Latest News and blogs

We’re having our biggest Unicorn Society retreat EVER this weekend in Boston. If you’re interested in attending future ones, we’re almost ready to unveil our 2023 calendar so our Unicorn Society members can make plans. We go to awesome cities, have great meals and...

Students of the human brain are aware that different cognitive abilities peak at different times in life. Younger brains are more agile. They have more of what’s called “fluid intelligence.” Younger brains have lots of youthful vigor and energy. They have an easier...

For today’s missive, I wanted to share a video I did recently for my YouTube channel. Have you ever wondered exactly how a multimillion dollar training gym allocates its budget? Click the thumbnail below to find out how MFF spends every dollar that comes in the door!

Michael here. It’s been a while. Happy September! Let’s chat about first impressions.  Have you ever been to a traditional Japanese restaurant?  Their front door almost always has a bell or buzzer to announce that someone has entered. Then you are ALWAYS greeted by...

This week we’ve got BFU’s “Secret Weapon” Ben Pickard sharing some actionable tips on create clear standard operating procedures. Ben is one of the greatest “systems minds” I’ve ever met in the fitness industry. Give this a read and go take action! Do you ever feel...

If you’re looking for more leads, there are three ways: Add more lead-generating activities Add more lead-nurturing activities Improve the execution of your current activities Our focus today is the first two pieces. Below is a relatively comprehensive tour of your...

I get stuck in a bubble sometimes. You see, some things that are taken for granted in the fitness business circles I move in. These principles seem obvious to me.  But that’s the Curse of Knowledge for ya. It lulls me into assuming we’re all on the same page about how...

Michael, your friendly substitute teacher here, taking over Mark’s email this week.  Instead of rolling out the a/v cart to play a VHS tape, let’s talk about sales.  Take a deep breath. It’s going to be alright. I promise.  Here’s what I hear all the time from gym...

Got a quick thought for you on visual branding. Most training gym owners are not passionate about design. I totally get that. But there’s still no reason to make the most common mistake I see in branding. Good branding, above all else, should be CONSISTENT. Pick a...

Yours truly is still adjusting to NewDadlandia, so for today’s email, I wanted to direct you to the most recent video from my YouTube Channel. You see, all of time management really just boils down to five steps. And WOW, am I gonna get a chance to finetune my time...

Since yours truly is busy with New Dad Life, we’ve got a guest email from my pal John Franklin of Gym Lead Machine. Fun fact: John has been a pal of mine and Keeler’s for many years. Before his current business, John ran several highly successful Crossfit gyms in the...

We are now two weeks away from baby MFF’s due date. Yowza! With a baby on the way, now’s not a great time for me to be on the road. So it’s pretty awesome that I can now do virtual keynotes from the comfort of my own home. Today I have the good fortune of delivering...

Since we’re just a few days away from the closing of the Early Bird window for the Unicorn Society’s midyear enrollment… I want to shamelessly talk about the humans who provide the BFU coaching magic. You see, if you’re looking for support in growing your training...

Now, we all know that we should have “standard operating procedures” for our training gyms. But sometimes, this can feel overwhelming. Even the term “standard operating procedure” can sound daunting. The good news is that if you do this right, it should be simple....

A few thoughts on this list: Want to learn more about how I get through so many books? Lucky you! Since writing the original version of this post, I’ve outlined my entire system in this post HERE (NOTE: This too needs an update, but it’s a solid overview). This list...

First off, in case you missed it on the socials, I’m proud to announce I’ve recently become an investor in Alloy Personal Training, an emerging fitness franchise. I’m really excited about this opportunity. I expect to learn many lessons and become even more helpful to...

Spending a few days with some of our training gym owners, enjoying Miami, and working on our businesses is more fun than a barrel of monkeys on LSD! In addition to our usual quarterly planning session, this meet-up’s topic was leadership.  As usual, the BFU team...

Keeping this one super quick today, as we’re in prep mode for our first Unicorn Society retreat of 2022. And that means I’m living dat good Miami life with the other unicorn-lovers! But worry not, I shan’t leave you hanging without any Thursday goodness. Today’s...

Time sensitive offers are a great way to encourage your prospects to finally try out — or return to — your training gym. Now there’s a bit of an art to this. We don’t want to “train” our audience to always wait for something special. But a clear call to action and a...

Want to share a very important point that came up in our private Unicorn Society Facebook group. One of our members shared this insightful thought in a post: “I thought I was running a people first business. But now I realize it’s been a people pleaser business.”...

I’m not one for dogmatism. But some principles are essentially laws of nature. And if you’re looking to run a successful training gym? Success requires investment. This is true no matter how you define “success.” Want to make a bigger impact with your business? Want...

Welcome to a brand spankin’ New Year. 🙂 As we think about the year ahead, I wanted to drop you a short note and invite you to get crystal clear on what kind of help you need. You see, sometimes, we know the root of a given issue and we know how to solve it. We just...

Have some extra time this weekend to catch up on some reading? Here are some of our most popular posts from over the last year. They’ll help you hit the ground running in 2022! Why MFF Closed a Location [$500k Lesson] - My scars are your lessons! Haha. All kidding  —...

Quick thought for you today... If you run a business, I bet that sometimes you have feelings. This is normal. It means you care! And feelings can be helpful signals. We don’t want to dismiss them or attempt to block them out and repress them. That never works anyway....

You can usually trust this missive for a weekly heapin’ of actionable fitness business know-how. But long time readers know your friendly author’s commitment to a never-ending liberal arts education. You see, if you want to win at your business — and be the best human...

Seems hard to believe. But we’re a stone’s throw from 2022. If you don’t already have a dedicated 2022 planning session in the books, now would be a great time to pencil one in. The Unicorn Society is gathering in Nashville this weekend to prepare for the new year. In...

I want to share a powerful framing that encapsulates why I’m so passionate about the Unicorn Society. But first, lemme tell you a quick story. Your ol’ pal Mark has had some ups and downs over the past 18 months.  I suspect I’m not alone and maybe you can relate. When...

As we chat with training gym owners for the January enrollment of the Unicorn Society, I’ve been reflecting on the differences between those who just get by and those who thrive.  (Want to learn more about the Unicorn Society? Go HERE.) Listen, this can be tough biz....

I hope this missive finds you well and drinking something seasonal including but not limited to a pumpkin spice latte, apple cider, or a pumpkin ale. #basic If you haven’t already put some thought into leveraging Black Friday/ Cyber Monday, now’s the time to get...

In today’s missive, we’re going to cover five topics where I’ve changed my mind over the past 10 years of running MFF. But first, I wanted to remind you we’ve got a truly awesome virtual event coming up.  If you’ve ever wanted to peel back the curtain and go behind...

In that particular missive, I made an important point: once you’re making money with your training gym, you need to know how to leverage it over time. And I stand by that logic! BUT To make money in your training gym, you need to have a basic understanding of business...

Keeping today short because I hope you’re enjoying your last week of summer. Long time readers know I’m usually in the desert this time of year at Burning Man. I’m skipping this year’s “Rogue Burn,” so no desert for me, alas. But I’m nonetheless semi-off grid. And I’m...

Having a successful training gym means you have a comfortable margin of profit after expenses. This means you receive an appropriate take home income for your efforts.