Beyond Coaching Podcast

Mindset

He Scaled One of America's Biggest Weightlifting Clubs. Inside Fortius with David Miller

From D1 soccer rejection to building Fortius, once the largest single-location weightlifting club in the U.S. Coach David Miller breaks down the systems, mistakes, and mindset that actually scale a barbell business without burning out your staff or scaring off beginners.

Coach David Miller has lived every era of U.S. weightlifting: East Coast Gold’s early days, CrossFit’s boom, and today’s social-media resurgence. In this episode, he shares how a six-for-six meet launched his coaching career, why elite athletes belong under the marketing budget, and the business lessons he learned the hard way (leases, partnerships, and people). If you’re a coach or gym owner looking for sustainable systems, stronger retention, and a youth pipeline that feeds long-term success, this one’s loaded with insights. If you’re a coach who’s scaling group training, balancing stars and beginners, or building youth S&C from the ground up, you’ll walk away with frameworks you can apply immediately.