Show Notes
Ollie Marchon joins James Smith for a business masterclass on what it really takes to build a fitness brand in the UK right now. A former professional rugby player turned coach, Ollie started out cold calling leisure centre members and training clients in a converted cattle shed. Ten years later he runs Marchon across four verticals: in-person gyms, an online training app, a sports nutrition range and a growing community of hybrid athletes.
🎬 Edits Course: https://jamessmith.business/ig-edits
👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith
🤼♂️ Wear Adapt BJJ: https://adaptjj.com/
📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business
Check out Marchon - https://marchon-global.com/
Follow Ollie on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/olliemarchon/?hl=en
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:28 How Ollie Built Marchon
02:29 How Covid Accelerated the Online Business
03:57 Spotting the Gap in Sports Nutrition
05:28 Building a Brand Nobody Has a Bad Word About
06:32 Bricks and Mortar or Online First?
08:32 Why Every Coach Should Coach in Person First
09:59 From Failed Rugby Career to Freelance PT
11:48 Starting a Gym in a Cattle Shed
12:40 The Small Group Training Model
13:59 Why You’re Always Being Watched on the Gym Floor
14:26 Scaling From One Gym to Two
16:18 The Hires Nobody Tells You About
17:27 Where the Opportunity Is in Fitness Now
19:53 Why Hyrox Affiliates Won’t Last
20:23 James Gets Humbled at CrossFit
22:55 Will GLP-1s Bring a New Wave of Gym Members?
25:06 The Barry’s-Style Strength Gym Model
26:38 Personal Training Is a Luxury Most Can’t Afford
27:55 Why One-to-One Sessions Go Stale
29:51 Jiu-Jitsu Clubs Are the New Health Clubs
32:44 The Real Cost of Running a Gym
34:20 The £200K Business Rates Bill
36:29 Why We Should Want Businesses to Make Money
38:28 Break Even Jumped From 180 to 250 Members
39:48 Why Investors Won’t Fund Bricks and Mortar
40:34 What Happens When Gyms Close
42:39 The Economics of a Jiu-Jitsu Gym
45:38 Building the Marchon Training App
48:56 Price Testing and the Profit Squeeze
51:08 Training as a Customer Acquisition Tool
52:48 Why Online Coaching Is a Lifestyle Business
54:38 Neutonic Pouches and Paid Ads
55:34 James’s Lockdown Slump
56:48 Launching the Marchon Nutrition Range
59:20 Hiring Celtic’s Head of Nutrition
1:01:30 Bootstrapping vs Raising Money
1:03:47 Marchon’s Best Seller: Workout Fuel
1:05:44 Why You Shouldn’t Fear Carbs Before Training
1:07:58 Rituals, Cues and Building Habits
1:09:16 The Protein Price Crisis
1:10:52 Protein Shakes and GLP-1s
1:13:38 GLP-1s as a Business Performance Aid
1:16:46 Why Food Is More Enjoyable on GLP-1s
1:17:49 The Hungry Months Behind Every Abs Photo
1:19:43 James’s Prescription Travel Stack
1:20:41 How Easy Is It to Get GLP-1s?
1:21:53 The Highest Leverage Play in Weight Loss
1:24:08 The Full Marchon Product Range
1:26:58 Marchon’s Top Five Sellers
1:27:56 Do You Actually Need Electrolytes?
1:30:11 Lessons in Impatience From Necker Island
1:33:17 Expensive Mistakes and Finding Your Hero Products
1:35:38 Every Business Is Personal Training Full Circle
1:37:11 Why Ollie Brought In a COO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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