7 Books Every Gym Owner Should Read

Good business owners  are constantly learning and seeking out ways to improve their business and themselves. Here are 7 book suggestions for gym owners that are full of great business advice to add to your reading list.

1. Two-Brain Business: Grow Your Gym by Chris Cooper

Chris Cooper wrote this guide to owning a fitness business based on his own experience as a CrossFit gym owner. Cooper emphasizes using and balancing the two parts of the brain, the analytical side and the creative side, to successfully manage and grow a fitness business.

2. The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga: The Yoga Professional’s Guide to a Fulfilling Career by Amy Ippoliti and Taro Smith

This book focuses on the journey of turning a love of yoga into a career. It’s helpful for anyone making the transition to business owner, or anyone who wants to remind themselves where they started. Don’t be fooled by the title, this book is full of practical advice on growing a fitness studio that would apply to any fitness business.

3. Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated: Attract, Engage, and Delight Customers Online by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah

Written by the founders of Hubspot, Inbound is the ultimate guide to organic marketing. Learn tips and tricks for attracting new clients without paying for advertisements. Building a strong inbound marketing system takes time and work, but Halligan and Shah walk you through every step.

4. Good to Great by Jim Collins

This book documents a five-year study of new businesses that found great success. It examines the habits and management styles of those business owners, compares them with the styles of owners whose businesses didn’t thrive, and uses the differences to emphasize what’s important. This is a don’t-miss for anyone in the early stages of business.

5. Drive by Daniel Pink

In this book Pink focuses on staff management and leadership. He offers advice on how to incentivize your staff without relying on money. Instead he emphasizes trust, empowerment, and community building. This is a must-read for any manager.

6. The One Thing You Need to Know by Marcus Buckingham

Buckingham’s guide is another must-read for every manager. The book emphasizes identifying and nurturing your staff’s unique talents, and using positive reinforcement as a motivator. It will help you think through how you act as a manager, and offer ways for you to grow.

7. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

There’s a reason Carnegie’s book still makes the New York Times best seller list more than 80 years after it was published. This classic focuses on how to use relationship building to make you a stronger leader. It offers advice on listening techniques and communication strategies that will improve your relationships with your staff and clients.

Did we miss something? Add your book recommendations in the comments below!