The Real Truth About Building a Fitness Business

Most fitness business owners think growth comes from better marketing, more leads, or the next shiny strategy.

But after sitting down with John-Paul Rahme, founder of Xoda, it became clear…

The real game is much deeper than that.

It’s about behaviour, decision-making and who you become through the process.

JP’s journey from personal trainer to gym owner, through partnership breakdowns, and into building a global SaaS company offers some of the most valuable lessons I’ve heard in a long time.

JP’s first gym was a huge success.

1. High volume PT
2. Low competition
3. Strong margins
4. Rapid growth

Sounds ideal, right?

But here’s the catch…

It came too easily.

And that created a blind spot.

He didn’t fully appreciate:

• The system behind the success
• The risks in business
• The importance of structure

This is something I see all the time.

When things work early, you don’t build the muscles required for when things get hard.

And eventually…

They do.

This was one of the most important parts of the episode.

JP’s second business grew fast—over $2.5M in revenue within 12 months.

But it nearly broke him.

Why?

Misaligned values in a partnership.

Here are the key lessons:

1. Shared values matter more than shared vision

You can agree on the goal…

But if you don’t agree on how you operate, it will fall apart.

2. Never ignore your intuition

JP said it clearly:

👉 The red flags were there

He ignored them.

And paid for it.

3. You can’t make a good deal with a bad person

No contract will save you.

No agreement will protect you.

If the person is wrong, the deal is wrong.

4. Understand what you’re signing

• Don’t understand shareholder agreements
• Don’t understand director responsibilities
• Rely on lawyers without real comprehension

That’s a dangerous game.

This might be the most valuable insight from the entire conversation.

Most gym owners measure success by:

• Revenue
• Leads
• Members

JP calls these vanity metrics.

Instead, he focuses on one thing:

Behaviour Change

👉 Are you actually changing your client’s behaviour?

Because if you are:

• Retention improves
• Results improve
• Referrals increase
• Revenue follows

If you’re not…

None of the other metrics matter long term.

This is the real KPI of a fitness business.

• Members training consistently
• Better nutrition habits
• Improved sleep
• Stronger identity around health

If your business drives that…

You become competition-proof.

There’s a powerful concept JP shared that applies to every gym owner.

There’s no shortage of ideas. The challenge is knowing what to focus on.

Most owners:

• Chase trends
• Add services too quickly
• Jump between strategies

But the best operators have a filter

JP’s filter is simple:

‘Will this change client behaviour in a meaningful way?’

If the answer is no…

It’s a distraction.

JP made a huge transition from gym owner to SaaS founder.

And one key theme stood out:

Consumer expectations have changed.

People now expect:

• Seamless experiences
• Fast interactions
• Intuitive systems
• Personalisation

Why?

Because of companies like Uber, Apple, and social media.

That means your gym is no longer compared to other gyms.

It’s compared to every experience your client has.

• Your tech matters
• Your systems matter
• Your client experience matters more than ever

Because friction kills retention.

This was a huge part of the conversation.

And here’s the reality:

AI is not coming. It’s already here.

JP broke it down simply.

AI allows you to:

• Analyse massive amounts of data
• Predict behaviour
• Personalise at scale
• Improve decision making

AI won’t replace coaches.

But it will:

• Help you understand your clients better
• Show you where clients are dropping off
• Highlight what to fix in your business

And most importantly…

Help you drive behaviour change faster

This part hit hard.

JP said:

“You can do all the right things… and still need time.”

This is where most people get frustrated.

They:

• Run ads
• Post content
• Improve systems

And expect instant results.

But growth doesn’t work like that.

The truth about growth

• It compounds
• It builds slowly
• Then it accelerates

What looks like overnight success is usually years of work finally paying off.

This had nothing to do with business.

And everything to do with life.

JP shared advice from his wife:

“If you’re at work, be at work. If you’re at home, be at home.”

Simple yet so powerful.

Because most business owners are:

• Half working
• Half present
• Fully distracted

And that costs you:

• Performance
• Relationships
• Fulfilment

If you take nothing else from this episode, take this:

• Focus on behaviour change, not vanity metrics
• Choose partners based on values, not opportunity
• Don’t ignore your intuition
• Build systems that create real client outcomes
• Adapt to technology and AI
• Be patient as growth takes time
• And most importantly… be present in your life

JP’s journey is a powerful reminder that:

Business is not just about strategy. It’s about who you become.

The lessons you learn, the mistakes you make and the resilience you build.

Because in the end…

The most successful fitness business owners aren’t just better marketers.

They’re better decision-makers.