Feb. 13, 2026, is Two-Brain’s 10th anniversary—a full decade of solving every problem in the gym business.

In this special episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper tells the complete story of how Two-Brain Business became the biggest mentorship practice in the fitness industry.

The journey started long before 2016. In 2005, Chris opened his first gym, and by 2008, he was broke, running two struggling locations and looking for part-time jobs in the newspaper. He couldn’t find a single example of someone making a real living as a gym owner.

Then he found a mentor outside the fitness industry and started translating business lessons into gym-specific tactics. He published his first blog post on June 9, 2009, as a “love letter to future Chris”—sharing exactly what worked and what didn’t.

By 2012, gym owners were flying him to Fort Lauderdale to speak. He self-published his first book, “Two-Brain Business,” which went on to sell 26,000 copies, becoming the bestselling fitness business book of all time.

On Feb. 13, 2016, Chris officially launched Two-Brain Business with 52 gym owners who believed in the vision: make a difference, make a profit and make it home for dinner.

Today, Two-Brain works with thousands of gyms worldwide, publishes the industry’s largest data set every year and runs the biggest gym business summit in the world.

Tune in to hear the full origin story—and find out what’s ahead.

Join Coop at the 10th annual Two-Brain Summit, June 6-7, 2026, in Chicago; get your tickets with the link below.

Links

Two-Brain Summit Tickets

Gym Owners United

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1:05 - 2005-2015: Prehistory

1:12 - Opening a gym

6:28 - Hiring a mentor

18:09 - Publishing book No. 1

20:24 - Becoming a mentor

28:32 - 2016-2018: Early days

29:23 - The first Two-Brain Summit

35:57 - Building the “State of the Industry” report

39:43 - 2019-2021: Growth & lockdowns

43:39 - Certifying professional mentors

44:41 - 2022-2025: Additions and refinements

49:18 - 2026: 10th anniversary

49:33 - Leaving the CEO role

53:11 - The 10th annual Two-Brain Summit

Different gym owners need different leadership books.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares a simple plan to help you use the contents of any book to improve yourself and your business, and then he recommends specific books in each realm of leadership.

Self-Leadership (to go fast, go alone):

• “Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty
• “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin
• “Courage Is Calling” by Ryan Holiday
• “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown
• “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield
• “Drive” by Daniel Pink

Team Leadership (to go far, go together):

• “Be the Unicorn” by William Vanderbloemen
• “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
• “Vivid Vision” by Cameron Herold
• “Leadershift” by John Maxwell

Peer Leadership (share the mission beyond your gym):

• “Influence” by Robert Cialdini
• “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller
• “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg and John David Mann
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

Tribe Leadership (influence your community at scale):

• “The Wisdom of Joseph Campbell” by Michael Toms
• “The Dichotomy of Leadership” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
• “Enchantment” by Guy Kawasaki
• “Resilience” by Eric Greitens
• “Tribes” by Seth Godin

Plus, from Feb. 9 to 13, 2026, only, Coop is giving away free digital copies of his 10 books for gym owners.

Go to Gym Owners United (linked below), DM him with your biggest challenge, and he'll send you the right book to start with.

Links

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

1:56 - Your leadership diagnostic

6:31 - Self-leadership books

8:44 - Team leadership books

10:57 - Peer leadership books

11:58 - Tribe leadership books

Could your gym use an extra $5,000 in revenue this month?

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares three proven tactics gym owners can use to generate more revenue from clients they already have:

🏁 Tactic 1: Run a Hyrox simulation or similar fitness race event.
🏋️‍♀️ Tactic 2: Launch a specialty program, such as weightlifting or running.
⬆️ Tactic 3: Sell upgrades to hybrid memberships with group and personal training.

These three strategies combined can generate over $5,000 in additional gym revenue—with zero ad spend.

Chris walks you through step-by-step execution plans for each tactic, including their exact pricing formulas. He's even got marketing checklists that will keep you on track and ensure success.

Follow the steps and the revenue is yours.

To get a free copy of the “How to Generate $5K Without Paid Ads” guide, DM Chris in Gym Owners United, linked below.

Links

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:01 - Intro

1:19 - Hyrox simulation or event

10:56 - Run a speciality program

24:56 - Sell upgrades to memberships

35:34 - Get a copy of the guide

In the last year, three marketing agencies have asked Chris Cooper to buy them out—and dozens of others have disappeared.

The average lifespan of a gym marketing agency is 18 months: They churn through gym owners, only to vanish, rebrand and repeat the cycle.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Coop pulls back the curtain on why agencies keep failing, and then he lays out a better marketing plan for gym owners.

He explains how agencies exploit gym owners who don’t understand marketing and often provide low-quality leads or clients who are attracted by unsustainable offers.

The solution? Stop renting your marketing and build systems you own.

Chris describes four battle-tested marketing funnels that have been refined across thousands of gyms worldwide: referrals, organic social media, content and paid ads.

These funnels feed each other, and once they’re running, they’re yours forever. You'll have a world-class structure that will outlast any agency.

Dive deeper into your marketing systems with Two-Brain’s free resources for gym owners, linked below.

Links

Book a Call

Referral Funnel Guide

Organic Social Media Guide

Content Marketing Guide

Paid Ads Guide

State of the Industry Report

More Free Tools

Gym Owners United

0:00 - Intro

3:35 - Do you need more leads?

7:15 - Problems with agency results

10:24 - What works? The four funnels

15:06 - Build your funnels with a mentor

The 10th annual Two-Brain Summit happens June 6-7, 2026, in Chicago, and this year’s theme will change how you think about scaling your gym.

Today, Chris Cooper reveals the event’s headlining speaker—bestselling author Mike Michalowicz—and the “Power of 10” theme that will guide every session.

The Power of 10 framework covers:

• How to take your 10 best clients and replicate them.
• The 10 weekly actions that guarantee business growth.
• The 10 core leadership skills every gym owner must acquire.

Coop also explains that scaling isn’t linear. The systems that get you to 10 clients won’t get you to 100, and the business that serves 100 won’t work for 1,000.

At the summit, you’ll work on the systems you need to grow at each stage of entrepreneurship so you can build the biz you want and earn your Perfect Day.

The summit isn't some motivational conference where you sit in the dark and try to stay awake. It's is a workshop: Attendees have created hiring plans, booked sales calls and posted content as speakers directed them during live sessions. You're going to take action in Chicago.

What does your gym need to reach the next level? Come work it out at the Two-Brain Summit, surrounded by expert speakers and 1,000 other gym owners.

Get your ticket via the link below!

Links

Two-Brain Summit Tickets

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:20 - Summit background

3:04 - This year’s headliner

4:33 - Your best client x10

7:11 - The work you’ll do

9:19 - Your invitation to summit

Tickets to the Two-Brain Summit are $200 off until Feb. 1. Get yours via the link below!

This year's headliner: Mike Michalowicz, entrepreneur and author of multiple bestsellers, including “The Pumpkin Plan,” “Profit First,” “Clockwork” and “Get Different.”

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike joins Two-Brain CEO John Franklin to explain why most gyms are swimming in a sea of sameness, invisible to potential clients. And of course Mike has a clear plan to make a fitness business stand out and force people do a "double neck turn" when they see it.

You’ll learn the psychology behind what grabs people’s attention versus what our brains filter out and ignore.

Mike shows gym owners how to look for new ideas outside the fitness industry and shares a real-world example of a microgym that differentiated its marketing and quadrupled foot traffic overnight.

He also reveals the “magical, Jedi-mind-trick question” you can ask ideal members to learn what truly sets your gym apart. Then you amplify your advantage to attract more "perfect clients."

The key? Stop trying to be “better” and start being different.

Don’t miss out on your chance to hear from Mike Michalowicz at the 10th annual Two-Brain Summit this June in Chicago. Save $200 on your ticket now through Feb. 1—link below!

Links

Two-Brain Summit Tickets

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:56 - “The sea of sameness”

3:36 - Example & where to find ideas

8:20 - What do your clients notice?

17:11 - Framework for effective marketing

21:25 - Why define a specific audience?

CrossFit taught the world how to move, and now through MetFix, Greg Glassman wants to teach them how to eat.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper sits down with Peter Shaw, former CrossFit flowmaster and current head of the MetFix Seminar Team.

The pair explore how MetFix is building on top of CrossFit rather than competing with it by shifting the focus from fitness alone to overall health.

Peter explains that MetFix emphasizes metabolic health education so trainers can confidently work with the 80% of people suffering from chronic disease.

The opportunity for gym owners is significant: MetFix adds a revenue stream, and it creates a pathway to attract clients who want to reverse diabetes, lose weight and get healthier.

Peter also discusses building relationships with medical professionals and positioning yourself as a health authority in your community.

Links

“Effect of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Deprescription …”

“Virta Health champions its nutrition therapy …”

MetFix Website

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

1:55 - Intro

3:42 - Fitness vs. health landscape

13:24 - MetFix and CrossFit

21:01 - Opportunity for gym owners

40:02 - Why choose MetFix?

Twenty years of gym ownership will teach you things no course ever could.

Chris Cooper’s gym, Catalyst, recently turned 20, and today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain's founder is sharing 22 lessons he’s learned over the last two decades as a fitness entrepreneur.

Chris reveals the early mistakes that nearly cost him everything and the systems that finally gave him stability and freedom. He also explains how mentorship and self-improvement helped him acquire critical skills and avoid expensive missteps.

You’ll find out why coaching skills rarely determine long-term gym success and what actually separates gym owners who survive from those who eventually burn out.

Among Coop’s top lessons: Fix yourself before fixing the business, consistency matters more than intensity, and gym owners aren’t selling workouts—they’re selling hope.

Tune in for two decades of hard-won wisdom that could save you years of pain and tens of thousands of dollars.

Links

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

1:04 - Pre-2005 to 2009

27:15 - 2010 to 2013

44:06 - 2014 to 2017

59:13 - 2018 to 2021

1:11:45 - 2022 to 2025