In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I sit down with Aaron Parlier, owner of Center 45 in Boone, North Carolina.

Aaron shares a grounded, long-term perspective on what actually makes a climbing gym successful. Not rapid expansion, flashy amenities, or forcing your gym into a predefined box, but focusing on community, routesetting, and creating a space people genuinely want to spend time in.

We talk about slow, sustainable growth, why your climbs are the product, and how first impressions at the front desk shape everything that follows.

This episode is especially valuable for new gym owners and operators in small or college towns.

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Show Notes:
00:00 – Aaron’s climbing background & early influences

03:00 – Discovering indoor climbing & falling all the way in

06:00 – Opening Center 45 with limited resources

08:30 – Crowdfunding holds & growing within constraints

11:00 – Capacity issues, weather, and space limitations

14:30 – Partnering with the university climbing wall

16:00 – Making the gym feel welcoming to new climbers

18:30 – Why intimidation kills the first-time experience

21:00 – Front desk energy & first impressions

22:10 – Final advice: slow growth & “it's about the bread”

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth

Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/

In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I sit down with Andrew Coffey, founder of The Hive Climbing in British Columbia.

From opening one of Canada’s first bouldering only gyms in 2012 to now running six locations, Andrew breaks down the lessons, systems, and philosophy behind The Hive’s growth.

We talk about:

• Expanding before systems were ready
• The realities of scaling past 150 employees
• The cost of building gyms today
• How COVID reshaped their entire business
• Why “Make Life Better” became their company mission

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Show Notes:

00:00 – Andrew’s backstory & discovering climbing

07:00 – Opening The Hive’s first gym & early lessons

15:00 – Expanding to multiple locations & unexpected challenges

23:00 – COVID, booking systems & changing member habits

30:00 – Profitability, pricing, and rising operational costs

38:00 – Managing 150+ employees & scaling culture

48:00 – Systems, structure & Wildly Important Goals

56:00 – Advice for new gym owners & sustainable growth

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth

Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/

In this episode of the Climbing Gym Growth Podcast, I chat with Andrew Hou from Uplift Climbing in Shoreline, Washington.

We dive into what it really takes to build a community first climbing gym in a competitive market. Andrew shares how he spent years preparing for ownership, why Uplift doubled down on overhanging terrain, how they differentiate themselves from other Seattle gyms, and why focusing on health over growth is core to their mission.

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Show Notes:

00:00 – Introduction

00:10 – Intro class & free week membership experiment

00:20 – Referral strategy that drives long-term growth

00:30 – Working on vs. working in the business

00:37 – Newsletters & building relational marketing

00:43 – Differentiation in a saturated market

00:54 – Andrew’s advice for new gym owners

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@climbinggymgrowth

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climbinggymgrowth

Check us out at: https://climbinggymgrowth.com/