For gym owners generating $500,000+ in annual revenue

Iron Circle

You’ve built a successful gym.
But you know there’s more for you.

Iron Circle is a 12-month mastermind for owners who are already doing well and are ready for more.

Start my application

Application → review → discovery call

Your gym makes money. But too many decisions still come back to you, and you carry the weight of the ones you can’t work through with your team.

Join experienced gym owners who share what’s working in their businesses, help you tackle important decisions, and challenge you to build a business that gives you more freedom.

Hear why I built Iron Circle and what we work on together.

Megan’s experience

From roughly $70K months
to a $98K best month

“When I joined, I was sitting around 70k a month, and now we just had our best month ever at 98k a month.”

Megan CooperStudio ME Fitness · Minnesota

You can be proud of your gym and still want more from it.

You have clients. You have a team. The bills are getting paid, and the business makes money.

But the next step may be harder to figure out than it looks from the outside.

01

You want people who can help you grow.

You may be the person everyone else comes to for advice. When you have a question about your own business, you want someone who has worked through a similar decision.

02

You want the gym to depend less on you.

You have people on the team, but too many decisions still come back to you. You want to step away knowing the business will keep serving clients well.

03

You want to decide what comes next.

That could mean a stronger single location, another business, a future sale, or simply more time for your family. You want people who can help you think it through before you commit.

Those are the conversations I built Iron Circle to have.

Iron Circle owners exchanging ideas around a table during an in-person working session.
Owners working through decisions together.

A note from Tim Lyons Jr., founder of Iron Circle

I created Iron Circle because
the group I needed didn’t exist.

My gym was already successful. I was looking for people who could help me figure out what came next.

I was in a mastermind with good people, but I found myself doing most of the teaching. Other owners came to me for help. When I needed support with my own business, I wasn’t getting what I needed.

I looked around the fitness industry for a group serving gym owners going from $500,000 a year to a million and beyond. I couldn’t find the group I was looking for.

So I created it.

I wanted to bring together the best operators I could find. Owners who had built real businesses, still wanted to improve, and were willing to share what they knew.

In other groups I had been part of, people held back what was working. I wanted a place where we could talk openly about our businesses and help each other win.

That is the culture we’ve built inside the Iron Circle—a place where we can all win.

Bring the decision you are working through. Ask the question. Share the thing that helped your business. Be willing to hear an answer you may not have considered.

The group gets stronger every year with great operators like you.

The members

What brought them here.
What changed.

Hear what these owners were looking for, what they put into practice, and what changed in their businesses.

A stronger peer group

Get answers from owners who have already worked through the decision.

Alec’s story

Alec describes learning how another member had hired a remote appointment setter, adapting that approach, and taking phone work off his coaches’ plates.

You can bring a staffing issue, a pricing decision, or an idea for growth to people who understand the business you run.

Ask what they tried, what worked, and what they would do differently. Then decide what fits your gym.

But I really needed that next level of conversation, and I really needed to be in the room with people who have done what I was trying to do.

Alec LibermanOn Target Fitness · New Hampshire

Less dependence on you

Build a business that can work without you in every decision.

Bill’s story

Bill reports doubling monthly recurring revenue within eight months of implementing his marketing systems.

Bill joined because he wanted a business that could operate successfully without him. In his recent interview, he describes putting marketing systems and procedures in place and building a business he believes is ready for a future sale.

You want your team to take responsibility and your systems to hold up when you step away.

Bring the operational problems you keep getting pulled back into. Get help deciding what to change, then come back with what happened as you put it into practice.

Because I wanted to be able to build the necessary systems so my business could run successfully without me.

Bill TokmajianMotivate Fitness · Pennsylvania

Your next chapter

Work out what you want your successful gym to make possible.

Evans’ story

Starting another business alongside the gym

Evans describes how being around owners doing things beyond their gyms helped him consider and start another business. He credits the group’s shared experience with helping him take that step.

Evans Armantrading Jr.CNU Fit · Delaware

You may want to improve the business you already have. You may be considering another location, a different business, or preparing for an eventual sale.

You can talk through the decision with owners who bring different experiences and perspectives. You still choose the path that fits your goals.

The level of business owner savvy and ambition beyond the gym

Lindsay VastolaOn why she’s part of Iron Circle
Start my application

Tell us where your business is today and what you want to change next.

Quarterly events · Iron Circle Experiences

Step out of the day to day.
Spend time with the people helping you build what comes next.

ICX

Your membership includes quarterly events, with a mix of Iron Circle Experiences, private events, and virtual events.

The in-person time gives you room to work through decisions without the usual interruptions at the gym. You get to know other owners, hear what they are working on, and have the conversations that are hard to fit into a normal workday.

Sometimes that happens in a session. Sometimes it happens over dinner or during an experience together. Those relationships continue when everyone goes home.

Iron Circle Experience · Austin, Texas · 2026
Iron Circle Experience · Orlando, Florida · 2026

A look inside past experiences

Iron Circle members in matching black-and-gold jerseys beneath an illuminated Iron Circle logo.

The Iron Circle crew

Iron Circle members together in Las Vegas.

Together in Las Vegas

Iron Circle members enjoying a group outing in front of the American Adventure building.

Time together beyond the sessions

Iron Circle members gathered in front of the Unreasonable Hospitality workshop screen.

Learning from Unreasonable Hospitality

A location decision, with people who could help them think it through

Alex and Kim brought a decision about their location to ICX. Conversations with the group and time with me helped them get clearer about their options.

And sometimes them being outside of the situation really helped us get clarity.

Alex Boscarino & Kim ZengerleIgnite Fitness · Connecticut
Start my application

We’ll discuss the event schedule and membership details during the application conversation.

Past speakers and contributors

Learn from the people
who’ve taught inside Iron Circle.

I’ve brought in people with experience in leadership, marketing, profit, customer experience, and performance to share their thinking with the group.

Jesse Cole

Jesse Cole

Owner of the Savannah Bananas

Russell Brunson

Russell Brunson

Co-founder of ClickFunnels

Seth Godin

Seth Godin

Author of Purple Cow and This Is Marketing

Tim Grover

Tim Grover

Performance coach to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Gino Wickman

Gino Wickman

Creator of EOS® and author of Traction

Mike Michalowicz

Mike Michalowicz

Author of Profit First

Donald Miller

Donald Miller

Creator of StoryBrand and author of Building a StoryBrand

Jesse Itzler

Jesse Itzler

Co-founder of Marquis Jet

Jeff Hoffman

Jeff Hoffman

Entrepreneur whose startup experience includes Priceline.com

Joey Coleman

Joey Coleman

Author of Never Lose a Customer Again

Steven Kotler

Steven Kotler

Author of The Art of Impossible

Unreasonable Hospitality

Unreasonable Hospitality

Lindsey Peckham and Jen Burgess

Available from day one

You get access to the vault of past speakers and training from day one. Return to a session when it is useful for the work you are doing, or listen through the private podcast.

Past contributions shown. Future appearances and direct access to these speakers are not included.

The membership

Here is what your
12 months inside Iron Circle include.

Work on a more profitable business, develop the people who help you run it, and make room for the life you want outside the gym.

01

Quarterly events

Step away from daily demands to work on the business, spend time with other owners, and get clear on your next priorities. Events include Iron Circle Experiences, private events, and virtual events, giving you dedicated time to think through your next move.

02

Monthly Global Calls

Bring your questions, hear other owners’ perspectives, and work through the decisions in front of you. Get input from people who understand the business, so you can move forward with a clearer plan.

A gallery view of Iron Circle members participating in a video call.
Inside an Iron Circle member call.
03

Regional pod calls

Get a smaller, tight-knit group of owners in your region and time zone who get to know you and your business. Our three pods are led by veteran Iron Circle members, so you can work through what you’re implementing with people who have experience to share.

04

24/7 Voxer access

A question shouldn’t have to wait for the next call. Post anytime and get input from me, our leadership team, and the other Iron Circle members. You have people to turn to when a staff issue, a business decision, or an opportunity comes up.

05

Systems, playbooks, and the training vault

Get the complete operating systems we run in our own facility, alongside systems from other million-dollar gyms. You get 70-plus frameworks, playbooks, tools, and calculators, with the principles and step-by-step guidance to put them to work in your gym.

It’s all available from day one, along with hundreds of hours of training specific to the fitness business. Every Iron Circle event is recorded and added to the vault, including sessions from our guest speakers. Start with the system you need now, and get help applying it to your business.

06

A private podcast

Take the training with you. Listen to past sessions on a drive, a walk, or between appointments, so you can keep learning without adding more time in front of a screen.

07

Three specialty circles

As your business changes, so do the conversations you need.

Develop the manager who can take more responsibility. Strengthen how you lead. Think through what to do with the money your gym produces.

Director Circle

Develop your second in command into the manager you can trust to run the gym on your behalf. Monthly staff calls, led by a veteran Iron Circle leader, help your team build the leadership skills to take more responsibility, so every decision doesn’t have to come back to you.

Leadership Circle

Strengthen how you lead as an owner. Build your ability to give direction, develop your people, and hold them accountable, so you can lead a capable team instead of carrying the business yourself.

Wealth Circle

Think beyond what the gym earns this month. Learn how to put its cash flow and proceeds toward long-term wealth and a legacy for your family, so the business you’re building can support your future.

The Iron Circle training library with courses on marketing, systems, leadership, and gym growth.
And a lot more.Just a sample of the courses, lessons, and past speaker sessions available from day one.

Bring the issue you’re working on.

A staffing problem. A decision about pricing. Something you need to stop handling yourself.

Work through it with experienced owners, choose the system or playbook that fits your gym, and put it into practice. Bring back what happened so you can keep improving.

Who belongs here

I’m looking for owners who will make this group better by being in it.

Iron Circle is for gym owners generating at least $500,000 in annual revenue who want to keep building.

You have a business to bring to the conversation, questions worth working on, and experience another owner could learn from.

This could be a fit if you:

  • Want a more profitable business, a stronger team, or clearer direction for your next stage.
  • Are willing to hear honest feedback and act on it.
  • Want to share what you know and see other owners succeed.
  • Can make time to participate and implement over a 12-month membership.

This is not the right fit if you:

  • Are still working toward the $500,000 annual revenue level.
  • Want someone to run the gym or implement everything for you.
  • Want guaranteed growth without changing how you work.
  • Plan to collect ideas without participating or contributing.

You do not need to want a second location or another business. A stronger gym and more time with your family can be the right goal.

The next step

Here is what happens
when you apply.

  1. 1

    Tell us about your gym and what you want next.

    Complete the application below. Give us a clear picture of the business, what you want to change, and what you have already tried. Short, honest answers are useful.

  2. 2

    We review your application and arrange a conversation if there is a potential fit.

    We personally review your answers. If Iron Circle looks relevant to your goals, we’ll contact you to talk through the group, your questions, the schedule, and the investment.

  3. 3

    If the fit is right on both sides, we invite you to join.

    You will have the membership details before you decide. Applying does not commit you to joining or guarantee an invitation.

Start my application

Your next step is the application. The membership decision comes after a conversation.

Questions before you apply

Is Iron Circle right for you?

The people, the support, and the commitment. Here are the details I’d want to know before applying.

The right fit

Where you are now. Where you want to go.

My gym is already successful. What would I get out of this?

That’s who I built Iron Circle for: gym owners generating at least $500,000 in annual revenue who know there’s more they want from the business.

Maybe the gym makes money but still needs you for nearly everything. Maybe you want stronger margins, a better team, or experienced owners to help you think through your next move. Bring those questions here. You can be proud of what you’ve built and still want it to work better for you.

I’ve already been in a mastermind. How is this different?

I created Iron Circle after finding myself doing most of the teaching in another group. I needed people who could help me with my own next step.

Inside Iron Circle, established gym owners share how they run their businesses, work through decisions together, and stay connected between events. You bring your experience and learn from theirs. If your last group left you wanting more, tell us what was missing. That’s a useful place to start our conversation.

What if I want more freedom, not more locations?

Then that’s the goal we work toward. You don’t need to open another gym or start another business to belong here.

A profitable gym with a capable manager, fewer decisions landing on your desk, and more time with your family is a worthwhile ambition. Other members may be pursuing expansion or a future sale. The point is to get clear on what you want and learn from owners who have worked through similar decisions.

Will I need to change my whole business model?

We start with the gym you have, what’s working, and what you want to improve. You’ll get feedback, examples, and ideas to help you make decisions for your business.

You should be willing to question old habits and put changes into practice. Tell us about your training model, team, and challenges in the application so we can discuss whether the support fits your situation.

How we work together

Support you can use in the business you’re running.

I’m already stretched thin. How will I make time for this?

If everything in the gym depends on you, making time to change that is part of the work. Come with a decision, a staff issue, or a priority you need help moving forward.

You will need time to participate and put what you learn into practice. The recorded events, training vault, and private podcast help you use the material around your schedule. We’ll walk through the calls and event calendar before you decide to join.

What happens when I need help between calls or events?

You can post in Voxer anytime, 24/7. A hiring decision or a problem with your team doesn’t have to sit until the next scheduled call. You can get input from me, our leadership team, and the other members.

You also have monthly Global Calls and a smaller regional pod, led by a veteran Iron Circle member. Those pods bring owners in similar time zones together to work through what’s happening in their businesses.

Can this help develop my manager and team, too?

Yes. The Director Circle helps develop your second in command into someone you can trust to run the gym on your behalf. Monthly staff calls are led by a veteran Iron Circle leader, so your team gets support taking on more responsibility.

For you as the owner, the Leadership Circle focuses on how you lead and develop your people. The Wealth Circle looks at putting the gym’s cash flow and proceeds toward long-term wealth. All three specialty circles are part of the membership.

What do the quarterly events look like?

The calendar includes Iron Circle Experiences, private events, and virtual events. They give you time to work on the business, learn together, and get to know the owners you’re sharing ideas with.

ICX is part of that calendar. It isn’t the format for every quarterly event. We’ll go through the current schedule, locations, and event arrangements during the application conversation so you can plan.

Will this still be useful as my business changes?

The questions you bring can change. You may start by building systems and developing your manager. Later, you might want help thinking through another location, a future sale, or how to use the gym’s cash flow to build wealth.

Those conversations have a place here, too. A stronger single gym and more time for your family can also remain your goal.

Before you apply

Know what you’re committing to, and what happens next.

What is the commitment and investment?

Iron Circle is a 12-month membership. We’ll discuss the current investment, membership terms, schedule, and event arrangements in our conversation.

You’ll have those details before you decide whether to join, along with time to ask about how the group would fit your goals and your business.

What happens after I apply? Am I agreeing to join?

Applying starts a conversation about fit. It doesn’t commit you to membership.

We personally review your answers. If there’s a potential fit, we’ll contact you to talk about your business, what you want next, and your questions about Iron Circle. If the fit is right on both sides, we’ll invite you to join. An application isn’t an automatic invitation.

Bring your questions.

Tell us about your gym in the application. If there’s a potential fit, we’ll talk through the details together.

Start my application

An invitation from Tim

A year from now,
what do you want
to be different?

More profit from the business you have already built?

A team that can handle more without you?

A clearer decision about what you want to do next?

I created Iron Circle because I wanted people I could turn to with those kinds of questions. I wanted to contribute what I knew and keep learning from owners who could challenge me.

If that is what you are looking for, tell us about your gym and what you want next.

TimFounder, Iron Circle
Tim smiling in a black polo in front of a colorful mural.
Start my application

For gym owners generating $500,000+ annually who are ready to participate and do the work.

Your next move

Apply for
Iron Circle

Tell us about the business you have built and what you want next.

Iron Circle is for gym owners generating at least $500,000 in annual gross revenue. We personally review applications and invite owners to a conversation when there is a potential fit.

All questions are required.

Where we can contact you about your application.
Gym name — website or social-profile link. A social profile is fine if you do not have a website.
Your role, how long the gym has been open, and what the team looks like.
What is the main reason you’re considering Iron Circle? Choose the closest fit. You can tell us more below.
Include what you want for the business and your role as the owner. If you chose “Something else,” include your reason here.
Include any coaching or masterminds and what you still need help with.
If there is a fit, how ready are you to commit time and invest in a 12-month membership?

We’ll personally review your application. Your next step is a discovery call to assess fit for an invitation. Applying does not confirm acceptance.

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