On this episode of The GSD Show, business partners Neil and Edwin break down step-by-step how MTK Gym went from knowing nothing, and operating in the negative, to clawing their way to $60K in monthly revenue. Then, to more than doubling that to $130K in just 6 months. Here’s the best part…

Every single person who watches this episode can do what MTK Gym is doing.

Trust Your Instincts (5:16)

It was a very difficult conversation… 

Neil sat down with his mother, the owner of MTK Gym, and asked her to retire so he could partner with a friend—just hoping that they could save what Neil’s family built. That friend was Edwin. Edwin had just come back to Neil and MTK Gym looking to get back in shape. He left to focus on his auto detailing business which started thriving.

So, Neil took a shot in the dark. Against his mother’s advice, he asked Edwin to partner up. He went with his instincts. Edwin on the other hand, was told by his advisor not to get involved… but like Neil, Edwin went with his instincts.

Was it worth it?

3 Steps to Success for MKT Gym

Both Neil and Edwin have the same mentality: “No one’s gonna outwork us.” It shows. And, they pass that mentality down to everyone on their team.

Step #1: Learn

The guys had a lot to learn, but they went about it the right way. They didn’t guess. Instead, they looked at what successful gyms and owners were doing.

“Things like automatic withdrawals, front desk, CRM… and that’s what we focused on, was doing that,” Edwin says.

Step #2: Work

From there, they started putting in the work. They learned who their members were and why they joined—creating an avatar they could duplicate.

After that, it was all about sales. The guys and their team made a total of 200 calls every day. “That was the biggest change for MTK Gym,” Neil says.

That’s how you beat the odds. Even if you have a low close rate, at 6,000 calls per month, you’ll see an increase in memberships.

As Edwin puts it, “all that learning doesn’t matter if you don’t do the work.”

Step #3: Repeat

“This is where we put systems in place,” Edwin says, “that way, eventually, MTK runs on its own.”

The guys also multiplied their volume to match their growth, and hired the right people to help. “Just like your health, it was doing the right things over and over,” Neil says.

MTK Gym Keeps Sales Simple

One of their locations has a lot of foot traffic. New people, outside, every single day. So the team at that MTK Gym keeps it simple: Open doors, loud music, fliers, and one-to-one interactions.

Edwin says he gets out there—leading by example—to talk to people. One guy told him No thanks, I’m good. 

Edwin responded, “What if something happens in that alley and you need to protect your girl?” That made someone who was conditioned to say no, think differently. And in fact, they ended up laughing and bonding over it.

On top of that, they physically flood their area. And it works. 

The amount of people who came in because they got a flier is incredible. Combine that with the classes and community Neil creates, and it’s an awesome combo.

But not every gym or fitness studio is in a high foot traffic location…

2 Totally Different MTK Gym Locations

The guys have another location that’s completely different. There’s not a lot of foot traffic. It has an opposite atmosphere and energy. In fact, it’s not even the same member avatar.

“The clients were different, the layout was different,” Neil says, “so we had to come up with a different strategy for our approach. We couldn’t just replicate what we did at the other location.”

Imagine that. You build something that works, but you can’t just duplicate it. You have to pivot.

It’s easy to blame the location and give up. But when you believe in your service. When you know it can help people. You figure it out.

“We took the time to understand the demographic,” Edwin says. “They’re in a higher tax bracket. When they come in, they know what they want, and they take time to think about it. But most of the time, they come back and sign up. Sales don’t happen that way at the other spot.”

Even after people join MTK Gym, the members at the first location come in at all different times throughout the day. The members at the second location are very set and regimented.

It’s never going to be smooth. But doing the fundamentals consistently over time always pays off.

The Reason MTK Gym is Here

“One day I was desperate,” Edwin says, “One day I had COVID, and I watched The GSD Show. Mike Littrel (CEO of X3 Sports) was on. I told Neil that I don’t know who these people are but they have an event coming up and I think we should go.”

“I was all in, let’s go! And the reason we’re here. GSDCON,” Neil says.

The Motivation Shift

When you’re first starting out, pretty much anything and everything fires you up. Speeches on YouTube, books, Eye of the Tiger from Rocky III—you name it.

As you get more into the grind, there’s a shift. It’s not that you don’t still seek motivation, it’s that you find it in different ways.

The tactics and strategies, conversations and connections with people more successful than you, networking at conferences, all of these things get you fired up to implement and grow.

Remember, training isn’t something you “did,” it’s something you do.

“That’s what it is for us,” Neil says.

“Exactly, we have a close group of successful gym owners now through Loud Rumor,” Edwin says.

They bring their team along to big events like GSDCON to keep them motivated and loving what they do. On top of that, for the guys and the expansion of MTK Gym, they’re in the Mastermind program.

Key Takeaway

Neil and Edwin went from a single MTK Gym that was about to close its doors, to grinding their way to $60K a month in revenue. Then…

In the fastest 6 months of their lives, everything paid off. Neil and Edwin took MTK Gym from $60K to $130K. And it sounds simple, but here’s how:

• Learn: books, podcasts, conferences, networking, and the Mastermind program.

• Work: 200 sales calls a day + applying what they learn so no one can outwork them.

• Repeat: get the right systems and people in place—amateurs add, professionals multiply.

This is how they get more members, more money, and more minutes.

If you want to meet and learn from guys like Neil and Edwin of MTK Gym, then you might be a good fit for our Mastermind program. Here’s the deal, it’s an exclusive group. Not everyone gets in. Apply for it by clicking the button below.