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Reviews

Book Review: “Two-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym” by Chris Cooper

If you are a CrossFit gym owner struggling with the business aspects of running a gym, this book offers advice from someone who's been there, learned the lessons, and succeeded.

Becca Borawski

Written by Becca Borawski Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

We receive free products and receive commissions through our links. See disclosures page.

chris cooper, crossfit catalyst, 321go project, crossfit business consulting

Before I was a coach and personal trainer I worked in the entertainment industry, mainly as a music editor. One thing I learned quickly working with musicians was that they are generally bad businessmen. They are artists and they are fabulous at what they do, but they need help and structure when it comes to business.

In the eight years I have been involved with CrossFit I have witnessed many times a striking similarity between musicians and new CrossFit gym owners. Most CrossFit affiliate owners get into the business because of excitement and passion for the sport and possibly some aptitude and passion for coaching. Most know nothing about business and some may even be under the impression that passion can replace knowledge when it comes to achieving business success.

This is where people like Chris Cooper come in. Owner of CrossFit Catalyst, co-author of Ignite! Enrichment Through Exercise, founder of the business blog Don’t Buy Ads, co-founder of the CrossFit business consulting company 321Go Project, and now author of Two-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym, Chris has made the journey from passionate artist to successful businessman. Now his goal is to help others through that process so they can be the coaches they dream of being, but not go broke and not neglect their families.

If you have recently opened a CrossFit affiliate, are thinking of opening one, or opened one in the last couple years and are struggling, Two-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym is a book you might consider picking up. It can help you create an approach to your business and revisit your relationship with your clientele. While the concepts in the book would apply to any small fitness studio, the book is clearly written specifically with CrossFit affiliate owners in mind.

What’s great about the author, Chris, is his scientific approach to everything he does. Whether it’s his coaching methods or his business methods, he believes in testing, analysis of results, and then adjustment of methodology based on that information. As such, you know the advice in Two-Brain Business has been thoroughly examined on every level before being passed on to the reader. The book addresses a slew of relevant topics: marketing, communicating with clients, creating revenue sources, choosing class schedules, creating membership levels, creating community, defining and structuring the jobs within your company, and more.

Chris is a great source of recommendations on another level, too. If you are new to business and haven’t yet delved into the endless world of business books, Two-Brain Business can help you figure out where to start. Chris is clearly a business book junkie and makes frequent reference to books by business greats Michael Gerber, Jim Collins, Seth Godin, and many more. Any of the books he references would be a great next step to take after reading Two-Brain Business.

Be forewarned that Two-Brain Business is a self-published book and won’t have the polished look of book put out by a major publishing company. The formatting and proofreading are lacking, in my opinion, which can make reading the book awkward at times. But the rough appearance is worth pushing through to take in the personal journey that Chris shares. He shares with great honesty his growth as a businessperson and the mistakes and lessons he experienced along the way.

As CrossFit itself is growing around the world, Chris offers advice for the future of affiliate owners and their businesses, as well. In a bit of irony, Chris suggests that gyms specialize, not outside of CrossFit, but within the realm of CrossFit skill-sets to differentiate themselves from more generic affiliates and put themselves out as expert coaches. Regardless of passion, Chris repeatedly emphasizes the need for both quality coaching and quality businesses.

In the end, Chris fully addresses the dichotomy of the CrossFit coach as an “artist” who has to come to terms with the business world. Rather than see this as a roadblock, in Two-Brain Business Chris invites you to see it as a path toward success and happiness, both emotionally and financially. For the new affiliate owner or the newly frustrated business owner, this book is a great stepping stone for educating yourself in yet another skill-set – owning and operating a small gym.

Two-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym is available for $19.99 on CreateSpace and Amazon.

Becca Borawski

About Becca Borawski

Becca found her way to a career in health and fitness through Martial Arts and CrossFit. Originally a music editor for film and television, Becca started studying Martial Arts in 2000. Though she started with traditional Martial Arts it was not long before she discovered Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and her path was forever altered. She began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai and started working with professional MMA fighters, building websites, working on fight promotions, and producing videos.

As a competitor in BJJ herself, Becca wanted to get stronger and fitter. In 2006 she discovered CrossFit and became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles. In only a couple of years she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her career in the film industry, and dedicated herself full time to coaching. She has since been certified through CrossFit in Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Nutrition, Endurance and Kids coaching. She also held an NSCA-CSCS from 2006-2008 and is a certified IndoRow instructor. In addition to coaching adults, she founded the CrossFit LA Kids program in 2010 and taught children aged 5-17.

Becca regularly takes on new sports, which have included indoor rowing, fencing, and most recently, cycling, as she believes it makes her both a better athlete and a better coach. In order to reach more people with her coaching, Becca also created ModernAthena.com – a website dedicated to women in pursuit of physical fitness and self-improvement.

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