If your gym has been stuck at the same revenue for more than six months, book a free 30 minute Gym Clarity Call and we'll find the one lever holding you back: https://gymclaritycall.com/

If your gym has been stuck at the same revenue number for over six months, this episode is for you. And I promise the reason isn't what you think.

Most gym owners blame their market, their competition, or their marketing. But after coaching 139 gym owners and running my own gym since 2008, I can tell you it almost always comes down to three structural things that have nothing to do with how many leads you're getting.

This is the relaunch of the FBU Podcast with my original co-host Tom Langton back in the chair. Tom was the very first employee at Gabriele Fitness, worked with me for 13 years, went on to own his own gym, and now he's back asking the questions that gym owners actually need answered.

We break down why so many gym owners get stuck under $20K a month and stay there way too long. I walk through a real case study of a gym owner named John who was stuck at $13K, working 60 hours a week, and on pace to take another 12 months to hit $20K. We got him there in about a month.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Price is the fastest lever you can pull. If your close rate is near 100% and your retention is solid, you are undercharging. We raised John's price $40 a month on current and new members, and even in a worst case scenario where he lost four people, he was still making more money with fewer clients.
2. Do the math before you freak out. Write down the worst case scenario. How many people do you realistically think you'd lose? Do the math at the new price. Almost every time, you come out ahead. The fear is always bigger in your head than it is in reality.
3. Block time for sales and marketing like it's an appointment. The number one reason gym owners stay stuck isn't a lack of knowledge. It's that they're spending zero dedicated time on getting new customers. Two to three hours a day on sales and marketing activities will change everything.
4. Spend that time on the right things. Joint ventures, referrals, building a great website, emailing your list. Stop building system manuals nobody will read and start walking down the street to introduce yourself to other business owners.
5. Get out of stage one before it breaks you. Training sessions drains 1.3 human energy hours per session, not one. A gym owner doing 30 sessions a week is really burning 39 hours of energy before they touch a single business task. The longer you stay in this grind without a plan, the more likely burnout takes you out of the game entirely.

Book a free 30 minute Gym Clarity Call and we'll map out exactly what's holding your gym back: https://gymclaritycall.com/

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

Want us to audit your sales process and show you exactly where leads are falling through the cracks? Book a free Sales Audit and we'll review your automations from lead to consult or trial: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

This is the full recording of my live masterclass: How to Fix the Sales at Your Gym. Over 100 gym owners showed up and I coached for two and a half hours straight. No slides. No pitch. Just the real stuff that moves the needle.

Here's the reality that most gym owners don't know: only 15% of your leads will buy in the first 100 days. The other 85% will buy over the next 100 weeks. So the question isn't just how do you close better. It's what is your system doing with every single lead from the moment they opt in through the consultation or trial and beyond.

We covered the sales mindset shifts that have to happen before any tactic works. The follow up sequence (speed, sequence, persistence) that maximizes the leads who are ready now. The preframing process that stops no shows before they happen. The one question from Strategic Coach that completely changes the consultation. How to present price using the good, better, best model. The exact math behind raising prices on current members. And how to generate more referrals and upgrades from the people already paying you.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. You can't deposit leads into your bank account. You can generate all the leads you want but if your sales process is broken, none of it matters. The number one job of the business owner is to be able to stimulate sales when needed. That's not optional.
2. People want to buy but they're afraid to buy. Every prospect walks in carrying every past failure, every program that didn't work, every trainer that let them down. Your job is to show up differently through attunement, buoyancy, and clarity. Not as a salesperson. As a trusted advisor.
3. Speed kills (in a good way). When someone opts in, they are the most interested they will ever be. If you wait three days to follow up, you've already lost them. Text first, then call, then voicemail, then email. And do it seven to 12 times before you move them to your long term nurture.
4. The magic question changes everything. "If we were having this conversation one year from today, and you were looking back on that year, what has to have happened with your health and fitness for you to feel happy with your progress?" Ask it word for word. Don't change a thing.
5. Sell with lifetime customer value in mind. You're not selling a $300 membership. You're selling a $14,000 relationship. When you show up with that number in your head, you don't quit early, you don't discount, and you don't wing it.

Want us to audit your sales process and show you where leads are falling through the cracks? Book a free Sales Audit: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

Register now for the free How to Fix the Sales at Your Gym Masterclass on Thursday, April 23rd at 12pm Eastern: https://live.vincegabriele.com/april

More people signed up for this masterclass than the marketing one I did last month. That tells me a lot of you are in the same spot: you're getting leads, you just can't turn them into paying members.

This Thursday I'm hosting a free masterclass where I break down exactly how to fix that. We're covering how to get more leads to actually show up for a consultation. The one question you need to ask in every sales conversation that changes everything. How to select, present, and raise your prices without losing your members. How to get referrals and upgrade clients from two sessions a week to three. And the mindset shifts that reduce objections like "I need to talk to my spouse" before they even come up.

I also walk through the math on why a 10% improvement in your close rate could mean an extra $60K to $120K in lifetime revenue from just one small change.

No slides. No pitch at the end. Just a coaching session with a bonus for everyone who shows up live.

Register now for the free How to Fix the Sales at Your Gym Masterclass on Thursday, April 23rd at 12pm Eastern: https://live.vincegabriele.com/april

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

If you want to learn the strategies and tactics that gym owners like Melissa are using to grow, check out my most recent webinar on YouTube where I break down the full marketing system: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

Don't forget to book your free call with my team and get the Testimonial Email Builder as a bonus: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

Melissa Chase opened Chase Fitness in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in September 2024 with 10 members. She joined SPF two months before she even had a gym. She had no marketing experience, no website knowledge, and had just left a career as a physical therapist assistant. But she knew what she didn't know, and she got the right people in place before she opened the doors.

Today, less than two years later, she has 143 members, did just under $300K in gross revenue last year, hit $132K in Q1 of this year alone, and is running at about $32K a month. She's down to 5 to 10 coaching sessions a week, replaced her PTA salary, and just joined a golf league. Her retention rate is "ridiculously low" because the product is dialed in, and her team runs the floor without her.

This episode is a masterclass in what happens when you stop trying to figure it all out on your own and invest in the right support before you need it.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Get help before you need it, not after you're drowning. Melissa joined SPF before she even opened. She didn't wait to make mistakes and then go looking for answers. She had accountability, resources, and a community of gym owners who had already been through everything she was about to face.
2. Your website needs to make people say "I can see myself there." Melissa's site shows real clients who look like her ideal members, features Google reviews that describe real transformations (not just "she's so nice"), and has clean, clear calls to action. That combination is converting.
3. Use every finger on the marketing glove. Melissa runs Facebook ads through GMM, does monthly member socials, quarterly Buddy Weeks, joint ventures with local businesses, tables at community festivals, and constantly asks for referrals and Google reviews. She never relies on one source.
4. Take yourself off the floor slowly, not all at once. Melissa started by bringing in one part time coach, transitioned him to full time, then added another. She didn't just disappear from the floor overnight. She made it gradual so members built trust with the new coaches.
5. Hire good people, not good trainers. Melissa hires based on character first. Her exact words: "Are they a good person? I can coach them to coach a squat." Then she holds them accountable to the standards and metrics that keep the business running.

Watch my full marketing webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

Book your free call and get the Testimonial Email Builder: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

If you want to learn the strategies and tactics that gym owners like Anthony are using to grow, check out my most recent webinar on YouTube where I break down the full marketing system: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

Don't forget to book your free call with my team and get the Testimonial Email Builder as a bonus: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

Podcast Summary:

Anthony D'Astice flew into New Jersey for a consulting day in 2022 with a gym doing about $25K a month, a baby on the way, and zero confidence that he could actually grow the business. He wasn't tracking conversions, wasn't charging enough, and by his own words was "playing business."

Three years later, Hustle Strength and Performance just crossed $760K in annual revenue. He just opened his second location. He bought a house and a rental property. And the consulting day paid for itself before he got on the plane home because we raised his prices that afternoon and lost one member.

In this episode, Anthony breaks down the full journey: the mindset work that had to happen before anything else, the price raise he was terrified to make, the youth sports sponsorship strategy that's still filling his gym today, and how defining real core values transformed his hiring and culture.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. The number one chokehold on your business is the psychology of the owner. Anthony spent the first half of his consulting day on mindset, not marketing. He lacked confidence, was reactive instead of responsive, and was getting in his own way. None of the tactical stuff mattered until his head was right.
2. Do the math before you talk yourself out of raising prices. Anthony had 120 members and raised prices $20 across the board. One person canceled. The worst case scenario we mapped out was break even, and the actual result was thousands in new annual revenue from a single afternoon decision.
3. Sponsorships work when you ask for the right thing. Instead of paying for a banner nobody reads, Anthony pays youth sports leagues to send emails promoting his camps. Kids come in for camps, parents get a free month offer, and parents become adult small group members. He runs 10 of these at a time.
4. A marketing calendar is the difference between growing and guessing. Anthony plans quarterly, ties promotions to holidays and seasons, and looks at what worked last year before planning anything new. It sounds simple because it is.
5. Core values are not words on a wall. Anthony uses his five core values in job application forms, interviews, team meetings, and daily decisions. They became the filter for who gets hired, who gets recognized, and what the culture actually feels like from the inside.

Watch my full marketing webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

Book your free call and get the Testimonial Email Builder: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

If you’re going to consume this, do yourself a favor—watch it on YouTube.

You’ll see the actual newspaper ad, the full Testimonial Email Builder walkthrough, and the entire Q&A. That’s where the real value is.

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

And when you’re done, book a call with my team. We’ll walk through your situation and I’ll give you the Testimonial Email Builder as a bonus:

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

This is the full recording of a live masterclass I did with 70+ gym owners.

No slides. No pitch.

I ran it exactly like one of my private coaching sessions.

Just me breaking down the marketing system we’ve used at my gym for nearly 20 years—and what’s working right now.

We covered the stuff that actually matters:

• How to know your numbers so you stop guessing
• How to choose the right clients to market to
• What to actually say so people take action
• How to turn all of it into a simple 90-day plan you’ll actually follow

And I stayed on for over an hour answering questions. Nothing held back.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The AI prompt that calculates your weekly lead, consult, and new member targets in 30 seconds
• Why the worst number in marketing is “one” and how to fix it
• The three ways to communicate what makes your gym different
• The three real problems your market is losing sleep over
• The “more, better, new” framework to improve your marketing immediately
• The exact text message that converts cold leads into appointments
• How to build a one-page 90-day marketing plan
• Why answer engine optimization is about to change how people find your gym

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

If you want help implementing this in your gym, book a call and grab the Testimonial Email Builder:

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

FREE MASTERCLASS: Fix the Marketing at Your Gym Thursday, March 26th at 12pm Eastern on Zoom Learn how to install the system that gets 7 to 13 new clients per month without paid ads.

Register here: https://live.vincegabriele.com/livemasterclass

Caesar Hernandez was 12 years into the gym business, burning cash every month, one foot in and one foot out, and seriously ready to throw in the towel. His wife had lost her job. His second kid was on the way. He wasn't sleeping. He wasn't looking at his numbers. And he wasn't profitable. He hadn't turned a real profit since COVID.

Then he booked a consulting day with me and we sat down in the lobby of an Embassy Suites and faced the brutal truth together. The theme of that day was simple: stop the bleeding. We cut the fat on his payroll, got crystal clear on his role, and I kicked his ass right back into the business he'd been sleepwalking through.

That was the turning point. Four years later, Caesar has nearly doubled his revenue from $28K a month (and losing money) to $48K a month with healthy margins. He's on pace to hit his first $500K year. He hasn't coached a session since last year. He has breakfast with his kids every morning and dinner with his family every night. And he just got the keys to his second location, which is in presale right now.

This episode is for every gym owner out there who's burnt out, questioning whether they can turn it around, and thinking the only answer is to quit. Caesar's proof that it's not.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. All progress starts with the truth. Caesar thought he was in a decent spot financially, but when we actually looked at the numbers, the business was bleeding cash. You cannot fix what you refuse to face. Know your numbers and know what they actually mean.
2. One foot in and one foot out never works. Caesar had grown resentful of his business and was just going through the motions. The moment he committed fully and got both feet back in the circle, everything started to shift.
3. Stop the bleeding before you try to grow. Caesar was overspending on staff he didn't need and roles he couldn't justify. Before we talked marketing or growth, we trimmed the fat and got the business back to a place where it could breathe.
4. Get clear on your role. Caesar was paying other people to do things the owner needed to be doing. We defined exactly what his job was: lead the team, make the sales, and keep a finger on the pulse of the business. Focus is the superpower.
5. Your business is the vehicle, not the enemy. Caesar had built up resentment toward the very thing that was providing for his family. Shifting from "I'm done with this" to "this business gives me the opportunity to build the future I want" changed everything.

FREE MASTERCLASS: Fix the Marketing at Your Gym Thursday, March 26th at 12pm Eastern on Zoom

Register here: https://live.vincegabriele.com/livemasterclass

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!

FREE MASTERCLASS: Fix the Marketing at Your Gym Thursday, March 26th at 12pm Eastern on Zoom. Learn how to install the system that gets 7 to 13 new clients per month without paid ads.

Register here: https://live.vincegabriele.com/livemasterclass

I just dropped a quick one for you. I'm hosting a free live masterclass called "Fix the Marketing at Your Gym" and I'm going to walk you through the exact system that gets 7 to 13 new clients per month without spending a dime on paid ads.

Why 7 to 13? Because I'm not a guru promising you 50 new members a month. I don't even want that for you. That's an operational nightmare. What I want is for you to build a consistent, repeatable system that nets you 4 to 7 members every single month after churn. Do that at $300 to $400 a month and the math starts looking really good, really fast.

Here's what we're covering: exactly what to say in your marketing to attract clients who pay, stay, and refer the most. Where pockets of your ideal clients are hiding right now that you're not marketing to (I'll share how one newspaper ad just booked us 9 consults and has already produced 2 members worth $24K in lifetime value off an $1,800 spend). The exact text message to send that turns dead leads into paying clients. And how AI is changing the way people find gyms and what you need to do right now to make sure you show up in those answers.

I'm also giving away some free tools I've been building behind the scenes but these aren't generic AI outputs. These are built on 19 years of real marketing that actually works, just made faster. You'll only get them if you show up live.

No pitch at the end. No pressure. Just me hanging out with you on a Thursday afternoon talking marketing. Register and I'll see you there.

FREE MASTERCLASS: Fix the Marketing at Your Gym Thursday, March 26th at 12pm Eastern on Zoom. Learn how to install the system that gets 7 to 13 new clients per month without paid ads.

Register here: https://live.vincegabriele.com/livemasterclass

Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!