The Question That Changes Everything

Andrew Breton and Katie Miller opened their vision-setting session at Fall Summit 2025 with a question that had 200 gym owners reflecting deeply on their journey:

"Where were you five years ago versus today? What were the biggest surprises, and what wins are you most proud of?"

The responses revealed a common pattern among successful gym owners: the ones who had achieved the most significant growth weren't necessarily the ones who had predicted the future most accurately. They were the ones who had set a clear direction and made consistent decisions aligned with that direction, even when opportunities and challenges arose that they hadn't anticipated.

This insight led to the central premise of their presentation: vision isn't about predicting the future, it's about setting a compass that guides your decisions when the future inevitably unfolds differently than you expected.

The distinction between prediction and direction is crucial for gym owners because the fitness industry is constantly evolving. New technologies emerge, consumer preferences shift, economic conditions change, and competitive landscapes transform. The gym owners who try to predict these changes often find themselves paralyzed by uncertainty or constantly changing direction based on the latest trends.

But the gym owners who set a clear vision and use it as a decision-making compass can navigate uncertainty with confidence. They don't need to predict every change, they just need to evaluate each opportunity and challenge against their vision and make decisions that move them closer to their desired destination.

Vision vs. Goals: The Critical Distinction

One of the most important insights from Andrew and Katie's session was the distinction between vision and goals. Most gym owners confuse these concepts, which leads to frustration and inconsistent decision-making.

Goals are measurable checkpoints that you can achieve and cross off your list. Examples include reaching $50K in monthly revenue, opening a second location, or achieving 500 members. Goals are specific, time-bound, and either accomplished or not accomplished.

Vision is direction, identity, and purpose that guides your journey over time. Vision answers questions like: What kind of gym owner do you want to become? What impact do you want to have on your community? What legacy do you want to build? Vision is aspirational, ongoing, and evolves as you grow.

The confusion between vision and goals creates several problems for gym owners:

Short-term thinking emerges when goals become the primary focus. You achieve a revenue target and then wonder,

"What's next?"

You open a second location and then feel lost about whether to open a third or focus on improving the first two.

Opportunity confusion happens when you don't have a clear vision to evaluate new possibilities. Every marketing strategy, equipment purchase, or partnership opportunity looks potentially valuable because you don't have criteria for determining what aligns with your long-term direction.

Identity crisis develops when your sense of success is tied only to achieving specific goals. You hit your targets but don't feel fulfilled because the goals weren't connected to a deeper sense of purpose and direction.

Decision paralysis occurs when you face choices that don't have clear right or wrong answers. Without a vision to guide you, every decision feels equally valid or equally risky.

The gym owners who understand the distinction between vision and goals use them in complementary ways. Vision provides the direction and purpose that makes goals meaningful. Goals provide the specific milestones that make vision actionable.

Katie emphasized that vision without goals becomes wishful thinking, while goals without vision become meaningless activity. The most successful gym owners she works with have both: a clear vision that inspires and guides them, and specific goals that create momentum and accountability.

The Compass Metaphor: Navigation for Uncertain Terrain

The metaphor that resonated most strongly with the audience was Andrew's comparison of vision to a compass.

"We're not predicting the future," he explained. "We're setting a compass that guides us regardless of what terrain we encounter."

This metaphor is particularly powerful for gym owners because it acknowledges the reality of business uncertainty while providing a practical tool for navigation. Just as a compass doesn't tell you exactly what obstacles you'll encounter on a journey, but does tell you which direction to travel, vision doesn't predict specific challenges and opportunities, but does provide criteria for evaluating them.

The compass provides direction when the path is unclear. Every gym owner faces decisions where the right choice isn't obvious: Should you invest in new equipment or marketing? Should you hire another trainer or focus on developing existing staff? Should you expand your space or improve your current offerings?

Without a vision compass, these decisions become stressful and arbitrary. With a clear vision, they become opportunities to move closer to your desired destination. You evaluate each option against your vision and choose the one that best aligns with your long-term direction.

The compass keeps you oriented when conditions change. The fitness industry is constantly evolving, and external conditions regularly shift in ways that affect your business. Economic downturns, new competitors, technology changes, and consumer preference shifts are inevitable.

Gym owners without a vision compass often react to these changes by dramatically altering their strategy or panicking about their future. Gym owners with a clear vision compass can adapt their tactics while maintaining their strategic direction. They ask,

"How can we navigate this change in a way that still moves us toward our vision?"

The compass enables confident decision-making under pressure. When opportunities arise that require quick decisions, a competitor goes out of business, a prime location becomes available, a potential partnership emerges, having a vision compass allows you to evaluate these opportunities quickly and confidently.

Instead of agonizing over whether the opportunity is "good" in general, you can assess whether it aligns with your vision and moves you closer to your desired destination. This speeds up decision-making and reduces the stress and second-guessing that often accompany significant choices.

The Picture 2030 Exercise: Making Vision Concrete

The most practical part of Andrew and Katie's session was the Picture 2030 exercise, which helps gym owners translate abstract vision concepts into concrete, actionable direction.

The exercise begins with a simple but powerful prompt: "Summarize your vision in three bullets." This constraint forces clarity and prioritization. You can't include everything you might want to achieve—you have to identify the three most important elements of your desired future.

The three-bullet format serves several purposes:

1. Clarity through constraint emerges because you can't be vague or comprehensive. You have to make choices about what matters most, which clarifies your thinking and priorities.

2. Memorability through simplicity develops because three bullets are easy to remember and communicate. Your vision becomes something you can share with team members, family, and advisors without needing a presentation or document.

3. Actionability through specificity results because each bullet represents a significant area of focus that can guide decision-making and goal-setting.

Examples of effective three-bullet visions from the session included:

The Community Builder:

• Create the most welcoming and supportive fitness community in our city

• Help 1,000+ people transform their lives through sustainable health habits

• Build a business that provides financial freedom and flexible lifestyle

The Multi-Location Entrepreneur:

• Own and operate 5 profitable gym locations across the region

• Develop a team of managers who can run locations independently

• Create systems and processes that ensure consistent member experience

The Specialized Expert:

• Become the go-to destination for serious strength training in our market

• Build a reputation as the expert gym for powerlifting and Olympic lifting

• Create a sustainable business that supports my family while pursuing my passion

Each of these visions provides clear direction for decision-making. The Community Builder would evaluate opportunities based on their potential to create community and help people transform. The Multi-Location Entrepreneur would focus on scalability and systems development. The Specialized Expert would prioritize expertise and reputation in their niche.

The Why Question: Connecting Vision to Values

After defining their three-bullet vision, Andrew and Katie guided participants through the crucial follow-up question:

"Why is this important to you?"

This question connects vision to personal values and motivations, which provides the emotional fuel needed to sustain long-term effort.

Surface-level answers often focus on external validation or financial outcomes: "I want to be successful," "I want to make money," or "I want to prove I can do it." While these motivations aren't wrong, they often aren't strong enough to sustain effort through difficult periods.

Deeper answers connect to personal values, family priorities, and meaningful impact: "I want to create financial security for my family," "I want to help people experience the confidence that comes from being strong," or "I want to build something that makes a lasting difference in my community."

The depth of your "why" directly impacts your ability to maintain focus and motivation over time. When challenges arise, and they always do, surface-level motivations often aren't strong enough to sustain effort. But when your vision connects to deeply held values and meaningful purposes, you find reserves of energy and determination that carry you through difficult periods.

Katie shared examples of gym owners who had struggled with motivation and consistency until they clarified their deeper "why." Another owner who had been trying to copy successful gym models realized that her real passion was helping women over 40 reclaim their strength and confidence. This clarity led her to specialize her offerings and marketing, which actually increased her revenue while making her work more fulfilling.

The "why" question also helps with decision-making because it provides emotional criteria in addition to logical criteria. When opportunities arise, you can ask not just "Does this align with my vision?" but also "Does this connect to why my vision matters to me?"

Reverse Engineering: From Vision to Action

The most practical part of the vision-setting process is reverse engineering your timeline from the long-term vision to immediate next steps. Andrew and Katie's framework breaks this down into three key timeframes:

Year 5: What's Your Headline?

This question asks you to imagine the news story or social media post that would be written about your achievement in five years. What would the headline say? What would be the key accomplishment that people would celebrate or recognize?

Examples from the session included:

• "Local Gym Owner Opens Fifth Location, Creates 50 Jobs"

• "Fitness Expert Helps 1,000th Client Achieve Life-Changing Transformation"

• "Innovative Gym Becomes Model for Industry Best Practices"

The headline exercise serves several purposes:

External perspective helps you think about your vision from the viewpoint of others, which often reveals aspects of impact and significance that you might not consider when thinking only from your own perspective.

Concrete achievement forces you to identify specific, measurable outcomes rather than staying in abstract aspirations. Headlines require facts and accomplishments, not just intentions.

Motivational clarity creates an inspiring target that you can visualize and work toward. When you can see the specific achievement you're aiming for, it becomes easier to maintain motivation through challenging periods.

Year 3: What Milestones Must Be Hit?

The three-year timeframe represents the critical inflection point where your vision starts becoming reality. This is typically when systems are established, teams are developed, and momentum is building toward your five-year headline.

For the gym owner aiming for five locations, Year 3 milestones might include:

• Three profitable locations operating successfully

• Management team capable of running locations independently

• Standardized systems and processes documented and implemented

• Financial resources and credit capacity for final two locations

For the transformation expert aiming for 1,000 clients, Year 3 milestones might include:

• 600 successful client transformations completed

• Reputation established as the go-to expert in the market

• Referral and marketing systems generating consistent new clients

• Programs and processes refined for maximum effectiveness

The three-year milestones serve as proof points that you're on track toward your five-year vision. They're significant enough to represent real progress, but achievable enough to maintain motivation and momentum.

Year 1: What's Your Next Step?

The one-year timeframe bridges the gap between your current reality and your long-term vision. This is where vision becomes actionable through specific goals, projects, and initiatives.

Andrew and Katie emphasized that the one-year step should be ambitious enough to create meaningful progress toward your three-year milestones, but realistic enough to be achievable with focused effort and good execution.

For the multi-location owner, Year 1 steps might include:

• Open second location and achieve profitability within six months

• Hire and develop assistant manager for first location

• Document all systems and processes for replication

• Secure financing and identify location for third gym

For the transformation expert, Year 1 steps might include:

• Help 200 clients achieve significant transformations

• Develop signature program and methodology

• Build referral system that generates 50% of new clients

• Establish partnerships with complementary health professionals

The key insight is that each timeframe should build logically toward the next. Your one-year steps should position you to achieve your three-year milestones, which should position you to achieve your five-year headline.

The Declaration Framework: Making Vision Public

Andrew and Katie concluded their session with a declaration framework that makes vision concrete and accountable:

"My 5-year vision is..." (one clear, compelling sentence that captures your headline achievement)

"My next 12-month milestone is..." (specific, measurable progress that moves you toward your vision)

The declaration format serves several important purposes:

1. Clarity through articulation happens when you have to put your vision into words that others can understand. Vague or confused thinking becomes obvious when you try to articulate it clearly.

2. Accountability through communication develops when you share your vision with others. Public declarations create social pressure and support that help maintain commitment during challenging periods.

3. Alignment through repetition occurs when you regularly review and refine your declaration. Vision isn't set-and-forget—it's a living compass that guides ongoing decisions and actions.

Examples of effective declarations:

"My 5-year vision is to own and operate five profitable Anytime Fitness locations that provide excellent member experiences and financial freedom for my family. My next 12-month milestone is to open my second location and achieve $60K monthly revenue across both gyms."

"My 5-year vision is to be recognized as the premier transformation expert in my city, having helped 1,000+ people achieve life-changing health improvements. My next 12-month milestone is to help 200 clients achieve significant transformations and establish my signature program."

"My 5-year vision is to create the most innovative and member-focused gym in our region, setting new standards for the fitness industry. My next 12-month milestone is to implement three breakthrough member experience innovations and achieve 95% member retention."

Each declaration provides clear direction for decision-making and goal-setting. When opportunities arise, you can evaluate them against your vision and milestone to determine whether they move you closer to your desired destination.

Vision as a Living Compass

Katie emphasized that vision isn't a one-time planning exercise, it's a living compass that requires regular review and refinement. She recommended quarterly vision reviews to ensure that your daily actions align with your long-term direction.

Quarterly reviews should assess three key questions:

1. Are our current activities moving us toward our vision?

2. Have we learned anything that should modify our vision or approach?

3. What adjustments do we need to make for the next quarter?

Annual updates provide opportunities to refine your vision based on experience, changing circumstances, and personal growth. Your five-year vision from 2025 might be different from your five-year vision from 2020, and that's not only acceptable—it's healthy.

Major decision checkpoints should always include vision alignment as a key criterion. Before making significant investments, hiring key people, or changing strategic direction, ask:

"How does this decision support our vision?"

The gym owners who use vision most effectively treat it as a dynamic tool rather than a static plan. They regularly reference their vision when making decisions, update it based on new learning and changing circumstances, and use it to maintain focus and motivation over time.

The Transformation Impact

Gym owners who implement Andrew and Katie's vision-setting framework consistently report several transformational impacts:

Decision confidence increases dramatically because they have clear criteria for evaluating opportunities and challenges. Instead of agonizing over whether choices are "right" or "wrong," they can assess whether choices align with their vision and move them toward their desired destination.

Team alignment improves because vision provides context and meaning for daily work. Team members understand not just what they're supposed to do, but why it matters and how it contributes to something larger than themselves.

Opportunity focus develops because vision helps distinguish between good opportunities and right opportunities. Many opportunities might be profitable or interesting, but only some align with your long-term direction.

Motivation sustainability emerges because vision connects daily activities to meaningful long-term outcomes. When work gets difficult or tedious, vision reminds you why the effort matters and what you're building toward.

Strategic consistency results because vision provides a framework for making decisions that compound over time. Instead of changing direction based on short-term results or external pressures, you maintain strategic focus that builds momentum.

The Implementation Challenge

Andrew and Katie concluded with a practical challenge for implementing vision-setting in your gym:

• Week 1: Complete the Picture 2030 exercise and identify your three-bullet vision

• Week 2: Explore the "why" question and connect your vision to your deeper values and motivations

• Week 3: Reverse engineer your timeline and identify your 5-year headline, 3-year milestones, and 1-year steps

• Week 4: Create your declaration and share it with key people in your life

• Week 5: Evaluate current activities and decisions against your vision and identify needed adjustments Week 6: Schedule quarterly vision reviews and establish systems for ongoing vision alignment

The key to successful implementation is treating vision as a practical business tool rather than an abstract planning exercise. Your vision should guide real decisions, influence actual priorities, and shape concrete actions.

Your Compass Determines Your Course

The most powerful insight from Andrew and Katie's session was their closing statement: "Your compass determines your course." In a rapidly changing industry with constant opportunities and challenges, the gym owners who thrive aren't necessarily the ones who predict the future most accurately—they're the ones who set a clear direction and make consistent decisions aligned with that direction.

Vision isn't about having all the answers or predicting every challenge. It's about having a compass that guides you through uncertainty with confidence and purpose. When you know where you're going, you can navigate any terrain that lies between your current reality and your desired destination.

The choice is yours: you can continue reacting to opportunities and challenges as they arise, or you can set a vision compass that guides your decisions and actions toward a destination that matters to you. The gym owners who choose the second option don't just achieve better results—they build businesses and lives that align with their deepest values and highest aspirations.

Ready to set your vision compass? Start with the Picture 2030 exercise and work through the implementation challenge. The clarity you create will guide every decision you make and every action you take toward building the gym and life you truly want.