Fitness Business University Podcast Podcast By Vince Gabriele cover art

Fitness Business University Podcast

Fitness Business University Podcast

By: Vince Gabriele
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The Fitness Business University Podcast — The #1 Fitness Business Podcast — is the go-to educational show for gym owners, by gym owners. Hosted by Vince Gabriele, a seasoned pro with 18 years in the trenches of the fitness industry, this podcast pulls back the curtain on the real strategies, systems, and money-making wisdom that have helped gyms around the world grow and thrive.


If you’re a Gym Owner or Fitness Entrepreneur ready to get more clients, make more money, and free up your time to do what you love, this is your playbook. Vince delivers a funny, straight-talking, no B.S. approach — no fluff, no theories, just the proven, real-world skills you need to win in business and in life.

© 2026 Fitness Business University Podcast
Economics Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Hygiene & Healthy Living Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • From 10 Members to 143 in Under 2 Years
    Apr 11 2026

    If you want to learn the strategies and tactics that gym owners like Melissa are using to grow, check out my most recent webinar on YouTube where I break down the full marketing system: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

    Don't forget to book your free call with my team and get the Testimonial Email Builder as a bonus: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall


    Melissa Chase opened Chase Fitness in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in September 2024 with 10 members. She joined SPF two months before she even had a gym. She had no marketing experience, no website knowledge, and had just left a career as a physical therapist assistant. But she knew what she didn't know, and she got the right people in place before she opened the doors.

    Today, less than two years later, she has 143 members, did just under $300K in gross revenue last year, hit $132K in Q1 of this year alone, and is running at about $32K a month. She's down to 5 to 10 coaching sessions a week, replaced her PTA salary, and just joined a golf league. Her retention rate is "ridiculously low" because the product is dialed in, and her team runs the floor without her.

    This episode is a masterclass in what happens when you stop trying to figure it all out on your own and invest in the right support before you need it.


    5 Key Takeaways:

    1. Get help before you need it, not after you're drowning. Melissa joined SPF before she even opened. She didn't wait to make mistakes and then go looking for answers. She had accountability, resources, and a community of gym owners who had already been through everything she was about to face.
    2. Your website needs to make people say "I can see myself there." Melissa's site shows real clients who look like her ideal members, features Google reviews that describe real transformations (not just "she's so nice"), and has clean, clear calls to action. That combination is converting.
    3. Use every finger on the marketing glove. Melissa runs Facebook ads through GMM, does monthly member socials, quarterly Buddy Weeks, joint ventures with local businesses, tables at community festivals, and constantly asks for referrals and Google reviews. She never relies on one source.
    4. Take yourself off the floor slowly, not all at once. Melissa started by bringing in one part time coach, transitioned him to full time, then added another. She didn't just disappear from the floor overnight. She made it gradual so members built trust with the new coaches.
    5. Hire good people, not good trainers. Melissa hires based on character first. Her exact words: "Are they a good person? I can coach them to coach a squat." Then she holds them accountable to the standards and metrics that keep the business running.


    Watch my full marketing webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

    Book your free call and get the Testimonial Email Builder: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

    Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

    Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!


    Show more Show less
    37 mins
  • Chicago Gym Owner Goes from $300k to $760K
    Apr 4 2026

    If you want to learn the strategies and tactics that gym owners like Anthony are using to grow, check out my most recent webinar on YouTube where I break down the full marketing system: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

    Don't forget to book your free call with my team and get the Testimonial Email Builder as a bonus: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall


    Podcast Summary:

    Anthony D'Astice flew into New Jersey for a consulting day in 2022 with a gym doing about $25K a month, a baby on the way, and zero confidence that he could actually grow the business. He wasn't tracking conversions, wasn't charging enough, and by his own words was "playing business."

    Three years later, Hustle Strength and Performance just crossed $760K in annual revenue. He just opened his second location. He bought a house and a rental property. And the consulting day paid for itself before he got on the plane home because we raised his prices that afternoon and lost one member.

    In this episode, Anthony breaks down the full journey: the mindset work that had to happen before anything else, the price raise he was terrified to make, the youth sports sponsorship strategy that's still filling his gym today, and how defining real core values transformed his hiring and culture.


    5 Key Takeaways:

    1. The number one chokehold on your business is the psychology of the owner. Anthony spent the first half of his consulting day on mindset, not marketing. He lacked confidence, was reactive instead of responsive, and was getting in his own way. None of the tactical stuff mattered until his head was right.
    2. Do the math before you talk yourself out of raising prices. Anthony had 120 members and raised prices $20 across the board. One person canceled. The worst case scenario we mapped out was break even, and the actual result was thousands in new annual revenue from a single afternoon decision.
    3. Sponsorships work when you ask for the right thing. Instead of paying for a banner nobody reads, Anthony pays youth sports leagues to send emails promoting his camps. Kids come in for camps, parents get a free month offer, and parents become adult small group members. He runs 10 of these at a time.
    4. A marketing calendar is the difference between growing and guessing. Anthony plans quarterly, ties promotions to holidays and seasons, and looks at what worked last year before planning anything new. It sounds simple because it is.
    5. Core values are not words on a wall. Anthony uses his five core values in job application forms, interviews, team meetings, and daily decisions. They became the filter for who gets hired, who gets recognized, and what the culture actually feels like from the inside.


    Watch my full marketing webinar on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

    Book your free call and get the Testimonial Email Builder: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall




    Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

    Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!


    Show more Show less
    39 mins
  • 2.5 Hours of Free Marketing Coaching
    Mar 27 2026

    If you’re going to consume this, do yourself a favor—watch it on YouTube.

    You’ll see the actual newspaper ad, the full Testimonial Email Builder walkthrough, and the entire Q&A. That’s where the real value is.

    Watch it here: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

    And when you’re done, book a call with my team. We’ll walk through your situation and I’ll give you the Testimonial Email Builder as a bonus:

    https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

    This is the full recording of a live masterclass I did with 70+ gym owners.

    No slides. No pitch.

    I ran it exactly like one of my private coaching sessions.

    Just me breaking down the marketing system we’ve used at my gym for nearly 20 years—and what’s working right now.

    We covered the stuff that actually matters:

    • How to know your numbers so you stop guessing
    • How to choose the right clients to market to
    • What to actually say so people take action
    • How to turn all of it into a simple 90-day plan you’ll actually follow

    And I stayed on for over an hour answering questions. Nothing held back.


    Here’s what you’ll learn:

    • The AI prompt that calculates your weekly lead, consult, and new member targets in 30 seconds
    • Why the worst number in marketing is “one” and how to fix it
    • The three ways to communicate what makes your gym different
    • The three real problems your market is losing sleep over
    • The “more, better, new” framework to improve your marketing immediately
    • The exact text message that converts cold leads into appointments
    • How to build a one-page 90-day marketing plan
    • Why answer engine optimization is about to change how people find your gym


    Watch it here: https://youtu.be/LC6cODkphtc

    If you want help implementing this in your gym, book a call and grab the Testimonial Email Builder:

    https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/masterclassbonuscall

    Need help getting more leads, making more money, or buying your time back from your gym business?

    Click here to schedule a free one on one strategy session!


    Show more Show less
    2 hrs and 15 mins
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This podcast is so knowledgeable and I can't wait to hear more. Thank you Vince for the marketing advice.

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