Latest News and blogs
I Messed This One Up…
Let’s discuss something I could have done better during MFF’s first 9+ years. You see, I will forever identify as an artist. I want MFF to be the most human business possible. I don’t want to overly constrict our operations by forcing people into the straight jack of...
Why MFF Closed a Location [$500k Lesson]
Got a personal story today with some takeaways for your training gym… As a lot of you know, MFF was shot out of a cannon from the moment we hit the ground running. We hit $1m in our very first year in business. And by year four, we broke $4m in a single location. We...
Should You Name Your Business After Yourself?
Great question. The answer is a strong maybe with a side of “Probably not!” Obvious context: my name is Mark Fisher, and I own a gym named Mark Fisher Fitness, hi, it’s very nice to meet you, thrilled to be visiting you here in your inbox. A question that comes up...
How Many Services Should Your Training Gym Offer?
2. Maybe 3. Ok, great talk, happy Thursday {Contact}! .... I kid, I kid. Well, I’m sort of kidding. I actually do think “2-3” is usually a good answer in many situations. But you know how I roll; I shan’t leave you hanging without context! Let’s start by analyzing...
Best Market for a Training Gym? (NOT What You Think)
And it’s totally upside down from conventional wisdom. (I’d sincerely love for you to give this a read and respond one way or the other ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO CONFIRM I’M CORRECT jkjkjk.) Ya ready? “The easiest market to build a sustainable and high-margin...
Why Your Marketing Sucks (And How to Fix It)
It’s ok. Don’t beat yourself up! Not all of us had the good fortune to receive a BFA in musical theater, the widely accepted gold standard for education in fitness business excellence. *Mark humbly bows to you with a flourish of his top hat* Furthermore, the confusion...
Should You Offer a Free Trial?
Let’s dive head first into this hornet’s nest and answer another of the most common questions in all of Training Gymdom… Should you offer a free trial? Here’s how I suggest thinking about this… First off, we need to appreciate that unless you have some low barrier way...
Should You Increase Rates for Long Time Members?
Yes. Yes, you should! Listen, I’m all about loyalty; at times, to a fault. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned (the hard way), it’s this: When you prioritize individuals over the group, the group suffers, and then it’s still a bad outcome for individuals. This is a...
Should You Have Your Prices on Your Website?
Let’s talk about prices and websites. The Fitness Business Thought Leader Industrial Complex has many strong — and conflicting — opinions on this topic. Here my personal take. In a vacuum, your best bet is often something like this: “Prices start at X, but depend on...
Number One Missing System…
Today I want to highlight the most common missing system I see in training gyms and micro gyms… And that’s the follow-up. Let’s assume you’ve got... A compelling low barrier offer that makes it easy to get started and removes all risk Communication channels to make...
How Much Should You Charge for Your Services?
If you’re in a market where the other options are low priced, volume gyms where people rent access to equipment. Now we know that’s not a fair comparison; you’re not selling equipment access, you’re selling coaching and accountability
How Can I Make Sure My Team Follows Our Systems?
Want to cover a pretty common challenge for training gyms (and frankly, all businesses)… Whether you’ve got a larger facility with 10+ staff, or just hired a part time trainer and/or admin, the only way for you to have true peace of mind is with a well-trained team....
Fitness Business Coaches [The Truth]
Here’s a common point of debate in the Fitness Business Guru Industrial Complex: Do fitness business coaches need to be running their own training gym? (Longer one today… get a cup o’ joe to sip on…) One side of the issue says: “Yes. If you’re not (currently) running...
BOCTAOE
BOCTAOE.
This is an acronym popularized by Scott Adams that stands for “but of course there are obvious exceptions.”
Why Should You Start a Business?
My dearest, please indulge me as today we’re getting semi-philosophical. There are lots of reasons to start a business. To help more people. To be the captain of your professional fate. To have fun. To increase your earning potential. To learn and grow as a human...
How Do I Know What to Work on in My Business?
One of the most common challenges we face as training gym owners is deciding what to work on next. After all, we have constraints of time, energy, and money. And being a business owner can make you feel like you’re snorting crushed up crazy pills, so it can be hard...
How Do I Get More Referrals?
Quick suggestion for you to get more referrals for your training gym… Long time readers know we’ve covered this topic in depth (article HERE), but in the spirit of giving you a quick takeaway, here’s your move: Instead of bribing clients to get you paying members,...
5 Key Traits of Modern Leaders (with links to TED Talks)
I’ve been thinking and reading about leadership a ton over the last few months while creating the Leadership Society. To be fair, leadership is a topic I’ve been fascinated by for most of my life. It’s become clear to me that the recipe for great leadership...
How To FOCUS and Create High Quality Work Even If You’re Easily Distracted
Even in normal times, it can be challenging to strap yourself down to your desk and bang out mission-critical projects: the demanding and creatively challenging work that will move your professional ball forward. And at the time of this writing, we’re deep in the...
What’s Working NOW In Marketing
If you’re looking to build a thriving business, the marketing piece is actually pretty simple. First, there need to be some systems that alert people to your existence. Then there needs to be some systems that help your prospects come to like and trust you over time....
240 Words on Building a Business
Building a business is not for everyone. It takes guts, vision, and persistence. If you want to build a business... You’ve got to have a vision for the value you can bring to the world and be willing to fight like hell to make it happen. You...
4 Ways to Upgrade Your Team’s Customer Service
No matter what business you’re in, great customer service will always be an asset. But if you’re in any service-related industry, it’s a non-negotiable foundation. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs focus most of their attention on the service itself, without thinking...
The Perfect Done-For-You One-on-One Meeting Agenda for Managers
What do you think is the most important skill for a manager to have? When I ask people this, they often say it's hiring the right people, being a good problem solver, or building systems that scale. I agree that they are all super important skills, but I think the #1...
40 Years, 40 Lessons (Maxims Only)
NOTE: This particular post is the MAXIMS ONLY version. It offers my thoughts in rapid fire style, but admittedly, without much (potentially helpful) context. The FULL TEXT (~8000 words) version is for those who want to understand my perspective more completely via...
40 Years, 40 Lessons (Full Text)
NOTE: This particular post is the FULL TEXT (~8000 words) for those who want to understand my perspective completely. It provides more context on the rapid fire thoughts from the original post. For the MAXIMS ONLY post, go HERE. *********** Hi there true believers!...
What Can You Learn From 2019?
We’d all like to believe that we’re the kind of person who learns from our past to improve our future. That is exactly what my article will help you do today. As 2019 comes to a close, give yourself the gift of self-reflection to consider all the highs and lows of the...
Avoid Burnout: How to Take Care of Others While Caring for Yourself
The fastest way to burnout as a helping professional is to take on the thoughts and feelings of your clients as your own. It doesn’t have to be that way. It is truly possible to be available to help others while still leaving some gas in the tank for ourselves at the end of each day.
Inside Mark’s Head: Musings on Time Management, Critical Thinking, Effective Learning, and More
Behold! More musings on topics like time management, critical thinking, effective learning and more. And as always, you’ll find actionable takeaways to get better results in your life and business. Enjoy. ********Learning: 5 Tips To Improve Your Skill and Wisdom...
The New Must-Have Skillset for Business Leaders
(Disclaimer: Hey Fitness People! To avoid any confusion, when I use the word coach in this context I’m talking about the umbrella term for any professional who guides and instructs and not specifically a personal trainer or fitness coach. Cool? Disclaimer over.)...
5 Random Musings On Self-Discipline, Leadership, Burning Man, and More
Behold! In today's post I bring some quick thoughts on topics ranging from self-discipline to leadership to Burning Man and more. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy...Self-Discipline: Use A Habit-Tracking System To Help You Adopt Good Habits The past few years,...
The Big Three Questions of Marketing
In this video, I break down the three questions you MUST answer to effectively market your business. Give it a watch and let me know what you think in the comments below. (And for those that prefer to read or simply want to get the gist without watching the full...
3 Tips for Taking Feedback Like a Pro
We often focus on improving our ability as managers and leaders to give feedback, but we should also spend time becoming better at receiving feedback. Receiving feedback can be difficult for two main reasons: it is unexpected or it is emotionally triggering. In this...
6 Reasons Your Marketing Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It)
If there’s one goal all businesses have in common, it’s to get more clients and customers. And yet many business owners are reluctant to get serious about marketing. After all, most people don’t open up a business because they want to become marketers. For obvious...
Why Should People Listen to You? [5 Strategies for Establishing Your Credibility and Authority]
In nearly every type of business, it is essential to position yourself as an authority. You are an expert on solving a specific problem for your customers and you are asking them to trust you with their time, attention and money. The first question any responsible...
5 Quick(ish) Thoughts On Luck, Survival, and Success
Behold! Some useful and provocative business musings to make your life and business better. ************************ Beware Of Advice From Successful, Lucky Idiots A strong operator can handle a crappy market. An amazing market can prop up a sloppy operator. The right...
Getting More Leads By Multiplying Your Clients: 4 Questions For Effective Referral Programs
We all know word of mouth from satisfied customers is the cheapest, easiest, and best way to grow your business. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a relatively new business owner to brag about “not doing any marketing.” And to be sure, organic growth from word of mouth...
That Moment When You Question Everything: Is This My Midlife Crisis?
[Disclaimer: This is not a typical post for a business blog (maybe it should be?). So if you’re not ready for some raw, unfiltered emotion, this may not be the post for you.] Right now, as I’m typing this, I am having a moment when I am questioning everything....
Consistently Excellent: 5 Keys to Train Your Team on Systems Mastery
Any leader knows the only way to succeed in business is through creating systems. Good systems provide clearly documented procedures for how business is conducted. This leads to consistency for the experience of clients and customers, and a team of people who have a...
What’s Cash Flow And Why Should You Give A Sh*t?
You have heard the expression cash is king, right? Well, in business that couldn't be more true. Let's start with the basics. What is cash flow? Cash flow is the total amount of money being transferred into and out of your business on a regular basis....
The Ultimate Booklist for Entrepreneurs: 48 Books to Supercharge Your Business
For anyone who knows me in real life or follows me on the interwebz, it’s no secret I have a problem. You see… I’m a junkie. Every day I wake up and live a life of servitude to my addiction. It’s all consuming. It’s obsessive. And at times, it’s truly a burden for...
A Brief (Motivating?) Rant About Why You Should Do Less, But Better
Allow me a brief moment to rant. I’m not promising that it will be productive, but it will be passionate. There is a subset of business coaches and thought leaders peddling dangerous ideas like you can have it all if you’re willing to hustle, and if you’re not...
How To Use Public Speaking to Establish Authority and Grow Your Business (Even If You Hate Speaking In Public): Part 2
In the first part of our deep dive into public speaking, we covered how to create a structure that sets you up for success. By crafting a strong opening and ending, logically ordering your content, and designing a strong slide deck, you’re off to a great start. (Did...
How To Use Public Speaking to Establish Authority and Grow Your Business (Even If You Hate Speaking In Public): Part 1
According to conventional wisdom, most people fear public speaking more than death. While this sounds extreme at first, upon reflection, it does follow a certain logic. After all, we’ve been designed by natural selection to feel a healthy dose of nerves anytime we’re...
MFF’s Best Blog Post of 2018 (And What You Can Learn From It)
One of the most common issues I heard from business leaders in 2018 was how difficult it can be to create online content that gets traction. With so much noise on our social platforms these days and the rising cost of online advertising, it can harder than ever for...
Know Your Numbers: A Non-Intimidating Overview of Key Performance Indicators
There comes a point in every business’s life where it’s time to grow up. In the beginning, many businesses are run with a heavy focus on getting leads and customers. The bank account is closely watched, but only so we can be certain to not run out of cash. Over time,...
10 Quick Tips for Building Community
In the past year, I’ve worked with over one hundred business leaders. And in all of those interactions, there was one topic that arose the most frequently. Every business owner wants to know how to build community. It’s not enough these days to just have a solid...
How to Create a Daily Gratitude Practice and 5 Reasons You Should Have One as a Leader
First things, first. What the heck is a daily gratitude practice? There are many definitions of gratitude depending on the research you look at, but I like to think of gratitude as the acknowledgment of positive outcomes in your life and the reasons for those positive...
16 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service, Part 2: Grow Your Revenue and Increase Retention By “Giving A Sh*t”
And without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into the second half of our two part series and learn more ways to up-level your customer service. In part two, we’ll cover: The perils of standardizing “wow” moments How to stand out by actually being a real live human...
16 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service, Part 1: Grow Your Revenue and Increase Retention By “Giving A Sh*t”
Call me old-fashioned, but I find great customer service inspiring. Based on your industry, customer service can take many forms. It can be an expertly prepared and served meal. It can be a thoughtfully curated travel experience. It can simply be a warm and personal...
The Missing Link for Leaders: 3 Ways to Improve Your Business by Improving Yourself
Most leaders think of their work in two categories, working in your business and working on your business. When you are working in your business you are engrossed in the day-to-day operations and are often focused on being a manager. Managers create structure and...