Small Business,
Big Mindset Podcast
Episode #46
Becoming a Master at Growing Communities
This week's guest is General Manager of CrossFit 2222 in Austin, TX, Keoni Subiono. Born and raised in Hawaii, Keoni founded and built CrossFit East O’ahu into an insanely successful gym - both financially and community-wise with his members. He's taken that business savvy mixed with a heart for community to help build CrossFit 2222…throughout a global pandemic. How do you keep a community and client-base growing and connected when human connection is a no-go? You get creative. You get scrappy. Listen in as this strategy and tactics can be applied across industries.
The Start
- Personal trainer, top producer in Southern California for Bally Total Fitness
- Moved back to Hawaii for the birth of their first son
- Found CrossFit when writing a story for the Honolulu Star Bulletin
- Affiliated the gym he founded with CrossFit, became CrossFit East O’ahu and then opened the second affiliate CrossFit West O’ahu
- Created the biggest CrossFit membership in the state of Hawaii
The Shift
- Switched his gym to CrossFit in 2008 when the economy crashed
- Personal training came back in 2014, shifted his gym to be a hybrid model
- Sold CrossFit East O’ahu and CrossFit West O’ahu in 2018 and moved to Texas
- Oldest son is ranked #1 in the 14-15 teen division in the world for the CrossFit Games
The Strategy
- Took over CrossFit 2222 in 2019, built up membership pre-COVID
- Ran Zoom classes so engaging that home fitness people keep connecting
- Created the 'Apocalypse Games' during shutdown
The Action
- Become a master of building community
- Continuously innovate, keeping members moving
- Make mistakes, learn, keep building, repeat.
The Mindset
- Deliberate and concise on where to place energy
- 4AM wake-up time, time-block the day
- Dedicate certain days for certain business objectives
- Prioritize family and core values
- Goals and Vision
- Creating and rolling out a profitable guide to mastering the operations of a micro gym
- Focusing on 12-week 'Transform' program, continue to package and sell to other gyms
The Wrap-Up
If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Pearl Jam
Where can people find you online?
