I want to document the development of my business and record insights if it may be of help to anyone here. Also, it will help me to record insights for my own reflection. Lawrence encouraged me to start a business diary on the forum so that’s what this is. Feel free to chime in or ask questions if anything is of interest to you. Currently, I have a business partnership with a local chiropractic and medical center that has a 1600 ft.² machine-based gym available to patients only. The creation of this partnership was a major lesson learned which I will document. It has not been perfect, but it allowed me to get back into personal training without any upfront costs other than the establishment of my LLC. I first became a personal trainer in 2010 after I got out of the army. I worked part time in a few clubs while I was going to college, which led me to managing a gym that was associated with a physical therapy clinic from 2016 to 2017. I got out of the business because the money was terrible, and I entered into corporate marketing and franchise operations at that time. I still work in inside digital marketing and sales to grocery store owners (a tough crowd!) Around 2023, I discovered Mike Mentzer through John Little’s videos. At that time, I shifted my own training style towards heavy duty for about a year. Somewhere around mid 2024, I discovered this podcast and dove a lot deeper into the evolution of high intensity training through the many leaders in HIT that we all know about. I also shifted my training more towards what I would describe as a Nautilus style HIT routine so that I could experience a more simple form of high intensity training without the complexities of pre-exhaust, super sets, etc. My reason for this is that I wanted to put myself in the shoes of a client with regards to workout timing, exercise selection, and overall general feeling at the end of a 30 minute HIT workout. Around the end of the year, I decided that I wanted to bring the style of training to more people and re-ignite my career as a personal trainer, all thanks to Lawrence and the many guests of the podcast.

On Sunday I will be going to a studio which has 18 of the new IS pieces and the Analyzer. It is in Sarasota, Florida. If anyone has any questions they would like me to ask let me know

There is a unique commercial rental concept near me called Flex Spaces. These are brand new semi industrial type units designed for small entrepreneurs. Think of a really clean new garage gym. Would you open a personal training business in a unit like this? Pros: -Affordable. 1,000 sq ft at $1,600/mo with 1 year lease. -Right off of major commuter highway with easy road access. The buildings are visible with large lettering and lit up at night. - Very near an even larger highway that could unlock access for more of the city (~100,000) with relative ease -Large garage door will make equipment load in easy. Single large window for natural lighting. -Bathroom with heating and cooling. Cons: -Located in an semi-industrial area. Not nestled within neighborhoods, but <5 minutes from target neighborhoods. -No curbside visibility beyond the Flex Spaces signage for individual tenants. The only tenant specific signage available appears to be a painted logo on a garage door. -The doctor’s office waiting room vibe will not work here. It is clean and new, but it is still like a garage.

Lots of strength training business owners are relying on paid ads to get clients. The problem is you’re spending money to acquire clients in a business model that already has incredibly high LTV and strong referral rates. And to make it worse, most clients who come in from paid ads—especially META—are low-quality, price-shopping, and rarely stick around long enough to generate real ROI. They don’t refer their friends, either. This leads to lower profit margins, dependency on ad platforms, and burning cash that could go straight to your pocket. After helping businesses go from $0 to $12,573/mo, $8,815/mo to $19,780/mo, and $34,400/mo to $58,480/mo, here’s what I’d do instead: Build a proven organic system using warm outreach, email marketing, and basic social media. This works because HIT businesses have naturally high retention and referral rates when done right — your clients don’t leave and they tell their friends. Which leads to predictable growth, higher profit margins, and money going straight into your pocket instead of Zuckerberg’s. Now, strength training business owners, you can think about it like this… Are you trying to spend money to grow? Or are you trying to keep every dollar you earn while growing faster with clients who stay longer and refer more?

Quick question for the crew — how do you handle billing when clients travel or miss sessions? I currently use monthly recurring billing, which keeps income predictable but gets tricky when clients miss more than a week or want to “bank” sessions or reschedule a bunch at once — even though it’s technically a use-it-or-lose-it setup to hold their spot. Have you found a system that keeps income consistent, sets clear expectations and is easy to manage for you? Curious what’s worked best for you.