Marketing and Healthy Business — Sachi Ainge (E7)

Welcome. To the Easton online podcast, I'm your host Elliot, marshal and what. This podcast is here to do it's here to help you gain strategies. And tactics and, tools that, are gonna help you grow, in your martial. Arts business if you have a martial arts school a gym, this is one of my passions is, how we spread, the message of how to really grow culture, in business and and some ways, that we do it the best with our people, with our staff with our clients, so, I hope, you enjoyed give a listen how. Are you, how's. The coffee it's great thank you good, everyone. Has to I have to uh know why I still ask that question. It's. Nice to start with some coffee yeah you're, a first Sachi my first Eastern, online podcast without. Jordan. I know he, had to go away but we have to do when we get to do one will. Miss him Jordan, if you're listening. While. He's not here I you, know I don't know if you've listened too much but I call him Jamie I've. Heard that yeah coz I'm trying to be Joe Rogan you. Know so. Can, you sit up on the mic where we can push that a little oh yeah, thanks. Yes thank you um. You are also a first. You, are. The, first, female. In our company, that. Transcended. Like the front desk to like a full-time, like managerial. Type job I, think. Right, I think van. Was the first full-time female, employee mm-hmm, right, but. Denver was a little slower on moving. To, different, managerial, positions. So. But you're the first you're the you were the first one and now I think we have a couple with you we've Sarah we have van who else do we have challenge, Elaine, yes, Elaine. So. That's. Really cool for us that's really cool for me so, for me to help good great. It's been cool to like grow. Up through, this company and with this company so yeah how did you I know you were just talking to Irvin Esther downstairs, my parents, are in town yeah, it was nice to chat with them, I love, my parents you know that they, how. My parents is always a weird thing right you love me like you know pizzazz you move, out of their house and then, you have a kids and a family and you. Don't do it necessarily like, you. Guys did it and, it's different so this this dynamic. Can always be very weird but we, have come and found a good mutual agreement, you know like like a good relationship. Yeah you know so um I like having my parents in town the kids we. Surprised, the kids that's so cute like they didn't know my parents were coming and they were at football practice yesterday, and, then they come in the door and, came. And was like oh my god he's going crazy, and Simon. Hates surprises, ha ha ha he was like hi. I'm. A little bit of a Simon like I like to I like to plan things like to know what's happening I like for things to go according to my plan ranae's, we remember places, but.

I Feel like grandparents, visiting it's like it's pretty much, guaranteed gonna be a good surprise that's a good surprise one, time Simon, went home I was. In New York City for a fight, for Corey and. They had a long weekend, and Renee, wanted Renee in the neighbor next door they were like all that surprised the kid let's go to New York I kinda remember this yeah right and when Renee went and picked Simon up from school too. Like they took him out of school early to go and like they were going with the neighbor kids like everyone, was all excited and Simon. Started crying well. She's like what I, can't. Handle this right, just. Too much more yeah, this like your routine is broken like what's happening, what's that yeah exactly. All. Right so let's get back to you, how. Did you get here how'd you get the boulder um like. I was just telling your parents I just, kind of thought I would like it I mean I like came, and looked at see you when I was 17. With my mom from, where where are you coming from why I'm from the Big Island of Hawaii yes yes love. Yeah. It's a good spot um, so. Yeah I don't know I came and looked at some schools in Colorado and, just decided that I wanted to go farther away so. I went to school in Virginia farther away yeah, like, a lot of kids from my. High, school ended, up going to school in like California. Colorado Washington, Oregon, and I. Don't know I just I wanted to do something like that, was gonna be culturally. More. Diff I guess, okay. And it was yeah it was pretty culturally, difficult, to go to Virginia. But. Yeah. After doing, that for several, years I. Graduate. Yeah where'd you graduate with. Psychology. Bachelor's, in psychology very well. Yeah. You know I feel like now some, of my stuff has like come, more into play right um but, yeah. For a long time I felt like I wasn't oh, I. Don't see it that way I'm sorry I didn't mean to make fun of you I guess I did a little bit but, I guess, I did a lot actually, but. So for me I don't use my math degree at all like. I do nothing with my math degree uh but, you're. Like you know running a business I feel like that's mathy yeah, sure, but, it's set up all this opportunity, for me mm-hmm, right like the the, college experience, totally so I guess I was trying to say that like a little.

Bit In my thesis facetiousness. Like. Yeah okay so what you don't use your psyche so because I think we get so hung up on this, idea that we have to use the, degree mm-hmm. That we have, but. You're succeeding. And doing amazing yeah it's more about like what you learned the, like, you. Learn to learn you learn to manage your time more. Than. You learned fats. That's. A cool facts are cool but. Facts Cannell facts can only take you like so far so. Virginia. And then Boulder what made you did you choose Boulder because you. Had visited about it before okay, yeah, just I thought I would like it I was. A nanny in Castle, Rock one summer between like. My third and fourth year of school okay just to kind of check out the Colorado scene and make sure that. I liked it okay I decided, that I, visited. Boulder like one time during, that summer and I was like okay yeah I could do that and, she come with somebody just by yourself by myself it's cool I knew like a couple, of people from home who lived here okay like, people that I went to school with. And. Then you needed a job yeah, I. Was. I was unemployed spending, a lot of time on my couch right, no friends. And then. Actually. So one of my friends who. I grew, up with was, already training in East End okay and then he was telling me how much he loved it and like, he, was like yeah we're moving into this new space and I'm, so huge him at the old school Easton mm-hmm oh yeah. And so I was. On Craigslist one, day looking for jobs and then he, like. Had, told me about the. New thing and I was like hey is I sent him the picture I was like is this the thing you're talking about he's, like oh yeah yeah like I'll go introduce you so, went. In with him met Denise and, Mike. And this. Is dr. G Easton or the new yeah the old Academy, okay this was like, November. Like, right after the flood so we so, we okay so we were in construction, mm-hmm. Right we were in construction at that point yeah okay I did like a couple, of training shifts at the old academy before moving, into the new boulder spot in January I don't, remember you at all it. Was you, know a couple of evening shifts which I so. Evening that's I don't remember you because I didn't come in I don't ever go to Boulder in the evenings I guess, I do now with my kids but. Then I was, strictly, all them yeah they were a little then so yeah. Kaman was just time. Kami was 2014. Yeah he was like four or five and Simon, was like one or two yeah. So. Then the first time I remember you was, when we had the meeting in the office in there in, the night the Tohono one that's a hona one yeah I was just thinking about that this morning. Over. Here and I, was like nervous and, you're like hi I'm Elliot and I like had brought my passport, because you, know I was like - like confirm, my head. Reach. Out your hand I like hand use my passport, you're like, what what. Do you do. That's. Funny yeah that. Was one of the Jake. Bell sessions, it was like with all the new front - yes learning. Sales, stuff for the first time yeah. I, mean that's the firmer, the passport story. It. Was brief I was like, embarrassed. But it was a different. Yeah. We're, a different business I guess, we're. You know. So. Yeah I get I don't know do you probably, up to show your ID at most places when, you so yeah, so. What was that like for you what was the experience, I mean so it was so new, kind, of for everyone at that point because we're moving into this new space like.

When. When East and open went when it when the bolder location, the. The big school in Boulder opened what what, was that like for you because I mean. Super. Male-dominated. Super. Focused on jujitsu, I. Wouldn't. Say we had a bad culture no. No, not right like really tight-knit really tight-knit culture. Very. Male, mm-hmm. And very. Jujitsu yeah. Definitely. Both of those things have changed, a lot right yeah and, you don't you're, neither male and you, don't do jujitsu now, right. Yeah. It was like at. That time I feel like I was kind of one of the first new. Staff, members, to come on to come into this like small. Community, of people that everyone knew each other right and so everyone was just like Oh who's this new, person like we rarely hot with it I mean even for front desk we didn't we just found a student mm-hmm, cuz you didn't need like front desk yeah. In. The smaller school it was like it it was really just checking people and hold I want to take that back we. Didn't realize that you need dedicated front, desk, because. I believe you do totally. You know I believe you do need dedicated front, desk and I think it's I think it's way better but. We didn't realize that until. We had this bigger thing and so. For sure we were just like grabbing a student hey does any answer the phone and, other that and, I think that's like a super, common business, model, you know like um that's, what yoga studios, do mm-hmm, that's one most, small schools do right but. Yeah. I think like. This. Plays into the little bit about like me not doing jujitsu it's like I've I. Had. Worked at the front desk at my mom's office she's a dentist like right before I moved to Colorado okay, like six months and. So. I don't know yeah it was kind of used to that and like in that like, mindset. Of like can't, be organized, let's make appointments, let's like make, some notes about them so I front. Us felt pretty natural, to me okay those things anyway right I. Was. Definitely more, it's. Funny like Ian talked about being introverted in his right and like I'm definitely. Introverted. And in college I feel like that. Went. Up a bit you know introversion, yeah. Like I think I got more like social anxiety when, I was in college like maybe, like nine. Years ago it, was it, was hard for me for a little bit okay so how nervous is this for you right now I mean how hard for you is this I. Don't, know I mean I was like no so okay the the social anxiety is mostly with like a bunch of people or people that I don't know thank you, you know we're we're, here in this room alone no Jordan right it's, it's. Fine so that doesn't okay yeah it's it it would be like going to a party and I still don't like to go to a party I don't know anyone I only, want to go to a party on my own house. Hmm. I don't. Think I like parties, that much I guess, I do they're okay but they're. So loud, yeah. The loud is the thing that is hard like. When. I was a little kid my mom tells this story about we were having this party at the house that was like come on mom like let's go in my room and read right. So. I think I'm still that a bit but like I can I can get down with a party right like all my friends I can, get down the party once all my friends for sure, but. For me like the way I like to interact I don't.

Like I don't dance well or any of that stuff like so, I have to be able to talk mm-hmm. So that that's how I make my thing happen, yeah, so like if I can't talk then I'm kind, of a certain kind of party yeah I like a certain kind of party like a nightclub, yeah. God, my friends when I was younger willing to go to nightclubs. And. You. Know I was like guys I can't, pick up chicks this way right. Because I can't dance right, like. Well. I hate, dancing so what do you do at a nightclub like you're picking up girls and and you're in or you like to dance and. You. Like the only way you pick up the girls by dancing really well and I, couldn't do that so I like sounds like a Wallflower like, because you can't talk to anybody so I'm. Like guys and sucks. Yeah. It's a hard environment for. Like. Someone. Who is not into the party. Scene. So. But yeah so you like to dance like I could, the first time Rene and I ever went to a dance club she looked, at me she's. Like can you go stand, over on the wall. So. How did you deal with your introversion because like the front desk at Easton is for sure not introversion, no, yeah I kind of like so. My mom is like I feel. Like kind of a classic. Extrovert. She was like so, friendly, everyone. Loves her she's, just like, very. Comfortable, talking to people right um so I kind of turned it on to. Be like her sometimes and it. Used to feel more like I was faking it. But. I think through, my experience, at the front desk especially, like in those early, years it. Was like, getting more comfortable in that and like, yeah. It eventually just came more, naturally okay, to just, talk. To all these people and I. Think. It, helps that the school was still smaller than two so it's like pretty, quickly I knew like hundreds, of people and. I'd be like I'd see them out on Pearl Street I was like oh look my friends, I belong here right right which felt really good for me sure it was like, it. Was a community right away for me which was nice man. It's the same for me like. Very, quickly after getting the job at jitter, training. Jiu-jitsu, maybe, like a year or so I I. Mean, so I was in, the boulder scene but I wasn't. No. No I don't. Know how to put it I've been here for a while let's say. But. Very quickly after getting the job after, training Jitsu I started, working at the foundry which is known which was the Absinthe house right, now something. Else I don't know yeah but at the time that, was the place, right. So all of a sudden like boom, Here I am and I'm the dude that fights and I mean if I get right you. Know but I was the dude that fights so that worked for me and I, mean I took that for that, I won't.

Say It was a good, identity. For me but I took that for a really long time in a long way. Because. I got to be that guy you know I worked I was the baddest, dude at the biggest bar in. Town. So. And. This was so this was before and during, when you were first training alright I I. Sucked, that was a blue belt but, but blue belt to us back so you got it for us Bluebell at the time was, God almost, like it was next to God because I'm all know, okay, hold on no okay so a black, belt was God Amal. Was Jesus, and he was a purple belt right, and I was like a disciple. You. Know I was like one of the twelve, because. Nobody. Was a blue belt right. This was like and now, a blue belt for us is. Yeah. We have a, thousand. Throughout. The whole company maybe. Something. Like that that's seven hundred maybe I don't know we have a lot of blue belts yeah it's it's crazy to see like how many get promoted. I'm. Sure a ton of Turner promotion, in a couple weeks so I mean we have a lot of blue belts they're. Not the badasses of the school. Who. Are back you. Know so that was an interesting. So. Yeah I had a very similar thing like everyone, would have come to see I'd, like everyone come in the bar and I'd say hello just like you know it's. Good, it feels good it's so, that's very interesting how like two, opposite, experiences. Like that like, mine in this one way and yours in this one way are. The, same yeah, yeah, I never thought about that so. It's, nice to belong, to something like yeah and, I feel like for me Easton was the first, time that I felt, that in a while like since I was home mhm mhm. Mhm. And what. Did that what did that do for you is that part of what made you stay you think oh yeah it's. Yeah. Like I love the friends that I've made through Easton and it's like. It's. Really cool to work with people, who. I'm. Excited, to see every day you know like, that's. That's special I don't think a lot of people have that I, agree. I only. Work with my friends I love it, you. Know can't. Beat it I can't be yeah I get like I get. To go I don't, have to go to work I get to go hang out with my homies system is how I call it so yeah it's really fun. I would. Say maybe, one of the main reasons your state was Mike oh yeah, absolutely, okay. Yeah. Like it Mike do for you Mike. Has always been like, an, advocate. And a mentor for me like even, from kind.

Of Early on in the front desk we like just, don't. Know got along really well and so, mike. Has always been, like pushing, me to learn, and grow. This. Entire time you know like six years almost. Six years in have you been working here six years six. Years ago Yeah right January, huh, damn. All right yeah. So. Having. Someone. Like Mike, who like really cares and was. Invested. In me. Sticking around, like. I. Don't. Know he it. Feels good to be valued and it. Was it was nice to, be in, a work environment where, I had. That you know so. Let's talk about that for a sec because Mike's, more like me right. We're hot Headz mm you're, not hot no. I'm pretty even keel you're pretty even-keeled. Excuse. Me. Mike. And I say. Right. And you you, definitely are. More aware. Of the words coming out of your mouth I like words I think we're important. Right, where. Mike and I. Well. That. Right and like will say terrible, sometimes when we're mad and when, we don't necessarily mean it or. What. Was that like for you because I. Don't. Want to say you're sensitive right you're not sensitive but you but you you're paying attention, way. More than Mike, and I are I would. Say I, don't. Know I think you guys pay attention yeah, we might go ahead so you explained um honestly. I think that like the. Informal. Culture that. We, had, and, still have but it's a little different now but like, yeah. I've gotten in trouble making eyes, at. The same time like being in a workplace where people are dropping f-bombs I'm like, okay. You know it's like. Certainly. Like you guys have gotten. Some maybe scoldings, from me about, things that like, you, know we. The. The I'm like the the PC principal, he's. 10, but. Which. I think is amazing to have like, sometimes, you make me so mad with that god. Damnit Saachi or, let you know but we meet like you can't, just have a bunch of me and Mike's I think. Like yeah, with what we're trying to do was like trying to open up something, that is inherently. Kind of scary and intimidating. And, maybe. Not, always. Like. Historically. Like in, and, throughout other, jujitsu, schools in the world more Thai schools it's like, you. Might not get the kind of community that we have or. You certainly wouldn't if you're like second way but, not, the one that we have yeah like I think Easton, is very beginner, friendly right, not that I've trained anywhere else but it's, that's, the impression that I get. Podcast. Didn't go away hold on anything, about that's a very picky yes, we're very beginner, friendly I don't, think that doesn't mean that we're not advanced, friendly either no, no but it's a place where you can go, from being a beginner to being advanced like I was, pretty. Uh netic, as a kid, right, and like, Mort. I was the first thing that I like got. Into really like I don't know I played softball sure but, I, don't. Know and now I've. Been doing it for a while and I, don't, know I guess, I'm advanced. I'm, not I'm not certainly, not the best person by. Any means are even close but like it's, the thing that I started from nothing like, I'd never done martial arts before and now. It's like you, had a smoker match right yeah December. Inter sent you and you never probably would have thought you would have done that definitely, not. That's. What I don't excuse me that's, what I would say that we do well like. As far as on the on the martial arts side as we can we, help someone find some potential, that, they didn't really quite realize that they had, you. Know even when you took this job I would probably say, you were like okay I'll go work the front desk answer some phone calls mm-hmm. Yeah it's like I figured I would be around for like a year.

Yeah Lucky, us and. So. So. Back to back. To what, that was like for you like working, in Mike and and just. That whole that whole shift, that that I mean you prot you you were probably the catalyst, of it like help pushing it that way I, would. Say I don't. Know if you knew it right like, I. Think. We were going that way like you would like inevitably, with this with this big model this bigger model and you, were one of the first females, and one of the first people that didn't take, part in the martial art whatsoever, at first. And. We had we had some growing, pains and some shifts, to make and some in all of these things so. Back, to that what was that experience like more about that experience what was what was going on there for you, hmm. It. Was a lot of learning I was like I, don't. Know like so that the meaning that we talked about where we first met okay um with. Jake Bell and learning, about sales like that. Was difficult, for me it, was like you know that felt, uncomfortable. Right at first like I'm not like. I'd. Never done anything like that before there's, a front desk job norm like your mom's dentist, mm-hmm, you. Were like taking, a credit card maybe yeah I was like handling, insurance, claims like confirming, appointments, which is same as what we do sure, yeah. I wasn't I wasn't like selling, people their fillings, yeah. When you so when you yet the like most front desk jobs when you go to the, front. Desk like you know you're gonna pay like. When you check out at the doctor's office, you're not like. Let's see if I can get a better deal on this what, am I feeling right or what, am I paying for my filling like I was like that was a great experience and am I gonna pay yeah. That's not really a question right, you're. Paying so. That must been different like yeah that was it different was. It were you ready for that did, you know that's what you were getting into um yeah. You know I was in like the Job Description okay, we talked about it like when I interviewed, and stuff okay, like. You know we'll teach you okay. Cool. Here. Oh you're game for it yeah, it was it, was hard and honestly, like I, ended. Up not being amazing. At sales I think, that. Actually. The, way that we're, teaching, people now is a. Lot. More holistic, and maybe. Like. More. Effective. At giving people the big picture I think we're on contract, still when you first started yeah, well, yeah yeah it was like six months with like buyout, yeah.

I'm. Holistically, against I'm wholeheartedly, against contracts now yeah and it's, a big part of our culture, system, and culture now like it it. Changed a lot I think. That was a big change for us, mmm-hmm does the whole martial arts well at the time and I just had this discussion on somebody else's spot guests who disagreed, with me. The. Whole the whole thing with martial arts is like you need, to get the student to commit to you like when you go to college or committing, mmm-hmm, right. And. That right. My like what, changed me was the Joe Rogan was. Joe Rogan's, podcast. And not anything, that was on the podcast other than the commercial and not a gang ping, there's a cell phone company called pink, yeah. He does he and if they were the first people to do no contract, and the argument was do you hate yourself own company we, all do like, we use them and we hate that feels, like you're stuck and this and that blah blah blah right like all this. $500. To get out and you're like dude what if you suck. Right. Like what if you're awful, you, know that's what we were doing and I would like to listen to the Joe Rogan on my way home every night and hear, this thing I'd be like yeah yeah. I'm, an, asshole. So. It, changed yeah yeah, and I think that it's definitely. More. Like. Friendly, to someone just starting out I think you know we do the trial month it's like check. It out we think you'll like it right it's on us right. It's on us to show, you, like. There's no sale anymore really yeah. It's like most people are like yeah I'll try it I'll try it right. I was like they came in because they wanted to try it right so, you'll try anything for, I don't what are the 99 bucks or something I'm right like yeah. Sure I'll try oh and I get my money back too, like if I if I hate it like so, there's a zero risk here, yeah. Why. Wouldn't you why wouldn't you right why wouldn't you and then, it's on us. To, show, them how great we are totally. It's not it's not the person's commitment first and. It's nice because it's like once you I, feel. Like once someone tries it right we're, all confident, that we can deliver a great product it's like you're, gonna have some fun in your classes you're gonna like sweat smile learn right, you're gonna make some friends you're gonna be excited.

To Be here right that's. You're gonna be pushed you're gonna be challenged, you're gonna be all these things right. I think, there's something that you said with. Mike that he really was pushing you to learn totally. Right, and I think that's such an important, thing about that, that we need to keep doing as adults Rhett is. We. Just halt it so much and. I think we were talking about it right before him that you were gonna hurt you like Mike was like hey can you help. Ian. And will with AOD they started out of the dog, shout. Out if you need dog. Training, go. Oh go google art of the dog here in Colorado and they can help you out so, with Facebook ads and you're like I kind of suck at Facebook ads I'm not really that good yeah. I'm still learning mm-hmm. And you'll get better, right. But that's kind of the fun I think that's the fun of our jobs is. Every. Aspect, has this learning aspect, mm-hmm totally. Yeah like for. Me in the job or jobs. That I've had in my time with Easton it's. Been different like every year there's always something, new there's, always new responsibilities. I've done like a really, wide variety of things like especially when I was so we used to call it assistant manager, now, it's the Academy operations, director right in Boulder. Yeah. People be like what's your job like I'm like well sometimes I make Facebook ads and sometimes, I like stuff heavy bags and sometimes I. You. Know write the newsletter and sometimes, I plunge toilets and, you, know all. Kinds of stuff meat meat so I had to clean the mats the other day it, was like the like the pro practice the guy bled all over it and it was his foot and, normally, when the pros bleed we make them clean it up but, he couldn't clean it up yeah right. So I'll get more blood yeah how's that guy let's go you. Know so um.

That's. That's a big thing we can't ever. Lose sight of that I think you know how to do all of the jobs I've. Never, taught okay, which is like. I was. You know listening to your other episodes. Of this it was like everyone else came up through like the the instructor, role yeah, that's a very interesting point you came up a wedding think about that you came up a totally, different way but. Yeah, other, than that like yeah I feel like I've done a lot of the things that one would do in East. End I can't. Make Facebook ads I've never done that. So. Yeah so you didn't move direct like you're not front desk anymore yeah right so you moved out of that yeah, I did front desk for like maybe a year. Year and a half right, um and then. Was, assistant, manager I remember, laying Mike sat down talked that you were gonna be assistant managing we were gonna give you a salary and I was like bro I. Was, like what you. Know cuz it's it's we hadn't done this before like. The only salaried, people were. Managers. Mm-hmm. And I was like salary. Yeah. Coming. From right, it's a risk yeah and also. I you know we talked about this a lot now it's like that's. Not always the right move like if you if you have someone that is doing a job that should be hourly like. Giving. That yeah, yeah yeah, we met at one of the academies right like we move someone to salary and yeah. And went bad but. Anyway so yeah it happened something and I think it's a good thing to talk about like. We're. Doing this podcast we're making these courses man, you guys got to understand how much we blow it still. Right. It's iterative we're always learning yeah then that that's that's the key is, that we're always, going. Through this process of yep. Messed that one up so. When do you learn from it you know right it's a be testing right with Facebook that isn't that what you do with you we're like yeah you talk about like it talked about that in the Facebook ad sense and then how, we take that to like what it is that we do so. Like in Facebook Ads often, you will test like serving. Your ad to two different audiences or using two different pictures or two different headlines, you see which one performs.

Better Once a mad you're saying the same ad - yeah you only want to do you only want to vary one. Factor. Okay so you're everything, else about the ad is exactly the same and then, you you, know have. Two different pictures one is like a little. Kid and one is an adult and then you just see which one gets the most clicks which one produces the most leads and then you cut the other one so you're hoping one of them fails yeah. You one of them's got it you got to figure out which one's better. And. Just keep marching through it mm-hmm and I, think the whole academies like that yeah totally it's like we'll be like. Okay well what's what's, not working what do we need to try and. Hopefully. We. Figure it out right right, you have to pay attention I think sometimes people change too many things yeah. Yeah it's that's unscientific. Right, because you can't figure out what was the. Delineator. Right uh what made the difference like what. So do I keep this do I keep a or do I keep B because. You don't know because you'd like I mean all the way to G mm-hmm, yeah you got to change slowly right, I mean you know usually, in, like the scientific, method you have a hypothesis. Right and, usually. It's like pretty, good but. Yeah, you should keep. It keep. It gradual, right sure, able. To measure your results right and the. Same with your Academy and the same with everything that you do right you want to know why it is that bad things happen not just have them happen does, you want to be able to effect the change mm-hmm. Or create the change next time totally. So. You. Are when. You were the assistant manager, is. That that was the first thing what. Mike. Was still here Mike, was still the manager, yeah so it was me, and Mike sharing, an office okay. We had like we, sat like this honor our desk now. That office there's like you know four desks in there and whoa right, it's, a different different. Scene for sure yeah it was cool to like, work so closely with Mike. Boulder. Was growing a lot at the time so. It was like suddenly. He didn't have time for all the things that used to be his responsibility alone. And. Then, we were also adding things that like we didn't used to do, you know so like. What mmm. I think. Like the newsletter, was, that. Was one of my first it was when I was still front desk but I started doing the newsletter oh come and then. That, was like a big part of my responsibilities. For several, years I actually just handed, that project off who, doesn't know rocks. In. In. Littleton. In Arvada no. Huh she's a great writer. Amazing. She's a PhD so okay yeah. She's doing she's crushing it it's, like it's a really for me to not like, I loved, that project, it was my baby for a long time right I like to write write but. Eventually I had a lot of other things that were pulling me in different directions, and it was taking me a long time to do and so, it just made sense to, have, someone else do it man this is such an important thing sometimes, here for as as, you grow with your school I. Had. No clue that thought she wasn't doing the news later anymore, I'm. The owner you. Know I wouldn't, I, don't, know you tell you think you can answer honestly. If you would like I don't. Believe I'm an absent, owner I believe, I'm in the schools every, day you. Know so. Yeah. I'm not not, there, but. I can't handle, the. News right yeah that's I think that's like the point, of when you get bigger like people have to specialize right so, and, I and, and although and now you you just have to let rocks roll with the newsletter she yeah she.

Needs Very little supervision she's. Doing a great job she's doing a great job hopefully you hired someone better than you to do the job right, whatever whatever that job may be so. That you can now focus on this other thing and hopefully. Whatever the other thing that you're focusing on someday you're gonna find somebody better. Than you to do that to like, this is how growth happens and then you just have to like manage, and trust yeah, when you say delegating elevate, write delegate. Oh I like it delegating, elevate, looking yeah we have time with, that but love it it's, from a, book, that Mike read I don't know I like that delegate, and elevate, mm-hmm, it's. Like yeah you should always be. Teaching. Someone to do the things that you do to help, them, be, better and to like. I don't know make yourself outmoded. Yeah, yeah for, sure you have to fire yourself mm-hmm. Right you have to everyone. Should be trying to fire themselves and if, we're if we're doing that really really well then. We just keep climbing we just keep shooting opposite, delegate, and elevate. Thanks. Mike. That. Was a good one yeah, I like that so. So. Yeah so Rox handles the newsletter so what what, did you move into after after. All of that after the front like so who's, the AOD I don't even know who's the AOD of Boulder Sarah Sarah mm-hmm, okay yes I was crushing it there's a lot of other stuff to think, and Andrew. Is the front desk person mm-hmm, what. We call that the director, of first impression that's your first impressions, okay yeah so. We have a OD we have direct your first impressions, what else do we have we have GM first. Impression specialists, we, have that's the front desk all of our instructors, various. Levels of instructors, right but, how about on the managerial side that's it though yeah that's it, since Boulder is a bigger school there's both the AOD and dfi but. Smaller schools usually it will just be the, DF I okay, the. DF I will be the a or D kind of yeah. It's like the GM and the DF I kind of both take the responsibilities. That would. Be a whole job at a big school all, right so what does Denver have do you know Denver. Has both both so Carlos is dfi and van is a OD vans, a OD okay, sounds, good. So, again I don't. Know any like I mean I know we have these positions I don't know who's in those positions, I.

Do. You, have to trust a little bit as as, you you have to trust that you hired, well in. Who. You put in certain places that they're, gonna do the job really well so I know that Mike Hyers well I know that I know that we did a good job hiring, Mike mm-hmm, that is the first thing so. Now Mike has to do a good job of hiring you. Know and sometimes you have to do a good job of firing, right. Like there's that old adage, hire hire, slow fire fast, yeah. That's, an important, but yeah if you start feeling like you need to end it you, should you should you should yeah, hope luckily, for us we hire well because I think we go real slow mm-hmm, and like, you didn't move up very fast I would say yeah, it. Took I mean. I think. Faster, than. Had. A big bigger. Company, right now like where we were at where, I came in, it was like there. Was room for me to grow a little luck in the game of where Easton was moving right, we needed, it we needed to move the timing was good yeah so, after. Your, experience of. A. OD. What. Do you do now so now I am, the director, of marketing and, administration. Which sounds fancy, but I'm, still, learning right, you have a marketing degree nope. No you have an administration degree No. So. You have none of that mm-hmm, but you're doing it yeah. You know it. Was interesting like as, I was like, thinking about this, conversation and, like where. Where. I've gone through my, like Easton path I, realized. That I've been doing marketing, things kind, of since early you know like I started doing the newsletter like within the, first year right, I, like. Took over the like. Marketing booth thing in Boulder I. Feel, like when we go out mm-hmm. Yeah, so like when we go on campus as CEO and Creek, fest. Yeah. I like. Reorganize. The system, of how, we do that and it. Used to be mine I think I was the first one I was so bad at it well, this was back in the like try, your luck for a buck hey hey. Hey. You. Like. I mean I was just talking to somebody yesterday, on my podcast on, the gospel, fire and. We were talking about like one intro classes intro classes were a fight like. You used to like show them how to do a couple things then like ready. They're like ready for what we're, gonna fight ready know. What you learn know. That like weird like that was the way jiu-jitsu did it like, that was the culture of jiu-jitsu, you, showed people you, them up, and. Don't you want to learn this now, there. Were me no no like yeah. Sure. Don't I'm so ready for that right, we removed from that you know but. Anyway so that's what you're doing you so the marketing you started, early in marketing guys I yeah, I. I. Hadn't really thought about, that but, that's been like part, of what I've been doing for a long time right and, now it's my, bigger, focus and I'm doing it not, just for Boulder but for all the academies, which. Is cool you're. Part of the corporate team right yes call it the support team the support we're there to support so. Who's that you Mike, Logan. Mm-hmm, yeah. Sorry does some support team stuff from her um yeah. Just like the things that are there to help all the academies, and like take the stuff off their plate that's like getting in the way of their own specialties, basically, right, so.

Each Kit you handle, like all of the academies advertising, and marketing mm-hm, right and, things like that so whoo I know we're really working hard on like SOPs, right now yeah, who's that you or is that more you that's, kind. Of everyone is working on their own SOPs. You know so like for Laura's doing stuff for the kids birthdays. Standard, operating procedures, so yeah we. Love SOPs, I'm like I'm a systems person I like, I like for things to be organized, and I like for things to like no. Surprises, you like Simon's gonna be like you he's gonna want SOP so we talked about that yeah, you. Know I'm the person that's writing everyone, these like really long emails, with like, exhaustive. Steps that like I don't know honestly I need to need. To shorten those up my toe feels like people, aren't reading your emails are too long. So. But, that's that's how I think I'm like here I want to give you like a really exhaustive, list of the ways to do this thing perfectly, when. You send me. So. It's probably not good for the company but, I like it when I ask you something personally. But, I want it I don't want to have to Google anymore. That. Was Brian okay, like yeah. If there's a question that I have about like the back end of our website or, like something what's going wrong in MBO be, like Brian dude. He is the best Googler, that I have ever met they. Can when I say Googler. It's. A skill, to be able to type. The right words into, Google immediate. To get what you're trying to learn and I, was so awful at this I used I used them, I used, to text him or even him yo bro I'm trying to learn how to do this what words how should i search this she's. An amazing, Googler yeah Brian finds, all kinds of great stuff like he found this like. Google, chrome plugin to like convert, a spreadsheet. Into, a like. Drive document, for. Me recently I was like yeah I was gonna I was asking him to build some code for me to do exactly that he's like look someone already hinted it. The. The dashboard, oh my god I'm so happy he built that dashboard because he wouldn't do it if like and I we couldn't, do it at first like, I've been trying to get that dashboard for. Years like. I don't think you probably had to do it for me were you the one who had to keep the attendance for Boulder mmm. No. It, was Mike oh my god because. It sucked, because I. Mean. I'm an IED this is what, led to part of my breakdown but, I had to I was, like trying to get all of the whole dashboard I was. Trying to do all of that manually. It, was so, hot Tara was terrible, and like if it didn't make sense I'd be on the phone with MBO like. Every, week I'm like come on I'm author they're screwing us man there's schools where you find, these five people these five people dropped, off and now they're back on we're like, who are they where I you, know like and it, wasn't failed all to pay it wasn't all this stuff but yeah Brian I think, somehow. Figured out how to get into their API or they gave them the API and now. We have this dashboard a lot saved it's been a game changer that's, been a big part of like the. The transformation. Of the way that we're, running things, you know like we, started doing the dashboard, after, we had been doing - like Monday meetings for a while right and for a long time it was like you. Me my kamal well, first it was just me Amal Mike mm-hmm, and that sucked. We're. Doing this at like 9:30, on.

Monday Morning and then, velor got added and Ian got added and that sucked more because we were doing it virtually, and then. You got added and, then. Mike's told me in him all to get the out. And. Now we do these meetings in the afternoon which is nice, why, is it nice, I'm not a morning person oh this. Is not this. Nine. O'clock podcast, it's it's, okay you know I got my coffee alright. And. But. Yes so like we do it in the afternoon now it's with all the, GM's, and like their head admin, for all the academies, and. All. Of the GM's, and the deifies or the a or DS or whoever. Okay. And. We go over like, yeah, it's kind of like part of it is just, us getting, to interact, and I, think, that's been a big part of what has changed things at Easton the last few years is that we've all become we're. Like working a lot more closely together we've become better. Friends which. Helps the health of the business a lot I think. You. Know communication, is easier we're all on the same page we're talking about the same stuff I think. This is an important thing because I think it's an important thing for like me and a mic and a mall but sometimes we don't talk and and Ian you know like we, don't talk as much and, Mike and I have just realized it's like we have to talk way more because. Obviously I'm not going to be absent, and, we can't just talk about problems. Right. Like we because then we'll get mad at each other yeah it's about like quality time yeah. That's, my love language yeah me, too I I got I need to spend some fun time with you and, so. Yeah. So, Mike and I figure that out and that's really like it's really cool that you, guys are doing the same thing right like. Actually. Ian's figure that out for me and Mike feels. Like we were like butting heads and. He's. Like yeah because all you guys do is talk about butting, heads. Right. Like like you call each other because something's going wrong, and it's, not something you know like you're doing nothing that you like, because to, do together and the way the whole relationship all of our relationships was built like as far as me my Kamal and Ian things like that was on the mat where. You beat each other up and then, you'd like hang out, yeah. Spend, your first lunch at first, so.

You. Guys are doing that in just a different way yeah, I think like staying, connected like, talking, with each other every week like. It's, a good health. Of the business check-in you know we go over our metric, like how many members do we have this week like what's, how, are things looking. What's. What was attendance, like but, then also we're like talking to each other about like what was hard for you this week like it's not sometimes it's business stuff a lot of times it is but sometimes just like no. No no yeah I'm struggling with my schedule like it's hard to make time for my family or something like that and like it's, I think. It, humanizes. Things you know it makes us all, more. Empathetic. More. Connected for each other mm-hmm I make, for the customers, members, you know yeah, it's like if you if, we're talking, about. The. Things that we're struggling with and, helping, each other out and like getting through those things together I think, that that is what's. Making us a stronger team. Yeah. Man. It's like together, right, because I I don't believe in the self-made man right. That concept. Does, nobody did anything by themselves so. Why are we solving problems, by ourselves why are we trying to do anything by ourselves we, should the. More, people. And. You can't have too many right there's definitely a, limit. Which, we like you know. Like. We've all been in sitting, with 30 people trying to figure out where to go to dinner that, sucks. Right. Yeah, but so that's an interesting way how do you guys do that because, there's a lot of people in the room sometimes like how do you how do you go through the 30. Different opinions, on what we're, gonna eat so. Mike, is pretty organized in the way that these meetings are run um, he's. Been reading a lot of books about like the best way to go about it how to run an efficient.

Meeting And, so, the structure is always the same, and, we do some like housekeeping stuff, we talked about like announcements, of the you, know projects, that we're all working on together. Deadlines. That kind of thing, we, go into the numbers and then we start talking about like we. Have this spreadsheet, where you can put in like the issues that you're dealing with and then we'll just go through the spreadsheet and talk. About what we put on there gotcha I don't have that one I just have the dashboard. So. And. Then, how. Do you not get 30 different I mean says how many people are in the meeting now. Man. I don't even know, there's. At. Least 20, probably. There's, so there are some people who. There's. Not 20 people speaking okay now this is mostly a time for like the GM's to discuss it everyone else is just there mm-hmm, okay. Yeah just like sometimes. Admin. And support team folks will like chime. In and stuff but it's it's mostly like boots on the ground got a meeting uh yeah. So that, limits, the, speaking. Yeah it's not good chaotic, right, okay got, it so, so. That's the I love, it I love that you guys meet like that and I love that I just get briefed right. Like when, you say boots on the ground thing, you know so that's, what it is and that's that's, again, it's a decentralized. Command is. The term. Well, yeah you can't, be part of everything and Mike can't be part of everything and and so and I know on, Thursdays. I think, every other Thursday, in Denver, there's the front, desk that first impressions meeting mm-hmm I always walk in on it and because the time I get done teaching at that time and. Yeah so then they have their meeting and then, that person comes back to a bigger meaning and then it changed, up the command yeah. And now Mike and I and um all have a meeting here in like, 30 minutes, where. He's you know and we only do what we do like a quarterly meeting free, Mike, can I do more but like the three of us do it quarterly because, it's too much yeah, it's like I think, that's an important, part of our growth right now is like you. Certainly, can't be handling everything like if if you were working on the newsletter like. If, you were well. First of all you've seen my writing. I'm. A terrible writer honest honest handling, my email now you know like, I was like okay you do that first one I was like but before you send it out let. Me see it first and then she sent it to me first I was like oh god damn you don't need to send it to me anymore it just sent it out. It's. Nice to have that right so, no you're saying I can't handle the news yeah like if you were trying to do every, aspect, of the business which i think is, so. Like in the e-myth you, know like if you're if. You're trying to, be. The person, like involved. In every single thing and you can't like relinquish, control and, like give that responsibility to, someone else then like you're. Gonna be overworked, and you're not gonna have time for it's. Like working in the business versus, on the business thing yeah that book, that book was an amazing, it's such an amazing book like I think if you're starting a business that's. The first book from. In my opinion and, I didn't read it too way later I'm all kept yelling at me music bro you haven't read the e-myth yet no. Man music. Read the, Emeth and I was like okay fine, yeah. That bad thing working on the business versus working in the business and then, when, he talked about, every. Everyone thinks this entrepreneurial life is amazing, well. What you really did was did you gave yourself two jobs because, in the beginning you do have to work on and in so, now you you're not only are.

You At Jitsu teacher or a boy type teacher but, you also now have to, do business, work, so. That's a very hard thing and you want to be how do you move away from that and the way that you move away from working in the, business is this. Decentralized command, and actually trust in people hiring well and really investing. In the, person and I think that's what that's. What Mike did with you to. Make you love being, here still mm-hmm. Yeah. Totally it was the. Amount of trust that, has. Been placed in me is like it's, like empowering, you know right I. Feel great sure, knowing that I'm so. Trusted. And valued and. There's. Room for you to mess up human. For you to grow certainly, messed up right I mean we all like yeah and hopefully. You don't feel, in a way like. There. Are major repercussions I, don't know you tell me for your for. Your messing, up no mike has been very understanding of. The. Mistakes that I've made and sometimes you know you get, that like early morning. Tax like what is this right. Right but yeah. You know those come. More, seldom now sure, sure and. We, all mess up like. And that, again that's people. Though you have to be able to work with that person you, know now, if the person keeps making the same mistake over and over again. What. Talking right. Now, that might be the time to fire fast, right. But, obviously. I know we've joked about that a little bit but it's not um it's, very rarely on the table for us I would say mm-hmm, like. Joe it come with all this trust and all these and. I think sometimes people get really nervous because they're like ah the person's blowing it so I'm gonna have to get rid of them and then what's gonna happen and. I don't really ever feel like and like. Getting rid of people is on the table too much at Eastern to you there's. A high cost for us to do something like that because everything. That we do, takes. A lot of time, to get someone, trained, up and like, proficient, at their job right, even. Our entry-level positions, like we it's. An investment that we can't really afford to just throw, out you know right and. And. They get so in the community, mhm like there's a lot of emotional. Repercussions on. The on. The, firing of, someone. And that's the hard thing I guess about like all of us being so close and like so. Socially. Connected, you know I think there's some there's a lot of businesses where it's just like clock in clock out like see. You later but. We, all hang out you, know we're, all like, much. More intertwined. People, just hang out in the school yeah, you're not just like hanging out and hammered together or drunk you know like partying. It's, like real hang out it's like real. Like. We've all had those friends that are like you're go out friends and then you have like your real friends and I think what goes on at Easton is more like the real friends thing it's not like we're. More than just coworkers, mm-hm. So. That's always a nice. Thing about it yeah, it's so. Special, I'd like really. Is. I've. Never experienced, something like that in the workplace before yeah me either I mean, you know it's it's it's. So hard to explain right it's, it's I I don't even know how. To how. To say, it you, know because we, can fight and we can argue too and but, the friendship, is never on the table right.

Like And that's such a interesting. Dynamic. To have because a lot of times we're like I mean, and people get mad at each other like everything's, on the table right. But it's never on the table for us where, we know, it will work through and. Then like go work out this business thing you know or the professional. Side of it I think. That might. Be like a martial arts thing too you know it's like you've. Decided that jiu-jitsu, is your thing you know right, like, most. These people aren't like I'm, gonna just quit this and like coach. See how I do it something else. Yeah. If you it's very rare you know people quit in the beginning, right. Like between that I think we all know between that one in six month mark yeah, that's, the the danger zone the danger zone here half a hat and. We ever danger them so I have a danger zone story, yeah so. Um, yeah. So that's the danger zone but once you get through that and you. You like drink the whole cup of kool-aid not, just like a sip of it huh oh god it's. Like it's like a breakup if you quit for. You not not you know like you can you feel awful yeah it's like you've. Become so embedded that you've lost more, than just your hobby right. And. I think that's one, of the things that we're trying to foster now in in the danger zone right is like helping. People to find their, community faster, you, know to, to, become a, part. Of it and feel like they belong because that's what keeps you right, like that's what makes it worth, staying I think. That's even what made it worth staying for me I was going through a tough time in my life when like it was one of the my second, battles, with anxiety, started and, I. Found, Jitsu and so. Yeah I think that's kind of what it was let's. Talk about so, you brought, it up we're about fostering, this this, beginning. Part the. Enrichment program yeah I think you know ian gives a lot of credit to you for really seed, know. Ian has like ena, and Chris have orchestrated that, yeah, but he gives a lot of credit for you for like sparking, a light you. Know so explain the enrichment program well so, the, enrichment program, is this new thing that we're doing we. Had, the first round beta testing, in Denver recently, where, we, invite white. Belts like one to four stripe white belt to hop, in on this basically, like a group private and so. They meet once a week with their small enrichment, group and there's several groups going on at once and they're all just. Having. Some extra time to get to know some people on the mat and to, sharpen, their skills more, at a time when you're. At a high risk of losing. Interest, or like you. Know that's about when it starts to get hard come out cast all those things right yeah yeah. So you need the support of you. Need somebody be like oh yeah you're gonna be in class tonight, and. I. Think another. Student you're saying another, student or, right. Yeah you need to have like some kind of relationship, where someone knows, who you are and they're, like, invested. In your, progression. And. This is easy in the beginning of small schools because, yeah. The instructor only has a couple students, you, know everybody really well but as, yeah. As you grow I, think. That if you're not careful it can be easy to like lose people in the shuffle and then you see like a high rate of churn, which is not what you want know for. Sure and that's. What we're trying is we're doing it all the schools now or is not yes Denver Arvada is starting, and Denver's, doing it um and so, far it's just jiu-jitsu but we're gonna expand. It into the more type program right, and. I think we pay the instructor right the student doesn't pay the instructor yeah we that cost, yeah, and it's I think. It's totally, worth the investment it's, like not. A whole lot more in payroll. For us but. It's. You if two students day yeah. If like if we can continue to change those people's lives because, they got over that like, difficult. Hump then. Absolutely. Worth it I think sometimes should the business owner though they hit bake oh god I gotta eat that cost on the instructor, end right.

So That can that can be a hard thing to do as from, my point of view right like. Take. Take. Away the people side of it for a second just the money side of it right I'm like men okay so I got four instructors that I got to pay a hundred more dollars a week to you. Know for like in the beginning you like goddamn that sucks, or $400 a month you. Have stitute if two students stay for two more months you, good yeah you're in the black I think if, if we wanted to talk just about the money side of it like. It's. Yeah. It's like you're making this investment but. It's way, less expensive to keep people than it is to get anyone this is a great point it's like you, know we talk a lot about like marketing, dollars and to a lot of people that means like advertising, like how much am I gonna put into my facebook ads like right how much am I gonna spend on this booth but. I learned, this from Seth Godin uh-huh, Seth. Godin fan now you you and Mike turned me on to him he's, great you and Mike both sent me the podcast fellowship which I didn't really like that much but I saw. I took his like marketing seminar, right this earlier this year and he, talks a lot about like. Everything. You do is marketing, everything. That is like client-facing. Where. You're, having. An impact on the experience, of the people who are like, keeping your business alive that's marketing, right so. The. Enrichment program is marketing marketing like our front, desk chatting, with people like. Having nice conversations that's. Marketing, yeah. That's a good point he's. Done a great job with that so you know and really getting us into the I know I mean Ian says you've been amazing for that so thanks. Again yeah thanks Ian. Anything. Else you'd like to add before we jump. Out. I'm. Excited, to be in. This, company right now and so like have seen where it's come, from and, where we're going it's like it's a really cool time and yeah. Thanks, for having me ah thank you yeah. It's. One of those things some. Things that are super important, to me because. We. Were talking about it with my parents a little bit like, like why sometimes I don't like certain things or people. That that like, ideologically. Say that they think, one way and then, they go, a whole hardly and their actions against that right, like cuz I have kids and I know what that looks like I know what it looks like to. Tell. The kids to do one thing and then, you're not doing that and then watching your kids act like you and then you get mad at them, right. So. I feel a certain way I feel like we have to have very inclusive community. Right. III, believe. That. Women and minorities, and all that and all that should be brought, up in a workplace you. Know that it should be a big, demographic of people and, we. Were very male-dominated, and. We you know I. And. I know some people sometimes go yeah well what if they're the best mm-hmm. Off, right. Like sure so that if the cream rises to the top then, that's, cool too but. Sometimes the opportunity, wasn't equal for, the cream to rise to the top so I think, that's a very important, thing I don't believe in. Equality. Of outcomes, I believe in equality of opportunity, and, you. Are showing the. Equality of opportunity, right of when someone. Who had nothing to do with martial, arts whatsoever, and nothing.

To Do with Easton, at all, came. In right. And now look at all this opportunity, that you've had and that you've created, for. All these other people so I can say nothing but thank you and. It's. It's. A pleasure it's a pleasure to have all of you working for us and. Doing. It together so thanks much thank, you it's a pleasure be in it yeah all right guys that's. Another episode of Easton online I hope everyone enjoyed we, are Jamey lists, but. Uh hi. Jamie we miss you George we miss you we miss you all. Right that's it. You.

2019-11-07 10:07

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