Cory Fernandez opened TFW — Training for Warriors — in Toronto, Ontario in 2016 running a group class model. He had more than 200 members paying an average of $175–$180 a month. By most measures, things were going well.
But in 2018, he started listening to Tim Lyons' podcast. The semi-private model kept coming up. He started implementing it on a small scale. When COVID hit, he leaned in fully — raised his prices, restructured his offering, and made semi-private training the core of his business.
The Result
Today, TFW has 105 clients paying either $520 every five weeks or $620 every four weeks. Revenue has grown from under $400,000 in 2019 to $700,000 in 2024. And retention has improved considerably — the client experience in the semi-private model is simply better.
"Whenever there are things that come up, these guys are ahead of it. It always makes me look at what we're currently doing and find ways to make it better." — Cory Fernandez
Three Iron Circle Takeaways
1. Getting His Systems in Order
Before the Iron Circle, Fernandez's sales system was in one place, his delivery system was somewhere else, and everything was scattered. The group pushed him to centralize and document everything — making it far easier to train and manage his four coaches.
2. Knowing What to Do With Profits
This was the original reason Fernandez joined. He was making money but didn't know how to maximize it.
"That has probably been the thing that has helped the most — getting my mind thinking about how to set up my family, what can I do to get me more access to cash. I have set myself up and my family up really well thanks to some of the advice they have given us."
3. Access to World-Class Experts
Through Iron Circle getaways, Fernandez has had direct access to people like Profit First author Mike Michalowicz and billionaire Jeff Hoffman.
"I have read his book and now I'm sitting in the living room with him asking him questions."
His Message
"The other thing is you're just surrounding yourself with other high-achievers, with people that are actually getting results. There are guys who have multiple gyms, and they're doing things with their profits from their business, so it opens your eyes as to what you can do in this industry and what you can do outside of it."
Ready to make the same transformation? Learn more about Semi-Private Pro and the Iron Circle mastermind.
