This CEO Says the Secret to Growth Is Knowing Who You’re Not For | Entrepreneur

When [solidcore] launched a 10-class challenge over 14 days, it came with a simple prize: a branded hoodie.

Clients packed studios across the country. Some took the class at sunrise. Some, like CEO Bryan Myers, squeezed in late-night sessions to qualify.

“I was taking class at 10:00 PM,” he told me on the latest episode of One Day with Jon Bier. “My husband was like, ‘I’m pretty sure you can probably convince someone to give you a hoodie out of the back room.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m gonna earn this freaking hoodie.'”

That mindset is what Myers believes has powered [solidcore]’s growth. The company now operates more than 140 studios in over 25 states. But for Myers, the real challenge hasn’t been expansion. It’s staying true to what made people join in the first place.

Here he shares the lessons of scaling [solidcore] without losing its core.

Related: 7 Financial Pillars That Make or Break Growing Businesses

The customer is not always correct

Myers didn’t start as CEO. He started as a customer. Years later, when he joined the company’s leadership team, he didn’t walk in with a strategy deck. He walked into coach training.

“I wanted to understand what this business feels like from the role of a coach,” he said. “Yes, as a client you have an experience. But you can’t walk into a business saying everything that you’re doing is messed up. There’s probably a good reason it’s operating that way.”

One thing he learned is that what clients say they want and what the business can sustain aren’t always aligned. Installing showers, for example.

“As a client, you might be saying, ‘Hey, I want there to be showers at the studio,’ but then you get on the business side and you’re like, oh wait, all the overhead and infrastructure that comes with that actually might change the trajectory and sustainability of this business,” Myers said.

Make people earn their way in

You don’t join [solidcore] for a leisurely workout. You join to push yourself.

“It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, how fit you are,” he said. “It’s like—do you have the mindset to continue to show up for yourself and put in the work?”

He compares the brand’s ethos to something he grew up with. “My dad was a Marine,” he said. “When he sees another Marine, it’s not like, ‘Let’s go get brunch.’ It’s like, ‘I know something about you.’ That’s what [solidcore] is. You see someone with that sweatshirt and you know they earned it.”

The result is a brand that people feel connected to in a deeper way. Effort becomes identity. They stick around.

Related: ‘I Used to Sleep Under My Desk:’ How a Burnt Out Executive Changed His Ways and Now Runs a Sleep Wearables Company.

Create an on-ramp

But that kind of intensity can also keep people away.

[solidcore]’s hardest sell isn’t the workout itself; it’s getting someone to walk in the door.

“When you talk to people who have never taken a [solidcore] class and you ask them why they haven’t, it’s the thing that they say,” Myers explained. “‘It’s really, really hard. That’s all I know about it. It’s really, really intimidating.'”

The solution? Design a better starting point. That became Starter50, a class with slower transitions, more instruction, and built-in breaks to help people get comfortable with the format.

“Some eventually graduate to a Signature50 class,” Myers said. “Some say, ‘Hey, this is actually my speed.’ Either of those answers are okay with us.”

What matters is that they showed up.

Compensate the people who carry your brand

At [solidcore], instructors are called coaches, and they’re compensated well for their effort.

Too many companies scale by standardizing talent. Myers doubled down on elevating it.

“If you are a strong, high-performing [solidcore] coach, you can make a six-figure salary here,” he said. “That’s really, really important.”

Some coaches earn over $300 for a 50-minute class. Many started as clients themselves. Myers calls them the “culture carriers.” And he invests in them with benefits, ongoing training, and even a dedicated Coach Appreciation Week.

Build what lasts

Myers isn’t betting on boutique fitness trends. He’s betting on a cultural shift: people want to feel strong and mobile for the long haul.

“We are moving away from an environment where people feel like they have to beat up their bodies in order to prove how strong they are,” he said.

That’s why [solidcore] focuses on low-impact, high-intensity workouts that are as effective for a 25-year-old as they are for a 55-year-old recovering from an injury.

“Doing things today to feel better tomorrow is actually more important than doing things today to look better tomorrow,” he said. “And I think that’s a beautiful thing.”

The real competition isn’t another gym, he added. “It’s the couch.”