Fitness Business University Podcast

SPEAKER_00: What's up, guys?

Welcome to another special
episode.

I am doing with members of my
SPF mastermind.

Super excited to do these
interviews, and we're doing this

in conjunction too with a
project that we're having, which

is basically a book that shares
all the success of some of our

longer term members.

And I twofold from this.

One, it you know helps us, you
know, document the success that

we're having with people.

But two, it's like it acts as
fuel and inspiration for you

guys listening to hear about
these gym owners that despite

everyone saying business is
tough out there and everything's

really hard.

And uh there are people that are
that are doing well, you know,

despite that, and you know,
allow this to serve as

inspiration for for you.

So I am today here with Marty
Vaughn, and he is the owner of

360, and I have the shirt to
prove it.

Actually, your shirt is one of
the ones I wear most.

It's a good gray, old school
gray that I like.

I like I like gray, and I like,
you know, when I work out in it

and I sweat.

I like it.

You can in a gray shirt, you can
tell that's really sweat.

Yeah, it's a good shirt.

It's a good shirt.

And you are in Nashville,
Tennessee, and I've been in the

group for quite a while now.

But what I the main thing I'm
interested in today, Marty, is

for you to share where you were
when you when you came.

You're in a really good spot
right now.

You're in my CEO mastermind,
you're making a bunch of money,

it's like things are going
really good.

And we'll talk about where you
are right now, but I want to

take us back to where you were,
you know, when you joined, and

really I honestly, where you
were before and what made you

make the decision to kind of
come aboard and do some of the

stuff with us.

So take us back.

SPEAKER_01: All right.

Well, yeah, I opened uh brick
and mortar in 2016, just kind of

you know, just getting out of
another another business, kind

of on the one-on-one trajectory,
uh, trying to get away from

that.

And I knew I wanted to do some
semi-private small group

training.

That was the business model I
wanted to chase.

So I just decided, okay, it's
it's time to open my open my

place.

So I brought off rover my
one-on-ones, another trainer.

We just kind of started off in
the place I'm in right now and

had some slow growth, and we
were going pretty well.

And then, you know, as uh is
usual the case, the uh you know,

COVID kind of hit in the 2020.

So that kind of put a little bit
of a detour into everything.

So it kind of gave me an
opportunity to kind of reassess

where I'm at.

I had to because I uh I became a
sole trainer in my business.

I called myself a kitchen table
trainer because everybody within

my gym was was on Zoom training
that still stayed with me.

So I kept my head above water
and it helped me survive.

And that's kind of when I think
I started listening to you.

I found your podcast.

You you kind of spoke about you
know what to do in this

shutdown.

And I and I kind of borrowed
your ideas of inviting people

into the gym, take some, you
know, take some equipment home,

and that allowed people to still
stay under the umbrella of

training for me and still
provided revenue.

So I I didn't make any money,
but I didn't lose any money

either.

So I was kind of still, you
know, still there.

And then once we reopened and
and had the chance to reopen, I

thought, well, you know, this is
a good opportunity to make some

new hires, kind of start fresh,
if you will.

And that's when I think you sent
me an email inviting me to the

uh the mastermind.

It was it was a Zoom mastermind,
it was not in person.

And after that when I joined, it
was it was July 2020.

And that's just when I I just
knew I needed some help.

I needed I needed my own
personal trainer for my

business, just like people that
come to us need personal

trainers to kind of take you by
the shoulders and direct you in

certain areas that you need to
go.

And you know, I I liked your
personality.

I like you have kind of uh just
a you know, I could have a beer

with you just as much as you
tell me what what is good for my

business.

So I I like that part of it, and
you own your own business.

So they kind of attracted me to
you through that with your

podcast and and then you know,
just the meetings.

So, you know, since then and and
go back before that, I was a

member of another mastermind.

That it it was okay, but it was
just I I felt it was not exactly

what I needed.

For some reason it was lacking.

So I quit that about a year
later and then or a year before

that, and then you know, I I
could have found you.

I just knew I needed some some
help and direction coming out of

COVID and and you know, taking
that next step and a little bit

more of a a guided trajectory
into you know to where I'm at

right now.

SPEAKER_00: What was the the
biggest frustrations that you

were having, the biggest things
that were possibly happening in

your business and life that were
calling you to get help?

SPEAKER_01: I think it was just
to be honest, the first thing

was just kind of my own personal
development.

I mean, nothing happened with me
really until I looked in the

mirror first rather than looking
through the window what other

people are doing.

It's like I had to kind of get
my shit right before I could

kind of take the business.

You know, you you say your
business is a reflection of the

owner, good or bad.

And and until I got that right,
you know, I actually quit

drinking and it kind of just
kind of you know, it cleared my

mind.

Everything kind of just kind of
I needed this to go this way.

It'll it allowed me to kind of
look a little bit in depth into

my own shit and get that right
first.

And then, you know, that's when
I started growing and things

started becoming more clear.

But uh, but just getting out of
my own way and knowing I needed

that help.

And you know, this business, I
guess any small business is very

lonely.

It's like you're on a desert
island.

And you know, I can't look to
friends here in town to see what

they're doing well, because
that's my competition.

So, you know, that's what helped
with this mastermind.

I was able to take what other
people are doing, maybe, you

know, in New Jersey or New York,
you know, they don't mind

sharing because I'm not their
their competition.

And uh, you know, and it just
got it from you because you own

your own gym still.

And it's like you're you're
coming at all this with pure

knowledge of what's working now.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

Where were you in terms of the
amount of money that you were

making at that time?

Like, were you satisfied with
that?

Was that a driver for getting
help?

Like what was oh yeah, yeah,
absolutely.

SPEAKER_01: Yes.

I mean, the whole the whole idea
is to kind of you know get into

the semi-private training.

The whole reason I wanted to do
that is so I could make more

revenue with you know, with my
training energy and the hours

I'm putting in.

So I knew that was kind of the
the next step.

But but yeah, I mean, I I was I
think I was fifteen thousand a

month was kind of my revenue
around then.

You know, it was you know, I was
getting by with it.

You know, I I knew that was my I
was still fresh into the new

business world and owning my own
business.

And so, but I I needed that next
step.

I needed somebody to kick me in
the butt, tell me what to do to

continue to grow.

SPEAKER_00: And when you were
making that 15,000 You were

doing all the work.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I was
doing most of the work.

I was still doing some
one-on-ones.

I had another trainer who was
kind of paying me, kind of he

was more in a independent
contractor, paying me a little

bit of rent.

So it was working, but it wasn't
gonna work for the long term.

You know, it was it was keep it
was keeping me fed and housed,

but it wasn't really, you know,
doing much more than that, you

know.

Right.

SPEAKER_00: So you weren't
living on the street, but you

weren't even close to making the
money amount of money you you

wanted to make.

And what was the schedule like?

Was it kind of a grueling
schedule at that point?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I was
I was doing all the programming,

all the program writing, all the
marketing, which was little to

nothing.

You know, I was trying to do my
own Facebook ads and stuff like

that.

And it was just, you know,
trying to learn how to be a

marketer, which I don't, you
know, which I'm a better

marketer now, but trying to
create Facebook ads.

I mean, I'd rather pull my
fingernails out than than do

that.

But it's but yeah, I was just
doing everything.

I was just a one-man show.

And you know, that that went as
far as it could before.

I was just like, I have to do
something.

SPEAKER_00: I'm so interested
because I you're you're like

you're like a COVID baby for us,
you know, like in terms of you

know, when you join the group.

Um because it's like I I it's I
think sometimes I almost try to

forget COVID and how like
horrible it was.

But I realized like you
mentioned something about how I

was like teaching people what to
do from a podcast.

And I I I honestly don't like
bring myself back to that

moment, but like what were you
experiencing during COVID from

like a business standpoint from
like the the uncertainty must

have been just immense?

Like I know it was for me,
right?

But like what was like the
emotional state, the

uncertainty, like what was going
on in your mind about the

business during COVID that made
you, you know, kind of make the

jump to us.

Like I'm trying, I'm trying to
like get back to that point of

like, all right, yeah, you're
struggling, but like also the

this COVID thing that you're
doing at the same time.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean it's it
was the unknown.

It's like you just don't know
what the hell is you don't we

didn't know how long we were
gonna stay shut down, if it was

gonna be a year or whatever, but
you know, it's I I think I look

back, it's like I needed help,
and I was you know, keep him

ahead above water, but I also
understood I have to invest some

money to make this next step,
and I was willing to do that.

And it was scary because you
know, it's like, oh shit, I

might not I might need this
money next month, but you've got

to pay to play and to grow and
and just you know take that next

step.

And it was, you know, it was
best decision I've made from a

business standpoint so far,
other than just starting my own

business and moving to a brick
and mortar.

So yeah, it was it's it's been
uh it's been amazing.

SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna start
telling people, like, I mean,

based on where you were and
where you are now, like you're

calendar right now.

Like I love you're in the CEO
mastermind and you come in and

like your numbers, everyone's
looking at your numbers and

they're jealous as hell of you,
like which is just my P L.

Right.

Uh you're doing really good
right now.

And but like before we get into
revealing how good you're

actually doing, because I do
want to talk about that and like

where the business is and what
your schedule's like, it's it's

a lot better.

What were the things, and I
think this is where people can

start getting some coaching from
you, right?

Some insights from you on what
were the things that you started

to do after you joined us,
right?

That made you re-like, oh wow,
this is starting to work.

I'm starting to make more money,
I'm starting to, you know, have

a little bit better schedule.

My business is, I'm starting to
like this business thing more,

and we like it more when we have
success.

Well tell us some of the things
that happened that made you

start to realize that this was
working.

SPEAKER_01: I think the first
thing, one of the first things

was you know, farming out my uh
my my marketing and taking that

off my plate.

Because that was his kind of
wearing me down and you know,

letting the professionals do
that.

Create the Facebook ads, help me
out with my website, and just

make sure that was dialed in
first.

And then that that really helped
me because I've been doing 50

strong.

It's kind of my it kind of led
me down this path where I'm at

right now because my I'm dialed
into the 50 and up age group.

That's what I do best, we do
best.

That's what we're kind of known
for in Nashville, and becoming

more known.

And that was from the marketing
company.

And it's like that's I got tons
of leads, tons of new members

from that, you know, from from
that marketing campaign.

That in conjunction with people
realizing after COVID, if they

took care of themselves, COVID
would not affect them as much.

So it was kind of that it kind
of perfect perfect distortor, if

you will.

SPEAKER_00: I want to stay, I
want to stay, I want to stay

right there because that's a
good point.

And I and I totally forgot about
that about you, that a lot of

people were kind of like leaning
on this 40 plus thing, like I

was.

And you kind of took it, and I
think that's what I mean.

One of the things that we teach
in mastermind is the clarity on

target market.

That's one of the principles
that that I learned from Dan

Kennedy.

It's one of the principles that
I've taught you guys many times.

It's like, who is the person
that you're trying to get into

your gym?

It's one of the most important
decisions.

The clearer you can be with
that, the easier the marketing's

gonna be.

And you went all in on the 50
plus market, and you still are

today.

Take us back to that decision,
you know, and the clarity around

that decision of this side.

Because here's the thing, when
you make a decision like that,

you it's hard because now you're
saying no to other things.

So it's not an easy thing to do.

So tell us about that decision.

SPEAKER_01: I think it that
stemmed from early on in my

training days where I, the
company I was working for, I I

took the hard ones.

You know, I took the older ones,
I took the people with knee

replacements because I felt
like, okay, if I don't know how

to work with these people, I'll
learn how to work with them as I

go.

So I kind of became the guy who
nobody else wanted.

All the trainers say, hey,
Martin Marty, I'll take them.

And it's like it it was valuable
because you know, you've become

so much better working with the
challenging ones.

You know, the young athletes, I
mean, they're kind of easy, but

to me it's like, and those are
those are people who who need

our help.

And there's a void out in the
industry still of people who,

you know, where do they turn if
they can't go to a boot camp or

a crossfit?

It's like a floor's in the
middle.

It's like they they're kind of
on their own out in the middle

of the ocean trying to survive.

So I I think just finding a home
and and knowing there's a place

for people that need that help,
there's a void in that in the

industry right now.

So knowing that that they have
that extra money they're willing

to spend, they know they need
it, they know they need help,

and you know, they know they
can't do it on their own or they

might hurt themselves and you
know do it wrong.

SPEAKER_00: So I want to I want
to make an interesting turn here

and ask you this question.

When you were doing 50 plus a
lot, and a lot of people do 50

plus, they think, well, they're
older, they're banged up, they

knee replacement, stuff like
that.

A lot of times we think
one-on-one.

And your business was one-on-one
heavy, yeah, and your business

is now very heavy, small group,
semi-private, as you call it,

right?

Yeah, so I don't like that term.

You don't need a word.

SPEAKER_01: I like the word
private.

SPEAKER_00: I like the word like
getting people there half naked

in the bathroom.

Like, what is it?

I don't know.

It doesn't it doesn't dive
through it anyway.

But but you have done a
brilliant job of going from a

very one-on-one heavy business
to almost, I mean, I think you

have some one-on-ones, but not a
lot, right?

The majority of your customers
are are small group,

semi-private.

85%.

Yeah, 85%.

And so talk us about that shift
going from like a market that

you almost like think they have
to be in that one-on-one

setting.

And you didn't change your
market when you went to small

group.

You kept the same market still
50 plus focused.

Talk about the shift from your
business model of being

one-on-one to small group.

SPEAKER_01: I think, I mean, to
be honest, I'm I'm 56.

So I think there's that age, you
know, the age, I forget in this

in the mastermind you said 10
years up or 10 years down.

Yeah, that's the important
thing.

SPEAKER_00: That's like you you
your age, you can relate best to

people 10 years you're senior
and 10 years you're younger.

So if you're 40, you'll relate
to people that are 10 years

older than you and 10 years.

So if it's like 30 to 40 and
then 40 to 50, if you will.

So that's it.

SPEAKER_01: There's already that
built-in trust before they even

start with you.

So like they they know that
you're kind of, you know, you've

you've done this for a little
bit and you have a little bit of

knowledge about what's going on.

And you know, again, I'm 56, so
I'm kind of in their in their

atmosphere to begin with.

But but yeah, and and from that,
with my model, I'm still doing

our screening.

My the first session with
everybody is with me.

So I I build that trust with
that first session after they

decide to join.

And I can I educate people.

I take into a little bit of the
functional movement systems and

just kind of educate them rather
than sit there and pick them

apart.

So I use that as it's I'm still
actually kind of selling them on

long term, even though they paid
me money already.

So I'm kind of building trust
and just showing them, you know,

what they're what they're good
at, what they're not great at,

and educating them on why
certain things might be

happening.

So I'll build that trust even
within that first session.

And then after that, that's when
they kind of go into a that they

will have another one-on-one,
maybe with me, it might be with

my head trainer.

And then they go into the
semi-private where they kind of

it's kind of they're on ramped a
little bit more than just thrown

into the middle of the of the
fire and and just hoping hoping

praying and keep our fingers
crossed that everything's gonna

work out.

So it's less of a gamble, and
you know, I'm build I'm building

that trust and community with
that person.

SPEAKER_00: When you were doing
one-on-one, what were you

charging?

SPEAKER_01: Probably 75 when I
was starting to review.

SPEAKER_00: And what are you
charging for a small group?

SPEAKER_01: Small group,$397 a
month for two sessions a week is

kind of my sweet spot right now.

SPEAKER_00: So it's about$40.

Is that it?

So and you're getting$45.

And so you're getting, what is
it,$399?

Divided by eight.

Yeah,$50.

No,$399 divided by eight is$50.

So you are getting six in a
session?

SPEAKER_01: We're doing four
right now.

I kind of I can't I keep it at
four because we do have that

more needy clientele.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's fine.

But so you basically went from
making$75 an hour to$200.

And do you think anyone would
have gone from one-on-one$75 to

200?

SPEAKER_01: No.

SPEAKER_00: All right, and
that's the beauty of the model.

Maybe one or two.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

One or two rich folks over there
in Nashville.

Okay, great.

No, but this is great.

I think it's a lot of people
because a lot of people get

stuck on the model and they
think that, oh, if I have a

specific, but so a couple of
things you did well.

You I really clearly narrowed
down the market that you were

going to go after, and then you
built a profitable model.

You didn't just stick with a
model like that you were doing

before.

You found a model that was gonna
make you money, and you found a

way to structure it in a way
that was effective for that

market.

unknown: Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Brilliant.

Exactly.

Brilliant.

What are the other things that
you did?

What were the things like I'm
gonna tell people where you are

now and they're gonna be like,
holy shit.

But like, what were the elves
were like step taking stepping

stones from when you started in
COVID to where you are now?

What were the other like big
kind of moves you made from a

business standpoint that helped
you go from you know where you

were to where you are?

SPEAKER_01: Well, obviously, I'm
not doing this by myself.

So it it uh, you know,
magnifying glass on team and

bringing in team members, and
it's still not perfect.

I've I've made some bad
decisions, yeah.

But but you know, I'm still kind
of, I mean, I have a great team

now that's those bad decisions
make me look a little bit harder

at at potential coaches.

So it's just you know, that's
that's part of the growing

process.

But that my time management,
which I'm still working on, it's

still it's not perfect.

I mean, I still try to work on
the time management and and it's

hard to get them on way
sometimes, but that and you

know, just just listening to
everything that you guys tell me

because we we were on a call
yesterday, and it's like I've

I've heard things a hundred
times from you the same the same

thing, but sometimes when you
need to hear that, it pops up.

Kind of like when you're in
church, sometimes it's like hey,

they're speaking to me.

It's like there it's you just
hear it when you need it.

And so it's it's those things,
and that that's that's charging

my battery when I when I come to
the meetings every Wednesday.

It's a battery charger.

I plug my plug my charger into
you.

SPEAKER_00: No, you're the man.

No, you you've done tremendous.

And let's talk about any
specific things that you have

done from a marketing standpoint
that have generated new

customers.

You've had some really big years
the last like two years.

Like when you you've got like
some net client growth that's

like solid.

What were some of the things
that you campaigns or marketing

ideas that that brought in a
good chunk of members that you

could share?

Because I want this to be about
two, not just you know, the

story, but are you know the
listeners gonna pull something

from this um and get an idea
from you that you could coach

them on that they could go
implement?

SPEAKER_01: What were some of
the things that you that I think

I think the biggest one of the
big or the biggest thing is

referrals from my membership
base because the people like

that?

SPEAKER_00: You're killing it
with referrals, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: With my with people
that bring in it's like they

have friends who are needing the
same thing.

You know, they hang around
friends that are similar to the

age groups uh that they're in.

So it's just like they, you
know, they come in and they

bring friends, and and one of
the biggest things lately is

it's a referral campaign where
the gift of fitness.

So I gave people the option to
give as many people, friends,

coworkers a free month of
training as they wanted through

a text campaign.

Basically sent them the
information.

They went to a landing page,
entered that person some

information, it popped up,
introduced us, and then I kind

of, you know, just kind of the
rest was on me.

So that that simple Wait, I
wanna I want to explain this.

SPEAKER_00: I wanna I want to
make sure if we have it.

SPEAKER_01: So you basically
sent your members a text that

yeah, so well what first of all,
I make the personal say, hey, do

you have anybody that you would
like to prefer?

I can let me and I sent I use
Nom Lee so I sent them a a uh

pre um setup text where it kind
of it takes them to my uh uh

convert cloud.

And there's a there's a form in
there, they fill out the

information for their for their
friends.

Their friend gets the text, then
I also get the introducing text

from me, and then that I'm able
to reach out and say, Hey, would

you like to jump on a phone
call, something like that.

So it's a it's an introductory,
but it gives that person a whole

month to get a taste for what we
do.

So to me, uh like a two-day or
three-day or even a week, it's

just not enough for people in
that age group to get a good

understanding of what they can
benefit from.

So a month, you know, you get a
pretty good idea with a with a

month of training to understand,
hey, this I'm seeing some

results already.

So it kind of gives them that.

Plus, when you get a referral
from a good member, it's like

that's that's gold.

Uh, you know, the any any extra
work that we have to put towards

to to bring in that person is
it's it's it's a worth it's

worth this weight and gold.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think
the the the cool thing about

what you're doing is you're not
just sitting and waiting for

referrals, like you're actually
doing something to generate

referrals.

And I like the text campaign
too, because I've done something

similar, but like sometimes we
do like a hard copy thing or

sending a letter in the mail,
but the text thing seems to make

it an envelope system, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but it's like
a virtual envelope system, yeah,

yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: And I I I I like
that idea a lot.

Like you have the conversation
with somebody, and a lot of

times the conversation, they're
like, Yeah, yeah, I'll I'll send

someone, and then they never do.

But the text kind of allows you
to keep the conversation going.

Exactly.

I do remember that when we were
tracking how many customers we

were getting from referrals.

I think we did that at one of
the meetings.

And I remember you were like
through the roof with the amount

of referrals that that you were
getting.

Is there anything else?

What other from a marketing
standpoint, what were there some

of the other things?

Were there campaigns you've run,
any playbooks that we gave you

that you ran?

Like what were some of the other
things?

SPEAKER_01: Um the 50 strong
going back to that.

SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, yeah,
yeah.

SPEAKER_01: Basically, that is
that's too much of the price of

one.

So you I'm I'm going back to
that free month that's stuck in

there, you know, kind of hiding
that kind of has always worked

for me.

So if you get too much of the
price of one, then two months of

progress, they're very
comfortable with what we do.

They've met people in the gym
and they've become acclimated to

what to what we do.

So it's just it's it's I don't
know the numbers, but I mean,

I'm always people always stay.

Very rarely do I have a person
that says, Well, I I I'm not

ready for this, or I can't
afford it.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and how did
you promote 50 strong?

Like what were the ways that you
got it out there?

SPEAKER_01: See, 50 strong, I
it's off it's off Facebook and

and um Instagram.

That that that kind of really
drove my membership base right

after COVID.

It kind of cooled off a little
bit.

But even, you know, even with
people who come in that came

from the website, I still offer
that as a good as goodwill and a

good gesture to say, hey, we
happen to have this two months

for the price of one 50 strong,
I want to give you that offer.

I want to give you that uh
ability to take advantage of

that.

Nice.

So it's like there and of course
there's like all the things.

SPEAKER_00: And they gotta pay,
right?

So you're getting a customer,
right?

They're paying for it, they're
investing in it, they're just

getting it to buy one, get one.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I find so much
more value in that.

If they're gonna pay something
as opposed to like a free trial,

you know, the uh I think having
some ass in the game kind of

clears out the the fluff.

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

And so so basically the the was
the when you were running 50

strong, was it more of an
evergreen campaign, or was it

something that was more of a
time-sensitive stop start?

Because I've seen people do it
both ways.

SPEAKER_01: It's it's an
evergreen.

I mean, this is like you know, I
I get with a marketing company,

we have different photos and
different people, but it's um

it's it's it's an evergreen, and
it's kind of my evergreen.

It's like some people have the
free whatever or two months, two

two training sessions for$99.

SPEAKER_00: That's that's it's
your it's your front end offer

of hey, when someone wants to
start at 360, you you do this

and you sell this, and it's kind
of how they get going.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm gonna I'm
gonna squeeze as much juice out

of that as I can.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.

And how's the conversion rate
from 50 strong to member, full

member?

SPEAKER_01: Once I do a consult,
I would probably say it's 80%.

Wow.

I mean, I mean if if I get them
in the door.

SPEAKER_00: So you could sell 10
of them, you're getting eight

clients.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

There you go.

Amazing.

Great chairs, Marty.

Let's talk about what the
anticipated.

Where is Marty gone today?

Give us some stats.

Member um, number of members,
revenue, where are you at?

What's your time frame, like
what are you doing all day?

I know you're not nearly
trending as much as you used to.

We we we put the kibosh on that.

SPEAKER_01: I'm training about
15 hours, which honestly I still

want to Yeah, you like doing it,
right?

SPEAKER_00: You like doing it.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do, but I'm
still trying to figure out how

to manage that to where I kind
of you know get down to 10.

It's it's hard.

It's hard when you have people
that have been with you for 20,

25 years.

Yes, yep, yep.

You know, it's it's it's like
breaking up or getting a

divorce.

And yeah, that's just tough.

But but yeah, I mean, I started
out with about I think 35

members and you know, when I
started with you, and each year

I've grown.

So I'm I'm hovering around the
200 to 215 member range.

Boom.

SPEAKER_00: 200 250 members,
like 400 bucks a pile.

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: And that's in, you
know, I'm 2200 square feet of

space.

Boom.

So it it's still it's it's
tight, but I you know, I'm

getting as much as I can out of
the space.

I could I could exp I could
expand a little bit if uh if a

space opens up next door, but uh
you know, I mean that's that's

uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00: That's a damn good
business.

Where's the revenue at right
now?

SPEAKER_01: See, I'm projected
to get 700 this this year.

720 is kind of what my uh when I
did my one year plan.

So I'll get close to that.

SPEAKER_00: And what is that a
month?

Like what's the run rate right
now?

SPEAKER_01: Let's see I'm around
60 a month.

Beautiful revenue.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, very similar
to Marty.

I just said but you you're in
Nashville and he's in New

Jersey, so you're winning.

Yeah, he's got better economics
than you do.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.

More more densely populated,
too.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.

That's amazing.

And then talk about your
schedule.

I know you're training 15
sessions a week, but it's I talk

to you and I know you like to
train.

I I I think you're you're
training because you want to

train, not because you have to
train 15 hours a week, but talk

SPEAKER_01: about your schedule
like I know you play the guitar

like I know like like is there
freedom in your life or are you

still like yeah I mean there
there's I mean there's more

freedom I I can I I can rely on
my team here I I think you know

I just bought a bought a house
something that in my budget

before you know six years ago
would not have even been I

wouldn't have even thought about
it so now I've got I have the

freedom to you know invest some
more money into a nicer house

get out of a get out of my
condominium and just kind of but

but yeah I have some freedom and
go vacations I can you know

really I want to make more but I
don't worry about bills you know

I don't worry about you know
where where my money's gonna

come from I'm more comfortable
I'm I'm able to you know I'm 56

I'm I'm able to invest for
retirement now kind of catch up

on that where I wasn't doing
enough in my earlier years so

I'm looking at that but yeah I'm
just looking you know at at the

freedom aspect of this to where
I can I can take a a day off or

take an afternoon and not worry
that things are going to fall

apart here at my gym.

And then you know my main aspect
right now is just kind of being

the CEO making sure things are
kind of run appropriately make

sure everybody's doing their
stuff I still do I still have a

lot of influence over the
marketing.

I'm still doing all the sales I
kind of I like the sales I think

I'm good at it because you know
again if I'm if somebody's

coming in they're 60 and a 56
year old is gonna meet with them

as opposed to a 22 year old
that's gonna that's gonna hit

different yeah so I I must still
I like doing that I like doing

the consoles I like doing that
first screening session and kind

of you know getting to know the
person.

But yeah I mean this you know
vacation I'm I'm more able to

take time off and just you know
be like a normal person.

SPEAKER_00: Where have you gone
on vacation?

Where where have you gone?

SPEAKER_01: See I went to uh St.

George's Island nice for about a
week as as last year.

Uh buying a house this year I'm
kind of my time's a little bit

crazy.

SPEAKER_00: So I'm I might have
to kick that down the road a

little bit but uh yeah I like
and you and you're playing your

guitar and getting in there in
the bars in Nashville like I

never when I went to Nashville
once I was like there's a bar

like and it's legit every store
is a bar like with the live like

live music it was crazy.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah you walk out of
one door walk next door and it's

another four story bar with
three or four bands in it.

But yeah I I don't play a whole
lot but it gives me the

opportunity to you know I will
travel a little bit with the

with an artist that I play with
and you know we'll go to

Colorado sometimes Texas and you
know it gives me that freedom to

do that and and you know still
pay the bills without depending

on music for that which is yeah
tough to do let's so great

picture and then what's the
staff look like how many staff

members do you have see I'm at
seven now including myself

including myself I think seven
yeah I just hired I just hired a

trainer and she came back she
was looking for some more work

she was pre-COVID but as you
know I've been kind of looking

to feel that member that
customer uh appreciation or

member support person and she
fills that void just about

perfectly because she's she's
done that in the past she did it

for me then and she'll be also
be training a little bit so yeah

I have two full time three
part-time almost full time so

you know for right now it's it's
going well beautiful but you

know that'll probably change the
more who knows you know how that

goes so obviously we just
highlighted some of the business

success that you've had what are
the personal wins you know that

have come from the
transformation that you made in

business what how has it
impacted you as a as as a man as

a business owner like health
stress levels confidence

whatever you want to get into
but like what are the big

changes that you've seen from a
personal standpoint I think I

mean with personal training it's
always been looked at as kind of

a it's a part-time gig it's like
what what are you gonna do when

you when you grow up and it's
like it was never never looked

at as a true profession.

So I think just knowing I have a
a real job a real business that

brings me a comfortable living
getting you know getting getting

past the COVID thing getting
your business through something

like that it's like I I'll I'll
take anything that comes at me

now I'll I'll I'll be able to
handle that.

So the confidence to do that the
ability to again you know have a

have a livelihood where I don't
really have to worry about bills

I can you know take time off not
really worry about things.

You know you you talk about I
forget what it's called it's you

know I grew up in a very not a
low income but medium to low

income and you know we always
looked at money a differently

and well I can never afford that
or I could you know how do they

afford that and it's like I
don't so I come up from where

it's like it's it's hard to to
realize what I've done, the

accomplishments I've done and
sometimes I have to kind of step

back and say hey you're you
you've made this business a big

thing on your own shoulders.

You know I have a team of course
but everything's kind of all the

decisions have have been mine
and taking that next step and

everything's kind of a little
bit of a a speed bump and a

trajectory and you know it's you
know it's it's always like this

but for the most part the upper
trajectory is what you know what

has to happen that compounding
interest.

So I think I think just you know
being being comfortable you know

knowing I have I have more time
and I can relax a little bit

more take a deep breath.

Know that if I'm out of the gym
and go to the to the mastermind

for a couple of days that it's
gonna be okay.

And I'm a little bit of a
control freak so that's hard.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah yeah yeah no
that's great very well said if

someone was thinking about
joining SPF and they were kind

of hammering and hawing about
being on the fence about it what

what would you tell them?

SPEAKER_01: I mean I would say
you if you want to take the next

step you're either going to
trial the error it might take

you 10 years to get to one spot
or you could take the easy route

hire your own personal trainer
for your business just like you

do you know I just like you help
people get in shape it's like

you'd be a hypocrite not to say
that you don't need help with

the things us most of us
trainers are not good at most of

us trainers don't know shit
about marketing any kind of

business to be honest.

So that's that's the true aspect
of this is becoming a business

person in the training world.

And you know just you just you
got to pay to to to be better.

And it's you know it's not a
it's not a ton to pay it's just

like it's it's rewarding because
you you see the the the trade

off.

And then again it's like you're
you're you're on this desert

island when you run your own
business.

It's like it's very lonely.

It's like you against the world
and to have a whole group of

people to reach out to and
access what they've done wrong

what they've done right and take
those shortcuts is invaluable.

And it's just uh again I
wouldn't I would not be here

talking to you after this if I
didn't have that knowledge

coming from you and the passion
that you have for this and

helping people you know this is
not just a job for you you do

this is a passion that that you
just you love doing what you do

and it and it shows and that's
what keeps me coming back.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah man Marty I
appreciate that and yes I have

found my niche you know I
thought it was fun in owning a

gym but it's really not it's
helping people run better gyms

is is is the niche for me.

SPEAKER_01: Well that that's
that I mean and it's it's the

you have the passion.

SPEAKER_00: It's like you and
you own your own gym and it's

like you're you're making
people's gyms better but you're

making their lives better
because you teach the personal

development that first and like
think about what that change

does to families and it just it
roots out into the into the

world really and that's just a
that's a cool thing that you

have some uh some power over it
it really is that's one of my

like coolest insights from this
is that it it has not stopped at

the owner right that that's some
of the things that we're

teaching the benefit really and
it's funny if you link back to

our mission for this company our
mission for this company is not

to help you it's to help your
customers and their families

right and so if we help you
become better at business you

will help more people in your
community those people will be

healthier those people will have
better influence over their

families those people will have
better influence over their

family members family members
and everything like that.

So it spreads across way deeper
than stopping at Marty Vaughn.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah I mean we're
we're all changing lives you

know yeah we've got to change
our lives first and it's just

yeah that that trickle down is
is it makes it makes the hairs

on my arms stand up.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah Marty you came
to us doing$15,000 a month

you're now doing over 60 you
have ridiculous margins everyone

is jealous of your PL when they
when it comes in everyone's like

I want the 40 plan.

But it's great you've done so
well but again it's been a joy

and an honor to work with you
and to continue to work with you

after all these years.

And I really appreciate you
coming on to share your story

and share all your wins and to
you know for you to watch you

continue to grow into the
awesome business owner that

you've become so natural is very
lucky to have your your company

great job.

SPEAKER_01: Well this has been a
pleasure and it's like uh you

know I wouldn't be here without
you again and you know it's just

uh it's a it's an honor to to be
even considered for something

like this and and and I
appreciate the the opportunity

as well.

SPEAKER_00: Awesome job Marty
thank you buddy