Most gym owners stay stuck because of fear. Fear of failure. Fear of confrontation. Fear of making things worse.

But here’s what Chris Cooper learned after 15 years of mentoring gym owners: The only thing stronger than fear is love.

You have to love the local people who need your help more than you fear publishing that Instagram post. You have to love your family enough to fire that coach who’s hurting your gym.

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris presents gym owners with a challenge: Expand your comfort zone.

Coop gives you 10 difficult scenarios to choose from and a simple four-day process for practicing them until they become easy:

• Day 1: Practice the uncomfortable task in a mirror
• Day 2: Practice with a supportive friend or spouse
• Day 3: Practice with your mentor
• Day 4: Do it for real

Your comfort zone is like a muscle. When you exercise it, it gets bigger—and you become more capable of making the changes your business needs.

To get the free Comfort Zone Challenge worksheet, DM Chris in Gym Owners United, linked below.

Links

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:01 - Intro

1:57 - How to change

3:27 - Do you care enough?

11:01 - Comfort Zone Challenge

15:09 - Which gym owners succeed?

The Two-Brain Summit is back for its 10th year this June in Chicago, and it’s bigger than ever before!

Get your tickets via the link below and make June 6-7 the most valuable weekend of your entire year.

Headlining the owners side, bestselling author Mike Michalowicz will teach you how to stand out and attract the right customers to your gym. You’ll also hear from fitness business experts such as:

- Matt Souza of “The Sevan Podcast” and “Souza’s Show”
- Street Parking co-founders Miranda and Julian Alcaraz
- Rick Mayo, founder of Alloy Personal Training (1992)

And while you’re leveling up as a gym owner, your coaches will be honing their skills with some of the best in the industry, including:

- HWPO’s Michele Letendre, CrossFit Games coach and former athlete
- Power Monkey’s Dave Durante (gymnastics) and Chad Vaughn (weightlifting), both former elite athletes
- Bill Parisi, fascia expert and founder of Parisi Speed School

Tune in as Chris Cooper presents the full lineup and shares exactly what gym owners and coaches will be working on at the world's biggest gym business conference.

Then, use the link below to get your tickets before prices go up on Apr. 1.

Links

Two-Brain Summit Tickets

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:01 - Intro

2:16 - Saturday lineup: Owners

9:18 - Saturday lineup: Coaches

11:50 - Sunday lineup: Owners

18:30 - Sunday lineup: Coaches

For almost a decade, CrossFit affiliate owners followed a misguided mantra:

"CrossFit is done in big groups only."

In 2026, we know this is false. CrossFit is an incredible tool you can use to get clients fit, and you can deliver coaching one on one, in semi-private groups, in small groups and in big groups. The more individual attention a client receives, the higher the rate.

That's critical: High-value services such as PT help CrossFit gyms dramatically increase average revenue per member (ARM). Back in the day, ARM scores of $100-$150 were common, and many gym owners struggled to make a profit.

Now, with PT sales and group-plus-PT "hybrid packages," CrossFit gyms can push ARM north of $200.

Chris Vasseur of Bionic CrossFit is the proof: His ARM is $400+ on the strength of PT sales.

The best part: Vasseur doesn't get slimy to sell PT. He just tells people exactly how to accomplish their goals.

"Want to be able to link 20 double-unders? I can teach you. Let's book a one-on-one slot next week."

It's that simple.

Tune in as host Mike Warkentin gets all the details from a CrossFit affiliate owner who uses real talk and a desire to help to sell lots of PT.

Links

"Help First" by Chris Cooper

Affinity Marketing: How to Get Clients Fast

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:01 - Intro

0:45 - Who needs more help?

5:29 - PT rates

7:56 - Selling PT

13:30 - New PT clients

16:31 - ARM boosters