Click here to schedule a call and receive our exclusive Price Increase Guide—trusted by over 200 gym owners to increase revenue without additional costs or losing members.

In this episode, Leo and Vince kick things off by recapping Vince’s unplugged anniversary vacation to Cancun, which turned into a business lesson on opportunistic upselling, seaweed, and Mexican cab scams. From there, the duo dives deep into four pressing topics for gym owners: how to increase prices without a revolt, how to plan a second location without losing your mind (or your first location), how to evaluate outside opportunities without losing focus, and finally, how to build a powerful retention system. Vince shares real-life stories from clients, practical checklists, and a fair bit of humor and firepower on why charging more and simplifying your business might just be your ticket to massive growth and sanity.

5 Key Points from the Episode

• Price Increases Are a Mindset Game First, a Math Game Second
  Vince lays out a two-step pricing strategy: calculate worst-case loss (and realize it’s rarely catastrophic), and then zoom out to see long-term gains (e.g., $30/month = $120K more per year). Keep it simple—use a flat rate increase across the board to avoid confusion and resentment.
• Opening a Second Location? Focus on Four Buckets
  Simplify the chaos by breaking planning into four major categories:
  • Money (how much you need, where it’s coming from)
  • Pre-sale Marketing (start day one with clients)
  • Staffing (who’s running it?)
  • Facility Setup & Legal (lease, layout, legal ducks in a row)
    Don’t scale until your first location is rock solid.
• Every Gym Owner Needs a Focus Filter
  To avoid shiny object syndrome, answer: What do I want to be the best in the world at?
  Use that as your "yes/no" filter when evaluating new opportunities. Focus isn’t sexy, but it’s the real superpower of successful entrepreneurs.
• Retention Is Defense—and Defense Wins Championships
  Vince outlines a 5-point checklist to build a rock-solid retention system:
  • A retention coordinator owns it
  • It's measured (target: under 5% attrition/month)
  • You have the right people on your team
  • Your product is excellent (aka, "the soup is tasty")
  • You create ongoing client engagement
• Strong Team > Fancy Equipment
  It’s not your wall color or your squat racks that keep people coming—it's your coaches. Mediocre staff drain retention. Hire amazing people, train them well, and build systems that keep them focused. Vince’s retention surged after simplifying the team and locking in his star performers.

Click here to schedule a call and receive our exclusive Price Increase Guide—trusted by over 200 gym owners to increase revenue without additional costs or losing members.

If you're a gym owner seeking answers on how you can grow your gym, make more money, and have more freedom to do what you love, visit www.vincegabriele.com or book a call by CLICKING HERE!

Click here if you want to level up your business during the dog days of summer to make the most money you've made to close out the year.

Podcast Summary

In this episode of the Ask Vince podcast, Vince and Leo break down real-world, real-time strategies for gym owners trying to grow their business when things feel chaotic, urgent, or just plain slow—especially during the summer months. From stories of door-to-door sales guys who follow up like beasts, to tactical breakdowns of how to turn joint ventures into a referral machine, the conversation blends street-smart sales advice with battle-tested business strategies. They also get real about what it takes to move through the stages of business growth without burning out or trying to "act like a CEO" too early. It’s a masterclass in responsiveness, delegation, lead follow-up, and long-game partnership building—wrapped in humor, honesty, and practical next steps.

Top 5 Lessons Learned

Speed is everything when following up with leads
The faster you respond, the more likely you’ll get a response—and a show. If you’re waiting hours or days to follow up, you’ve already lost them.

Don’t blame the leads—blame your phone skills
If people aren’t showing up, it’s probably because your phone conversation was awkward, rushed, or boring. Learn to have real, engaging conversations that make people want to show up.

Stop trying to be a CEO too early
If you’re not generating consistent revenue, you’re not ready to step out of your business. The path to freedom is through hard work, not around it. Embrace the grind first—delegate later.

Joint ventures are the fastest way to get new clients
But only if you lead with value. Stop asking people to promote your gym and start figuring out how to help them first. Think “what’s in it for them?”

Build long-term partnerships, not one-time favors
The best gym businesses don’t run random JV promos—they build a calendar of recurring collaborations that keep a steady flow of leads coming in year-round.

Click here if you want to level up your business during the dog days of summer to make the most money you've made to close out the year.

If you're a gym owner seeking answers on how you can grow your gym, make more money, and have more freedom to do what you love, visit www.vincegabriele.com or book a call by CLICKING HERE!

Click here if you want to level up your business during the dog days of summer to make the most money you've made to close out the year.

Podcast Summary

This episode of the Ask Vince podcast kicks off with a story that’s as real as it gets—Vince shares how he got caught in a flood, had to be rescued by police, and still managed to stay calm while water rushed into his truck. That moment turned into a bigger lesson about keeping your head on straight when everything around you feels like it’s falling apart. From there, Vince dives into the tough conversations gym owners need to have with themselves during slow seasons. Whether it’s your lead gen drying up, your bank account dipping, or your mindset taking a hit, he breaks down what to do, how to think, and how to move forward with purpose—not panic.

Top 5 Lessons Learned

Calm wins
When things go sideways, your ability to stay calm—not panic—might be the most important asset you have. That goes for floods and for business.

Slow months? Work harder and smarter
Summer might be slower, but that doesn’t mean you get to tap out. Audit what’s working in your marketing, double down on it, improve it, and try one new thing. Simple.

Adjust your approach based on where you’re at
If you’re crushing your numbers, plant seeds for the future (upstream marketing). If you’re struggling, get after the low-hanging fruit—old leads, past clients, referrals (downstream).

Profit doesn’t mean spend it all
That $10K “profit” on your P&L? It’s not yours yet. Taxes, retained earnings, and long-term planning come first. Get this wrong and you’ll constantly feel broke—even when your numbers say you’re not.

Build mental armor
Vince breaks down the four truths every business owner needs to keep in their back pocket: problems are guaranteed, every setback has an upside, effort compounds, and you only control two things—your actions and your attitude.

Click here if you want to level up your business during the dog days of summer to make the most money you've made to close out the year.

If you're a gym owner seeking answers on how you can grow your gym, make more money, and have more freedom to do what you love, visit www.vincegabriele.com or book a call by CLICKING HERE!