Side Kick Success

Branding goes beyond just a good logo- a strong brand has the potential to increase the value of your whole company. Are you being concise with the way you are crafting your vision? Join us today as we discuss how and why you should be staying on brand.

In today's episode, we will be discussing grab bag goodies- our personal recommendations for books, podcasts, and apps that can help you take things to the next level.

Every business owner is in the business of developing leadership. Whether by building it within themselves or in their staff, leadership is a key ingredient to success. Today, we go over 3 key principles of developing our best self and understanding great leadership.

Hiring new staff is an inevitable and integral part of being a business owner, and it can be especially difficult to find new talent in the martial arts business. However, finding staff members who fit the culture of your school and thrive in their positions is more than just reviewing resumes. Join us today as we discuss they keys to having an amazing staff.

In the new year creating solid systems will help your business hit those grow and hit that higher level. If you want to hit a home run in 2019, check out some simple ways that you can streamline your business and the day-to-day task to become more effective, more motivated and more successful. In this episode: 1:00 - Head down 4:25 - System v. Processes 5:50 - Time to refine 9:13 - Why 10:30 - Do the work 13:10 - You've gotta think 15:35 - It won't be perfect 17:20 - Evolve 23:10 - Mini rant 25:35 - Checklist! 28:25 - Continuous Improvement

One of the most common questions that we get is how to begin building a staff. Today we are going share some insight on how we've found a great way to build our leadership team from the inside while focusing on a customer experience first mentality.

We had good intentions. We really wanted to do well. Somewhere along the line we got distracted and now we are mired in day to day work that is mind numbing and I'm wondering if I made the right decision.

As 2018 winds to a close it's once again time for us to evaluate our successes and to take care of our responsibilities as small business owners. These three steps today can help you not only understand where you can improve but also points you towards a better financial future.

What is the one thing in your business that everything revolves around? Which role is most important for it's growth? In the martial arts business, this essential factor always comes down to the student's experience. Join us today as we discuss what makes the student's experience the one thing that matters most in your business.

As we hit Thanksgiving week we spend today's episode discussing what we are thankful for and why being thankful is good for you and your business. Join in the discussion and share why you are thankful!

Typically our growth plan looks something a dog chasing its tail. Us saying that w need to get new students on an infinite loop or "If I only had more money!" Today we talk about one sign that shows where you can easily improve your business and what to do if you aren't getting results.

We're all familiar with the phrase "are you working in or on your business?" As a CEO, it can sometimes be difficult to let go of the reigns and delegate important tasks to others- Join us today as we discuss how to overcome this problem and define what exactly you're doing for yourself and for your business. 2:00 - Process or Personality 6:10 - You are the product 8:50 - Don't limit growth 13:35 - Book E-Myth 13:57 - List out the task 16:00 - The captain steers 19:55 - Hire better 26:00 - Being a boss 29:50 - Book The coaching habit 32:45 - How to begin

Typically our growth plan looks something a dog chasing its tail. Us saying that w need to get new students on an infinite loop or "If I only had more money!" Today we talk about one sign that shows where you can easily improve your business and what to do if you aren't getting results. 1:02 - Referrals 4:47 - Reasons why they'll start 6:25 - Make them feel 7:40 - Never stop learning 11:50 - Dreamers & Doers 16:18 - Results 21:20 - Make it easy 27:30 - Retention

For our 50th episode we are tackling a new topic, YOU! In order for your business to thrive, you, the owner needs to be on point. Today we are discussing how entrepreneurs can maintain the grind and rigors of owning a small business with a few simple tips. 2:00 - Fail Better, Fail Smarter 3:46 - Can't always get what you want 5:12 - Ownership = Stress 5:52 - Personal Wellness 8:25 - Find a balance 8:55 - Changing habits 11:50 - Books to read 13:55 - Conscious thought 15:45 - Health tip 17:22 - Be grateful 18:05 - Eat healthy, sleep well 23:10 - Setting goals 25:55 - 5 tips review

Belt testings are a huge part of the culture of a martial arts school. Join us as we discuss how you can get the best possible experience and results out of your belt testings. 2:20 - Is it a test? 4:30 - Revenue 5:38 - What other business 10:37 - Reinforce why their here 13:55 - One step out the door 23:08 - Leverage 35:15 - Customer Experience 35:20 - Achieving Goals 37:30 - Do the feel it?

Holiday's are upon us! In this episode we discuss things that we can do to increase revenue, drive attendance, help the community and build our schools. Be sure to tune in as we dive into ways that you can succeed at the highest level. 2:10 - Watch the habit 3:55 - Holiday Sale 7:25 - Time to upgrade 11:50 - Align with image 15:25 - Holiday Parties 17:15 - Gift Exchange 19:03 - Don't go halfway 21:30 - Gift giving? 24:18 - THANKS OLVIN! 28:45 - Think about your business

It takes way less effort to maintain relationships and keep current students training than it does to continuously find new students to replace the ones you lose. Building a solid black belt program is a fantastic way to motivate and maintain long term customer success.

Building a winning program starts with gratitude and authenticity. When you respect and wow your customers while providing a service that they both need and enjoy, everyone wins. Check out our seven ways to keep customers engaged.

One extremely important task a successful martial arts school will consistently perform is monitoring the motivation and engagement of their students. It is common to skip this task because of the need to search for leads and potential new students. The vital component to growing a martial arts school is not losing students. Join us as we discuss the common signs to look for and what to do about it.

Change the game. When a business is customer centric and focuses on not just satisfying customers but WOWING them, they will tell everyone they know about you and your business.

Is getting more students the wrong approach for your business? Today we discuss why the constant focus on acquiring new members has pulled us away from long term success.

Curriculum planning is one of the most time consuming aspects of running great classes and training great instructors. Today we discuss the essentials that you need to be able to build a world class class structure. In this episode 1:15 - No copycats 1:25 - Describe your vision 1:53 - What we did 4:20 - Start with the basics 5:53 - Student Engagement 7:18 - Camo Belt...? 10:20 - Break down the ranks 14:08 - Customer journey 17:38 - Outside resources 18:55 - Ask a mentor 20:50 - Tools 21:55 - Curriculum is not... 24:20 - Lesson plans 26:55 - Teach

When opening a martial arts school, the most common conversations we have are centered around logos and naming. Style is obviously important but today we discuss why speaking to your audience is more beneficial and continue talking about how you can get people to love your brand. In this episode 2:50 - Thinking Logos 3:55 - Behind the brand 4:50 - Referrals 6:15 - How to brand 6:50 - Worst way 7:47 - You are the face 8:30 - What are you saying 9:15 - What wows them 10:50 - Building trust 16:35 - It's the same as dating 17:45 - Copy their systems 19:50 - Can't train staff? 24:15 - Biggest mistakes 27:05 - Recap

Processes and systems are essential to creating a business that allows the owner to focus on growth and expansion. Without systems a business can turn into a chaotic mess full of hardships and disappointment. Join us as we discuss the step by step process to creating solid systems for your business.

Standing out from the competition is critical to ultimate success. It seems easy to understand this as a concept but putting it into action is harder than it looks. This episode discusses 10 ways that you can stand out from the herd. In this episode 1:38 - Take Action 1:54 - Extraordinary Service 4:29 - All the customers 5:57 - Pain points 10:02 - Do business different 14:50 - Focus on the niche 21:15 - Powerful offers 23:23 - Memorable culture 25:20 - Cause marketing 28:45 - Be socially focused 29:35 - Be unique 31:03 - Delight the customers

The easiest way to find new customers is by knowing what kinds of customers that you want to reach. Today we are discussing how to define your target market and ways that you can get students that stick. In this episode 1:00 - What are you saying 2:08 - Reputation 2:59 - User Experience 3:45 - How are you the answer 7:30 - Staff 8:10 - Cost/Product/Location 13:35 - Niche 14:38 - Avoid white noise 16:15 - Target Persona 19:18 - Better be ready 23:00 - Point to results 25:26 - Holds up over time

To be successful school owners need to show customers what makes their service different. The challenge is differentiating enough to stand apart while making sure you still check all the boxes for the parents. Today we talk about five ways that a small business can be effectively be different. In this episode 5:00 - Product 6:30 - Premium Pricing 7:07 - Demographics 11:15 - Service 13:15 - Business Plan 14:10 - People go because 15:45 - Building relationships 16:40 - Going above and beyond 18:05 - Reputation 20:00 - Reputation Management 21:58 - Active Pursuit 23:55 - Long term vision 26:43 - And then what 27:53 - M squared 28:30 - Price

Building longstanding relationships is the key to running a successful martial arts program. What if it didn't happen by accident but rather by design? Let's lock up that back door and discuss how to keep your black belts excited about your classes. 1:33 - No one keeps them all 2:08 - Be Purposeful 3:15 - Why would they leave? 6:00 - Reasons why 8:36 - A desire to belong 11:10 - What can you do 12:57 - Curriculum does matter 14:55 - Connect 17:46 - Get parents engaged 23:08 - Setting goals 24:25 - Build relationships 27:00 - Here's a reason 30:10 - Create a plan 32:28 - Beat the game 33:50 - Do the work

Being clear about how you help your customers goes a long way towards establishing a strong relationship from the beginning. Check out today's episode where we share some strong strategies for a great enrollment process! In this episode 1:17 - Business 101 2:55 - Meet customer needs 5:00 - It's easy to say... 7:50 - Comfort enrolling today 9:02 - Think about schedule 11:19 - Understand expectations 12:39 - Don't underwhelm 12:55 - How to achieve first belt 15:50 - Hardest piece 20:10 - Dirty Socks 21:20 - Rules 25:05 - Role Playing 28:23 - Don't be a salesman

James Kim of Best Martial Arts / Mooto USA shares how to increase profits with proshop sales. In this episode 1:57- Forcing your business 2:24- Market right 3:07- Using social media 3:44- Designing the product 5:51- Building it into the curriculum 12:21- Do your research 14:18- Designing the uniform 16:08- Keep it simple 20:01- Selling secondary items 21:30- Don't loose focus on what to sell 24:36- Mooto USA & Mooto Korea

Hiring staff can be one of the most nerve wrecking experiences. Many businesses of all types struggle to fill roles and it seems that there is rarely anyone perfect for the job. Today, we discuss when you should hire staff, where to locate potential employees, and how to train them to be better than you at serving the customer. In this episode 2:35 - two reasons to hire 4:50 - not just for martial arts 7:20 - set it up correctly 8:25 - common mistakes 9:45 - it's about culture 10:45 - clear expectations 13:35 - building tribes 14:50 - finding potential staff 18:45 - employee training 20:12 - sidekicku.com 21:50 - be time based and specific 25:15 - replace yourself 25:30 - probation periods

Is done for you programming a solution for your business? Have you established what your core purpose is or is adding an off the shelf program an easy way out of putting in real work? Sometimes, an ala carte program is just what the doctor ordered, sometimes it just doesn't work. In this episode 1:45 - Without work everything else is pointless 2:57 - Does the program fit 3:27 - Define what an add-on program is 5:33 - What is a DVD 6:50 - Purpose of an add on 8:13 - Bronson philosophy 10:35 - For retention? 13:20 - Evaluate needs & wants 19:27 - Black Belts stay for two reasons 21:45 - Core purpose 26:46 - Don't confuse customers

First impressions are everything! We want to create a great customer experience while understanding what it takes to have a winning process. From scheduling the lesson to asking for the sale our customers should view our business as quality, beneficial and a good fit for them or their child. In this episode 4:10 - #1: Scheduling 5:02 - Live Leads 7:02 - An important note 8:50 - #2: First Impressions 11:55 - #3: Choosing the right instructor 19:03 - #4: Closing the lesson 28:25 - #5: Private vs. Group 31:23 - #6: During the Lesson 32:54 - It always comes back to 33:55 - #7: After the Lesson 35:25 - #8: The Follow Up 35:38 - Don't badger people 37:59 - Contest winner announcement

Being able to turn a negative into a positive is an essential life skill for students as well as business owners. Today we discuss 5 key ways that we can incorporate positive thinking into our classes, and business. In this episode 5:10 - Never dip below neutral 10:37 - #1: Be an example of what you want others to be 11:30 - Set your mind right before arrival 13:44 - Stop thinking only with emotion 16:55 - #2: Create a positive space 17:55 - Students are always watching 19:54 - #3: Help people visualize what success looks like before they start 21:45 - Everything comes down to expectations 26:38 - #4: Help eliminate negative thinking/comments 28:13 - Praise, Correct, Praise (PCP) 28:57 - #5: Reward positivity 31:25 - Jon Gordon books on positivity 34:14 - Give Thanks

In this episode If you aren't using these programs you and your school are missing out. Sometimes we can be hesitant to change or resist it all together but these three items absolutely need to be on your list of to-do's this summer. In this episode: 1:05 - #1 Student Management System 2:04 - It's crazy if you don't have one 4:32 - Why are you tracking attendance? 6:10 - Where businesses go wrong 9:25 - You can't improve what you don't measure 13:53 - You're the captain 14:40 - #2 Google Drive (apps) 15:24 - Get it while it's hot 16:41 - Stop wasting money on crap that's free 19:20 - #3 Bookkeeping software 21:30 - Employee Time Clock Software 25:15 - Bonus #1: Slack 25:33 - Bonus #2: Whatsapp

Most business have an upgrade available whether it is Starbucks Gold Card or an all access membership to the local fitness club. Find out how you can leverage this strategy for maximum growth and student satisfaction. In this episode: 1:43 - It feels right in your heart 3:12 - Up the service, up the value 6:15 - Premium price for a premium product 8:25 - Where would you be? 12:30 - Memberships align with goals 15:02 - What do the people want? 17:09 - Don't wake up and hate it 20:50 - How to create retention 23:30 - Not going against core values 26:20 - Well worth the money 27:49 - Get to know your student base 28:30 - Breaking it down

One of the most important elements of leading a successful martial arts school is having great instruction. Today we discuss 5 keys for being a great instructor and some information on how to implement disguised repetition. In this episode: 2:45 - Teaching better vs getting new students 5:10 - 3 key points 6:20 - MENTOR method 12:03 - It all comes down to praise 17:24 - handling a challenge 20:05 - high fives 20:55 - pre-frame, bullet points, and review 23:00 - Understanding repetition 26:10 - It comes down to engagement 27:35 - Point A to Point B 31:15 - 3 tips for repetition

Today we discuss some of the best strategies to market your club to your potential customers. Use these tips to ensure your videos propel your social media to new heights. This episode is the place to be to get some of our favorite tips to get compelling, inspiring and actionable online content. In this episode: 1:30 - Pull the trigger 2:23 - Old School Marketing 6:30 - Tell a story 9:40 - What is the objective of the video 12:10 - How does your service provide benefit 18:45 - The learning loop 21:45 - Balance between long and short videos 25:28 - Instructional video? 27:10 - Where can you get knowledge 28:59 - Be yourself 32:25 - Nike example 36:20 - StoryBrand by Donald Miller

For school owners, maximizing revenue is incredibly important while balancing the delivery of excellent service. Join us today as we discuss the pros and cons of item sales as a way to generate additional income while staying true to core values and building your brand. In this episode: :59 - Don't nickel and dime people 1:35 - An intro package? 5:50 - Require a purchase at every belt? 8:27 - Be authentic, be real 12:10 - There's a place for everything 15:45 - I wear all lululemon 17:25 - Branding is huge 20:32 - Don't treat your clients like junk collectors 23:05 - Have pride in your logo 24:55 - No offense to anyone 30:42 - If you don't want to wear your own logo, that's a problem

Join us for a fantastic interview with special guest Brannon Beliso, owner of One Martial Arts and author of Live, Learn, Grow: Lessons of a Reluctant Tiger. Brannon and his programs are focused on serving others and helping them live their best life. In today's interview, hear what has helped him become a super successful business owner and how his passion for service became a reality. 2:35 - tell us your story 3:30 - no contracts 6:30 - people thought I was insane 7:50 - what service pieces are clubs missing 8:01 - too many leads from the fitness industry 10:19 - "Tribes" by Seth Godin 11:32 - "Starts with Why" by Simon Sinek 12:48 - cookie cutter approach 13:42 - putting out a lot of content 14:51 - understand your demographic 16:23 - you're a small business owner 17:43 - if you're a one person show 18:03 - delegating too early 18:38 - the skill set to be a great martial artist vs more 19:45 - go Warriors 20:56 - know your why 20:10 - hiring people 22:25 - millennials vs baby boome

What is the secret to closing sales? Yes, of course, there is the "ABC" method but what works in today's information rich culture? Can the tactics that were used in the 70's be used today? What is the one thing you should be doing when trying to close new customers? We hate sleazy sales tactics and don't use them in our businesses. Why do we hate them? Because we hate it when people try them on us! The importance of doing everything you can to make the one and only first impression amazing is ASTRONOMICAL. Are you making sure you facility is tidy and presentable? Does your website properly paint the picture of who you are and what your brand stands for? Does your social media presence tell your story like its supposed to? In this episode we cover: 1:20 - selling in the 70’s vs. today 2:56 - why you have to prove yourself 4:20 - preparing your facility 6:20 - it starts with your marketing 7:50 - the first impression 9:34 - getting back to old fashion marketing 11:06 - the custome

We have a guest in the house! Damion Lupo is a 5th degree black belt, American Sensei, and founder of Yokido. He is a financial mentor and best selling author in personal finance. His mission is to help one million people become financially free by rewriting the rules and plan for retirement. For more info visit damionlupo.com Youtube: goo.gl/m3s6Um iTunes: goo.gl/VyizSg

What does keeping it simple mean? Today we explore our definition of keeping business simple while discussing simple strategies to keep customers happy and business booming.

Many times businesses have the uncomfortable situation of dealing with bad apples. Find out from two business pros how they have dealt with troublesome situations in the Dojang while maintaining the focus on success and making people their best selves.

Are you leaving your operating strategy to chance? Do you think that getting new students on a monthly basis is pure luck? Are your marketing strategies based on guesses and wishing? This week we will be discussing ways to take the luck out of the equation and get your business from good to great.

One of the biggest challenges we face is making the right decisions for our business offerings. Understanding WHY we started the business and sticking to our principles, programs and passions will go a long way towards helping you build a solid and successful brand that you can be proud of.

Being distracted from our day to day responsibilities puts us on edge and keeps us from being successful. In this episode we are sharing tips and tricks for how we stay focused in a world of chaos and distraction.

Build a better business by developing a world class staff. Check out this episode as we discuss steps we have taken to go from a one man show to successful owners who work on our businesses instead of in them.

Have you owned your business for years and hit a plateau with growth?Or are you a new business owner who can't figure out how to achieve the next level? Join as as we discuss the steps required to finally crack through that growth barrier and lead your business to the next frontier.

Do you have a tough time figuring out what to do during your off hours with your business? What tasks should you be doing NOW to help you reach your one, five, and 10 year goals ✅✅✅? Join us as we discuss the most important tasks you should be doing during the slow times.

Are you like many business owners and not put enough time and energy into your financial future? Join us as we discuss small business financial matters with certified financial planner, Brandon Turner.