Black Belt Business

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, host Matthew Brenner interviews Mike Metzger, a prominent figure in the martial arts industry and commercial real estate. He runs MAIA, the Martial Arts Industry Association, a company that helps martial arts school business owners. They discuss Metzger's journey from martial arts school owner to entrepreneur, the evolution of Championship Martia...

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, we dive into scaling martial arts schools with special guest John Bussard, owner of 9 martial arts locations. Learn how John started with just one school in 1994 and expanded to 9 locations without franchising, including how he navigated through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares his journey from owning one school to managing 14,...

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, host Matthew Brenner is joined by the founder of McDojo Life to discuss significant updates since their last conversation. The founder introduces Academy Safe, a new organization aimed at certifying martial arts schools for safety and lineage integrity. They emphasize the importance of CPR certification, background checks, onsite defibrillators,...

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, host Matthew Brenner and guest Matt Becker, owner of Gym Lawyers PLLC, discuss the vital legal steps that gym and martial arts school owners should take to protect their businesses and their assets. Topics covered include the importance of setting up a legal entity such as an LLC and NOT a partnership, crafting comprehensive waivers that actually...

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, host Matthew Brenner interviews Mike Chat, a prominent figure in martial arts known for his contributions to the industry, acting, and his role in XMA (Extreme Martial Arts). The discussion covers Mike's early inspirations, his journey from martial arts student to world champion competitor, running his own school, and eventually transitioning to...

This episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, hosted by Matthew Brenner, features an in-depth interview with Master Clark, the owner of Karate America schools. The discussion delves into Master Clark's innovative business strategies for running 16 martial arts schools, including his revenue-sharing model, the emphasis on instructor development, and employee financial planning. Additionally, it...

Matthew Brenner interviews James Becker, a seasoned martial arts entrepreneur. James shares his evolution from earning a black belt in the early '80s to building and selling USA Martial Arts for over $1 million and his wife’s success with Rockstar Martial Arts, a boutique martial arts franchise designed for affluent moms and their kids. James discusses the structuring of business sales, training a...

In this insightful episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, host Matthew Brenner interviews Taekwondo champion and public speaker Chris Natzke. Chris discusses his role within the Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace organization, focusing on integrating martial arts curriculum with leadership and business training. The conversation highlights the effect of COVID-19 on training practices, emphasizing inven...

$483 Million $250 Million That's how much business icon and legend John Hewitt sold his franchise behemoths Liberty Tax and Jackson Hewitt for in the late 90's and early 2000's. If you want to grow your franchise, listen to this episode to learn the billion dollar blueprint. You can find John's franchise building website here: https://loyaltybrands.com/ Want to see clips of episodes and behind the...

The discussion spans Brodie's impressive fight career, including his stints in various promotions like Rage in the Cage and fighting in Mexico. Brodie shares insights into his transition from professional fighting to personal training and workshop hosting, touching on his decisions to avoid opening a traditional martial arts school. The conversation also explores his ventures in real estate and a...

Could you run a succesful martial arts program if over 60% of your student base was on scholarship? Sebastian squashes any doubts about whether that is possible. He finds the perfect mix between passion and purpose. Sebastian Bates, owner and founder of Warrior Academy Martial Arts, shares his journey of teaching martial arts and scaling his business across 7 different countries. Sebastian explain...

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Matthew Brenner interviews Jason Flame, a martial arts school owner and podcast host of Master Motivation. They discuss the key factors that contribute to the success of martial arts schools, including financial stability, student success, and community engagement. Shorten the learning curve by applying these principles. Jason emphasizes the impo...

Master Von Schmeling, a martial arts school owner and operator, shares his journey of starting and growing to 49+ Victory Martial Arts schools. He discusses his mentors, his move to the United States, and the challenges he faced along the way. He emphasizes the importance of finding reliable partners and operators when expanding to new locations. Master Von Schmeling also shares insights on pricin...

George will have you hooked from the first 30 minutes he starts speaking. So what is more valuable than money? Get your pen out people! If you are a business owner, you are going to want to take notes. His rules for relationships and customer connection will have you buzzing. George shares his personal journey and how he ended up in the martial arts world. He emphasizes the importance of building...

Seth runs Star Martial Arts with his wife Melanie, with 3 locations in Indiana. Seth shares his journey in the martial arts industry and his specifically with financial management. He discusses how he started as a student and eventually became a teacher, the challenges he faced when purchasing his first school, and the importance of financial literacy in running a successful business. Seth also ta...

This one was fun! Listen in to hear how Matt Page created the lovable and hilarious Master Ken character, a true favorite for everyone in the martial arts industry. If you haven't seen it before, you must be living under your mat. Matt Page also shares how he grew a massive following, and how you can do the same for your business. Follow Matt Page on instagram here: @masterameriken Want to see cli...

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, host Matthew Brenner is joined by Olympian Victoria Stambaugh. They discuss Victoria’s journey in Taekwondo, including her experience of competing in the lowest weight class at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Victoria shares insights about her training regimen, the challenges of staying in competitive shape, and the mental toll of cutting weight. She al...

Paul Garcia is the owner of America's Best Defense, a family of martial arts schools in New England. If you want to learn how to operate a successful school in a small town, with an INCREDIBLY low attrition rate, this episode is for you. Paul shares his journey from working at a factory, to opening a martial arts school at 19 years old, and becoming a very young Dad. In this episode, he shares his...

In this conversation, Matthew Brenner meets with Adam Kifer, founder of Muv Martial Arts, Relentless Media Agency, and Relentless Mastermind. They also delve into the importance of updating martial arts curriculum and removing traditional elements to create a more effective and engaging experience for students. If you are shackled by tradition, this episode is not for you. The conversation highlig...

Maya is the CEO and founder of Alchemize Fightwear. They were exhausted of the fightwear options for women. So they decided to build woman’s gear that made sense for women's bodies, that is fashionable, fitting, and durable. Maya shares her journey in martial arts and the challenges women face in combat sports. She discusses the need for better gear designed specifically for women and the importan...

Shane Tassoul, owner of Champion Martial Arts, shares his journey in the martial arts industry and the challenges he faced along the way. He is also a consultant for MAIA (Martial Arts Industry Association). From starting his first martial arts school to opening a second location, Shane discusses the highs and lows of running a martial arts business. Shane emphasizes the importance of transparency...

Stephen Reinstein, CEO and founder of Market Muscles, a marketing and website design company that helps martial arts schools create websites that generate new leads consistently. Stephen discusses the importance of strong websites for lead generation in the martial arts industry, and the problems most website have. He shares his experience of reaching 1 million leads and highlights the key trends...

MJ Singh shares his journey from being a student to eventually opening 3 locations of Empower Martial Arts. He emphasizes the importance, as an owner and manager, of having a strong relationship with your instructors. MJ discusses his model of running boutique martial arts schools with a focus on quality over quantity. He also shares his strategies for finding and developing instructors, managing...

In this episode, Kevin Kowalczik, founder of Raptor Martial Arts, shares his journey in martial arts and the inspiration he drew from Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles as a child. He discusses the importance of discipline and focus in martial arts and how it helped him navigate challenging environments. Kevin also talks about his experiences with bullying and the self-defense skills he developed. He...

Jen Wetzel earned her 2nd degree black belt in December 2022. One year later, in December 2023, she was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer: glioblastoma. Her prognosis was 18 - 24 months. Even after the diagnosis, she continues to have perfect attendance at karate class. No more driving, no work as a doctor, long calls with insurance, family time and one trip to Florida. But a predictable routi...