the immense value of creating an experience, not just a gym. In three years BASE went from being an idea to winning the title of Asia's best gym. If you want practical advice on how to build a culture from the ground up, this is a must listen.

Chuck and his team grew Movati Athletic from one gym to 15. With over 100,000 members, Movati is one the the premier experience fitness brands in all of Canada. Chuck focuses on how to grow his business well, not just quickly.

Lars owns 6 Orangetheory locations throughout New York and Florida. He is also a territory developer for Brooklyn and Queens. This conversation was extremely interesting because Lars came into the fitness industry from corporate America and has found massive success by building his business with a primary focus on his team and empowering them. This is a great episode for anyone franchising or starting a gym from the ground up.

Pat and I talk about the value of coaching, being there for your customers, and why gyms should view sales as the beginning of a relationship and not the end of a transaction.

Casey Conrad is one of the top sales trainers in the fitness industry. She also happens to be one of the most energetic people I've ever talked with. She shares some incredible questions that will move people from prospects to members in no time.

This is a repost because one of my first guests just won an award that shows that she practices that she preaches. In this episode you'll hear why Ashley won the ClassPass instructor of the year award. This episode is a must-listen if you are looking to improve your team. Ashley exhibits the qualities an individual can bring to raise an entire group up.

Mike Arce founded Loud Rumor to help fitness studios attract and acquire more customers - and now they're the #1 Lead generation company for fitness studios and wellness companies. We talk in depth about how to keep clients once you get them through your doors, and the value of creating a system for everything you do. This is a MUST LISTEN if you are in the fitness business.

Justin Tamsett of Active Management joined me in the middle of 5 workouts in 48 hours. He's an industry leader who keeps his finger on the pulse of what's new and what's working. One big theme from this episode is the opportunity fitness companies have by borrowing proven successful customer experience strategies from other industries. I guarantee you'll learn something in this episode.

Ian Mullane founded Keepme to better understand why members leave the gym. This tool incredibly powerful and has the potential to transform how a gym can empower their staff to change the culture and success of their business.

Guy Griffiths and I chat about what we saw in 2018 and how gyms should continue their progress in 2019. We discuss solutions and three different price points and how brands can improve their strategy with small tweaks in both the short and long term. There are some extremely valuable nuggets in this episode.

I was lucky enough to be a guest on the excellent When To Jump Podcast to chat about finding your calling and turning it into a career.

Billy is a founder of Diakadi - With over 100 Personal Trainers working out of his facility, Billy knows a thing or two about running a fitness business. Diakadi has been names the best personal training gym in San Francisco for 13 years in a row. He also founded The Business Movement to educate and prepare personal trainers to create their own businesses and thrive within the fitness industry.

Greg Mack has been in the fitness industry for over 28 years and has trained hundreds of gyms on how they can sell fitness more effectively. He's seen sales strategy evolve over the years - but he knows it still has a long way to go. This is a great episode for people who are afraid of "selling" to overcome their fear.

Joe is a legend. He started a gym 40 years ago and has grown it to 28,000 members with an annual retention rate 10% higher than his closest competitors. This episode is helpful not just for retention and fitness, but also life.

Craig and Madlab work with hundreds of gyms to help them optimize their business for both employees and members. As a former engineer, he looks for ways to make systems and people more efficient. Stabilizing the employees has a similar effect on the members and creates a win-win situation in CrossFit's competitive landscape.

Jason opened and (profitably) sold 3 CrossFit gyms. He now runs a successful nutrition coaching business with his wife. We talk about transitioning from employee to owner, and taking the lessons learned from gym ownership and applying them to new businesses. Great episode for anyone interested in boutique vs. big-box gyms and how they operate.

In this episode, I make my BIG prediction for the market in 2019. I take a deep dive into the data, opinions of my guests, and my own hypothesis for what will happen in the next year.

Giovanni Roselli joined me to chat about his path from pro wrestler, to master instructor, regional PT director, and nominee for national trainer of the year. He shares a ton of practical knowledge and breaks down how to set goals with your business and on behalf of your employees and clients.

Hayley is a multi-site Anytime Fitness owner in Australia. She was extremely honest about interviewing, hiring, and retaining her employees. After a period with high turnover, she began looking internally at how she needed to develop as an owner rather than blaming her staff. This episode is great for anyone who runs a team or is in charge of staff development.

Localfit is a MoviePass style fitness membership program for fit travelers. We chat about how independent gyms can benefit from increased exposure and ancillary revenue as a result of the large portion of the workforce that travels and wants to stay fit.

After my conversation with Tahnee, I'm sure that Goodlife Health Clubs have the best support systems for employees and members of any gym I've talked with. This is a MUST listen if you operate a health club or are wondering how to reduce both employee and member churn.

Shai is the Co-founder of CoachAi, an automated, AI-driven solution that helps improve health club member engagement and retention. As fitness professionals, we forget what the health club/gym experience is like for our members, and a reminder of simple ways we can add value and create positive habits is always refreshing. Check it out!

Andy is the Co-Founder of the Whole Life Challenge and the former owner of CrossFit Los Angeles. We cover the importance of building a gym from the consumer's perspective, catering your services to your audience, and taking away friction points to ensure increased spending.

Brian joined me in between teaching classes at one of the biggest rising stars in the fitness industry. The main thing I got from this interview was how much the brand cares about their customers and how they create experiences with customers in mind. Barry's is going places, buckle up.

Jekka Kulhmann joined me to discuss how technology-driven, targeted retention efforts can drastically increase package purchases. As head of Studio and Franchise Partnerships at Zenrez she works with studios to provide compelling offers for customers to drive higher usage and attendance.

For my 20th episode, I wanted to do something different. My good friend Alex Korchinski joined me discuss the opportunities gyms have to adopt what works in tech-based subscription businesses. As a product manager at a tech company and a member of a big-box gym, he discusses tried and true onboarding and engagement methods to increase the length of membership in a business.

Justin is the former Director of Franchise Integration for ABC Financial Services. He's extremely knowledgeable of the capabilities, limitations, and potential for software in the fitness industry. In this episode we dive into the opportunities all companies have to pair software with people to increase retention.

Shaun Zetlin is a trainer, author, speaker, and shining example of what it means to be a fitness professional. We focus on how he's kept clients for 10+ years and how he consistently delivers value to improve their lives. This episode is especially powerful if you are looking to hear WHY a lot of trainers get it wrong, and how the best ones get it right.

Kelly joined the show to spread the word on the connection between equipment, on-boarding, and retention. She shares awesome insights on value selling, teaching, training, and understanding employee motivation. We look at how smart equipment can help mid-market gyms get ahead of their competition.

Every once in a while the tables are turned and someone interviews me. I want to give a shout out to Doug Holt and his team for having me on "The Author of Your Own Story" podcast. Check it out!