Shows / The Business of Jiu Jitsu
The Business of Jiu Jitsu
The business behind the gentle art - Conversations with gym/academy owners and industry leaders who are doing something unique and special to stand out.
Episodes
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 66 - JP Levesque - Policy changes, class hours, and events.
This episode is me speaking from experience on a few topics so hopefully you can avoid stepping on the same rakes as I did. I start by talking about an IG post…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 65 - Eli Knight of Knight Jiu Jitsu
With 30 years of Jiu Jitsu experience under his belt Eli does everything from instructionals to seminars and private lessons. Eli saw the need for online Jiu…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 64 - The Systems of a Successful Jiu Jitsu Academy
I think in systems and I love structure. I also find it really helpful to create a common language to talk about business, the same way we talk about Jiu…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp 63. - Chris Burns - Zero Point Academy
Chris is a polarizing figure in Jiu Jitsu for a lot of reasons, he swears like a sailor which some find endearing and others off putting, he’s got a dry sense…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 62 - JP Levesque - Planning ahead to ride the seasons
After being in business for two summers I was over it. I had a bad July and a worse August as members went on hold or quit. So I decided right then and there I…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp.61 - JP Levesque - What to do when the season changes.
The season is changing right now from winter to spring. This is another 'new year's like' vibe that shifts people to both reflect back and look forward…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 60 - Josh Mckinney - Competitor, Academy Owner, Podcaster!
I'm a fan of Josh's podcast, so naturally I was stoked to have him on as a guest. We covered a range of topics in this episode but there were a few that stood…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 59 - JP Levesque - How to turn free trials into new students
Ever wonder why someone takes a free trials class, seems to enjoy it but then doesn't join? I can say from personal experience it's pretty frustrating when…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp.58 - Ollie Kelly - Mattador Seminars
If the pet rock was a million dollar idea, I think this one is even better. As a BJJ practicioner Ollie once missed out on a phenomal seminar he wanted to…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 57 - The Unstuck Academy - Audio Book
This episode is a full reading of my book "The Unstuck Academy". There is some additional color commentary, rabbit holing, and ad libbing in the audio version…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 56 - Ken "Revoy" - The Old Way Jiu Jitsu
Revoy and I are old training partners and though he was always significantly better than me at jiu jitsu, he was always kind about it. On this episode he…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 55 - JP Levesque - Unlocking Business Growth
As the saying goes, you don't know what you don't know. On this episode I talked about my journey through understanding my business, its various parts and…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 54 - Nico Bajerski - BMA-MMA
I have to appologize the audio in this episode does change pitch a few times but it clear without static. I don't want that to take away any attention from…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 53 - JP Levesque - How not to spend your time
I've made just about all the mistakes you can in gym ownership. In the early days of gym ownership I was so wrapped up in teaching classes that was all I…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 52 - Tim Goodwin - TNT Martial Arts
Right from the start I knew Tim was going to be a great guest. His inspiration to start martial arts came from old school UFC tapes. He fought MMA…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 51 - JP Levesque - The red pill of success.
After a a year and a half of strugglign in in my gym I'd had enough. Though I loved the people and the environment I created I certainly wasn't as successful…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 50 - Dan Uyemura - PushPress
Funny enough I was actually a customer of his for years using Pushpress to run my gym, but he wasn't on my radar until long after I sold my gym. What brought…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 49 - Keeping your momentum in business
There are natural ebs, flows, and seasons in your Jiu Jitsu academy. We are in a high season right now where new students are seeking you out at a rate that…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 48 - Jeremy Brick - How Jiu Jitsu changes lives
Jeremy Brick has a heck of a comptetive resume as a world champion having won the following titles. 2024 M3 Brown Belt Grandslam Winner 4x Master World…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 47 - JP Levesque - You don't have to sell out to sell.
I know you didn't open a Jiu Jitsu school to sell memberships. The people, the training, the learning, and the growth! There are so many great reasons to train…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 46 - Kyle Scappaticci - PCG Academy
In this episode we cover a lot of ground from how Kyle became an academy owner to how he's achieved consistent growth and success in his business. Kyle's…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 45 - JP Levesque - Launching successful events for your students
Most academy owners understand the importance of running events. However not everyone gets how to promote these events effectively. Most academy owners don't…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 44 - Josh Folwer - Black Cat Mixed Martial Arts
Josh has some very creative events and perspectives on running his MMA school. The way he approaches his community identity and creating truly unique events is…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 43 - New Year, Now What. How to see business growth in 2025
Any time there is a big seasonal change the things in this episode will be relevant. Once a quarter I would make sure you're offering old students a chance to…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 42 - Branden Hudson - SBY MMA and Fitness
You don't have to choose between your passion of Jiu Jitsu and a successful business, you can have both. My guest Branden is proof of that, he not only lives…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 41 - JP Levesque - Don't run Facebook Ads - Do this instead.
Don't waste any money on Facebook ads before you build this simple system. Don't get me wrong I've seen great success with FB ads in my business and many of…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 40 - Jared Gahm - PSF Legacy Jiu-Jitsu
I had a great conversation with Jared talking about his experience with all things Jiu Jitsu and MMA. He's an old school guy who will give you the shirt off…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 39 - Roger Perez - Wichita Falls Martial Arts, TX
On this episode Roger and I cover a lot of ground. From how he started his training as active Duty Air Force to how he makes the most out of his kids program…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 38 - Andrew Green - Innovative Martial Arts
This was an amazing episode and I want to thank Andrew for being on and sharing so many of his secrets to success. We talked a lot about the success of his…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 37 - Nader Tannir - Lycan MMA
On this episode Nader and I talked about how he built his MMA academy, his journey through Jiu Jitsu and how he goes about building community. What I love…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 36 - James Clingerman of Indiana Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy
James has an absolutely wild story about what happened to him just weeks before the grand opening of his academy. In chatting with James a few things became…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 35 - Greg Buck - Push Press
On this episode Greg shares some basic but very valuable info on how improve the health, longevity, and profitability of your business. Without making things…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 34 - Chris Martin of Jiu Jitsu Insurance
On this episode we chat about Chris' journey through gym ownership, the ups, the downs, and how he was able to successfully sell his gym. He's since moved on…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp.33 - Michael Heinz - SBG New Braunfels Texas
On this episode we chatted about some of Michael's travels around the world including and his time living in South Korea. He's since returned to the US and…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 32 - Joseph Rodriguez of Guardians of Mt Hood Jiu Jitsu
Joseph shared his story of opening a Jiu-Jitsu Academy in small town Oregon just before the pandemic locked him down. He not only had to navigate small town…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp. 31 - Calling BS on busy with Andrew Mellen
My guest today is an expert in the realm of time management, prioritization, and organization. As well as being an NY times best selling author and speaker. He…
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Ep.30 - How to run a killer gym VS a Cute gym
In this episode I dive into the difference between a "cute" business and a "killer" business. Now there are of course exceptions to the rules and I could go…
The Business of Jiu JitsuEp.29 - Dan Kachtik - Helping people and doing hard things.
I had a great time sitting down with Dan who is the owner of King William District Crossfit. We cover a variety of topics such as his back ground, his…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 28 - The Rise of Concept Fit with founder Marcus Astley
Marcus Astley took his personal training business online before it was cool to be online. He and his wife have combined physiotherapy, fitness, and community…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 27 - What it's like to run a 100K Ultramarathon
This episode is a little bit different, and a little bit scattered as so much happened during that race it was really hard to distill it down into something…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 26 - Running a successful BJJ Gym with Mike Sweeney - SBG Calgary
I had a great time sitting down with black belt Mike Sweeney. He's a wealth of martial arts and combat sports experience as well as a long time gym/academy…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 25 - Why Most Gym Owner's Hate Sales (and what to do about it).
Most gym owners I know do not like to sell. They are phenomenal coaches, great athletes, and wonderful humans. They want new gym members because they like…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 24 - Front End Offers Explained (Sell a result, not a class)
What is a front end offer in the gym space? It is simply and offer that you make to new customers (as they join) VS a back end offer which you could make to…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 23 - How the right hire can change everything with Scott Rammage
On this Episode I sit down with Scott Rammage. He's a former Crossfit gym owner and now the CEO of Hire VP. We chat about hiring, time management, sales, and…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 22 - How to create momentum for your gym with the seaons.
The only thing that remains constant is change. On this episode I talk about how you can create momentum for your gym with the changing seasons. These are…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 21 - Entrepreneurial growth with Kevin Palmieri
On this episode we talk a lot about both personal development and personal growth. In the episode my guest Kevin Palmieri talks about how those two subjects…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 20 - The 5 key traits of successful entrepreneurs with Purdeep Sangha
Purdeep Sangha is a high performance coach for entrepreneurs, and CEOs. His book of knowledge is thick and filled with both timeless and current wisdom. We…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep. 19 - How Gym Owners can save time using AI with Anca Treefan
By this time in 2024 we've all heard the AI hype. Maybe you're using it in your business, maybe you're on the fence, think it's too complicated or impractical…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep.18 - Should you run a foundations class for your Crossfit Gym?
In this episode I cover a very important and somewhat controversial topic. As a Crossfit gym owner, should you run a foundations class? I also spend some time…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Ep.17 - Better sales through better conversations with Dr. Alain Desaulniers
This is easily one of my favorite episodes of the podcast. I had no idea we were going to get into sales and communication as much as we did. However I am very…
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How keeping your gym equipment maintained saves you money with - Jim Young (Aka Jim Maintenance)
We go HARD on our equipment. We sweat all over it, get chalk on it, and sometimes even bleed. Certainly not all gyms are this extreme when it comes to…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Solving A Huge Problem for Gym Owners with John Prescott (Founder of Wheel Pay)
This episode was amazing! I do apologies for the audio not being up to the usual standards. That being said this episode is packed full of great nuggets shared…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Building the athlete experience with Heidi Campo
Heidi Campo is a former gym owner who built an incredible culture of comradery in her strongman gym. Not only that but she had a singular focus on delivering…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Turning things around with Joe Cosenza of Marble Strength
On this episode joe and I talk about how he went all in on his gym. Once his business partner decided gym ownership wasn't for him Joe was left with a choice…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
What's it like to run a gym with your spouse? Featuring my wife Dr. Jane Levesque
What is it like to run a business with your spouse or partner? Well the answer depends on the couple, some will come together and play off each others…
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The Man Behind Fitt Finder - Ahmed AbouElezz
What is Fitt Finder? It's a fast growing start up in the "Fit Tech" space. The goal is to be a fast, efficient and totally customizable tool to remove the…
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A trip down memory lane, and thruster avenue with - Jesse Ward
On this episode I catch up with an old friend and Crossfit OG Jesse Ward. We chat about the CF games, CAP programming, The future of Crossfit, Gym ownership…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Do gym owner's actually NEED to market?
I'm joined today by John Galloup of the LVL WOD in Witichta KS. John is a Gym owner, Husband, Father, Former Marine Sniper and all around awesome dude. The…
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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - Stupid Questions, and Smart Answers.
I get a chance to sit down with my old BJJ Professor CJ Hollett. We run through some basic BJJ questions as well as dig into the business side of owning a BJJ…
- The Business of Jiu Jitsu
Gym Owner Stories - How Crossfit ABF has rebounded with retention!
Today I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with Ryan McElhaney owner of Crossfit ABF in Florida. Topics of note we cover are: - Simple retention systems…