Watch: What 4 High-Performing Studio Owners & Industry Experts Want You To Know About Community, Systems, and Retention in 2026
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The 2026 fitness landscape is shifting fast, but the gyms and studios that continue to grow share the same patterns. They build belonging, run on clear systems, empower their teams, and market with personality.
In the webinar How to Prep Your Gym or Fitness Studio for Growth in 2026, four operators break down the exact work behind their growth: what they doubled down on, what they stopped doing, and where they’re finding leverage going into 2026.
Speakers included:
- Sydney Mayer: Studio Owner, The Emerald Club
- Felicia Romero: Fitness Entrepreneur, Speaker, Coach, and Franchise Partner of OHM
- Sean Greeley: Founder & CEO of NPE
- Tony Smith: Gym Owner, The Garage Gym
Don’t guess what to do next. Watch the operators who already figured it out!
How Top Studio Owners Are Prepping for 2026
#1: Invest in a Community That Makes People Stay
The strongest communities weren’t built with fancy activations. They were built with belonging. Felicia Romero framed it as the shift from “come work out with us” to “come belong with us.”
Sydney’s first-year studio shows how brand clarity creates that feeling instantly. From the name to the pre-class socializing, members enter as people, not consumers.
Tony Smith reinforces this by pairing new members with long-timers and showcasing local authenticity. Belonging drives retention more than any promotion.
The examples they shared are worth watching in full. Watch it now!
#2: What to Fix First: Systems & the 90-Day Fix
The panel agreed on one thing: growth comes from choosing the right problems to solve, not doing more work. Sean Greeley’s diagnosis is painfully simple and accurate. Look at the last three months:
- Did more people leave than come in?
- Are they sticking around?
- Which bucket is breaking: money, clients, or team?
If you constantly feel like there are a thousand things to do, this is the segment that tells you what matters. Insights like navigating leverage vs. activity was one of the strongest moments in the webinar.
#3: Team Culture: Empowering Your Talent
Sydney explains how she hires people who want to be there. Tony added more insights on why paying key people more grew his business 30%. Felicia explains how weekly rhythms create a reliable member experience. Sean walks through the four-stage Empowerment Progression that prevents both micromanagement and chaos.
Watch how each owner explains the way they build and sustain their team culture.
#4: Marketing and Retention for 2026
In 2026, marketing is not only brand-forward; it’s about your people, vibe, message, and teachers.
Social media creates visibility, but retention grows when studios combine it with:
- Taking people off-platform into email, SMS, and owned channels
- Leaning into founder-led messaging
- Using story-driven, community-first content
- Running events as high-intent activation tools
The guests covered everything from first-visit systems to boosting conversion rates. They also unpacked why it now takes 20–25 touchpoints to convert someone and what studios can do to stay present across platforms.
Last Words
This webinar is packed with practical, experience-based insight from operators who have built and scaled gyms, studios, and online fitness brands. The recap highlights the key points, but the whole conversation shows how they think, decide, and execute in real time.
Watch it on demand to see the whole picture.
