Episodios
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Dana Fouche is busy.
In addition to running Reach Athletics, she’s a mother and the owner of a farm. To ensure she never lets her business falter—even when the cows escape again—Dana uses Chris Cooper’s Golden Hour concept: Every day, do one thing to grow your business before you do anything else.
To start her days, Dana goes to a quiet place, clears her head, works on simple but effective marketing tasks and then addresses larger projects. She ends after an hour and makes a plan for the next day. No matter what happens after that, her business has already received a great push forward.
To her, the Golden Hour provides the same accountability she provides to fitness clients. If she tells them they can find an hour to take care of themselves, she can find an hour to focus on her business.
Host Mike Warkentin has Dana run through her exact plan and provide tips for gym owners who are struggling to move their businesses forward. Dana is clear: One hour a day is more than enough to grow your gym if you focus on the right tasks.
To take part in Chris Cooper’s Golden Hour Challenge and build essential entrepreneurial habits, join Gym Owners United using the link below.
And to dig into the concept on your own and set up your own 60-minute plan, get “The Golden Hour," also linked below.
Links
"The Golden Hour"
Gym Owners United
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01:21 - Business momentum in one hour
04:24 - Rundown on Dana’s gym
07:09 - Dana’s Golden Hour
11:36 - Lead with marketing reps
17:21 - Tips for those who are struggling -
Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper lays out three gym business models that actually work, using case studies from gym owners earning $100,000 per year.
Chris walks through profit-and-loss statements, revealing all the nitty-gritty details, so you can see exactly what levers these gym owners pulled to reach $100,000.
The first gym owner ran big group classes with a decent headcount but had high overhead and struggled to scale. They focused on increasing total members and retention, while adding more classes.
In the second case study, the owner started with group classes but had high churn and low revenue. He introduced an on-ramp process and personal training to help clients hit their goals, and he added a third revenue stream: retail and supplements.
The final gym owner started with one-woman personal training, but the workload was overwhelming and income was inconsistent. She hired a part-time coach and shifted to semi-private training.
What's the business model that will help you reach your financial goals? A mentor can help you build it.To download our “5 Ways to Make $100k From Your Gym” guide, join Gym Owners United using the link below.
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0:22 – Infinite business models
0:54 – P&L statements
3:53 – Big-group model
7:12 - Challenges of the group model
9:49 - Adding revenue streams
16:08 – First case study
22:35 – Second case study
28:45 – Third case study -
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Three years ago, gym owner Magnus Bjorsvik increased rates dramatically, and some of his clients were angry about it.
Today, Magnus is on Two-Brain’s Top 10 leaderboard for net owner benefit (NOB)—salary, dividends and anything else the gym pays its owner. He also won the coveted Clients’ Choice Award at this year’s Two-Brain Summit in Chicago.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Magnus, owner of CrossFit Uvaer in Norway, to learn how his gym has changed since his rate increase in 2021.
Magnus says the increase allowed him to get rid of members who didn’t fit, and his gym community has vastly improved. The higher price has also pushed the gym and its staff to provide better service, and happy members are getting better results.
Magnus now increases rates annually, and the lack of financial pressure has allowed him to stress less and vacation more.
Tune in to hear Magnus’ full story and his advice for other gym owners looking to fast-track growth.
Links
Magnus' Previous Appearance
Gym Owners United
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02:05 - The last three years
06:53 - Thrive with rate increases
10:21 - Success and peace of mind
14:23 - Struggles after opening a gym
17:18 - Mentors hold you responsible -
The average fitness entrepreneur earns between $2,500 and $6,000 per month. The top earning gym owner on our leaderboard brings home six times the high end of that average.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO Chris Cooper presents the Top 10 leaders for net owner benefit (NOB)—profit, salary and anything else a gym owner earns from their business. Then, he shares how they got on our leaderboard.
Some focused heavily on retention and raising client value.
Others reinvested their profit to become even more profitable—increasing ad spend, developing staff or buying a building.
The common theme: All our top gym owners created clear, consistent plans with their mentors and then put them on repeat.
This requires focus and habit building. Starting Nov. 1, Chris will help gym owners develop these skills through the Golden Hour Challenge, based on his new book, “The Golden Hour.”
To join the free challenge, use the link below to join the Gym Owners United group, where Chris will post a prompt every single day and tell you exactly what to do to start building momentum and take charge of your business.
Links
“The Golden Hour” by Chris Cooper
Gym Owners United
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1:02 - Importance of being profitable
5:04 - August net owner benefit
8:12 - How did they get to the top?
11:05 - Quotes from the August leaders
18:01 - The Golden Hour -
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Eric Conner shares how he measurably improved his gym in just 60 minutes a day using Chris Cooper’s Golden Hour framework:
Go to a place where you can focusOpen your mindLead with marketing repsDo your big projectsEnd after one hourNext steps
Eric sets aside a Golden Hour every morning in which he focuses on high-value, CEO-level work. He puts in marketing reps, such as reaching out to former clients and unconverted leads. Then he works on larger projects, like improving his gym’s 90-day client journey. Finally, he outlines what he needs to do in his next Golden Hour.
Starting Nov. 1, Chris will lead you through the Golden Hour Challenge. He’ll tell you exactly what to do each day in simple, easy-to-follow steps. Then you’ll learn to stack habits and build momentum to produce measurable results in your gym.
To take part in the challenge, use the link below to join the Gym Owners United group.
Links
“The Golden Hour” by Chris Cooper
Gym Owners United
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00:20 - The Golden Hour
05:59 - The Golden framework
13:13 - Stacking good habits
15:54 - An all-around improvement
17:49 - Eric’s tips for success -
Gym owners with the fastest-growing businesses share one specific skill: focus.
They have access to the same tools, resources and mentors as everyone else. What sets them apart is their ability to consistently do the key things that are required to improve their gyms without second-guessing themselves or getting distracted.
You can learn how to build this entrepreneurial focus by reading “The Golden Hour,” the upcoming book from Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper.
In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris invites you to join in the Golden Hour Challenge, beginning Nov. 1.
This six-week challenge is designed to help you grow your gym in just one hour a day by developing habits and focusing on activities that measurably improve key metrics.
Each week of the challenge, Chris will introduce new essential habits for you to master. By Week 6, you’ll be a high-speed, ultra-efficient CEO who can push a fitness business forward in 60 minutes a day.
The challenge starts Nov. 1, and you can take part by joining Gym Owners United via the link below.
Links
Pre-order “The Golden Hour” by Chris Cooper
Gym Owners United
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0:55 - What top performers are doing
5:54 - Habits and the skill of focus
14:25 - The Golden Hour Challenge
22:01 - Mining for leads
31:27 - Avoiding slow growth -
Gym owners in Two-Brain’s Tinker group have hit about $100,000 in net owner benefit and are working toward reaching $1 million net worth. In fact, the program has certified 54 millionaire gym owners—with seven earning that status in the last quarter alone.
Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike Warkentin sits down with Joleen Bingham, one of the program’s leaders, to explain exactly how top gym owners use Tinker to level up.
Tinkers focus on four pillars that strengthen their businesses and personal lives: wealth, leadership, lifestyle and scaling.
- Wealth: creating a legacy for your family.
- Leadership: fixing yourself so you can fix your business.
- Lifestyle: increasing happiness, health and freedom.
- Scaling: expanding your gym or making other investments.
Gym owners in the Tinker program attend four in-person meetups per year with workshops and expert speakers, and they meet weekly online to learn and solve problems together. They also have access to mentors and a huge pile of resources in a special toolkit.
Perhaps the most valuable part of the Tinker group is the relationships with like-minded gym owners who share similar goals. It's common to hear stuff like this at a Tinker meet-up: "I've done what you want to do. Here's exactly how I did it, and here's how you can avoid a few mistakes I made."
Whether you’re just getting started with your gym or you’re several years in, you don’t have to go it alone. A Two-Brain mentor can help you reach the next level of entrepreneurship.
Links
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2:10 - Millionaires before and after
6:37 - Tinker program structure
9:35 - Weekly call and accountability
13:55 - Imposter syndrome
18:17 - Are you a future Tinker? -
You have access to tons of information about growing your gym, so what’s keeping you from getting results on your own?
Just like the clients in your gym, you need a coach—someone to help you set a goal, build a plan to accomplish it and stick to that plan.
Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper outlines the phases of Two-Brain mentorship and explains exactly how they’re designed to help fitness entrepreneurs grow their businesses fast.
Two-Brain clients are set up for quick wins—such as more high-value clients—in the early phases, with a goal of reaching income of $100,000 a year (or more) in phase three. Along the way, a mentor helps the gym owner make informed decisions, stay focused and do the work.
By the time you reach the fourth phase of mentorship, you’ll be paying yourself a great wage and providing real careers for your staff. Then you’ll start focusing on investing in your future, whether that’s expanding your gym, buying your building, opening more gyms, starting another business or putting your money into low-risk investments.
Tune in to hear the full overview and learn how Two-Brain Business can help you build a better gym and change more lives in your community.
Links
Gym Owners United
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3:52 - Phase 1
7:57 - Phase 2
8:56 - Phase 3
13:41 - Phase 4
21:06 - Phase 5 -
Gyms are fragile businesses. Seasonal fluctuations, local competition, staff departures, economic changes and even pandemics can all reduce or eliminate profit.
At a recent meetup for top gym owners, Two-Brain mentor Kenny Markwardt laid out a plan to help entrepreneurs prepare for a financial downturn.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Kenny walks through his four-stage plan with host Mike Warkentin.
Performing a stress test will help you see just how prepared your business is for a worst-case scenario.
Kenny—who owns Sandpoint Strength and Conditioning in Idaho—explains how you can strategize for revenue dips ranging from 10 to 40 percent. Some of the tactics include eliminating costs, putting off non-essential purchases, helping staff generate more revenue and negotiating with landlords.
Tune in to learn how to increase your ability to survive a financial downturn. You’ll sleep better knowing you have a plan.Links
Read more on Affinity Marketing: The Prescriptive Model
Cutting tiny classes: How to Kill Poorly Attended Classes
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1:21 - Helping gym owners find clarity
6:29 - Plan for potential revenue loss
10:23 - The impact of larger revenue loss
18:57 - Hiking through Death Valley
28:56 - Plan now even if you’re doing great -
Gym owners give their members reps to help them get results, and business experts do the same thing with their clients.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper presents several common scenarios gym owners face regularly. If you practice operating in these situations, you’ll be ultra-prepared when they come up in the real world. And your gym business will grow.
Chris gives you practice reps for selling, performing goal review sessions, using the Prescriptive Model, generating referrals through Affinity Marketing and having hard conversations (think firing staff or raising rates). Then he shares tips for navigating these situations like a true pro.
You don’t want to get your reps "when it's real." For example, it’s too expensive to fumble around and lose clients in the sales office while you gain experience. Instead, practice having these critical conversations with your coaches, your spouse or your dog. Or even talk to yourself in the mirror.
If you put in the reps as an entrepreneur every single week, you’ll soon have an A+ fitness business.
Links
Read more: The Prescriptive Model
Gym Owners United
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1:24 - Sales: sell to your dog first
2:57 - Practice the sales scenarios
8:29 - Getting referrals
12:04 - Hard conversations
15:10 - Build good habits: do your reps -
“We've documented absolutely everything in our sales process,” says closing king Brian Foley, owner of Activate gym in Killarney, Ireland.
Brian and his team at Activate were on the July leaderboard for close rate, which ran from 22 to 34 new clients.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin grills Brian on his impressive sales funnel to find out how his gym closes so many new members.
For starters, Brian has processes for absolutely everything, from the moment a lead enters the funnel to handling objections in the sales office to onboarding and beyond.
Get this: Leads booked 27 appointments at Activate, 24 showed up for their meetings, and 22 of them purchased. Of the two who didn’t buy, one was referred out to a gym that would be a better fit for her.
Brian and his team are constantly auditing their sales system to see how they’re doing, and they make improvements whenever the metrics highlight an issue.
Activate has a dedicated client success manager (CSM) who handles 99 percent of sales, and she does so with a Help First mentality. There’s no slimy, pushy, buy-buy-buy pressure. She truly wants to help people become healthier and fitter through the gym, and this attitude shines through during the No Sweat Intro (NSI) process.
To her, it’s not “selling.” It’s “helping people solve their problems.” That mindset shift makes all the difference when you’re sitting in the sales office.
Links
Chris Cooper’s “Help First”
Read more: The Prescriptive Model
Gym Owners United
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1:02 - Having a tight sales funnel
5:24 - Simplifying the sales process and pricing sheets
11:25 - Solving problems by watching your numbers
18:05 - Help First and Help Best drive sales
26:33 - Closing tips -
Last year, Facebook generated US$131 billion in ad revenue, proving that paid ads work—but they don’t work for everyone.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Two-Brain chief marketing officer John Franklin to break down why some gym owners struggle with paid ads while others have great success.
The most common ad mistakes gym owners make are not understanding key metrics, underspending and giving up too early.
John also details the common flaws of unsuccessful ad campaigns, including straying from proven offers, using ineffective images and headlines, and targeting too broad of an audience.
Tune in to learn how to avoid critical mistakes and successfully funnel new leads into your gym with digital marketing.
Links
Gym Owners United
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0:39 - Why do people avoid running ads?
6:26 - Underspending and advertising
11:32 - Do we need to run paid ads?
17:10 - Reasons gym owners say ads don’t work
25:27 - Don’t kneecap your ad campaign -
Ivan Racic’s gym, CrossFit XV in Croatia, has tripled its revenue since joining the Two-Brain Business mentorship program three years ago, and month after month Ivan is consistently earning more.
This July, Ivan landed on Two-Brain’s marketing leaderboards for set rate and show rate—the number of leads who book appointments and the number of bookers who actually show up.
Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin learns exactly how Ivan managed to book so many appointments and get so many people to show up for them.
Ivan says using paid ads and hiring a client success manager (CSM) were key decisions that his mentor, Taryn Dubreuil, helped him make.
Marketing mentor Colm O’Reilly guided Ivan through setting up highly effective paid ads, which he spends just $5 a day on. Ivan’s CSM reaches out to new leads within 24 hours, and she also has a list of daily, weekly, and monthly marketing and retention tasks—and she does it all in only six to seven hours a week.
Tune in to hear the full episode and learn how to give your salespeople more chances to help clients change their lives.
Links
Gym Owners United
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0:52 - Paid ads and new members
5:36 - What does Crossfit XV offer?
9:10 - How Ivan brought people to the gym
17:40 - Ivan's ad hook
23:08 - Ivan’s plan for the future -
Are you using your leads to grow your gym?
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper presents the monthly leaderboards for set, show and close rates.
The owners of the gyms on our leaderboards have mastered key areas of the marketing funnel: they get leads to set appointments, they work hard to ensure people show up, and they change lives by closing sales.
Chris shares proven practices from these top gym owners, including tracking metrics weekly, hiring a client success manager (CSM), training staff regularly and investing in mentorship.
Listen to the full episode to learn how to systemize, optimize, and automate your sales and marketing so your gym can help more people, provide careers for your staff and thrive for 30 years or more.
Links
Gym Owners United
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01:49 - July 2024 appointments set
2:55 - July 2024 shows
3:42 - July 2024 closes
4:59 - Who is best at all three?
6:19 - Quotes from the leaders -
Today’s guest, Joleen Bingham, has developed an ascension model to help you retain staff by creating careers for them. Since implementing the model, Joleen’s staff retention has improved, and she has multiple team members earning over $100,000 a year.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Joleen, a multi-gym owner and the leader of Two-Brain’s Tinker program for upper-level gym owners.
Joleen’s model begins with a consistent, structured hiring process that eliminates many staffing problems before they appear.
The onboarding stage features a clear checklist and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that document expectations, and the owner's values and vision for the gym are communicated.
Once a staff member has been onboarded, the model focuses on development, moving from basic to more complex skills. Owners also mentor team members to help them work in areas of passion.
The next step is growth and retention. Career Roadmaps are a huge focus here: They help staff members become leaders and stick around long term.
The final component is the exit: ensuring you have a strategy for when staff members eventually leave.
Tune in to hear Joleen’s full staff ascension plan and to get an exclusive look into Two-Brain’s resources for clients.
Links
Mentorship: Tinker/Stage 3
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1:55 - Mistakes and how to fix them
4:44 - Staff ascension template
19:16 - Growth and retention
25:51 - Decrease your turnover
31:41 - Take action with staffing -
A link is missing between credentials and careers in the fitness industry—and it’s costing gym owners a lot of great people.
Common story: A trainer starts making $20 per class and works up to coaching 40 sessions a week. But the trainer isn’t making enough money and can’t see a way to make more without burning out. So the coach leaves the fitness industry to “get a real job.” The gym owner shrugs and tosses another coach into the cycle.
Sound familiar? If so, this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym" is for you.
Host Mike Warkentin and gym-owning mentor Karl Solberg discuss the detailed coach ascension program used at CrossFit Medis and CrossFit Sickla in Sweden.
The model allows trainers to level up as they develop and add the skills that bring more value. Clients get better results and pay more, the gym earns more, and the coach earns more and creates a career. Everyone wins.
The first step: Create an evaluation for your coaches and then review their performance regularly to ensure they’re improving.
To go further, review Karl’s system and consider building something similar to create careers for coaches at your gym.
Links
Gym Owners United
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1:43 - Ascension plans increase value
3:35 - Levels increase value
6:48 - The coach ascension plan
10:48 - A detailed look at the plan
32:53 - Creating and implementing -
It’s Worst-Case Scenario Week on “Run a Profitable Gym.”
Today, host Mike Warkentin is joined by Matthew Becker, owner of GymLaywers.com, who shares stories of partnerships from hell and explains how to avoid them.
Partnerships in gyms can go wrong fast and create living nightmares for entrepreneurs. Partners might have very different views on topics such as dating members, day-to-day operations and finances, and sometimes a partner might even be involved in illegal activities. Or maybe one partner just isn't pulling their weight.
Without solid agreements in place, these situations can spiral quickly.
For example, gym owners in need of money might sell paid-in-full memberships, then have a disagreement and close the gym abruptly, leaving members out of pocket. In the worst cases, the money is long gone, and the owners can find themselves facing criminal charges.
Matthew, former gym owner, shares tips for avoiding these situations and getting out of them as quickly as possible if you run into partner trouble. It boils down to proper business setup, management and documentation.
To ensure your business will protect you legally and financially, get a lawyer to create or review a partnership agreement. You can reach Matthew at Gymlaywers.com.
Links
"Your LLC Isn't Protecting You if You Do These 5 Things"
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1:41 - Potential legal problems with partners
10:24 - Preparing for the snowball
19:32 - Partners leaving and presales
29:26 - It keeps getting worse?
38:39 - Stopping the daisy chain from hell -
Although fitness training is incredibly safe, injuries and emergency situations are unavoidable.
The best plan: Be prepared.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Erik Zeyher, owner of Warlock Athletics in New York.
In mid-August, one of Erik’s clients had a heart attack at the gym. Coaches and other members quickly worked together to administer CPR and resuscitate the member using the gym’s AED.
At the hospital, the member's wife said that if her husband had been anywhere other than the gym, he wouldn’t have survived.
Erik and his team have a full emergency plan in place and undergo regular AED training, and their preparation allowed them to save a life.
In the aftermath, Erik had to make critical leadership decisions, such whether to continue with classes, how to comfort clients who witnessed the event, how to communicate with his larger community, and how to ensure his staff members recovered from the stressful situation.
Tune in to get the full story and Erik’s tips for emergency preparedness so you can form your own action plan.
Links
Chris Cooper on the CALM model
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1:15 - Medical emergency at Erik’s gym
8:39 - What about the staff and other clients?
15:11 - Following procedure after a crisis
24:29 - Things to think about post-event
28:49 - What is on Erik’s list? -
Most gym owners experience a revenue slump during the summer months. But today’s guest posted his greatest monthly revenue total of the year in June.
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin digs into summer revenue with Stan Skolfield of Skolfield Sports Performance in Maine.
Stan’s gym focuses on youth sports performance, and his summer programs—perfect for kids who are out of school—generate front-end revenue and downstream revenue for rest of the year.
In summer, Stan runs camps and events that target under-serviced demographics. These outdoor camps don’t take up any space in his gym, and they funnel kids into his core programs that run during the school year.
To ensure he’s always got a steady stream of leads, Stan employs a consistent social media posting schedule to connect with youths who are attached to their screens. He pairs great content with sell-by-chat marketing to get more people in his gym.
If your gym focuses on adults, adding a kids program is a fantastic way to boost summer revenue. Stan even shares an exact template for running a summer sports camp so you can avoid a summer revenue dip in 2025.
Links
Bill Parisi’s episode
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2:59 - How did Stan hit his June revenue?
6:07 - Skolfield Sports Performance
11:40 - Breadcrumbs into main program
16:54 - Progress over the last 5 years
23:10 - Add $2,000 to next June’s revenue -
For many gym owners, revenue drops off a cliff in summer. For others, it soars higher than ever.
How can you make sure your gym is crushing it instead of crashing in summer?
In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper presents the Top 10 revenue leaderboard for June 2024 and shares the leaders’ tactics.
The top gym in June posted its best month of revenue thanks to a very successful kids summer program that’s a feeder for its main offerings. Your takeaway: Kids programs thrive in the summer months if you build them properly, and they’re a great option for gym owners looking for additional revenue.
Outside specialty programs, the Top 10 gym owners all employed similar strategies to generate revenue: They prioritized consistent growth, they focused hard on their clients, they used targeted ads, and they relied on mentorship.
Tune in to hear more and then use the tactics you learn about to hit your personal best month for revenue.
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1:49 - June 2024 Revenue Leaderboard
5:18 - Consistency, not beginner’s luck
6:58 - Lessons from the Top 10
7:37 - Camp revenue breakdown
11:23 - The common theme for the leaderboard - Mostrar más
