From One Gym to Four: Andrew Simpson on Hearing God's Vision & Handing Off the CEO Baton

Andrew Simpson never planned to own a business. Every other door closed, so he rented a space and opened a gym for young athletes. Twelve years later, Players Fitness & Performance has four locations, a team of coaches kids actually want to be around, and a vision that came to Andrew on a run: "My light and my love will shine through PFPs all over." In this Leaders On Tap Live conversation recorded in front of a live audience, Andrew walks through the decision to triple his footprint in the middle of COVID, the Director of First Impressions role that makes PFP feel nothing like a typical gym, the Five-Step Magical Experience, and why the first five minutes of every workout are about mindset, not muscle. But the heart of this conversation is the baton. At the start of this year, Andrew handed the CEO seat of the gyms to his business partner Joe. He explains what the tension looked like, why a sabbatical clarified it, how he thinks about his lane as a visionary, and what he's building next: virtual mindset coaching for young athletes, books, and other ways to reach kids beyond his zip code. Along the way he talks about Bible verses on the gym walls, a coach praying over a client mid-class, Wednesday team devotionals, and what it really means to run a business as a ministry: not the churchy add-ons, but stewardship, obedience, and not opening the next location until God says go. The episode closes with live audience Q&A on calibrating big dreams to God's desires, knowing when to open a second location, 10x vs. 2x, and youth sports and family life. Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose. ABOUT THE GUEST Andrew Simpson is the founder and owner of Players Fitness & Performance (PFP), a Frederick, Maryland-based training company for young athletes and adults with four locations and a vision to be "a fitness lighthouse in every community, transforming lives for the glory of God." He is the author of The Youth Truth: Coaching and Parenting in Today's Crazy Youth Sports World and other books on mindset and youth sports. In early 2026 he handed the CEO role of the gyms to his partner Joe and now focuses on PFP's mindset coaching, books, and media. Andrew and his wife have three young children. CONNECT Players Fitness & Performance: https://playersfitnessandperformance.com C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building great businesses for a greater purpose. #LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #Entrepreneurship #YouthSports #BusinessAsMinistry #Succession #Visionary #KingdomBusiness ⏱️ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to Leaders On Tap Live: Meet Andrew Simpson 00:00:39 Tripling the Gym in the Middle of COVID 00:02:40 Coach's Coach: An Accidental Business & Learning His Gifts 00:04:17 Where a Visionary Has to Grow: Spirited Conversations & Staying in Your Lane 00:06:12 The Original Vision & the Word on a Run: "My Light Will Shine Through PFPs All Over" 00:08:14 Discerning God's Voice & Holding the Vision Loosely 00:09:58 Gyms Are a Dime a Dozen: What Makes PFP Different 00:12:05 The Director of First Impressions (DoFI) 00:14:01 The Five-Step Magical Experience & Being a Third Place 00:15:45 Hire for Heart: Training Hospitality Without Making It Canned 00:16:46 Young Athletes, Old Guys & the Ideal Customer 00:17:56 Owning the Word Confidence & Coaching From the Inside Out 00:20:06 "Sounds a Lot Like Romans 12:2" 00:21:18 Bible Verses on the Wall & a Mainstream Customer Base 00:22:47 A Coach Praying Mid-Class, a Sponsored Verse & Wednesday Devotionals 00:24:36 Obedience Precedes Understanding 00:26:28 PFP as a Ministry: Stewardship Over Churchy Things 00:28:34 Handing Off the CEO Baton: Dave Ramsey, Wrecked Health & a Sabbatical 00:31:46 What's Next: Virtual Mindset Coaching, Books & Media 00:32:30 Writing After Dad Passed: The Youth Truth 00:34:14 Owner, Visionary & Temporary Operator: The Accountability Chart 00:35:28 The Fruit 20 Years From Now: A Fitness Lighthouse in Every Community 00:36:51 Takeaway: It's Not Your Business 00:37:57 How to Pray for Andrew & the Next Generation of Athletes 00:40:02 Audience Q&A: Calibrating Big Dreams to God's Desires 00:41:28 Audience Q&A: When to Open a Second Location 00:43:02 Audience Q&A: Is 10x Easier Than 2x? 00:44:02 Audience Q&A: Youth Sports & Family Life 00:46:34 Closing & Part Two Coming Soon