Podcast
Run a Profitable Gym
Hosted by Chris Cooper · EN
Run a Profitable Gym is packed with business tools for gym owners and CrossFit affiliates. This is actionable, data-backed business advice for all gym owners, including those who own personal training studios, fitness franchises, and strength and conditioning gyms. Broke gym owner Chris Cooper turned a struggling gym into an asset, then built a multi-million-dollar mentoring company to help other fitness entrepreneurs do the same thing. Every week, Chris presents the top tactics for building a profitable gym, as well as real success stories from gym owners who have found incredible success through Two-Brain Business mentorship. Chris’s goal is to create millionaire gym owners. Subscribe to Run a Profitable Gym and you could be one of them.
38episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How I Get More Leads From Facebook Than Paid Ads
6d ago00:11:22Tap to summarizeBefore you spend another dollar on ads, listen to this episode. Chris Cooper is getting more leads from free Facebook posts than almost any other marketing channel.Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Coop shares how he writes Facebook posts that start real conversations, bring back lapsed members and attract new clients.The core idea is simple: Start capturing what’s already happening in your gym. The breakthroughs, the mistakes, the 6 a.m. class where only three people showed up and everyone crushed it anyway. Chris also challenges you to make your clients the star of your content—just a good photo and two to four sentences that make everyone who knows them stop scrolling. These posts cost nothing and don’t require a social media manager or a fancy content strategy.You’ll also hear about the posts that kill organic reach (like unfiltered rants) and why protecting your reach matters more than making a point.Your gym’s best Facebook content is already happening in front of you every day. It’s time to start capturing it.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro0:50 - Why organic Facebook still works4:04 - Capture, don’t create5:57 - The posts that perform best6:45 - What kills your organic reach7:20 - Make your clients famous9:40 - How personal posts juice the algorithm
Transcribe →How to Make Your Gym Stand Out Online in 2026
1w ago00:15:48Tap to summarizeThis episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym."Is your gym’s Instagram converting members? Audit it with our custom AI tool: https://GymIG.com/If you stripped your gym’s name and logo from your website and social media, would anyone know what makes you different? For most gym owners, the honest answer is no.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin lays out the five steps gym owners need to take to become the obvious choice online in 2026 He walks through real-world examples of gyms that have nailed their online positioning, including a gym serving underrepresented women in fitness, a bodybuilding facility that hunts down and restores rare equipment, a performance center that built its reputation entirely around baseball players with shoulder injuries and a personal training gym that targets exclusively the 50-plus crowd.Each example illustrates the same core principle: a specific promise to a specific type of person beats generic messaging every time.John also explains why simplifying your service offering is just as important as clarifying who you serve, and he outlines how your Google Business Profile, website and Instagram should all tell the same consistent story to turn curious searchers into booked consultations.Tune in to learn how to make your gym impossible to ignore online.LinksAI Gym Instagram AuditGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro0:38 - Be the "obvious choice" online1:00 - Real gym example—underrepresented women2:19 - Real gym example—world-class equipment4:35 - Real gym example—baseball niche6:04 - Real gym example—personal training7:51 - Get clear on who you serve9:55 - Simplify your service offering11:50 - GBP, website and Instagram consistency13:49 - Show undeniable proof
Transcribe →The Future of CrossFit With Bruce Edwards
2w ago00:33:10Tap to summarizeBig news: CrossFit is not for sale. Bruce Edwards, the new CEO made that a condition of taking the job.At the 2026 Two-Brain Summit in Chicago, Chris Cooper sat down live on stage with Bruce for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of CrossFit.Bruce isn’t a newcomer to CrossFit. He was an original client of Greg Glassman in the late 1990s, one of the early guinea pigs who helped shape the methodology. He later owned CrossFit Aptos, served as COO of CrossFit and has now returned as CEO with a clear mandate: Fix the perception problem, rebuild affiliate value and bring the movement back to its roots.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris asks the big questions affiliate owners are asking, and Bruce shares his honest vision for what comes next for CrossFit.Tune in to hear a candid conversation about CrossFit’s future under Bruce’s leadership.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro0:20 - Why Bruce almost said no to the CEO role6:43 - CrossFit’s North Star8:46 - The Games vs. the affiliate story13:22 - The future of CrossFit media15:00 - Do GLP-1s have a place in fitness?20:25 - Bruce's stance on partnerships28:15 - A message to de-affiliated owners30:07 - What affiliates should do right now
Transcribe →The Only 3 Types of Social Media Content Gym Owners Need
2w ago00:12:49Tap to summarizeThis episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym."Get a free audit of your gym’s Instagram with our custom GPT tool: GymIG.comIf you’re a gym owner who wants to post more content but doesn’t know where to start, this episode is for you. Many gym owners have the misconception that they simply need to post more. But getting the right mix of content actually matters more than how often you post.Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin breaks down the three types of content every gym owner needs to be posting on Instagram.He shares real examples from gyms who are doing this well and walks through exactly how to replicate their posts. You’ll learn how to use your gym’s Instagram page to make people like you, trust you and move closer to doing business with you. Tune in and walk away with a simple three-post-a-week plan you can start this week.LinksAI Gym Instagram AuditGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro0:55 - Why variety beats volume on social media1:07 - Posts that get people to buy from you2:43 - Social proof that actually works7:30 - Building connection through Instagram10:10 - Becoming a trusted voice11:31 - Your exact weekly posting plan
Transcribe →Is HYROX Here to Stay? What Gym Owners Need to Know
3w ago00:46:34Tap to summarizeHYROX just crossed 4,500 affiliates in North America. A year ago, that number was under 1,500.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Eric O'Neil, Head of Affiliates for HYROX (Americas), to talk about what’s driving that growth, what the best training clubs are doing differently and what’s coming next for gym owners who want to capitalize on the HYROX opportunity.Eric explains how the affiliate program works, including the pre-sale ticket process and how HYROX markets affiliate events through their regional newsletters.He also shares what separates the training clubs bringing 50-plus members to race day from the ones that never quite find their footing.The conversation covers the full picture for gym owners who want to run a profitable HYROX program:- Running sims and camps- Adding personal training as an upsell- Building a 365-day HYROX calendar around local race weekends- Tapping into the massive pool of non-members who show up to these eventsEric also addresses the elephant in the room: Is HYROX here to stay, and how should gym owners think about the investment?If you’re HYROX-curious or already affiliated and want to get more out of it, this episode is worth your time.Get the full toolkit for generating ROI from HYROX affiliation via the link below. LinksHYROX Toolkit Gym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro0:40 - HYROX affiliation growth6:00 - HYROX trends in Europe and the Americas12:37 - How the pre-sale ticket process works14:32 - Sims, camps and monetizing events21:56 - Youth HYROX35:50 - Building a 365-day HYROX calendar44:34 - Is HYROX here to stay?
Transcribe →This ONE Gym Instagram Mistake Is Costing You Leads (& How To Fix It)
3w ago00:18:44Tap to summarizeThis episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym."Is your gym’s Instagram actually getting you members? Or just likes?In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin reveals the five Instagram mistakes gym owners make that silently kill their lead flow.Then he shows you exactly how to fix them. And fixing just ONE can completely transform your business.John walks through each mistake with real examples from gyms that are getting it wrong and gyms that are getting it right—including a breakdown of one of the best gym Instagram pages in the business and why it works so well.One gym got 50 million views on a single post, but zero clients from it. Don't make the same mistake.If your Instagram isn’t converting leads, watch this episode and then get an instant audit of your page at GymIG.com.LinksAI Gym Instagram AuditGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro0:43 - Mistake 1: No pin post sequence4:04 - Mistake 2: No conversion content8:35 - Mistake 3: Only posting, never talking13:08 - Mistake 4: No personality16:06 - Mistake 5: Chasing vanity metrics
Transcribe →How to Run Gym Ads That Actually Work in 2026
4w ago00:38:21Tap to summarizeStruggling with paid ads for your gym? Here's what's actually working in 2026.Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Colm O'Reilly, Two-Brain's paid ads specialist, for a tactical breakdown of everything gym owners need to know about Facebook and Instagram ads right now.In this episode, Colm covers the real numbers behind paid gym ads: what you should expect to pay per lead, what a client actually costs to acquire and how to know if your ads are profitable.John and Colm explain why ads amplify your other marketing funnels and how Meta's Andromeda update changed the ads game.Colm introduces a simple “BUT” formula for writing ad copy that speaks directly to your ideal client's goals and objections and breaks down campaign structure for both beginners and advanced gym owners.The pair also discuss what to say on that first phone call, how to handle the pricing question and how to keep cold leads warm for months after they first clicked.Watch this episode and walk away with a clear starting point for running profitable gym ads in 2026.LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro 2:51 - Ad math and budgeting basics7:39 - What to expect from your ad spend10:34 - The Andromeda update and creative strategy13:03 - The “BUT” framework for ad copy15:57 - Campaign structure for gym owners22:15 - Lead ads vs. landing pages24:13 - Lead nurture and what to say on the phone32:24 - Troubleshooting ads that aren't working34:01 - Should you hire an ad agency?
Transcribe →The Simple Paid Ads System That Gets Gym Owners More Leads
May 2500:24:41Tap to summarizePaid ads have changed. Here’s what gym owners need to know to make them work in 2026.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper close out Marketing May with the paid ads funnel. You build this funnel last because it’s the one that amplifies everything else.John explains why the old ads playbook is dead—Meta’s Andromeda update changed how ads are targeted and delivered—and what that means for gym owners. Chris and John share why gym owners need to know how to run their own ads and understand their ad math, rather than just outsource to an ad agency. They walk through exactly how to create an effective ad campaign and even deliver two clear action steps to help you get started: one for gym owners who have never run an ad, and one for gym owners who are already running them and want better results.This is episode 4 of 4 in the Marketing May series. If you missed the previous funnels, check them out via the links below.LinksThe Referral FunnelThe Social FunnelThe Content FunnelGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro1:31 - Media buying is dead5:56 - The 5-1-30 post10:10 - How to generate content ideas15:40 - Campaign structure & tracking18:28 - Your action steps
Transcribe →A Week of Gym Content in 30 Minutes With AI
May 2100:31:11Tap to summarizeNo time to make content for your gym? Not anymore. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper walks you through the exact system he uses to turn one idea into a full week of content in 30 minutes with AI.Chris demos the entire workflow live, starting with a brain dump audio recording answering a question that came up naturally in his gym.Then he uploads the audio and transcript into Claude with a prompt that generates a week’s worth of content:- A podcast script- A blog post- An email newsletter blurb- Five Instagram carousel slides- A YouTube description and thumbnailFor gym owners who want to go further, Chris also shows the AI stack he uses to create fully polished and edited video content for YouTube and short-form reels. After this episode, you’ll have the system and tools you need to create consistent content every week. LinksGym Owners UnitedBook a Call0:00 - Intro 4:17 - Brain dump & QuickCast 5:34 - Claude workflow 10:25 - Podcast distribution 18:27 - Descript AI video editor 26:12 - Reels with OpusClip
Transcribe →The Content Strategy That Gets Gym Clients
May 1800:18:19Tap to summarizeChris Cooper has been publishing content since 1998. It got him fired from one job—but it also built all of his businesses.In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper give gym owners a step-by-step content system that builds trust, brings in leads and keeps working long after you hit publish.Chris shares his personal content creation process: how he plans everything during his 25-minute drive to work and then spends another 10 minutes producing the content with AI. He also explains why AI search is changing the game, with 30 to 40% of your audience searching for your gym using tools like ChatGPT.The pair also share the four principles your content should follow to get results: local, helpful, shareable and authority-building.You’ll see real examples of the kind of content that works and walk away with a clear starting point for your gym’s content strategy. This is episode 3 of 4 in the Marketing May series. Next week: the paid ads funnel.If you missed the previous funnels, check them out via the links below. LinksThe Social FunnelThe Referral FunnelGym Owners UnitedBook a Call2:35 - Content vs. social media3:43 - The content playbook9:40 - Distributing content13:40 - Where AI comes in16:14 - Your action steps
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