ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Mike Barnhart crosses the Memorial Bridge into Wilmington and can see the hotel lobby where four federal agents put him in handcuffs. He served 63 months, came home, and decided the city that saw him at his worst was going to see him at his best. Then he signed a lease less than a block from that lobby.
He tells Bennie and Danny about taking it on the chin downtown for a year and a half, the flood that arrived the day after equipment install, and what selling gym equipment in Florida taught him about scale that coaching never could. He is honest about believing in people harder than they believe in themselves, and about the one line he will not cross to grow. Today's Margin Maker is Mike Barnhart.
In this episode:
- Why he put his most expensive location a block from where he got arrested, and what that cost him
- The hurricane that flooded the new gym the day after equipment install
- What he saw inside other operators' clubs that changed how he thinks about scale
- The three Cs every coach owes every athlete they walk past
- Why he stopped hiring people who are passionate about fitness
- What he admits believing in people too much has cost him
"The product is the product, but how you package it and the culture is what we scale." - Mike Barnhart
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Intro
(01:28) - The Hotel Downstairs
(04:28) - Sixty Three Months Away
(05:44) - First Gyms And Partners
(06:42) - What Florida Taught Him
(14:35) - Building The Experience
(18:57) - Teams And Performance Pay
(20:32) - Coaching Himself First
(23:25) - The Downtown Flood
(27:40) - Value Over Price
(31:16) - When To Open Next
(35:54) - How He Makes Margin
Connect with Mike Barnhart:
Website: https://www.axisfitnesstraining.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-barnhart-1a702840
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebarnhart_axis/
Axis Fitness: https://www.instagram.com/axis_fitness/
About the Show
Margin Makers is hosted by Bennie Sheally, entrepreneur and insurance agency founder, and co-host Danny Reynolds. The podcast features conversations with founders and operators across the trades, property management, insurance, and service industries who are building real businesses and learning through experience. Each episode focuses on practical lessons around leadership, operations, profitability, growth, and the challenges that come with scaling a business while staying grounded in the work.
Connect with Bennie Sheally:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennie-sheally-1240b340/
Connect with Danny Reynolds:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyreynolds1/
Find Margin Makers Here:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Margin_makers
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/margin-makers/id1887598203
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0VlwVmNIppKpOTsnqBhYRe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marginmakerspodcast/
Produced by UNFLTR
