How To Create Accountability and Efficiency in Your Gym

Advice from a 13-year CrossFit affiliate owner about how to create a well-run, sustainable business.

Most CrossFit gym owners don’t open their doors because they’re passionate about the logistics of running a business. 

This is true now, and it was especially true in the early days of CrossFit, when most affiliate owners were learning how to run a business as their gyms grew.

Jared Byczko — who opened CrossFit Naptown, now Myriad Health + Fitness, in downtown Indianapolis with his business partner and friend, Peter Brasovan, in 2011 — has been successful because he’s continued to learn, changing his approach as his gym and the industry shifted. While many gyms shut down over the years, his affiliate stayed open and thriving.

Then came the pandemic, which created challenges nobody predicted. 

It was during this time of uncertainty that Jared and his team decided to take a big step forward as a business and implement a system that would help them run every part of the organization, improving efficiency and creating a cohesive and connected team. 

First Step: Creating Company Values

Jared and his team began implementing a system called the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) from the book Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman. 

“It gave us a platform for us to run our business successfully,” Jared said. 

The first task before Jared and his team was to settle on company values. 

Jared had previously created core values based on his own beliefs. He presented these to the leadership team, expecting they’d agree with what he’d established.

“They challenged everything I had written up and it was a very uncomfortable conversation,” Jared said. 

One of the values he’d proposed was “family.” A member of his team told him they didn’t have kids and weren’t connected to their family, so that wasn’t a value that inspired them or connected with them. 

That moment was eye opening for Jared, because it was then he realized the importance of having difficult conversations.

“One of our values is open and honest communication,” Jared said. “If you have an issue, you have to be open about it, you have to be honest about it and then you have to be willing to open up about it rather than holding things in.”

After input from everyone on the leadership team, they decided the company’s values would be POPSG: People, Open and Honest, Professional, Solution Oriented, Growth Oriented. Instead of coming from the top, these were values created by the team that reflected their priorities and beliefs. 

Next: Establishing Accountability and Organization

Another tenet of the Entrepreneurial Operating System is what they call an accountability chart, which is similar to an organizational chart. 

However, with the accountability chart, everyone in the company comes up with their own three to five top responsibilities. 

For example, at Myriad Health + Fitness, they have a person who is in charge of the facilities. When the drains in the shower are slow, when a rower breaks, the facilities person knows it’s their job to solve the problem. This cuts down on confusion and gives the staff ownership and a deep sense of responsibility. 

Outside of the EOS model, Jared said one of the most effective organizational tools he’s added in the last few years is Slack, a messaging app for businesses. 

“That was a game changer for us, to have a communication device that cleans up emails, it cleans up texting,” Jared said.

When something in the gym breaks, all a team member has to do is post a message in the facilities channel, and they tag the team member who is in charge of facilities. 

They also have a sales channel in Slack, and this is where they announce every new lead, so the team is aware of potential new members. 

“This means that everyone in the team is aware of what’s going on, and more importantly, who is responsible for taking that on,” Jared said.

Finally, to make sure new employees understand the organization, the culture, and their responsibilities, they created a standardized onboarding process for every new staff member, whether they are full-time or part-time. 

“We have 40 staff members, about 22 fitness coaches, and about 15 to 16 yogis for our yoga program,” Jared said, “and we treat this like a professional business.”

This means that Jared can step away from some of the day-to-day responsibilities of the gym. 

“I have a great team who runs everything,” Jared said, “so I can focus on my family and just help people in our community and our members.”

About Author, Hilary Achauer

Hilary is a renowned fitness business writer, marketing content writer, and journalist. She’s written content for start-ups, entrepreneurs, executive coaches, wellness providers, gyms, and CrossFit. Her focus is always on telling the best story with a clear, compelling style and being able to engage readers, bring in new customers, or build an audience.