GON Gym Owner Spotlight: Justin Sabato, THE.BOX.GYM

In this episode of Sourced, we sit down with Justin Sabato, Gym Owner Network member of four years, joining us from Australia to share the full, unfiltered journey from commercial gym PT to building a thriving facility against the odds. Justin breaks down the reality behind the highlight reels: the uncertainty of COVID, maxing out on one-to-one hours, and the decision to finally back himself and open a gym that served “normal people,” not just fitness extremists. He walks through the gritty process of finding a location (deals falling through, massive renovation costs, impossible timelines), opening his doors before the build was even finished, and slowly scaling to a 130+ member small-group PT model, while also running meaningful NDIS sessions supporting clients with disabilities. Along the way, Justin shares the hard leadership lessons that nearly every gym owner learns the painful way: boundaries, role clarity, and making data-driven decisions instead of emotional ones. The conversation is a powerful reminder that sustainable growth comes from obsessing over product quality and retention, not just marketing, and that with the right standards, systems, and community support, you can build something genuinely different, even in a crowded market.