November/December 2021

MASUCCESS

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

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OPENING NIGHT 2019 OPENING 2019 OPENING NIGHT NIGHT

A Guide to Planning Profitable Parties

Distinguished guest Distinguished guest THE LARGEST INDUSTRY PARTY ON THE PLANET

Celebrate the martial arts and witness the Lifetime Achievement Award induction for Cynthia Rothrock.

All happening on Opening Night at the Omnia Nightclub.

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PRESENTED BY: PRESENTED BY:

Sharing the Secrets of His Success!

Josh Arcemont of HERO Martial Arts Item Number: MAS16521 Description: MASUCCESS NOV/DEC 2021

If You’re Not Posting Videos Online,

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HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE THE MAIA LIFESTYLE? MAIA has developed a Pathway to Success which guides school owners to the program they should be in based on their active count, revenue, and goals.

Schools with 50 students and schools with 250 students have different needs, which means they should have different types of coaching and resources. This step-by-step program will lead you to the reach your goals and achieve the MAIA lifestyle.

YOUR RESOURCE TOOLBOX FOR SUCCESS

BUILDING BLOCKS TO SYSTEMATIZE YOUR SCHOOL

TAKING THE NEXT STEP TO MAXIMIZE YOUR GROWTH

REACHING YOUR SCHOOL GOALS THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY

ACHIEVING PERSONAL FINANCIAL SUCCESS FOR YOUR LEGACY

BEGIN YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS TODAY. TALK TO A COACH AND GET STARTED TODAY AT MAIAHUB.COM/CONNECT

© 2021 MAIA, LLC #20312

H I T

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The new Uppercut Wavemaster features advanced striking zones with an angled design to catch uppercuts, knees and various kicks with ease.

PRO FES S I O NAL- G R AD E

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C e n t u r y M a r t i a l A r t s .co m /co l l e c t i o n s /t ra i n i n g - b a g s

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2020 Century, LLC. #19279

CONTENTS FEATURES 24 THE WORLD NEEDS MORE HEROES

BY TERRY L. WILSON

Learn how Josh Arcemont led his HERO Martial Arts Academy from its worst year ever to shocking levels of success despite the ravages of COVID. (Spoiler alert!

He got help from the Martial Arts Industry Association.)

36 VIDEO CONTENT ISN’T KING — IT’S THE KINGDOM!

BY CRIS RODRIGUEZ

Video that’s delivered to smartphones represents your biggest promotional opportunity for 2022. If you’re not already posting videos online, this article from an experienced professional will put you on the path to growth.

44 FOURTH-QUARTER FESTIVITIES

BY KURT KLINGENMEYER

We’re heading into the most exciting time of the year with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas just over the horizon.

Here’s how you can use the holidays to boost your business’ bottom line.

52 3 PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP

BY KELLY MURRAY-GRYS

A successful business requires a talented person at the helm.

This is your guide to becoming more talented as a leader by finetuning your perspective, efficiently allocating your time and focusing on your “self.”

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

COLUMNS 32 BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

Pause, Breathe, Give

34 IN THE CLASSROOM

BY DAVE KOVAR

Are You Still Training?

58 TURNING POINT

BY HERB BORKLAND

Ray McCallum: Walking Into His First School

60 HEALTH KICK

BY ERIC P. FLEISHMAN

Road Map to Better Health and Enhanced Productivity

62 YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

10 FROM THE

DIRECTOR’S DESK 14 IN THE KNOW 16 HEAR FROM

YOUR PEERS 18 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 20 THE MAIA REPORT 22 MARKETING RESOURCE 64 SCHOOL SHOWCASE

BY KATHY OLEVSKY

2021 Was a Learning Experience for Everyone!

66 CONSULTANT’S CORNER

BY ADAM PARMAN

Mastering the Mass Enrollment

68 MASTERFUL RETENTION

BY CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD

A High Teaching Standard or an Ego Trip?

70 THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING

BY BETH A. BLOCK

Halloween Frights

72 THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

Ultimately, Your Business Is Your Responsibility

74 INSPIRATION OVATION

BY KAREN EDEN

Cousin Zeke

8 MASUCCESS

DEPARTMENTS

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “If Imi [Lichtenfeld] had this child called krav maga and took it from kindergarten to the first few years of elementary school, you could say we took it through elementary school and high school and finished a couple of years of university. We’re not professors or Ph.D.’s yet, but we’re very close.”

— EYAL YANILOV

1

24 36 52 44 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 9

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

Holiday Happenings

BY FRANK SILVERMAN

MAIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“For a while, it seemed that all was going back to normal, but the resurgence of COVID in its variant forms seems to have put a mild spoiler on ‘total normality.’ That said, a year later, we are stronger and smarter — and in the middle of the holiday season!”

I

t’s crazy to look back and think about what a difference 12 months can make. This time last year, much of the country was still adjusting to shelter-in-place orders, mask mandates and social distancing. Those of us in the martial arts community were still learning how to make “going virtual” work for us, figuring out how to teach without contact (if you were able to open), getting to know the SBA process (for PPP and EIDL loans) and simply trying to survive.

Even now, we’re not out of the woods. For a while, it seemed that all was going back to normal, but the resurgence of COVID in its variant forms seems to have put a mild spoiler on “total normality.” That said, a year later, we are stronger and smarter — and in the middle of the holiday season!

This is a great time of year not only because of the holidays and the opportunities we get to be with our families and friends but also because for many of us, this is the busiest part of the year.

Martial arts schools are poised to continue to do well into the holiday season. We’re seeing great numbers across the country as Americans press forward. Now is the time to keep the throttle on and build your school to even higher levels.

Recall that there are five primary profit centers for a school: new members, retail, upgrades, events and retention. It’s important to focus on all of them to ensure not just a great holiday season but also a prosperous start to 2022. I could write a book on the five profit centers, but with limited space, I’ll just give a quick comment on each.

New Members: They are crucial every month of the year. Never take your eye off the ball — enrolling new members is key to the longevity of your success.

Retail: ’Tis the season! Now more than ever, you need to make sure you have a holiday sale and provide top-notch retail service to your membership.

People spend big this time of year. Your job is to make sure they buy from you.

Upgrades: If you have an upgrade program, this is a fine time to present it. Combine the program offer with a new uniform or a weapons package to make a perfect holiday gift.

Special Events: They are the glue that keeps everything together. Holding special events around the holidays can boost retention, and it gives you an opportunity to generate more retail sales and invite potential new members to your school. Have as many special events, both free and paid, as you can manage between the end of October and the beginning of January.

Retention: This is essential. It does no good to have an outstanding retail month and upgrade a lot of new members only to see people quit. Host events, stay in constant contact with current members and teach great classes. When you do this, your students will stay your students longer.

On behalf of the team at MAIA, I wish everyone a happy holiday season. I look forward to seeing all of you at the 2022 Martial Arts SuperShow!

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MA ORLA Open to

Event is owners,

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member building

your futu

To contact Frank Silverman, MAIA’s executive director, send an email to teamcfck@aol.com. Find him on Twitter and Facebook at @franksilverman.

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The indu tracks,

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10 MASUCCESS

STAY OPP

CURIOUS HOW THE TOP OWNERS AND INSTRUCTORS IN THE INDUSTRY ARE SO SUCCESSFUL?

WE HAVE THE SYSTEMS TO IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS. CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING EVENTS AND HEAR OUR EXPERT COACHES FIRST-HAND.

MAIA ELITE LIVE! ORLANDO, FLORIDA, FEBRUARY 25-26, 2022 Open to all MAIA Elite members plus limited seating for non-members.

Event is 2 days with multiple seminars and workshops for school owners, program directors, and instructors.

MAIA WEALTH LIVE! ASHVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, MAY 12-13, 2022 Open to MAIA Wealth members with a few seats open to nonmembers for the first time. Event is 2 days and covers multiple wealthbuilding strategies that go beyond your school and help you plan for your future.

MAIA’S SUPERSHOW! LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, JULY 18-20, 2022 The industry’s largest event featuring 4 different speaking or training tracks, 80+ exhibitors, Opening Night industry party, networking opportunities, martial arts celebrities, actionable knowledge, and so much more. Open to school owners, program directors, instructors and staff.

STAY CONNECTED WITH WHAT MAIA EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE COMING SOON AT MAIAHUB.COM/EVENTS.

©2021 MAIA,LLC. #20666

STAFF

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

FRANK SILVERMAN IS THE

MELISSA TORRES IS THE DIVISION

Executive Director of the Martial Arts Industry Association, and the owner and operator of 11 martial arts schools in Orlando, FL. He’s also the author of Business Is Business: Passion and Profit in the Martial Arts Industry. Follow Frank on Twitter and Facebook @franksilverman.

Contact him at teamcfck@aol.com.

Manager of the Martial Arts Industry Association. She is a practitioner of kung fu san soo, Cage Fitness and yoga. She is passionate about helping school owners succeed and achieve their goals.

She can be reached at mtorres@masuccess.com.

THE MAIA REPORT

DAVE KOVAR OWNS AND OPERATES NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS, ED.D.,

BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

is a sensei in Japanese jujitsu at TNT Jujitsu under Hanshi Torey Overstreet in Houston, TX. He’s the owner of Lead Connect Grow, LLC. Organizations hire him to develop black belt-level professionals in the areas of Teams, Leadership and Conflict Management. Feel

IN THE CLASSROOM

free to email him at tom@ntgriggs.com.

a chain of successful martial art schools.

Additionally, he operates Pro-Mac (Professional Martial Arts College), dedicated to helping martial artists become professionals in Business Management, Mat Mastery, Sales Mastery, Wealth Management and CuttingEdge Classroom Concepts. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Martial Arts Industry Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Contact him at dave.kovar@kovars.com or check out his blog at kovarsblog.kovarsystems.com.

HERB BORKLAND WAS ONE OF

TURNING POINT

Jhoon Rhee’s original white belts at America’s first taekwondo school and, later, a closeddoor student of Chinese “soft” styles pioneer Robert W. Smith. For three years, starting on ESPN, he hosted the weekly Black Belts TV show. He did the screenplay for Cynthia Rothrock’s HBO-featured Honor and Glory and is an Inside Kung-Fu Hall of Fame martial arts writer. He can be reached at herbork@comcast.net.

CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD IS THE

MASTERFUL RETENTION

founder of a successful martial arts organization, Personal Best Karate, headquartered in Norton, MA. He’s a five-time world karate champion and is currently the executive director of the world-renowned Team Paul Mitchell, a championship team supported by sport-karate’s longest-running sponsorship.

Rappold is the author of the landmark MAIA program Retention Based Sparring. He can be reached at founder@personalbestkarate.com.

ADAM PARMAN IS A MARTIAL

CONSULTANT’S CORNER

Arts Industry Association consultant who owns schools in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s worked for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Keith Scott, Joe Corley, Bill Clark, Mike Metzger and Frank Silverman. To contact him, send an email to adam.parman@gmail.com.

BETH BLOCK, A 4TH-DEGREE BLACK

THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING! 12 MASUCCESS

belt in karate, is the president of Block Insurance in Orlando, FL. Block has protected businesses that serve children for the past 24 years. She is the writer of Martial Arts Minute, a weekly riskmanagement newsletter. You can reach her at (800) 225-0863 or beth@blockins.net.

STAFF MASUCCESS IS PUBLISHED BY

SARAH LOBBAN IS THE ASSOCIATE Publications Editor for the Martial Arts Industry Association. She has trained and fought in MMA and muay Thai, and currently trains in jeet kune do. She can be reached at slobban@centurymartialarts.com.

IN THE KNOW KATHY OLEVSKY AND HER

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

husband, Rob, own and operate Karate International in North Carolina. Kathy is the managing partner in their five-school operation. She’s an 8th-degree black belt with 32 full-time years of teaching and operating martial arts schools. She can be reached for questions or comments at kathy.olevsky@raleighkarate.com.

ERIC THE TRAINER (ERIC P.

HEALTH KICK

Fleishman) is a Hollywood-based celebrity personal trainer with over 28 years’ experience. He has worked with top actors and musicians, MMA fighters, and the military. He hosts the popular TV show “Celebrity Sweat,” which you can watch on Amazon Prime. His enthusiastic message of living a healthy life has been adopted by many groups, most recently the American Culinary Federation. For questions or comments, contact Eric the Trainer at Mainemonster@gmail.com.

PHILIP E. GOSS, JR., ESQ. IS a member of the Florida and several other

THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Federal Bar Associations. Phil welcomes any e-mail comments or questions at PhilGosslaw@gmail.com and will attempt to respond personally, time permitting.

KAREN EDEN IS A 7TH-DEGREE

INSPIRATION OVATION

master of tang soo do. She’s a broadcast journalist who has appeared nationally on CNN, FOX and Animal Planet as well as on local affiliates for NBC and PBS. Karen is also a published book author and magazine columnist who has written for or been featured in every major martial arts magazine globally. Contact her at renedenherdman@gmail.com.

VOL. 22, NO. 6 // NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 EDITOR EMERITUS John Corcoran

MAIA LLC, 1000 Century Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73110; (866) 626-6226.

EDITOR Robert W. Young EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Frank Silverman MAIA DIVISION MANAGER Melissa Torres ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Lobban MAIA INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS Cris Rodriguez Kurt Klingenmeyer Shane Tassoul Mike Metzger Adam Parman ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Diamond ART DIRECTOR Paul Duarte DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND PUBLISHING DEVELOPMENT Patrick Sternkopf COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS

David Barnett Beth A. Block Herb Borkland Karen Eden Eric P. Fleishman Philip E. Goss Jr., Esq. Nguyen “Tom” Griggs IBISWorld.com Perry William Kelly Kurt Klingenmeyer Dave Kovar Sarah Lobban

Mike Metzger Kristin Miller Kathy Olevsky Adam Parman Suzanne Pisano Christopher Rappold Cris Rodriguez Frank Silverman Shane Tassoul Melissa Torres Dwight Trower

CORRESPONDENTS

Herb Borkland (VA) Karen Eden (CO) Andrea F. Harkins (AZ) Andre Lima (CA) PUBLISHER

David Wahl

Perry William Kelly (CANADA) Terry L. Wilson (CA) Keith D. Yates (TX)

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts and photographs submitted to MASUCCESS, if they are to be returned, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights for letters submitted to this magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to the editorial staff’s right to edit and to comment editorially.

MAIA, its owners, directors, officers, employees, subsidiaries, successors and assigns are not responsible in any manner for any injury that may occur by reading and/or following the instructions herein.

As publisher, MAIA makes no endorsements, representations, guarantees or warranties concerning the products and or services presented or advertised herein.

We expressly disclaim any and all liability arising from or relating to the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, misuse or other act of any party in regard to such products and/or services. MASUCCESS is a trademark of the MAIA. © 2021 MAIA LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The mission of MAIA is to grow, promote and protect the martial arts industry, and to provide benefits to its members to help them become more successful.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 13

IN THE KNOW

BY SARAH LOBBAN

WORDS OF WISDOM IF YOU WANT TO BE A LION, YOU MUST TRAIN WITH LIONS. — CARLSON GRACIE

MARTIAL ARTS TRIVIA 1

3

In the Netflix series Cobra Kai, it was revealed that John Kreese, the sensei of the titular dojo, first trained in what martial art?

What color was the original Bobby Bully (the child-size version of the iconic BOB freestanding bag) from Century Martial Arts?

2

4

In the 2020 film Jiu Jitsu, the protagonist must use his extensive grappling skills to defeat whom?

A) his older brother

B) the man who killed his older brother

C) demons

D) aliens

What is the weight difference between the heaviest and lightest weight classes in professional boxing?

ANSWERS: 1) tang soo do. 2) aliens. 3) green. 4) unlimited because there is no cap on super-heavyweight.

14 MASUCCESS

YOU ASKED DO YOU REQUEST THAT EMPLOYEES SIGN A NONCOMPETE AGREEMENT PRIOR TO HIRING THEM? STATS SPEAK

Absolutely. All employees must sign a terms-of-employment agreement, which includes a non-compete.”

— CHRIS HAMM, LEGACY MARTIAL ARTS, HARKER HEIGHTS, TX

BUSINESSES RISK LOSING UP TO

22

Yes. We have a non-compete agreement built into the terms of our student agreement when you sign up for regular class.”

— KEVIN NEVELS, COPPELL TAEKWONDO ACADEMY AND CHAMPIONSHIP MARTIAL ARTS, LAS COLINAS, COPPELL AND IRVING, TX

No, but all of our employees are hired from within our school or organization. I have known them for years before we choose to hire them.”

PERCENT OF BUSINESS WHEN POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS FIND ONE NEGATIVE ARTICLE ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THEIR SEARCH RESULTS. SOURCE: FORBES.COM

— DAVID CHURCH, CHURCH’S TAEKWONDO AMERICA, MARYVILLE, TN

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 15

HEAR FROM YOUR

PEERS 16 MASUCCESS

1 2 3

WHICH CHOICE BEST COMPLETES THIS SENTENCE: OTHER SCHOOL OWNERS ARE __________.

1% My rivals

53% My peers

8% Good yardsticks for measuring my success 21% Helpful to me 17% Irrelevant to me

WHICH TOPIC DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN MORE ABOUT BEFORE OPENING YOUR MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL?

23 % Business 25 % Marketing 18 % Social media 10 % Managing people 14% Insurance/legalities 10 % Other

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU BEGAN TRAINING IN THE MARTIAL ARTS?

9 % 5 or younger 25 % 6-10 23 % 11-15 17 % 15-20 26 % Older than 20

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 17

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

HOLIDAY COLLECTION Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

1

The Century holiday collection has arrived! It features multiple new gift ideas and unique products that are exclusive to the holiday catalog. The new tee collection includes a variety of designs for men, women and youth. You will find a great selection of gifts and products — from new plush animals and socks to new mugs, tumblers, and school and gym decor — that make perfect presents for your favorite martial artists. Keep an eye out for the special catalog in the fall.

BOB ORGAN SHIRT Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

2

You already know what BOB is for. You probably already have one. (If you don’t, you should pick one up.) Targeted attacks — the kind that can’t be executed on a standard heavy bag — require a BOB. He takes it on the chin, literally. Never has there been a more punchable face. Less obvious are the body blows.

BOB has a well-defined rib cage, but not everyone is an expert on human anatomy. What lies beneath? What makes us vulnerable? What can be exploited? The best way to answer these questions is through practice with a shirt that gives BOB some precise locations for your strikes. Land 1,000 liver shots on BOB so that when it counts, you can land the one that ends the fight.

For more information on these and other great Century products, call a helpful Century Sales Representative at (800) 626-2789 or visit www.CenturyMartialArts.com.

18 MASUCCESS

CENTURYMARTIALARTS.COM

THE MAIA REPORT

Don’t Be an Island

BY MELISSA TORRES

MAIA DIVISION MANAGER

“There are wonderful instructors who can’t afford to quit their day jobs, who change out of their ties and work shoes and immediately into their gi, who spend four hours in the dojo after an eight-hour day in the office.”

20 MASUCCESS

T

here’s an old saying about coaching from the late, great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden that I think about a lot when it comes to MAIA: “A good coach can change the game; a great coach can change a life.”

That quote strikes a chord with me every time I think about it. A good coach can help you become better within a skill, career or hobby, but a great coach can instill something deeper, something life changing, something that alters the course of your life forever and opens your mind to possibilities never before seen.

We truly believe that here at MAIA. We believe that great coaching and mentoring can be a catalyst for unexpected growth and unprecedented discovery. We understand that no man or woman is an island, and even we did not get to the place we are today by going it alone. We all need some help from time to time.

That’s why I want to remind you of a feature on the MAIA website that allows us to better connect you to coaching. You can book appointments with our coaches to talk about your business: struggles, roadblocks, issues you’re having or anything else you need help with.

We’ve blocked out times throughout the week so we can better serve you. We’re ready to listen to your challenges, to hear your pain points, to learn about your situation and to help guide you to a solution.

Even after 20 years in the industry, we still know there are thousands of schools and school owners we haven’t touched. There are still so many people who don’t know how to grow their schools.

There are wonderful instructors who can’t afford to quit their day jobs, who change out of their ties and work shoes and immediately into their gi, who spend four hours in the dojo after an eight-hour day in the office. There are still so many people who do everything themselves. And there are still

so many people who dream of making their passion their career.

That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we want to connect with you. There’s no better person to hear from than someone who has been in your shoes and felt how you’ve felt. And now you can hop on the phone with such a person at a moment’s notice and discuss your school.

So if you’re looking for advice or guidance on your business — or you’re just not sure where to start — head over to MAIAHub.com/Connect and schedule a strategy session with one of our coaches today.

That person will help you with any phase of your business, whether it’s digital marketing, business operations, program guidance or anything else. If all goes well, the interaction will spark the beginning of a life-changing transformation for you and your business.

We can’t wait to hear from you. We’ll see you on the next call.

To contact Melissa Torres, send an email to mtorres@masuccess.com.

W

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“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2021 Century, LLC. #20480

MARKETING RESOURCE

STRESS LESS NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE, MAKING TIME FOR MARTIAL ARTS IS A GOOD IDEA.

Your School Information Here.

To get your free customizable monthly Marketing Resource, visit MAIAHUB.com or get the download link from our Facebook page: fb.com/masuccess.

22 MASUCCESS

EPA approved effective against Covid-19 under the Emerging Pathogen Guidance

BY TERRY L. WILSON

Photos Courtesy of Josh Arcemont

How HERO Martial Arts Academy Found a Winning Formula for Success!

Photos Courtesy of Josh Arcemont

W

e live in challenging times. Last year, COVID-19 put a stranglehold on the economy, and it’s not over yet. Sadly, the pandemic has forced some martial arts schools to tap out. Those that were able to survive the lockdowns and subsequent restrictions on business were left scrambling for ways to get students back in the door.

“Last year was tough,” said Josh Arcemont, owner and head instructor of HERO Martial Arts Academy in Spring, Texas. “It was our worst year ever coming into the new year. January/February/March was a struggle, and I knew I had to find a solution.”

While commiserating with friends and peers, Arcemont started hearing positive things about the success that schools were having with the Martial Arts Industry Association and its MAIA Elite program. Anxious to end the slump, the sixth-degree black belt decided to take the leap.

“It was a good time to try something new, so around late April, I began implementing the systems,” he said. “The result was a record month and record-breaking second quarter. It was a pretty dramatic turnaround from the first quarter.”

26 MASUCCESS

BACK TO BASICS Arcemont followed the Elite blueprint to the letter, implementing all the advice doled out by the MAIA team leaders. “I started with Foundations,” he said. “This is where they take you through the four fundamentals of running a martial arts school: pricing structure, upgrades, class schedule and mass intros. We were already applying many of these concepts in our business, but the MAIA system allowed us to tie up loose ends.

“We revamped our schedule, incorporated a pricing structure that serves our members better and added a higher-level training program for our students. This resulted in better retention, higher revenue and a better customer experience. The Foundations program alone helped us tremendously.”

For Arcemont, one of the most important aspects of learning how to take full advantage of the advice he was receiving from MAIA entailed adopting its method of assessing profit based on “student value.”

“Before Elite, we had around 234 students,” he said. “We are currently at 293 and growing — on average, we’ve been netting five new students per month. One thing MAIA taught me to look at was our student value and not the number of students training.”

Here’s how he breaks it down: “You take how much you tial arts program — students can stay in that program forever, gross divided by how many students you have, and that tells and it will give them everything they need. you your value. We had an average $130 student value, and “We also offer our Leadership Course, where we teach I was told you really want that number to be closer to $185. students how to become confident leaders through public Now I’m proud to say that our student value, after joining speaking, voice dynamics, enunciation, body language, and Elite, has been well over $200, which means we’ve increased stage and physical presentation. This is additional training that our student value by over $70 goes along with the martial arts per student. because leadership is a facet of “We also offer our Leadership “This has provided us with a a person’s personal and profesCourse, where we teach students new lens with which to view our sional life.” how to become confident leaders goals and statistics, and it’s been On top of those two tiers, through public speaking, voice a very positive metric for us to MAIA suggested a third, called dynamics, enunciation, body language, the Master Club Program. “The track our financial growth.” and stage and physical presentation." Elite system added an advanced component to our curriculum A TIME FOR TIERS that not only complemented what we already had in place In addition to increasing student value, MAIA Elite advised but also greatly enhanced our bottom line in the process,” Arcemont to establish a system of tiers that interested students Arcemont said. can work their way up during their martial arts journey. He began “In our basic program, we teach taekwondo. In that course, building out his curriculum. students learn all the kicks, punches and techniques they need “At our school, we have a basic program that takes students to know to get their black belt. In the Leadership Course and from white belt to black belt,” Arcemont said. “It’s a great marNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 27

Master Club Program, they receive advanced skills in two [other] forms of martial arts.”

For Arcemont, selecting those two other arts was easy. A state and regional champion with international competition experience, he has a resume that boasts more than 75 victories in sparring. He also holds a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It comes as no surprise, then, that his highest tiers have students augmenting their taekwondo skill set with kickboxing and BJJ. “Students get that in addition to their leadership skills,” he said.

“Over the years, we have learned that as students get older, they need more of a challenge, and that is a big part of what they get from the Master Club Program.”

It starts with teaching them how to teach, he explained. “We believe that teaching is the most important skill that anyone can have. You only know something to the degree you can teach it to someone else. Teaching forces you to look inward, and through the process, not only do your students improve but you do, also.”

Students who participate in this HERO program have their eyes firmly set on the future, which is why they learn life-management skills in addition to the martial arts knowledge that’s needed be a well-rounded teacher.

“Showing a student how to throw a punch or kick requires one specific skill set,” Arcemont explained. “To actually teach a class, to control a class and to correct students, you must master effective communication. So we start our students off by having them role-play in small groups. They can even advance and become instructors in that program.

“We currently have 11 instructors who teach and assist in teaching. Every one of them got their start in our Leadership Course.

And now our Master Club Program provides them with the structure to become well-rounded instructors. The Elite program has worked well for us in so many ways beyond just monetary because it’s also providing us with a bench strength of staff as we move forward.”

“We currently have 11 instructors who teach and assist in teaching. Every one of them got their start in our Leadership Course."

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ALL ABOUT THE LONG TERM Arcemont always knew it was crucial for his HERO Academy to be an active member of the community in Spring, Texas. A savvy business owner and motivational speaker, he understood that any efforts invested in fostering goodwill eventually affect a school’s bottom line.

“We promote [the school] by keeping a high profile in the community,” he said. “We are partners in education with our school district. We do various fundraisers for the schools like our current Back-to-School Drive, where we collect supplies such as pens, pencils and notebooks and deliver them to the schools.

Then our instructors spend the day at the schools teaching martial arts, and that gives us a lot of recognition that also gets people in our door.

“Beyond that, social media marketing is big for us. We use a company called Grow Pro, and we do a lot of grassroots volunteering for events. We truly believe it’s important for us to give back. People want to support businesses like ours that are an active part of the community.”

Despite his altruistic nature, Arcemont is enough of a realist to know that even though a martial arts school has a mission to give back by teaching martial arts, the school must succeed

BENEFITS OF LEADERSHIP TRAINING A devoted husband and father, Josh Arcemont is no stranger to doing things that benefit others. He long ago recognized the benefits students enjoy when they engage in martial arts leadership training because it extends far beyond the walls of the dojang.

“A mentor of mine once told me there’s really no correlation between having a great side kick and having a great life,” Arcemont said. “In other words, you can teach kids how to kick and punch, and all that is fine and dandy, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to have a great life.”

True or false, that prompted him to think, What can I add to my program that goes beyond the punching and kicking and can prepare my students for life in general?

“We only have our students for a small amount of time, and while we have their attention, we’ve got to do our best to point them in the right direction,” he concluded. That’s why he launched HERO’s Leadership Course.

“Parents can enroll their kids into a martial arts program that teaches them how to defend themselves and then the leadership training translates to how they grow in other ways,” he said. “The self-confidence they take away from the program benefits them in job interviews or college applications. It can help to prepare them to be the best they can be in whatever they do.

“It’s very difficult to find a leadership-development program like ours outside of a corporate program for executives. I was a Boy Scout growing up, and that’s where the inspiration came from. I went through a juniorleadership course, and I know how much it has benefited me in my life, so I said, ‘Let’s do the same thing with the martial arts.’”

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as a business to stay in business. And succeeding as a business requires investing in said business.

“When I researched the Elite program, I never looked at it in the respect of what it was going to cost me,” he said. “My question was, What is going to be the return on my investment and when will I see a profit?

“If I can see a direct return, then it’s a no-brainer. If I spend $1,000 and make a $10,000 return on my investment, then I’ll take that deal all day long.”

Whenever a monetary investment is involved, a business owner must evaluate the ROI, but know that sometimes the big picture encompasses more than just money, Arcemont said. “For example, with our relationship with the school district or the many community projects we do, there isn’t always a return that we can see right away. But in the long run, there will be a return on our investment in the community.

It could be in the form of new students, new relationships or positive PR that eventually opens doors and leads to some money-making venture.”

ASSISTANCE FROM OTHERS As he traveled the road to the top, Arcemont learned the hard way that for any person — regardless of how smart, talented and creative he or she may be — it’s nearly impossible to achieve success alone. When the growth of his martial arts business had plateaued because of COVID and he’d done all he could do to remedy that, he heeded the adage that two heads are better than one.

That’s when he reached out for expert advice from MAIA. “There are some people who feel like they’ve got to do everything by themselves,” Arcemont said. “They just don’t want to listen. They don’t want to learn from someone else. They get into business so they can say they did it all by themselves.

“I know what that’s like because I went through that. I was one of those guys. I went through a period of 10 years when I wanted to do it all my way. I didn’t want to listen to anyone else, so I didn’t. Yes, it worked to a certain extent, but as I

“If I can see a direct return, then it’s a nobrainer. If I spend $1,000 and make a $10,000 return on my investment, then I’ll take that deal all day long.”

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started to grow, I’d look at my staff knowing that if I wanted to provide them with a better future, I had to put my ego on a shelf. It’s not about me; it isn’t about what I created.”

At that point, Arcemont realized that he needed to do something that would benefit his team, his family and his students, and that was to seek assistance to grow his school.

He said other school owners who find themselves in a similar situation should not hesitate to do the same. “I came into MAIA determined to do exactly what they told me to do and let the results speak for themselves,” he said. “Then and only then would

I gauge how effective the systems were based on their success or failure. Obviously, my association with MAIA has been a very positive and lucrative relationship and will continue to be so as I open additional schools in the future.”

Terry L. Wilson is an Emmy Award-winning TV personality, as well as a freelance writer and jujitsu practitioner based in San Diego. To contact him, send an email to tleewilson@gmail.com.

For more information about HERO Martial Arts Academy, send an email to masterjosharcemont@gmail.com.

CASHING IN WITH ELITE

Prior to COVID, Josh Arcemont’s HERO Martial Arts Academy had established a strong personal and business relationship with its students and the community via a series of successful events and programs. However, as good as his efforts were, the outreach suffered during the lockdowns, which took a toll on the entire business. Never one to give up, he decided to join MAIA Elite, and he’s been cashing in ever since.

“For this, our third quarter, we’ve already grossed more in July than we did in the entire third quarter of 2020,” Arcemont said. “I know that 2020 was a rough year for everybody, but just considering the fact that this month alone we have already made more money than we did last year, that’s amazing.

“Since joining Elite, we have been breaking our revenue records almost every single month. Before MAIA, in 2019 our average was $42k per month, and now we are averaging $52k. With Elite, we have increased our gross profit by $10k. It’s only been a few months, but so far things are great.”

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BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

Pause, Breathe, Give

I

BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

“Pausing before you speak or while making a comment is an effective way to use silence to gain attention and have others focus on your next actions or words. It can add some degree of dramatic tension, but the point is to show that you’re contemplating the issue.”

once watched my instructor Torey Overstreet work with a youth on a particular problem. Like many schools, TnT Jujitsu focuses on young people and their behavior and grades as a part of rank progression and overall development. One of the school’s academic-based requirements is for kids to constantly improve their grades, especially in their tougher subjects.

One day, as the youth class was concluding, Overstreet reminded the students about grades and report cards/progress reports. As often happens, some of them were struggling. I recall one who was about 11 years old holding his head down because he hated math. I certainly wasn’t a math scholar and can remember spending many nights as a kid crying my eyes out in frustration and angst while trying to make sense of arithmetic. Seeing this student express his frustration through the defeated look on his face wasn’t anything new to me.

The student brought his report card to the next class. It showed that his math grade was a D. Overstreet spoke with him after class, saying that he needed to find a way to improve his grade. Over the next month, the student asked for help, and whenever possible, he received tutoring and tips.

When the time came for the next academic progress reports to be discussed, the student showed his grade, which was a C. While he obviously wasn’t happy and didn’t think he’d done anything admirable, Overstreet did something helpful: He looked first at the progress report and then at the student. He paused, took a breath, gave the student an encouraging pat on the shoulder and smiled.

He explained that small, positive steps lead to success and encouraged him to keep improving and never quit.

The student’s sad expression turned into a smile, and they shared a quick joke. The student left class feeling better and promised to keep working.

Leadership Lessons This story illustrates several important lessons you can use with your students, staff members and families when personal interaction is required to help someone in need.

Pause: Just as Overstreet paused for a moment before saying anything to the student about his math

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grade, you can do the same when talking with your staff. In fact, pausing is a simple tool for demonstrating forethought or even a change in one’s thinking.

A staff member may ask you something or you may need to discuss an issue. Pausing before you speak or while making a comment is an effective way to use silence to gain attention and have others focus on your next actions or words. It can add some degree of dramatic tension, but the point is to show that you’re contemplating the issue.

Breathe: When the young man was waiting to hear what his instructor had to say, Overstreet made it a point to take a deep breath. This wasn’t done for show; as we all know, taking a breath is a good way to calm yourself and illustrate focus.

Taking a deep breath also shows that the weight of the decision is known and that you’re committed to the other person. Imagine a staff member is discussing something serious with you. Your intentional breathing helps you stay aware and keeps you calm so you can make the best decision and/or provide the best advice.

Give: The last thing Overstreet did was to give encouragement. The student needed to hear something positive but challenging to keep him moving forward and to show that his progress was being recognized.

Your team members will need different growth components from you. Don’t just give a compliment or say something encouraging at every turn. A staff member may need reprimanding or a kick in the pants. Not everyone responds to feedback the same way, so what you give should be constructive and aligned with your organization’s values and culture.

If you have to give some tough love to a student, staff member or parent, do so at your discretion.

But again, before you deliver such feedback, pause, breathe and then give. Remember to give your thoughts with purpose and intent.

Keep working hard, stay healthy and keep earning your stripes.

Nguyen “Tom” Griggs is a professional consultant/speaker on subjects that include teams, leadership and conflict. To contact him, send an email to tom@ntgriggs.com.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Are You Still Training?

BY DAVE KOVAR

“Whatever reason you had for starting martial arts, if you’re still training, it’s because you enjoy it. That is why it’s so important to cultivate an element of playfulness in your training.”

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believe that one of the X factors that enable people to operate a successful martial arts school is maintaining a passion for the arts. Looking at it from the outside, most people think that because we run martial arts schools, we get to work out all the time. For many people, this is not the case. As a matter of fact, it can be challenging to find time to train when you’re running a business, raising a family and balancing other commitments.

With that said, we’ve tried to create a culture in our schools where personal training is not only encouraged but also expected. This has helped my team and me maintain our love of martial arts and our desire to improve, regardless of age or athletic potential.

As for me, I’m proud to say (at the risk of sounding arrogant) that it’s been 50 years since my first wrestling match in 1971, and I’m still training. I’ve certainly had my share of injuries along the way, but overall, I have been blessed with good health. I know that a big chunk of it has been luck and good genes, but I also have tried to learn from my mistakes.

Here is my formula for longevity in training. It might seem a bit wimpy to the younger generation, but more mature martial artists will probably understand: • I run frequently, but I usually don’t run very far.

• I spar occasionally, but I rarely spar hard.

• I weight-train almost every day, but I rarely lift heavy.

• I jump regularly, but I don’t jump too high.

• I stretch daily, but I don’t overdo it.

• I grapple often, but I try to stay smooth, playful and relaxed.

I

Over time, I’ve learned that you can dodge a bullet every now and then, but if you continue to train with partners who have the wrong energy or no control, you will get injured.

Temper my emotions. Whatever I’m feeling before I step onto the floor, I try to release it when I bow onto the mat so I can have the right disposition for training.

Stay present-focused. This seems obvious, but if you don’t keep an eye on it, it’s easy to become distracted. Distraction increases the chance of injury while decreasing the gain you get from the training session.

Keep a beginner’s mind. (OK, so I have to work on this one a lot.) Every now and then, I find myself battling my ego. Things will pop into my head like I can’t believe I’m having a hard time learning this, or I don’t need to learn this; I’ve been training a lot longer than the instructor has. Both trains of thought are to be avoided.

Have fun. Whatever reason you had for starting martial arts, if you’re still training, it’s because you enjoy it. That is why it’s so important to cultivate an element of playfulness in your training. This doesn’t mean it can’t be intense; it just means that when you’re done, you want to think, Dang, that was fun!

Regardless of the type of training I do, I always try to:

Be extremely consistent. With very few exceptions, I do the workout today that I planned yesterday. Some days, my workouts are forced, and other days, they flow gracefully. Regardless, I always try to focus on the great feeling that I have at the end.

Pick my partners carefully. In my younger days, I would train with anyone who was available — including those who were less-than-ideal partners.

To contact Dave Kovar, send an email to dave.kovar@kovars.com.

n o C o Vide

. . . g n i K t ’ n s I tent

E H T S ’ IT rted a t S ’t n e v a If You H

!

M O D G KIN

For? g n i t i a W u o re Y A t a h W , e n i l n ez O u g s i o r e d d i o V R l ris iona t C o y m o b r P g n i Post

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can remember every time my parents left the house to run errands in the early 1990s. I would run over to the television, turn on MTV and watch music videos — this was back when they actually played music videos.

Between commercials, MTV often would play a clip from the 1979 hit song Video Killed the Radio Star, by The Buggles. The song reminds us that “We can’t rewind, we’ve gone too far; video killed the radio star.”

Video — along with the vehicle on which we watch it, the smartphone — killed a lot more than just the radio. The ubiquitous smartphone has replaced the following, just to name a few: • Cameras • Photo albums • Paper maps • Books • Video-game consoles

• Televisions • Laptops

Opportunities Video that’s delivered to smartphones represents your biggest opportunity to grow your business in 2022. No matter the size of your school now, there are countless ways to leverage mobile video. Before I delve into them, we will briefly look at why video is so effective.

Video combines sound, visual imagery, motion, text and special effects to paint a picture of the concept that’s being conveyed. And with the martial arts being so visually appealing — and cool to watch — it’s a no-brainer that this must be part of your marketing strategy.

Photo Courtesy of Cris Rodriguez

The smartphone has changed how we communicate, how we date, and how we conduct our relationships and friendships. And we are addicted. Americans spend an average of 5.4 hours a day on their mobile devices!

If our prospects and our students are spending almost a quarter of their day on their devices, where do you think your

martial arts academy needs to be? Front and center on those mobile phones!

Americans literally carry a media station in their pocket all the time. Most people report “feeling naked” when they don’t have theirs handy. That’s why the cellphone offers you, as a business owner, the best chance for truly individualized advertising aimed at future students. Schools that crack the code and become omnipresent on their prospects’ and students’ digital devices are the ones who are going to win.

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At the end of the day, you need content in order to market your school. If you don’t have content, you won’t get clicks online. If you don’t get clicks online, you won’t get leads. And if you don’t get leads, you won’t get sales. Video is the key. After running ads for hundreds of martial arts schools through my company Grow Pro Agency, we’ve documented a 40-percent increase in leads and appointments when clients utilize videos in their marketing.

It’s such a drastic difference that we even launched the Growth Production Program, a “done with you” video-creation add-on. We specify nine shots for clients to film, after which they send us the content. We then edit the footage and create a video they can use in their marketing.

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE? Check out these stats!

Video ads are the No. 1 way consumers discover a brand they later purchase from.

93 percent of brands get new customers because of videos on social media.

84 percent of people say they’ve been convinced to buy products or services by watching a brand’s videos.

86 percent of marketers say videos help them increase traffic to their websites.

84 percent of marketers say videos help them generate leads.

83 percent of marketers say videos increase dwell time on their websites.

78 percent of marketers say videos have directly increased sales.

Photo Courtesy of Cris Rodriguez

By now, you can see why video marketing needs to be part of your school’s strategy, so let’s get into the how-to’s. There are five types of videos you need in your marketing plan, each of which is explained below. I also give suggestions for ways you can use them in your school to level up your video efforts.

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Personalized Videos

Call me old-school, but I’m a huge fan of snail mail. It seems like all I ever receive in my mailbox are bills, so when some person or company takes the time to send me a handwritten letter, I absolutely love it. Why? Because it’s personalized for me.

With the rise of companies that send “personalized handwritten letters” that are actually created by a machine and with the popularity of companies that use automations to add a personal touch to your marketing, it’s easy to ensure that a positive emotion goes hand-in-hand with your brand.

This is where personalized videos come in. At our academy, we use five types of videos to take the personal touch to the next level.

WELCOME VIDEOS When people book appointments with our academy, we have a “nurture sequence” that goes out to remind them of their appointment and confirm their arrival.

We like to take it a step further by sending a personalized welcome-video message.

It’s a 10- to 20-second video that we create with a smartphone. Whoever will be teaching the introductory lesson is the person who shoots and sends the video. It’s kept short and sweet. Here’s an example: “Hey [prospect’s name], this is Coach Leo from Gracie PAC MMA. We’re so pumped to see you for your 4:30 appointment today. We’re going to have a blast, so get ready to have some fun.”

Sending this kind of welcome video is a great way to boost your show rate. The video also will reassure the prospect — after all, familiarity breeds comfort. Chances are none of your competitors is doing this.

NEW-STUDENT VIDEOS When a student signs up, our head instructor records a 10- to 20-second video welcoming the student to our team.

UPGRADE VIDEOS These are important because upgrade programs are among the largest profit drivers for schools. At our academy, when we nominate a new student for an upgrade program, we send a quick video to congratulate him or her and invite the person to try one of our upgrade classes.

WE-MISS-YOU VIDEOS These take “MIA calls” up a notch. (You are sending out missing-in-action calls or texts, aren’t you?)

A video is much more powerful than a call. Every Monday during our team huddle before prime time, we shoot these videos and send them to students who were absent the week before. As great as automated messages are, there’s nothing NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 39

quite as impactful as a personalized video telling students they’re missed.

BIRTHDAY VIDEOS We have quite a few birthday traditions for our students, one of which is receiving a personalized video from our head instructor. We film them on the last day of the month for the next month’s birthdays, then schedule them using the Boomerang app.

Live Videos

SHOWCASE VIDEOS Live videos that showcase your classes, events, seminars, staff members and programs are some of the most fun clips you can produce. Make sure you pre-frame your students prior to going live to ensure a superior result.

When doing this, be sure to offer context on what you’re going live on. I’m a fan of starting selfie-style and explaining what I’m about to showcase. Then I flip the camera to show the class, event, etc. Finally, I go back to selfie-style and provide a call to action.

LONG-FORM VIDEOS Most of the content you put out, especially on Facebook, will be short-form. However, doing an interviewIn general, live videos get more engagement than prestyle or talk-show-style live video is great for mixing things recorded videos. There are multiple platforms on which up. Long-form content also works well on YouTube, where the you can go live; the ones we focus on are Facebook, Instagram average length of No. 1-ranked and YouTube. videos is 15 minutes.

With the constant changes In the past, my school did a in the Facebook algorithm and series called Beyond the Mat‚ in Facebook overall — which in which we covered topics tend to completely trash everylike “Will MMA make my child one’s reach — going live is one violent?” “What’s the differof the few remaining ways to ence between styles?” and get in front of more of your “How does martial arts training followers (more reach) and get improve life skills?” Such longmore engagement on your conform live videos are best done tent (more comments). It’s one If a new student asked you how to get with a cohost because that alof the most authentic pieces of lows you to feed off each other. content you can create. better at the hook kick, what would So why aren’t more schools you say? “Go practice!” It follows that EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS You are going live? Because staffers a martial arts instructor, which lack competence, and that the only way to develop skill in front means teaching is one of your gives them a lack of confiof the camera is to practice, which superpowers. It follows that dence. Everyone knows that means actually doing it. shooting an educational live live videos produce better revideo is easy — and fun — for sults than prerecorded videos, you. A series of how-to videos can showcase your curriculum and but that lack of confidence stops school owners from getting in position you as an expert in your community. A series of FAQ front of the camera and going live. videos can, well, answer viewers’ frequently asked questions.

If a new student asked you how to get better at the hook kick, what would you say? “Go practice!” It follows that the only way to BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEOS These are among the most popular develop skill in front of the camera is to practice, which means aclive videos you can do. Show a part of your weekly instructortually doing it. Once you get comfortable with that, consider these training session, your lobby during prime time or lunchtime at five types of live videos that can be used in your marketing. your day camp. This will keep people entertained and engaged because they’ll see parts of your school and/or routine they WHAT’S-UP-MONDAY VIDEOS The easiest live video you can pronormally don’t see. duce is what I call a “What’s Up Monday” video. It will help you Before you go live with any of these suggestions, there are improve your Facebook Live skills. You won’t get tons of viewers, three things you should do. First, promote it. I like to create a but you will increase your video-making skills. basic graphic in Canva and post it beforehand. Second, plan it.

The essence of the videos is you review what’s going on in I suggest making a bullet-point list of the items you’ll cover. your academy that week. You can talk about curriculum, birthday Third, practice! parties, special events — anything that’s relevant. To get started, During your live videos, think “edutainment.” You want to edugrab your monthly newsletter or bullet-point what you want cate your audience, but you don’t want to be as boring as a wet to cover. Keep it simple. Be sure to smile. And start developing mop. Add some entertainment and make the viewers laugh. those live skills!

2

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To enhance interaction, ask your audience questions or provide prompts for them to drop comments. Call out commenters by name to further build engagement, and answer questions in real time to prompt more people to ask questions. Crucial point: Embrace your mistakes. You’re a human being, and people will identify with you more when you show the real you.

Once your live video is complete, there are a few additional items you’ll want to check off your list. Creating a custom thumbnail for your video will make it stand out in the newsfeed.

You can even pin your video to the top of your business page.

Make sure to enable captions on the video.

If you’d like to take it a step further, turn this video into more pieces of content such as blogs or email blasts. If the live video really begins knocking it out of the park, further promote it by putting some money behind it. And if you’re a real-life digitalmarketing ninja, create a custom audience composed of the people who watch your video, then retarget them with an offer.

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nominated for an upgrade program or winning a medal at your tournament. Every time students or their families post a picture or video taken at your academy, you get free advertising. And reposting their material allows you to further leverage their experience.

Another type of user-generated content is the testimonial.

While Google reviews and Facebook recommendations are incredibly powerful, getting one of your parents or students on camera can provide even more social proof. Here are some guidelines I’ve developed for obtaining testimonials.

The key to getting a great testimonial is to paint a picture of where the person was prior to finding your service, where the person is now and how your program helped with the transition from point A to point B.

Educational Videos

This is the third type of video you should be producing. I touched on a few options earlier, but those were for live videos. Educational videos are prerecorded.

One of my favorite types of educational videos to send to people who just booked an appointment is the welcome video.

This is a clip, often professionally made, that helps build the “know,” “like” and “trust” factors with prospects prior to the first time they come in.

My school sends them out as automated text messages with a link to a landing page on our website. The welcome video sits on that landing page and gives an insider’s look at what the prospect’s first experience with us will entail. For example, we introduce the academy and our team, then break down what will occur during that first visit. We found that sending such videos bolsters the show rate on appointments.

Another type of educational video you can make is the technique video. Think of your beginners — what might they be interested in learning? There’s also the staff-spotlight video that highlights your team and what sets you apart. I’m sure you can think of other topics.

4

User-Generated Content

Any type of content — videos, comments, images, reviews and so on —that’s created by people and not by your brand is a powerful way to showcase your business on social media because it puts your customers’ experiences at the forefront. Any business can say it’s the best at what it does, but when a customer says that business is the best, it’s in a different league altogether.

Examples of user-generated content include parents posting photos or videos of their children earning a belt, getting

    NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 41

The best types of advertising videos are those that tell a story.

Being able to use a narrative to communicate your message helps viewers feel something — and usually it’s enough to inspire them to take action.

Start by having the person do a short introduction. Ask how the person got involved with your school — what was going on in the person’s life (or the child’s life) that led to a visit to your academy. Ask what the person signed up for at your school, then inquire about what the result was. (Try to get specific, measurable results such as “I lost 20 pounds,” “My daughter raised her grades from a C average to an A average,” and so on.) Then ask how the changes have impacted the family and/or the child.

Finally, ask what the person would say to someone who’s considering joining your school.

Once you’ve obtained the video testimonial, there are seven things you can do with it: Put it on your landing page in your funnel, put it in your prospect-nurture sequence, set it to play on your lobby television, post it on your social media platforms, add it to a playlist on your YouTube channel, use it in a Facebook ad and post it on your website.

5

Advertising Videos

The final type of video you should use for marketing is the kind that’s made specifically for advertising. There are many places you can use a commercial-style video from ads on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to your Google My Business listing, your website and your email marketing. Of course, you also can post it organically on social media and play it in your booth at festivals.

The best types of advertising videos are those that tell a story. Being able to use a narrative to communicate your message helps viewers feel something — and usually it’s enough to inspire them to take action. We all love a good story. We love to hear them, read them and binge-watch them. They entertain us, they move us and they influence us. And the best part for marketing is they put value on products and services.

Storytelling as a marketing tool also helps humanize your brand and cuts through the noise of the marketplace so your advertising will stick. Some 82 percent of global internet traffic in 2022 will come from video. Therefore, utilizing video in your online advertising is a must.

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If you can’t afford to hire a professional to come to your school to create an advertising video, check out some of the done-with-you options like the aforementioned Growth Production Program. And if you’re really in a pinch, shoot a talking-head video with your mobile device and use it in your ads. It’s better than nothing.

My favorite template to use when creating a talking-head video follows the GREAT format. “G” stands for grab attention.

“R” stands for restate the pain point. “E” stands for explain the unique selling point. “A” stands for actual proof. “T” stands for tell them what to do next.

To wrap up, one of the most powerful strategies you can use to grow your business is to incorporate video into your marketing. Then for efficiency’s sake, take the video you create and turn it into multiple pieces of content. For example, say you shot an educational video on the “3 keys to stopping any bully.” You filmed this on your smart device and posted it on your Facebook Business Page. Now think of what other channels and platforms will enable you to reuse this content.

Can you put it on your YouTube channel? Can you transcribe it and write a blog post? Can you turn it into a three-part email series with a call to action for your upcoming bullyawareness seminar?

Always remember that content is anything that adds value to the life of a reader or viewer. If you want to have great marketing, it starts with great content. While many people say that “content is king,” I believe that “content is the kingdom.” And now that we’re accustomed to our smartphones and all they offer, that content needs to be video.

Cris Rodriguez has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a third degree in taekwondo. The co-owner of Gracie PAC MMA, she has 25 years of experience in the martial arts and 18 years of experience as a teacher. Based in Tampa, Florida, Rodriguez has studied internet marketing for eight years and is the founder of Grow Pro Agency, a digital-marketing firm that runs Facebook and Instagram ads for martial arts school owners.

Photo Courtesy of Cris Rodriguez

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Photo Courtesy of Cris Rodriguez

GAMENESS.COM © 2020 Gameness. #19911

Use the Upcoming Holidays to Boost Your Business’ Bottom Line!

BY KURT KLINGENMEYER

W

elcome to the fourth quarter of 2021.

These are some of the most exciting months of the calendar year. With so many holidays during the upcoming 90 days, you’ll have numerous opportunities to make your martial arts school the place to be for your students.

These three months also bring numerous opportunities to positively impact your community, grow your student base and provide a tremendous student experience — all at the same time.

So buckle up and get ready to finish the year strong.

Mark Your Calendar

For kids and families, Halloween is the highlight of the month both in and out of your martial arts school. It’s also a great opportunity to create an atmosphere in your school that keeps students coming back week after week. Listed below are five suggestions for giving your student body a fantastic experience during this spooky season:

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HALLOWEEN COSTUME COMPETITION What is every kid’s favorite part of Halloween — besides the buckets of candy? Dressing up, of course! During the month of October, you can take advantage of that by designating a week for students to wear their favorite spooktacular costumes to class.

Snap a quick picture of each student in front of your school logo — whether that’s a wall mural, a banner or a sign. At the end of the week, upload all the photos to an album on your school’s social media page. Encourage parents to share their child’s snapshot throughout the week to garner as many “likes” as possible. The student whose picture accumulates the most likes by October 31 wins a $100 gift card to your pro shop.

In this manner, a costume competition can be a win-win for your families and your school. They get to show off their child’s cool costume, and your social media page gets a boost in the form of increased engagement, which amounts to free advertising.

PUMPKIN PARENTS NIGHT OUT Every parent loves the opportunity to have a night out without the kids. So why not host a fun-filled evening for your students, replete with pumpkin decorating, a kid-friendly Halloween movie, costumes, pizza, Halloween-themed games and, of course, some martial arts?

Halloween offers an excellent opportunity to integrate several life skills into your weekly mat chats.

For this Friday night event — three hours is a reasonable duration — you’ll want to stock up on some monster-size pumpkins.

They make fantastic school decorations in the weeks leading up to Halloween. You’ll also want to order pumpkin-decorating stickers. They’re easy to use, and they allow you to avoid the cleanup associated with actually carving or painting jack-o’lanterns. Bonus! Kids will love having another occasion to don their costumes.

When you offer this much fun, parents will gladly pay $30 or more for the evening.

TRUNK-OR-TREAT Some parents love to get involved in Halloween festivities as much as their kids. So consider hosting a “trunk-or-treat” event in which families can get a little crafty together and decorate their vehicles. While it’s unfolding, give students three tickets each to vote for their favorite vehicles. As they go trick-or-treating, they hand out a ticket to their three favorite costumed cars.

The family that receives the most tickets wins a prize. It can be gear from your pro shop or a free pass to the next parents night out. Just be sure to avoid scheduling your trunk-or-treat during your city’s traditional trick-or-treat hours or participation could suffer.

HALLOWEEN REFERRAL REWARDS One quick-and-easy method for getting the word out regarding your martial arts school during this season is through referral rewards. Before the holiday, have high-quality cards printed.

They should highlight an exciting Halloween special such as “Get four weeks of classes and a free uniform.” On the back, include a space where students can write their first name and last initial.

As Halloween approaches, give at least 20 cards to each student to distribute while trick-or-treating. If a recipient brings back a card and enrolls, the referring family receives a reward such as $50 in cash or $75 in credit at your pro shop.

Bonus! Also distribute the cards to local businesses that have a clientele that’s similar to yours for a little cross-advertising.

Suitable businesses include daycare centers, children’s clothing stores, restaurants, toy stores and any other establishment that services families. When you go to propose this, be sure to take some of their advertising materials to give out in an effort to foster mutually beneficial relationships with local businesses.

HALLOWEEN-SAFETY MAT CHATS Halloween offers an excellent opportunity to integrate several life skills into your weekly mat chats. When you consider that once a year, children ring doorbells and interact with strangers, you can see the logic of setting aside a few minutes during your martial arts classes to discuss these interactions.

What should they say and do after ringing the doorbell? How should they speak? What manners should they use after receiving a treat? Should they ever enter a stranger’s house? What should they do if someone invites them in? Should they ever trick-or-treat by themselves?

By discussing such issues as a class, all your students will be better prepared for safe trick-or-treating. And parents will see the value of the life skills you’re teaching their children.

While you may not have time to implement all these ideas in October, utilizing even one or two can enhance the fun-filled and family-oriented atmosphere of your dojo. Students come to you to learn martial arts, but they often stay because of the experience. So embrace the fun of Halloween to engage your students and families and keep them coming back for more.

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Mark Your Calendar

As we know, November is all about Thanksgiving and being grateful. But how can you incorporate those themes into your monthly plan at the dojo? First off, it’s a fantastic time to give back to your community. Whether that’s through neighborhood events, local schools or other venues, you can get your school involved and connected. Here are some suggestions: COMMUNITY EVENTS AND FESTIVALS While every community is different, November tends to be immensely popular everywhere, especially when it comes to local events. Festivals, vendor exhibits and craft fairs often ramp up before the winter holidays get into full swing. Participating in local events is recommended for fostering involvement in the community and spreading the word about your martial arts school.

When you attend such events, don’t just sit behind a table and try to register families on your clipboard. Make your booth fun and interactive, just like your classes! Focus on the experience: Bring your martial arts gear and wear your gi. Set up a

Century BOB with a T-shirt that says, “Punch me 20 times in 10 seconds and win two free weeks and a uniform.” Festivalgoers, young and old, will welcome the challenge.

When they’re engaging, make sure you chat them up, collect their contact information and invite them to a free event at your school the following week.

KICK-A-THONS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS When you’re focusing on giving back, consider your local schools.

During the month of November, host a kick-a-thon in your school. This is a great way to develop a relationship with your local school district while allowing you and your students to raise funds that go back to the schools. Meanwhile, it can give you an opportunity to meet the administrators and staff.

To make this kind of event fun, invite your martial arts students to collect pledges from friends and family members — I recommend a penny per kick or a flat donation. At the actual event, have students do as many kicks as possible in 30 minutes, rotating between stations with various equipment and pads.

Parents get to be involved, as well. They can hold pads and count kicks for their child. Kids earn prizes depending on their pledge totals, and the remaining funds are donated to their school. Be sure to set up an appointment and hand-deliver the

Parents get to be involved, as well. They can hold pads and count kicks for their child. Kids earn prizes depending on their pledge totals, and the remaining funds are donated to their school.

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check — ideally, this will enable you to meet the principal faceto-face.

MAT CHATS AND LIFE LESSONS If you incorporate mat chats or a lesson-of-the-month program into your classes, November is a perfect time to focus on gratitude. There’s no better opportunity to reinforce life lessons. For example, you can take time during each class to talk about what gratitude means and how we can be thankful for all that we have. Or you can mention that November 13 is World Kindness Day, then challenge students to complete random acts of kindness for their families and friends.

By incorporating such lessons into your curriculum, you’ll add value to your program for current members, as well as those who sign up. Also, you’ll cultivate character development.

PRE-ORDERS FOR HOLIDAY EVENTS As you know, families use November to start preparing for the gift-giving season — which is why a holiday catalog from Century Martial Arts will arrive in your mailbox soon. So why not give each member of your martial arts school his or her own copy to take home along with a retail order form?

Set a pre-order date in November for turning in order forms — the Wednesday before Thanksgiving works perfectly. Kids will love paging through the catalog, and parents will love having access to more gift ideas. Place your school’s order immediately, then set the order pickup date to coincide with your mid-December holiday event. This will boost retail sales while helping your students gear up for the coming year.

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Mark Your Calendar

Wrapping up 2021 in December should be one of the most exciting times of the year — if not the most exciting time. Finishing on a high note is a powerful feeling for you and for your students, who will leave yearning to get back on the mat in 2022.

As you enter the holiday season, check out these opportunities for your dojo:

During the event, serve cookies, desserts, hot chocolate and coffee — and have plenty of holiday music playing. If you can, hire a Santa to pose for pictures with families. Take extra time to socialize with all who attend, whether students or family members. There’s no better time to build rapport and get to know them on a personal level.

Be sure to remind attendees to pick up their retail orders for Christmas. This is a fine incentive to get them in the door — and perhaps do a little extra shopping, as well. Overall, hosting a holiday event requires minimal preparation, which makes it even more worthwhile.

HOLIDAY EVENT It isn’t the holiday season without a party, so consider hosting an event at your school in mid-December. Take this opportunity to go all out with your decorations. Having a Christmas tree, lights, an inflatable Santa Claus and so on will turn your dojo into a winter wonderland. You can even order a few Santa martial arts uniforms for your instructors to wear.

TRAIN FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR FOR FREE Generally, most families aren’t looking to enroll their kids in activities during the month of December. Most are simply looking forward to celebrating the holiday season. To ensure a steady influx of new students, you’ll need to have an unbelievable special.

“Train for the rest of the year for FREE” is about as powerful an offer as you can get. A new student can enroll in your school

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Set up stations for crafts such as card decorating and ornament making. Encourage kids to take home their projects afterward and give them to their family members. Christmas cookies make delicious treats, and pizza is always a favorite.

for $0 down with no monthly payments until January 2022. The only thing that student will need to purchase is a uniform and any equipment that’s required for class.

This is such a strong offer that December has the potential to be one of the best months for enrollment. It can set up your school up for an unbelievable January.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT As Christmas approaches, every parent is looking for a few last-minute uninterrupted hours to shop and see to other preparations. So why not host a parents night out for your students in December?

There are countless ways to make this fun. Play a few Christmas movies. (Home Alone, A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! are popular options.) Set up stations for crafts such as card decorating and ornament making. Encourage kids to take home their projects afterward and give them to their family members. Christmas cookies make delicious treats, and pizza is always a favorite.

Parents will be grateful for the effort you expended to give them a night out, and kids will leave with memories of a wonderful time at the dojo.

As we head into the final months of the year, there are so many fun and festive ways to celebrate. Be sure to schedule your events early to allow yourself enough time to give your students the most incredible experience possible. As always, if you have any questions about the ideas presented here, reach out to me or any of the MAIA Elite consultants. Happy holidays.

Kurt Klingenmeyer owns two karate schools in Southeastern Wisconsin. With a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education, he applies his experience as an educator to the field of martial arts instruction. As MAIA’s “launch specialist,” he helps school owners maximize their potential and reach their goals. To contact him, send an email to KurtKlingenmeyer@gmail.com or call the Martial Arts Industry Association at (866) 626-6226.

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BY KELLY MURRAY-GRYS

Photos Courtesy of Kelly Murray-Grys

A Successful Business Requires a Talented Person at the Helm!

I

started training in the martial arts in 1986 when I was just 4 years old. I was the only girl in my class and, even more notable, one of very few girls I knew who did karate. The dojo didn’t have air conditioning to deal with the summer heat, and we all did our pushups on our knuckles on the hardwood floor. On more than a few occasions, I was hit in the abdomen to the point of having the wind knocked out of me while being told that if I’d kept my guard up, I wouldn’t have gotten hit.

Needless to say, it was a different time to be a martial artist.

A couple of other observations from that time: Our instructors didn’t give much thought to our feelings, nobody cared if we were under the weather on a given day, chest protectors hadn’t become the norm, and it was considered a privilege to mop the dojo floor at the end of the day. The staff of the school was composed of loyal black-belt volunteers, diehards who would teach five or six classes in a row until 11 p.m. without ever complaining.

If reading that cultivated a sense of nostalgia for you, let me do you a favor and knock you back into this century! The martial arts community has very different industry standards now, along with some unique challenges that affect you as an employer.

We live in a period when finding good talent feels difficult, at times hopeless, for some of us. We live in a period when molding and shaping young talent feels frustrating, rather than rewarding, for most of us. As a team-training specialist, I receive endless questions regarding what may be the new normal, and one of the most common is, How do I develop a rock-star team in my school?

Well, as I always tell those people, it starts with you. That’s right, developing a great team starts with you making a dedicated and determined commitment to becoming a great leader.

It’s the best way to get your staff and your business moving in the right direction.

Photos Courtesy of Kelly Murray-Grys

Pillar No. 1

I have discovered that there are three pillars of leadership that apply no matter the type of business. The first pertains to your perspective. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received emails and phone calls from frustrated and annoyed school owners who complain about their staff. It’s well-known in business that complaining doesn’t solve anything. The irony regarding those who complain about their staffers is that they fail to realize that their team is a direct reflection of them. Your team is only as good as you train your team members to be.

Rather than complaining, you need to focus on solutions to problems and the person who can implement those solutions.

For this reason, I’ve created a mantra for team leaders: It’s my fault, and I can fix it.

In all likelihood, as a professional teacher, you underestimate your skill set and your strengths when it comes to solving the problems you encounter. Changing that revolves around adjusting your perspective.

Taking ownership of the weaknesses of your staff and the challenges you face with your employees will empower you to actually do something to make your business better. Once you stop blaming the economy, the parenting of our youth or the generational demise of our recruits (“Kids these days!), you take back your power as the leader your staff needs you to be.

In all likelihood, as a professional teacher, you underestimate your skill set and your strengths when it comes to solving the problems you encounter. Changing that revolves around adjusting your perspective. The next time a problem arises, just tell yourself that it’s your fault and that you can fix it.

Here’s a valuable extension of the concept: You are not only responsible for the success of your team but also privileged to take on this role. That’s right: Leadership is a privilege.

To teach, to mold, to influence and to lead — it all amounts to a gift that I, personally, can’t help feeling grateful for. True leaders recognize this privilege and have immense gratitude for being able to be part of another human’s evolution toward becoming a better human.

If you struggle to find joy in helping your team grow and succeed, maybe leadership isn’t for you.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 53

Pillar No. 2

The first goal of a one-onone is simply to grow the relationship between you and your employee.

This is about getting to know the team member on a deeper level.

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The second pillar of leadership revolves around time. How often you give it and how you choose to spend it with your people play important roles in building a team that stays loyal.

Although the many specifics of this pillar would require more space than I have here, adopting a one-on-one strategy is a great way to start prioritizing your time with your team.

In essence, a one-on-one is time spent with a purpose.

I recommend conducting a one-on-one with every member of your team at least twice a month. If your business operates with a smaller staff, once a week is even better. In case you don’t know, one-on-ones are private, prearranged sessions that are consistent and expected. They need to last only 15 to 20 minutes to be efficient and effective. They serve four purposes, which makes them a must for any team leader.

The first goal of a one-on-one is simply to grow the relationship between you and your employee. This is about getting to know the team member on a deeper level. Understanding what the person’s passions and goals are, how the person prefers to be communicated with and what the person’s support system consists of will engender trust and clarity, both of which are essential for a healthy working relationship.

Because the goal is to build a relationship, you also should share details about yourself to connect the employee's vision to your own.

The second goal of a one-on-one is to conduct specialized training based on the employee’s weaknesses or struggles. As a team leader, you should use data and key performance indicators to determine the focus of this training, which requires a real-time grasp of what the person needs most in order to contribute to the growth of the business.

The third goal is to focus on the personal development of the employee. To facilitate that, a one-on-one session can be used to share thoughts on a book you’ve assigned, to listen to a podcast together, to mentor financial planning or to create better time-management strategies for work and/or life.

The last goal is to simply use the time to listen. Active listening is a skill that all team leaders need. Perhaps the employee has struggles or conflicts with a co-worker. Perhaps she is feeling frustrated about a certain aspect of her job. Perhaps he needs this time to vent or ask specific questions. Perhaps the person just has ideas to share with you.

All these things are appropriate during a one-on-one, a time when you can be fully present to absorb what the employee communicates about his or her needs. To reach the goal of truly hearing what the other person says, refrain from saying everything that comes to mind. Rather, provide a safe space where each member of your team can speak and feel understood.

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Pillar No. 3

The third pillar of leadership is prioritizing your self. I separated the words “your” and “self” on purpose. My intention is to illustrate that it’s crucial to identify your own being as the main student on this leadership journey. Below are three ways to get a handle on this recommendation: • Develop a self-care practice.

When you’re not giving your self the best, you’re not giving anyone else the best of you, either. Your energy matters a lot when it comes to how well your team performs. When you’re burned out, stressed, frustrated, sleep deprived, fueled by caffeine and sugar, or depressed and anxious, you should expect the performance of your team to follow suit.

The best thing you can do for your team if you’re feeling any of those things is stay away. Before you re-engage with them, develop self-care practices that will enable you to create a healthier relationship with your self and that will allow you to show up in a way that serves them. The basic components of good physical health — things like proper nutrition, exercise, water and sleep — are great starting points.

You also should aim to expand your emotional and spiritual health. You can do this by strengthening your most satisfying relationships, connecting with like-minded people, meditating, journaling, visualizing and/or reading. Play, rest and recovery are also your work. (Read that again.)

• Keep studying leadership, business management and communication.

Just like your physical, emotional and spiritual health, your intellectual health needs to be prioritized. Many school owners I work with spend plenty of hours learning how to market better, how to improve their SEO and how to make more money. However, not enough of them spend time studying the topics that will buy them the ultimate ticket to entrepreneurial freedom: a team that can do things as well as they can.

• Get feedback from the people who matter most: your team.

Being open to hearing how your team views your leadership style and approach can leave you feeling vulnerable, but it’s absolutely necessary. For that reason, you must learn how to receive negative feedback without taking it personally. It will put you on the fast track to improving as a leader.

Doing this also will gain you the respect of your team by demonstrating that you’re dedicated to getting better. You’re showing them that the ego is not a good compass for measuring how well a person is doing.

In the end, your message to them will be that the only feedback you’re concerned with is theirs because they are the ones you’re privileged to lead as you all strive to make your business more successful.

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When you’re burned out, stressed, frustrated, sleep deprived, fueled by caffeine and sugar, or depressed and anxious, you should expect the performance of your team to follow suit.

A sixth-degree black belt in isshin-ryu karate, Kelly Murray-Grys was the director of franchise training for iLoveKickboxing, a multimillion-dollar franchise she helped to grow from its inception. She now works as a leadership and confidence coach, helping small-business owners and entrepreneurs create powerful infrastructures and environments that generate success. She is also an executive consultant for Skillz Worldwide, a child-development curriculum that serves thousands of martial arts schools across the globe.

TURNING POINT

Ray McCallum: Walking Into His First School

“In this column, we examine the pivotal point in a prominent black belt’s career, the event that launched him or her toward success in martial arts business, sports or films.”

T

MAS: Where did you grow up, and what did your dad do?

Ray McCallum: Born and raised in Dallas, Texas.

Dad passed away when I was 10. I had a good stepfather. He backed me 100 percent. Mom hated karate — still does.

MAS: When was the first time you heard about karate?

McCallum: Our church counselor was a brown belt in judo. He brought some gis to a campout and showed us techniques and throws. I was pretty impressed. I was always fighting guys bigger than me, for some reason.

MAS: Turning point?

McCallum: I was 14 and riding my bike to go play a pinball machine, and there was a karate school in front of Walmart. I walked in and knew that would be [my calling for] the rest of my life.

I responded to the respect. That first day, a couple kids almost my age and not as big as me led the class wearing nice white gis and junior belts. I hung out there for three or four hours. It took me two-and-ahalf years to make black belt — normally, it took four years — and no kids classes. The sensei was Demetrius “Greek” Havanas. Interesting, the way he taught. …

I remember I was a junior green belt, 14 years old but tall at 5 feet 10 inches. I went to a fair to help

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with our school demos. Havanas grabbed me by the throat and side-kicked me off the stage four or five times. He got agitated because it was taking me longer and longer to get back up there. Then he grabbed me by the hair so I didn’t go as far. He was appeased by that. I don’t know if I was or not. (smiles) That’s how he taught. I went back every day for a week, and he’d kick me off the stage 15 times a night.

Also, I was there at school every day. He said, “What are you doing here? I thought I killed you yesterday.”

It was a situation where I wasn’t leaving, and he was doing his best to run me off. (smiles) I made black belt at 16. Greek always wanted to do a backflip in the ring. In 1978, I learned how from some gymnasts. First time I did one was in 1981 when I won the world championship in Milan, Italy. I must’ve done 20 before they hooked me off the stage. Sensei Havanas had passed away four months before. Greek had a lot of respect for people. That’s where mine comes from.

I attack somebody’s mind. It’s the best target you have. I had to go out there and put the fight on somebody else. What I mean is, I’d built up the energy and intensity, and then I didn’t know what was coming any more than they did. Make ’em a believer! In stalemates, I had “pocket tricks” to help me — like ducking under a high kick to take out the fighter’s support leg and then jumping up and coming down, landing a flying punch.

MAS: What’s in your future?

McCallum: I wish the best to the new karate Olympians. The style is a little cleaner than what we used to do, but they have the respect, which I really like. I love all the karate folks. I appreciate the life they have given me. The ones I know are the salt of the earth.

The ones that don’t know me need to straighten up and get back to what’s real.

To contact Herb Borkland, send an email to herbork@comcast.net.

Photo Courtesy of Ray McCallum

BY HERB BORKLAND

exas karate champion Ray McCallum won national and international titles in both point and full-contact fighting from the 1970s into the late ’80s. After training under Demetrius Havanas and Allen Steen, McCallum toured the world as a team competitor and fighter. Crowds loved his virtuoso kicking and victory backflips. His three battles with Keith Vitali are considered among the greatest contests of their era. A quick-hitting, strategic, finesse fighter, Vitali won twice — but also reported witnessing McCallum use three techniques never seen before in tournaments. Vitali called his opponent “the most spectacular fighter of the day.”

Photo Courtesy of Ray McCallum

HEALTH KICK

Road Map to Better Health and Enhanced Productivity

BY ERIC P. FLEISHMAN

“Choose nutrientdense foods that fuel your body and mind, rather than gorging on empty calories.

Animal-based proteins, water-based carbohydrates like fresh fruit and vegetables, and plenty of hydration will nourish your body, stimulate your ability to think clearly and keep your positive mood going strong.”

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R

unning a martial arts school can be a challenge. Forking out money for marketing to attract new students, keeping the students you already have, and staying current with billing are timeconsuming and often grueling.

Under these conditions, it can be difficult to find time to stay in shape, let alone maintain a positive outlook on life. Caught up in the daily grind, too many people lose sight of the fact that positivity is the ultimate key to success. That’s because a truly positive attitude can be infectious, spreading like wildfire through your school and beyond.

But how do you spark this process, and where does the magic begin? It all starts with you. The easiest way to foster positivity in your life is to make the conscious decision to see the proverbial glass as half full. Here are four additional steps that will help you supercharge the transformation.

• Go to bed earlier and cherish sleep. Sleep is how the body and mind recharge. Sleep also delivers a level of mental clarity that supports better decision-making.

ment on your part. When you find yourself mindlessly reaching for a candy bar, grab a protein bar instead. Small changes can lead to massive shifts.

• Strive to reduce stress. For some, this means delegating certain tasks to others at the dojo to keep from falling behind or feeling overwhelmed. For others, it might require putting away the smartphone earlier to have more time to decompress before going to bed.

Either way, learning to manage stress is key for allowing positivity into your life on a constant basis.

Your brightened outlook will have an immediate effect on your instructors because the trickledown theory of management holds true: Leading by example empowers those who work with and for you to rise to the occasion and then pass the good vibes on to others.

Another benefit of this increase in morale is an across-the-board rise in productivity. Happy workers are more effective at completing tasks in a timely fashion. Their rosy attitudes enhance person-to-person contact with students, resulting in more enthusiastic pupils. This boosts the dojo’s overall reputation, which makes getting new students easier.

• Begin a daily exercise regimen. My Sleek Ninja program is great for school owners. This and other forms of exercise release powerful endorphins that can ward off depression and deliver a sense of wellbeing. For many, this alone can be a game changer.

As your body responds to the exercise with fat loss and muscle gain, the reflection in the mirror will be dynamite for your self-esteem. Remember the adage, “Look good, feel good, do good,” which has its roots in a timeless pattern of success.

Remember that people are attracted to energy, especially positive energy. Having momentum behind your staff and your school will reflect favorably on your specific martial art, which in turn, enhances all martial artists. One decision to shift your attitude toward the affirmative can ignite a chain reaction that ushers in an era of success that seemed unattainable. Don’t wait! Make your decision to embrace the power of positivity today.

• Start making smarter decisions at mealtime.

Choose nutrient-dense foods that fuel your body and mind, rather than gorging on empty calories.

Animal-based proteins, water-based carbohydrates like fresh fruit and vegetables, and sufficient hydration will nourish your body, stimulate your ability to think clearly and keep your positive mood going strong. Doing this requires a real commit-

Eric P. Fleishman — aka Eric the Trainer — is a Hollywood-based trainer of celebrities. In the 28 years he’s worked in the industry, he’s taught actors, musicians, MMA fighters and military personnel.

He hosts a popular TV show called Celebrity Sweat, which is available on Amazon Prime. His message of healthy living has been adopted by many groups, most recently the American Culinary Federation.

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Ch dif

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© 20

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YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

2021 Was a Learning Experience for Everyone!

BY KATHY OLEVSKY

“I’ve written this column for 10 years now, telling the world how I’ve survived 45 years in the martial arts business despite having made many mistakes.

In fact, I have not even begun to cover them all.

I share my stories to help you learn from them — and because it’s important to know that you, too, may blunder along the way but that your school can survive.”

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F

or five years, my martial arts business experienced slow-but-steady growth while meeting the needs of a solid foundation of students. The staff became skilled at keeping our students happy and excited about training as they rose through the ranks. Our retention rate was good.

Then everything changed when COVID struck.

I’m guessing it’s the same for many dojo around the world.

We lost more than 100 students because of the pandemic. Then we grew by 150 students between February 2021 and August 2021. All of a sudden, we had to increase our support for beginner classes while reducing some of our intermediate classes. We had lost the middle section of our student body.

Our brown belts and black belts, for the most part, hung in there with us through a year of virtual instruction and limited in-person training. Our intermediate ranks, on the other hand, left in droves.

For the first time in many years, we started to hear complaints about how we were managing our classes. I remember when the first parent left because he didn’t think his child was learning anything new.

Our instructors were doing their best, but we were overloading them with new students. In a period of normal growth, we would have had between five and 10 students in a trial program over the course of two weeks. When people started coming back in early 2021, we sometimes had as many as 15 new students in a single class. We had lost so many students that we couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity to sign up any of the newcomers, so we took them all.

The problem was, our staff had been teaching virtually for a year, and this new rush was a bit overwhelming. While we easily could have handled such a rush in 2019, we’d become different teachers in 2020.

I’ve heard martial arts school owners say that they would welcome an onslaught of new students anytime, anywhere. The reality of it is you have to prepare for something like this before it happens — if you want to succeed.

Before the pandemic, we evenly balanced our teachers throughout our ranks, and they all had unique skill sets. Of course, there were instructors who could teach everyone, but in our school, most were fine-tuned to a specific age group or belt level.

In addition, we had instructors who preferred not to be vaccinated, so they continued with virtual classes. We had other instructors who chose to stay out because of age, the needs of family members and other reasons. But the new students kept coming through our doors.

To be honest, we didn’t manage these changes well for a few months. As always, though, we learned from our mistakes. We adjusted our class times to better accommodate the ages and levels of our students. We moved some instructors around and made class sizes smaller for a sixmonth period. By late summer 2021, we were back to normal with all our instructors working and most of our students happy again.

It was strange seeing so many new faces on the floor while missing all the familiar faces. However, we realized that they’re not lost. Having all those students who were happy with us before COVID meant that we had a whole list of names we can market to — and, hopefully, get back in the dojo.

So we’ll begin 2022 with a host of new students to teach and lots of former students who might be convinced to return to the martial path. All things considered, it’s a good place to be.

To contact Kathy Olevsky, send an email to kathy.olevsky@raleighkarate.com.

School Showcase November/December 2021 School Owners

Todd and Jennifer Somers School Name

White Tiger Martial Arts Jeffersonville, Indiana Styles/Disciplines

Taekwondo, hapkido, kickboxing, weapons, self-defense 64 MASUCCESS

Photos Courtesy of Todd Somers

Location

Photos Courtesy of Todd Somers

How long have you been doing martial arts?

I’ve been doing martial arts since 1981. I’ve taught for 30 years and owned my school for the past 17 years.

What is your personal teaching philosophy?

Try to be better each day and try to improve people’s lives around me.

What is your school name, and how did you choose it?

Our name is White Tiger Martial Arts. That nickname came to me from grandmaster Joon Pyo Choi. I was competing at the World Games in 2003 in Columbus, Ohio. He came up to me and was impressed [with] how fast I was for a bigger man. He said it was like watching a white tiger attack. Hence, the school name.

Who or what inspires you?

Seeing my students improve each day in class inspires me.

How has your school dealt with the challenges presented by COVID-19?

We survived, and by a miracle, we grew and came back stronger. We went from a 1,200-square-foot studio to a 2,700-square-foot studio.

What is your favorite inspirational quote?

“A black belt is a white belt who never quit.”

What do you find most rewarding about working in the martial arts?

Seeing families doing martial arts together.

If you could give one bit of advice to fellow martial arts school owners, what would it be?

Stick to your values and respect the traditions of the past.

What is your school’s motto or student creed?

“Speed creates power.” And “traditional martial arts taught in a traditional way.”

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 65

CONSULTANT'S CORNER

Mastering the Mass Enrollment

BY ADAM PARMAN

“Showcase your program and build value in the mental and physical benefits. Just like a traditional intro course, the mass intro should highlight what students will learn.

I

n this column, I’ll share four key principles behind conducting a mass introductory lesson and follow that with two proven closing techniques.

Principle No. 1: Let people know you’re going to offer an enrollment special when they register for the lesson or seminar. This gives prospective participants advance notice that you’ll be selling them something well before you do it. It ensures that they will be more open to the offer you present — and more likely to come prepared to enroll if they see value in the experience.

Don’t skip this step. Otherwise, attendees will come to take advantage of your seminar but will be unprepared or unwilling to make a financial commitment.

Principle No. 2: Showcase your program and build value in the mental and physical benefits. Just like a traditional intro course, the mass intro should highlight what students will learn.

If you’re teaching children, highlight the life skills and character-development attributes that parents want to see. If you’re teaching adults, focus on the physical benefits like self-defense and weight loss.

While demonstrating the value of your program, point out what makes your school different from facilities that offer other activities in your area.

Principle No. 3: Build rapport and “yes” momentum. You build rapport with participants by using nametags and offering bottled waters as they enter the school. Consider stationing staff members in various places to show people where to go and what to do.

Make statements that will cause the people participating or viewing the class to agree. This gets them used to agreeing with you and the statements you’re making. They’ll be more likely to see the value of your program and the reasons they should enroll.

Principle No. 4: Give them a reason to stick around after the event. The easiest way to do this is to provide snacks. This keeps them in your school longer, which affords you more time to answer questions, overcome objections and sign them up.

Group Close The next thing you must master is the group close. It should be conducted by an experienced staff mem-

66 MASUCCESS

ber. I prefer it to be the same person who taught the martial arts class — that person has the most creditability and rapport with the prospects.

The close should be done before dismissing the students and offering the food. We do this as a four-minute presentation at the end of class. We cover the class schedule, the regular cost of the program and a special enrollment offer that’s valid that day only. Below are two closing techniques that get results.

Closing Technique No. 1: Don't talk money. During the close, review the benefits of the program and ask, “If we put money aside, do you think martial arts would benefit you or your child?” By doing so, you establish that the prospect understands and sees value in your program.

Closing Technique No. 2: Focus on the savings to create a call to action. To get people to commit, you must offer a significant savings if they enroll immediately. Make sure you highlight the amount they will save and not the amount they will spend.

We give our prospects a savings of $150 by offering them an initial investment of only $49 for the first month’s registration and uniform. Their next monthly tuition payment rises to our regular rate. Keep in mind it’s OK to discount the registration fee, but lowering the ongoing monthly amount will affect your average student value and make it hard to justify your regular rate.

Afterward, let people know that if they have questions, you’ll be happy to answer them once everyone’s dismissed. This way, one person’s objection to enrolling does not become someone else’s objection. Finally, be prepared to handle multiple people enrolling at the same time. Have membership agreements pre-filled-out, uniforms on hand and additional staff to answer questions.

Adam Parman is a Martial Arts Industry Association consultant who owns schools in Atlanta, Georgia. To contact him, send an email to adam.parman@gmail.com.

MASTERFUL RETENTION

A High Teaching Standard or an Ego Trip?

BY CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD

“The best instructors I’ve had the privilege to train with mold their teachings to fit the experience level of their students.

Causing excessive pain or frustration in any of them is an indicator that a teacher hasn’t correctly evaluated the starting point of the student.”

68 MASUCCESS

R

ecently, a friend shared with me an experience that involved a chiropractor. The person was highly recommended and had a mystique about him. Over the years, he’d worked with many pro athletes, and he wasn’t shy about showing it on his website and in his lobby.

When my friend met with the doctor, he was treated like the next number in an assembly line of patients, rather than a person seeking healing. The chiropractor poked and prodded my friend in all his injured and inflamed areas, creating enough pain to cause him to nearly fall off the treatment table.

As I listened to his story, I was thinking about many similar experiences I’ve witnessed in the martial arts. Here’s one example: A student takes a seminar conducted by someone he admires. He’s picked to go to the front of the class for a demonstration and surrenders his arm to the instructor.

The subsequent application of force is so painful that the student has a massive physical reaction.

Whenever I see this, it makes me cringe, yet most of the time, the onlookers appear impressed.

While I’m not writing this to condemn anyone, I do think that as teachers, we need to learn from experiences like this. In the Retention-Based Sparring program, a lot of attention is given to meeting students where they are and then growing their skills from this starting point. The best instructors I’ve had the privilege to train with mold their teachings to fit the experience level of their students.

Causing excessive pain or frustration in any of them is an indicator that a teacher hasn’t correctly evaluated the starting point of the student.

While this might make sense intellectually, it’s far from a common practice. Many coaches and instructors have clear memories of the way they

learned from their teachers. Pain was a rite of passage that demonstrated worthiness to learn. If you continued to come back, you were seen as tough, and the tougher the methods of teaching, the tougher you became. It’s no wonder that some of the classes these martial artists conduct now rely on teaching practices from 30-plus years ago.

I’ve always loved the expression, “Do not walk in the shoes of the masters; instead, seek what they sought.” I strive to keep the spirit of commitment, grit, work ethic and perseverance alive, but such a mindset is built over time, slowly and steadily, as the student’s skills permit progressive resistance to be applied. My goal is to cultivate a skill set in a way that keeps the student progressing without feeling overwhelmed, moving forward without undue tension or fear, which can handicap performance.

A good teacher transfers information. A great teacher imparts information in a way that provides a challenge that matches the experience level of the student. A master teacher inspires the student to exceed his or her preconceived limitations without triggering a feeling of mental or physical resistance.

Such master teachers are always reflecting, learning and refining their skills so the next student’s learning experience can be even better.

A high teaching standard should be able to stand on its own without the puffery that’s often encountered when outdated practices are masked as magical skills. Let’s really keep it real.

To contact Christopher Rappold, send an email to founder@personalbestkarate.com.

THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING

Halloween Frights

BY BETH A. BLOCK

“You know that I have heard many true stories about bad situations in which your peers have found themselves.

Based on these experiences, I easily can imagine what could go wrong in a scenario."

70 MASUCCESS

A

s I was considering the impending wave of fall festivities, I decided to do some online research. (Many of you know that I’m a bit of a research nerd.) One of the first cases that jumped out at me involved a studio that had put together a Halloween festival in conjunction with several other local businesses.

This type of joint venture is an excellent way to find new prospects for your studio. Each of the businesses invited its own clients, and the event was promoted throughout the community. Talk about an opportunity to crank up your sales funnel! It’s important that we all continue the momentum of increased enrollment in martial arts. For most of us, 2020 took a toll on our student body, and we need to be creative in our approach to recruiting new people.

The festival I found during my research went off without a hitch — but I’ll play a bit of “what if” with you. After all, you know that I have heard many true stories about bad situations in which your peers have found themselves. Based on these experiences, I easily can imagine what could go wrong in a scenario. That means this particular column is based on my imagination because none of my clients has organized a community Halloween party.

Imagine that your school and four local businesses — a pizza place, a hair salon, a tutoring service and a childcare center, all located in the same plaza — decide to join forces for a Halloween celebration. You agree that the event will be held in your parking lot because you have the most space. You reach out to your landlord for permission, and he requires you to get a certificate of insurance from your agent, which you do. Everything moves forward with the planning.

Wait a minute! Did you catch the fact that only you provided a certificate? None of the other businesses had to do that. This means that already the entire responsibility to the landlord is on your shoulders.

In the planning phase, you work with the childcare center, and the two of you decide it will be fun to bring an inflatable to the party. What kid doesn’t love an inflatable? Then you talk to the pizza place and ask the owner to print the fliers. Pizza places are always printing fliers, so this is the perfect task for the owner.

The hairdresser offers to provide face painting at the party, and the tutoring center will supervise a dunk tank. All the businesses agree to take

turns putting an instructor or owner on the seat of the tank.

The day of the party arrives. All the business owners are excited, the clients are psyched and the community is looking forward to partying during the day and then trick-or-treating in the evening. What could go wrong?

Well, party pooper Beth is about to give you a list.

Remember that you’re the only one who has provided a certificate of insurance. We’ll pretend that the childcare center and the tutoring center have insurance; none of the other businesses does.

The inflatable blows away in a stiff wind because it wasn’t properly anchored to the ground. Or maybe it was anchored properly but wasn’t supervised. In any case, two kids crack their heads, and they end up in the emergency room with concussions. Guess what? Neither your insurance policy nor the childcare provider’s policy has coverage for the inflatable. That is a specific exclusion on all insurance policies.

Now imagine that the pizza guy used a picture of Freddy Krueger in the flier. That picture is copyrighted by the company that made A Nightmare on Elm Street. They really object to the use of their image and come in, suing everybody. The pizza guy isn’t insured.

That advertising-related claim is coming to you and the other local businesses.

There’s another potential horror story, this one involving the face-painting hairdresser. She purchased a basic paint set from the local Halloween store. A little girl is allergic to the paint and ends up in anaphylactic shock. An ambulance is called, and she’s taken to the emergency room. Her medical bills total $16,500. Guess what? The hairdresser doesn’t have insurance. Again, you, along with the childcare center and tutoring center, will be the ones sued.

Is this convergence of worst-case scenarios likely?

No. But when you consider that even one of these things would put a significant damper on your event — and your bottom line — I’m sure you’ll agree that a little extra effort to prevent problems is worth it.

If you decide to work with other businesses, make sure you get their certificates of insurance up front.

Boo, and happy Halloween.

To contact Beth A. Block, send an email to beth@ blockins.net or call (800) 225-0863.

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THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Ultimately, Your Business Is Your Responsibility

BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

“You are the captain of your ship. Therefore, you must be willing to take full responsibility for your business decisions.”

72 MASUCCESS

R

ecently, I relearned a vital lesson that I believe will help me service my clients’ legal needs. I wish to share that lesson with you so you can remind your legal counsel as appropriate.

We all view the world through a personal prism.

The way I approach any given issue will differ from the way you approach it based on professional training, life experience and so on. People seek counsel, legal and otherwise, based on how another party’s perspective might assist them in the decision-making process.

You do not necessarily hire an attorney simply because he or she knows the way to the courthouse or has knowledge of which documents to file in a particular circumstance. You hire an attorney for the person’s ability to predict outcomes with an objective eye.

Attorneys are not soothsayers but, based on similar facts and the law, we do get quite good at accurately providing advice that’s far better than a simple guess. You want and deserve no-nonsense advice. To me, this is a very large part of what we do and the value we provide.

However, attorneys are not automatons or “Mr. Spocks.” We have emotions. The prism through which we view life is sometimes difficult to separate from those emotions. That’s because we genuinely like our clients and want only the best for them. We have seen devastation and waste that started as enthusiasm and hope. And it hurts.

For example, when I see a commercial landlord demanding a personal guarantee on a lease, my client often sees just another line for a signature.

However, I see a potential cascade of issues that could lead my client to bankruptcy court — or worse. No client ever thinks that his or her business could be unsuccessful. While I always hope I’m wrong, the three decades I’ve spent representing businesses tell me that people go out of business every day.

I realize that, in a perfect world, I am 95-percent legal counsel and advice. For the other 5 percent, I can allow my personal feelings to paint my opinion. Any different percentage is not in my clients’ best interests.

My clients are not children who rely on me to give another opinion. In the aforementioned example in which a client is asked to guarantee a lease, if he or she is an experienced businessperson as opposed to a young person setting up shop for the first time, I would not be apt to interject my personal opinion into the transaction at all.

You are free to draw any appropriate conclusions about me, positive or negative. However, there’s something I cannot forget but sometimes do: I work for my client. As such, what I would do in a certain situation is irrelevant. If asked by a client, “What would you do in this case?” I must immediately reframe the question and have the client ask, “What would you do if you were me?”

Not long ago, I was reminded of this. I’m not the ultimate protector of my clients. I’m charged with giving them the best advice I can, but I cannot take responsibility for unintended future events.

You are the captain of your ship. Therefore, you must be willing to take full responsibility for your business decisions. You are not required to share positive monthly revenues with your attorney, nor can you seek a capital call against the attorney when receivables are dwarfed by payables.

Ultimately, you make the final decisions. Attorneys are not, nor should they be, the gatekeepers of any transaction. Attorneys are simply a resource properly utilized to determine your best course of action. Use us in this manner.

To contact attorney Philip E. Goss Jr., send an email PhilGosslaw@gmail.com.

INSPIRATION OVATION

BY KAREN EDEN

“I recall a time when I, as a yellow belt, bowed to a very high-ranked martial arts master in my federation. He just looked at me and never bowed back. …

He disrespected me because I was just some low-ranked girl, and I didn’t really matter in his world.”

74 MASUCCESS

M

y very first broadcasting job was at age 15 in Roanoke, Virginia. It was for a powerhouse AM country-music station called WKBA. I hate to say this, but my official air name was “Karen, Your Country Honey.” (Evidently, there was a time in my life when someone thought I was “sweet.”)

I was known only by my voice, and it was a pretty good one for a young girl. Because of the nature of the job, no one had a clue what I looked like, and I didn’t have to worry about it. I fell in love with radio and to this day love being a “voice behind a mike.”

At WKBA, the coveted afternoon-drive slot was hosted by a man who was a character both on and off the mike. His name was “Cousin Zeke.”

After a couple of years, Cousin Zeke became very dear to my heart. There was just something about the way he embraced people from all walks of life.

He encouraged me and treated me with respect — something I rarely saw teenage girls get. Perhaps he never knew this, but while he was running his show, I was taking notes on how to be “larger than life.”

It didn’t matter if you were the town mayor or the town drunk, if you were Black or white, male or female, rich or poor. Everyone spoke highly of this former country-music singer known as Cousin Zeke. I can recall the times he would crack the mike and say something like, “Cousin Zeke sure could use a cup of coffee.” Ten minutes later, there would be several people at the studio door with cups of coffee in their hands.

I can guarantee that Cousin Zeke had no idea that I would use his outgoing personality skills to build my own martial arts reputation one day.

I have discovered that his approach to treating people right applies universally.

I recall a time when I, as a yellow belt, bowed to a very high-ranked martial arts master in my federa-

tion. He just looked at me and never bowed back.

I never forgot that. He disrespected me because I was just some low-ranked girl, and I didn’t really matter in his world. Lesson learned: The lower ranks won’t be low-ranked forever if they keep training. Be kind to everybody!

When I have prospective students in my training hall, before they leave, I make them feel like they can be Bruce Lee. I will humble myself as a seventh-degree grandmaster because I know that the martial arts start with a belief that you can achieve something great if you are willing to put in the time. I need to make sure that every single person who walks in the door feels capable of reaching this goal.

Perhaps that’s what separates those who are successful in this business from those who are not. The bottom line is you should be willing to be vulnerable enough to connect with every person you meet.

I see it time and time again — the elite of our own martial arts industry, the highest-ranked, all networking with only each other as if they will be around forever in all their glory. I am often asked to be a guest of honor at various martial arts events, and I am very humbled by that. But don’t be surprised if you find me sitting in the back of the room with all the up-and-coming people in our industry.

I’m not doing that because I don’t feel worthy.

I’m doing that because it’s what Cousin Zeke taught me. Everybody is special. Make sure they know they are worthy of respect for who they are, just as they are.

To contact Karen Eden, send an email to renedenherdman@gmail.com or visit the Facebook group “The Eden Assignment.”

Photo Courtesy of Karen Eden

Cousin Zeke

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