In this episode of the Gym Owner’s Growth Zone podcast, our host Andres Escobar sits down with Dan Uyemura (@danielsan on Insta, @hookgripper on Twitter), gym owner and founder of the gym management software PushPress (http://pushpress.com). They discuss how we can all level up our businesses, both technologically and in terms of our approach. They offer an answer to how boutique gyms can compete with revenue-hungry big boxes by offering excellent customer value and not spreading themselves too thin. 

If you like what you hear, you can hear more from Dan on The GymOS Podcast by PushPress!

Dan’s Background

  • Dan was a programmer for a social media company but was considering getting into gym ownership.

  • When he got laid off, he took it as a sign to dive into that path. His severance and some plans he had in place allowed him to get started smoothly.

  • His software company, PushPress, offers top-tier gym management for all types of gyms.

Staying On Track

  • For gym owners who are just getting started, frameworks and guardrails aren’t as necessary because there aren’t many people involved. 

  • Once you start to have some success and hire more people, frameworks and/or guidelines ensure continued growth and success.

  • Dan’s current guardrail is trying to put trust more trust in his team. This means staying out of meetings that he doesn’t NEED to be involved in – meddling in everything would only make things worse.

Current Issues In the Fitness Industry

  • Most people get into the industry because they want to help people and occasionally become “martyrs for fitness,” sacrificing their financial well-being to help others.

  • Recently, the pendulum seems to be swinging too far the other way – leaders in the industry are just talking about revenue and only seem to care about money.

  • If we have to pick a “North Star” that guides the gym industry, we need to pick customer value (but make sure the revenue is the outcome).

The Fast 5

  • Who is the most influential person/people in your business journey?

His business partners.

  • What’s one thing you wish you had known when you began your business?

He wishes he knew that it would be extremely difficult to build a big software business.

  • What’s a book/show/video/podcast/etc. that has positively impacted you?

How to Get Rich (Without Getting Lucky) by Naval Ravikant (on Amazon)

  • How important is having an online presence?

As an individual, you don’t need to. Your business, however, DOES need an online presence.

  • What’s one practice or habit that you believe everyone would benefit from?

Time blocking. As a procrastinator, he holds tightly to what he says he will do at what time on what day.

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We’d like to hear what you hope to get from this podcast! You can email Andres at podcast@reviewbiz.io or connect with him on Instagram under reviewbiz. Whether you love it or hate it, drop us a comment or suggestion!