SOURCED - by The PFCA & Gym Owner Network

From a farm shed gym… to one of the most formidable young operators in the game.In this episode, Dean from Embassy shares what it really takes to build a high-performing gym in a small town, when you’re young, relentless, and figuring it out in real time.Behind the numbers and growth is a story of pressure, self-doubt, business breakups, and learning the hard way that hustle alone isn’t enough. This is about evolving from raw ambition into true leadership.We dive into:• Opening a gym in a shed, and scaling it into a premium operation• Navigating business partner splits and high-stakes decisions at 23• The internal battle between aggression, patience, and control• Why your biggest bottleneck as an owner is youDean’s honesty around mindset, resilience, and growth is what sets this apart.

From burnout, self-doubt, and £97 memberships, to building a business, and a backbone.In this raw and emotional episode, Lamar Graham shares the reality of what it actually takes to transform not just a gym, but yourself. After pouring everything into a gym that looked the part but felt completely broken, Lamar hit a crossroads; exhausted, underpaid, and questioning everything. What followed was a decision that nearly broke him: losing most of his members, facing backlash, and rebuilding from the ground up.But on the other side? A stronger business. A premium service. And a completely different man.We dive into: • The brutal truth behind the “model change” (and why it’s really personal) • Losing 70%+ of members, and why it was the best thing that happened • From emotional operator to confident leader • The mindset shift that tripled his revenueThis isn’t just a gym story. It’s about identity, resilience, and finally stepping up when it matters most.Because sometimes, you don’t need a new strategy; you need to become someone new.

In this weeks episode of Sourced, Josh Percival shares a completely different perspective on coaching, health, and what it really means to change someone’s life. From opening his gym in Dublin to scaling to 120+ members in just seven months, this isn’t just a success story, it’s a shift in thinking. We dive deep into the uncomfortable truths the industry often ignores: • Why most coaches misunderstand obesity, and the damage it causes • The real role of a coach (hint: it’s not just sets and reps) • How behaviour change, not tactics, drives long-term results • The power of building a gym that prioritises people over aestheticsThis episode will challenge your beliefs, expand your perspective, and remind you why coaching is about so much more than fitness.Because the best coaches don’t just change bodies, they change lives.

In this episode, Ant Richardson shares the raw truth behind building a gym through pure grit; long days, burnout cycles, self-doubt, and the constant pressure of doing everything yourself. From opening his gym with just 18 members to growing a thriving SGPT facility, Ant’s journey is a masterclass in hard work, but also a warning.Because effort alone isn’t enough.You’ll hear: • The fear that stops gym owners from hiring (and keeps them stuck) • How burnout quietly destroys your business, your energy, and your relationships • The leadership mistakes no one teaches you early on • Why “doing more” is often the exact thing holding you back • And the moment everything changes, when you finally burn the boatsThis episode is honest, emotional, and deeply relatable for any gym owner who’s ever felt overwhelmed, overworked, and unsure what the next move is.

In this raw and powerful episode of Sourced, Rich Roach of Fortified shares the truth behind building a gym that looks successful on paper - hitting the numbers, growing the team, ticking every box, but still feeling stuck, unfulfilled, and questioning everything. From opening his gym with intention and ambition, to navigating burnout, partnerships, pressure, and eventually a complete reset - this is a story of what it really takes to rebuild not just a business, but yourself.You’ll hear: • The reality of “success” that doesn’t feel like success • The emotional toll of leadership, growth, and responsibility • Losing an entire team, while life hits from every angle • The moment everything broke - physically, mentally, and emotionally • The lessons that forced a complete shift in identity as a leaderThis isn’t about hacks, tactics, or quick wins.This is about standards, ownership, and becoming the person your business needs you to be.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or like you’re carrying everything on your shoulders, this episode will hit home.Because the real game isn’t just building a better gym, it’s building a better you.

From £500k revenue… to almost losing everything.In this brutally honest episode, Ryan Thomas of Equilibrium shares the story most gym owners are too afraid to tell; what happens when your business looks successful on paper, but is completely broken underneath. Ryan had built a thriving gym, hitting impressive revenue numbers and growing fast. But behind the scenes? No profit. Rising tax bills. A chaotic model trying to do everything at once. And a moment where it all came crashing down, with a VAT bill he couldn’t pay and a business on the brink.What followed was a decision that would change everything: burn it down and rebuild from scratch.This isn’t a highlight reel, it’s the truth about what it actually takes to fix a broken gym.If you’ve ever felt like your business is one step away from falling apart…or you’re stuck chasing revenue without seeing results, this episode will hit hard.Because sometimes the only way forward, is to tear it all down.

What happens when the gym you built… stops feeling like you?In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Josh Telling, founder of Fortitude, to unpack the raw, honest journey from passionate coach to true gym owner, and the identity crisis that almost broke everything.Josh started like many coaches do: a love for training, a small-town gym in the Forest of Dean, and a mission to help people through CrossFit and group training. But as the business grew, something didn’t feel right. The model wasn’t working, the profits weren’t there, the team had nowhere to grow, and Josh found himself trapped in 16-hour days questioning everything he’d built. Josh shares the emotional rollercoaster of completely rebuilding his gym, changing the model, rebranding the business, facing backlash from members, and pushing through the doubt that comes when everything feels like it could collapse.This episode is honest, emotional, and deeply relatable for any gym owner who’s ever asked themselves:“Did I build the wrong thing… and do I have the courage to fix it?”If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or questioning the future of your gym, this conversation might be exactly what you need to hear.

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the real reason most gym owners stay stuck — and it’s not marketing, not pricing, and not the algorithm.It’s behaviour.After nine years running a profitable 220-member gym in one of the most deprived areas of Yorkshire — with 3% churn, 70%+ conversion, and real freedom baked into the model — this isn’t theory. It’s lived experience. From sleepless nights, emotional decision-making, and reactive leadership… to structure, standards, and building a business that actually serves your life.This episode is raw, practical, and confronting in the best way. It will challenge you, and if you let it, it will change the way you run your gym forever.

In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Steve and Shay Liggett, a husband-and-wife gym owner duo based in Perth, Australia, who have built one of the most values-driven businesses in the Gym Owner Network. They share the story of launching their small group personal training gym while navigating pregnancy, becoming new parents, and signing a five-year lease even after the bank initially said no, backing themselves fully and figuring it out in real time. Shay reflects on her journey from qualifying as a PT at 19, spending 10 years in the corporate world, and eventually leaving everything behind to pursue coaching with nothing but two dumbbells and one client in a park. Steve shares his transition from a successful leadership career in construction into coaching, driven by a desire for deeper purpose and frustration with the lack of quality fitness options in their local market. Together, they unpack the early grind of building a gym from scratch in a new suburb where no one knew them, the importance of documenting the journey, nurturing leads long-term, and staying relentlessly committed to a premium service. The conversation highlights the power of strong values, extreme ownership, and “harmony” between personal life, business leadership, and community culture, showing what’s possible when you build a gym the right way from day one. 

In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Justin Sabato, Gym Owner Network member of four years, joining us from Australia to share the full, unfiltered journey from commercial gym PT to building a thriving facility against the odds. Justin breaks down the reality behind the highlight reels: the uncertainty of COVID, maxing out on one-to-one hours, and the decision to finally back himself and open a gym that served “normal people,” not just fitness extremists. He walks through the gritty process of finding a location (deals falling through, massive renovation costs, impossible timelines), opening his doors before the build was even finished, and slowly scaling to a 130+ member small-group PT model, while also running meaningful NDIS sessions supporting clients with disabilities. Along the way, Justin shares the hard leadership lessons that nearly every gym owner learns the painful way: boundaries, role clarity, and making data-driven decisions instead of emotional ones. The conversation is a powerful reminder that sustainable growth comes from obsessing over product quality and retention, not just marketing, and that with the right standards, systems, and community support, you can build something genuinely different, even in a crowded market.

Rachel McDougall’s story is a masterclass in backing yourself when everything around you says “don’t.” In this episode of Sourced, Rachel shares how COVID sparked her leap from events work into coaching, how she returned to Scotland after losing her dad, and how she built Tribe in tiny Kirkcudbright from scrappy community-hall classes, bootcamps, and hauling equipment in a trailer into a real facility—only to find herself trapped in a “busy but broken” model: low prices, endless classes, inconsistent delivery, burnout, and barely paying herself. She opens up about the moment she realised she couldn’t keep serving everyone at the expense of her own life, and the fear of changing in a small town where rumours spread fast and everyone has an opinion. This one’s for any gym owner who feels stuck, overworked, and secretly knows: it’s time to raise the standard.

In this episode, we sit down with David Steele, owner of Project Strength & Fitness in Edinburgh and a long-standing member of the Gym Owner Network. David opens up about the realities of extreme weight loss, the mindset shifts required to change his life, and the early insecurities he faced entering the fitness industry without the “typical” trainer physique. He walks us through the highs and lows of opening a gym during the COVID pandemic, navigating the chaos of the wrong business model, freelancer challenges, burnout, and personal hardship.The conversation dives deep into what truly drives sustainable success: ownership, vulnerability, consistency, and behaviour change. David reflects on how joining the Gym Owner Network gave him clarity, direction, and accountability—helping him move from survival-mode revenues to a structured, scalable business and a more balanced life.This episode is an honest, raw, and inspiring story about resilience, leadership, and what’s possible when you commit to showing up fully—for yourself, your team, and your community.

In this year-end reflection, Mass and Jenzo sit down to share some of the biggest lessons they've learned from 2025 — both personally and professionally. From leaning into fear, to holding the line on standards, to what truly makes a business meaningful… this episode is a mirror for any coach or gym owner doing the work. Honest, unscripted, and full of grounded insight.

If you're serious about a future as a Professional Coach, this episode isn't just interesting, it's essential. Mass unpacks the data behind where the industry is headed, what’s going to be removed or replaced, and what’s rising in its place. More than a forecast, this is a call to action; and a reason to feel deeply optimistic about what’s next for those willing to Coach, for real.

In this solo episode, Mass reflects on the recent Summit — not with a recap, but with a deeper lens. This is a meditation on connection, culture, and what happens when coaches do the slow, unsexy, meaningful work behind the scenes. If you’re building something that matters, this one’s for you.

After almost a decade of steady growth as a gym owner, Abi Durrant steps into a new role within The Gym Owners Network: Performance Coach and mentor to others on the same path. In this honest conversation, we explore the real behind-the-scenes journey — growth, doubt, leadership, and the quiet power of doing things well over time.

In this behind-the-scenes conversation, Mass and Jenz unpack what’s changing inside the Gym Owners Network, and why it matters. From the evolution of leadership, to the real-life struggles of gym owners, this episode blends insight with honesty and as usual, a good ol' dose of soul.

In this conversation, Mass sits down with Liam Carmichael — Head Coach at MARCHON Stratford — to explore the pace of life at the sharp end of the coaching profession, the role of reflection, and what it really means to stay present in a performance-driven world. Liam delivers a humble masterclass in coaching with care.

Jade Henderson doesn’t make noise — she creates impact. In this grounded conversation, we explore her quiet rise through coaching, the lessons learned on the gym floor, in leading MARCHON’s women’s program, and the power of growing without ego.

A reflective conversation between Mass and Jenzo on coaching, identity, and the space between performance and presence. From burnout to self-worth, they explore what can easily get lost in the doing — and how we might return to what really matters.

In this conversation with elite performance psychologist Chris Bodman, we explore why the mental game isn’t just an add-on; it’s the foundation.From self-awareness to confidence, identity, values, failure, and long-term development, Chris shares powerful insights drawn from decades in elite sport and human performance.Whether you're a coach, athlete, or anyone walking the path of self development, this one will land – deeply.

Mass & Paddy explore a lot in this one; from Paddy's current professional challenges, to his more personal ones; and from excellence in craft generally, to what makes The MARCHON Gym excellent. So much is packed into this hour – as always Paddy is open and honest with his thoughts and feelings, which made for a great conversation.

There's something for everyone in this episode; from the career change coach, to the coach pursuing coaching mastery, to those looking to understand and be inspired by what it takes to be a MARCHON Coach. Rach is not only a fantastic coaching mind, she's a great person first and foremost, which is why I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to her unpack her story.

In my conversation with Alex, we get to look at the world through his lens – where we dig into the difference in challenge between Coaching and Leading, how he upholds the MARCHON values of "The Team is Everything" and "White Belt Mentality" at MARCHON HQ, the pathway towards Mastery, and a whole lot more. This episode will be insightful for coaches and gym owners alike – as The Gaffa speaks to both sides of the coin so well.

Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chad. Many of you know him as the head of MARCHON Training – a top coach, and the producer of some quality content. But what sits behind everything you see on the surface? That was the aim of our conversation today...

Formally this Podcast by The PFCA and Gym Owner Network hosted by Jenz Robinson and Craig Massey. Over the last 2 years we have had to focus our attention elsewhere, now, it is time for us to bring this back to life but in our style, better, for you. Sourced is the podcast for coaching excellence, no matter what business you run, the coaching product is heart, the nucleus, the source of your success. Join us in getting an inside scoop of what we have been up to and what you can look forward to. 

Join us for an intriguing conversation with Matt Connolly. An industry OG who has grown and scaled multiple Fitness Businesses and is an integral part of the MARCHON, PFCA and GON Team We uncover stories through his time in the police, how far he scaled his coaching business and the things he sees coaches struggle with in the industry today. 

This is a stroy of transformation like no other. From insecure imposter syndrome type characteristics to chasing his dreams and becoming one of the best owner operators in Scotland. Colin aka CMAC is testament to the entire ecosystem we have created for development for both business and coach education. His rise to the top in just 4 quick years is nothing short of extra-ordinaryGive this a listen and be inspiredIt doesnt get more real than - CMAC 

This episode left Jenzo a little emotional. Join on this inspiring story as Tom and Chloe share their story tuning their business around from cheap, large group indoor bootcamp to a high-end personal training facility. They share their frustrations, their fears and their current triumphs. This episode will leave you inspired for sure.If you love this episode - please share and tag us on IG 

Join Jenz as he interviews Tom Jarret, Owner of Brigade in Kent. Tom joined the Gym Owner Network with the view to maximise his facility, grow as a leader and open up site number 2. Find out how we navigated all those challenges and helped him become the Owner-Operator he is today. Our aim is for this episode to inspire you to become the best owner, operator, leader and business person you can be. EnjoyIf you love it, please tag us on socials 

With 'Nutrition' being such a massive topic, this conversation will definitely be a 'Part 1'.On this call Liam and Mass chat through Liam's career, our scope of practice in nutrition in the fitness space, and the high level principles of nutrition coaching that often get ignored and replaced by unnecessarily complex systems and products.

We circle back – This episode is a re-share from last season. On the back of many enquiries over the last little while relating to this subject, it makes sense to bring this one out of the archives.I talk about the full career of the coach as we see it; how it progresses, what's required and what's to be expected.I talk about the nature of the apprenticeship, the definition of success of it, the meaning within it, why it is missing in fitness today, and also why it must be brought back.This episode will relate to all coaches, no matter their experience, in pursuit of mastery over time.

Join Coach Jenz as he goes through several case studies from gyms within the Gym Owner Network. These aren't your usual 'sold x amount' of trials or 'hit x amount' of turnover, these are the more intangible success stories that make it all worth it.Listen to be inspired, enjoy!

With audio taken from our latest webinar, Mass & Jenz pick out and unpack 5 key coaching principles that will not only point you towards coaching mastery over time, but will stand you apart as a pro from the crowds of amateurs.

Join us on a deep-dive on sales, this is one not to miss. We will share some of our most valuable tools for handling objections, how to improve your sales performance and even a few golden nuggets we only share within our mentorship.Luke runs the Sales Coaching Agency. A one-of-a-kind sales mentorship for any type of business.If you love it, please share and tag us on socials @coach_jenz@gymownersnetwork@salescoachingagency@lukerobinson_official

Find out just why Mass is such an incredible asset to The PFCA and why he is such an incredible coach and educator. He shares his story in Crossfit, Gym Ownership and everything in between. Enjoy 

Coach Jenz on the mic. He discussed the success and future plans of their podcast, which aims to share values and lessons to help coaches make a greater impact in their communities. He emphasised the importance of providing valuable coaching services and the role of leadership in making a difference in people's lives. Jenz also discussed the framework of a gym business, the importance of marketing, sales, and product, strategy and branding, and leadership. He highlighted the challenges associated with servicing new clients and the significance of personalised coaching.There is loads of gold within and hopefully allows you to move forward this week in your business. Please do tag and share on socials if you love this episode

On this episode Mass interviews Jenz.We dig into Jenz’s priorities, personal mission, vision, legacy; where they originate from, his influences and how his essence and personality feed into them.This isn’t your usual biographical podcast interview – you already know Jenzo, so we hope this pod serves to be more useful, practical, and empowering.Dates for the diary:The PFCA L3PT Certification: 22.01.2024https://thepfca.com/level-3-personal-trainer-course/The PFCA FFC Level 1: 05.02.2024https://thepfca.com/functional-fitness-coach/

The world of nutrition coaching is equally as hectic as the world of fitness coaching.With many nutrition guru’s tabling their way as gospel… evidence based, GMB, genetics, calories, macros, weight neutral, body neutral, intuitive, etc… we can understand the confusion in both how we’re supposed to approach nutrition within our coaching practice, and also the perception and expectations of our clients from the outside coming in.Most pockets of nutrition listed above are driven heavily by bias and complexity – pushed in relation to a product or system being sold – which is even more confusing for us coaches when trying to gather and understand nutrition coaching tools for use with our clients.In this pod [which is taken from our most recent webinar] we remove bias, remove emotion, and address nutrition in a balanced manner.We consider the pro’s, con’s and unknowns of the various approaches in order to upgrade our understanding of for who, at what time and in what setting would each tool be of potential use.We create a continuum; a sliding scale of lower order to higher order; rather than right or wrong, and we chat through the implementation of these thought processes into your coaching practices and subsequently upgrading the outcome for your clients.

What is the right volume?What should happen to the volume throughout a progression?How do I select the volume for my client at any given moment in time?All questions we're asked regularly.The answers, as you can imagine, depend upon many factors. Here Mass attempts to sort through them...

Today Mass talks about some of the various influences on fitness over the years, and the perception of it that lead folk today towards short blasts of poorly aligned strength training for their ultimate long term aims.Mass tables both ends of the spectrum and their differences – Strength Challenges for a Lifetime + Strength training for Sport – along with the difference in intentions and how both play out long term.

Arguably the greatest influence on the outcome for the client is the ability to establish adequate challenge at each step along their progression, as a result of the collaboration in the coach-client relationship.In today's podcast Mass talks about the potential inputs that feed into these decisions, and how we should facilitate their influence in our coaching practices.

Times are changing, quickly! With this in mind it’d be remiss of us to advise you to bury your head until it all blows over – it won’t.Whilst fundamental principles and elements of how we coached 10 years ago remain today, and may still do in 10 years time, there are many things that have changed over the last decade, with many more changes afoot in years to come.In this podcast [which is the audio of our most recent webinar] we reflect on what’s taken place over previous years in order for us to make some educated predictions as to where we might be headed in the future.We dig into how that has impacted our practice as coaches to date, and what we should be considering and putting in to place now in order to position ourselves to be of most use as coaches, and of course, still be in business.With AI advancing rapidly, we must get ahead of the curve and be ready to work with tech, as opposed to against it.It’s already happening – battling it is futile, which means we should be positive in accepting it as a part of life going forwards, including how fitness is implemented and played out.

Ahead of the Live SGPT seminar tomorrow in Brighton, Mass shares his thoughts around PD for small group – ideals, benchmarks and ideas for progression towards them for your gym and coaching team.

Jenzo was back in the room for a chat with Mass on this one.Together they reflected on...the history of the PFCA, our definition of success, impact, the system of education we've created to date, and last weekend's FFC 2.

Too often today young coaches leave our industry prematurely because they're lost and disillusioned.On this episode Mass tables 2 main reasons as to why this is the case, and what the coach can do to help navigate themselves back on track.

On this week's episode Mass tackles some questions we've had in over the last few weeks, including marketing as a coach, client mindset, olympic lifting program design, beginner functional athlete program design.Punches are not pulled. Go listen for some tough, truthful, no BS answers.

Do we need to upgrade tracking 'Nurture' – The more subjective side of coaching? Or do we just need to get better at coaching it?Listen to Mass work through this one in an attempt to reach a conclusion.

The function [in functional fitness] is determined by the exerciser, not the exercise.Here Mass talks around why as coaches we shouldn't get this mixed up, and the history of 'Functional Fitness' more broadly.

We see the world in stories and narrative, and the coach-client relationship should be no different.If the systems we’re coaching within do not provide space for the client to tell their story, AND the coach to listen, the reality is that we’ll never connect to the client, or connect the dots between the prescription and what matters to the client most. The outcome; meaningless, thoughtless, transactional exercise.