Today I’m talking to Zack Bartell, who’s not only a competitive powerlifter and coach, but also a gym owner. We don’t often talk business on this podcast, but today, we’re diving into the ins, outs, ups, and downs of gym ownership. Zack founded and grew SoCal Powerlifting, but where were the speed bumps along the way? How does one maintain and foster community as a gym grows? And why do most gyms fail? It’s valuable insight into a side of the fitness world most of us never really glimpse.
In this episode of the BarBend Podcast, host David Thomas Tao talks to Zachary Bartell about:
- Zachary’s athletic background and finding the weight room (2:06)
- Big shifts in powerlifting, including from equipped to classic/raw (5:00)
- What are the latest trends in powerlifting? (8:40)
- Building a community within a gym, and why inclusivity is so important (12:30)
- When you have to “grow out of” a part of your business (15:30)
- Tracking leads and marketing your gym (19:00)
Relevant links and further reading:
- Follow Zachary on Instagram
- Follow David Thomas Tao on Instagram and Twitter
