We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Brewster. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.
Michael, appreciate you joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?
One of my businesses gives the best example I can think of. When (my wife Cheryl and I) bought the Martial Arts School from my Instructor when he had to move, it had ~ 30 students. Now we have 2 schools ,over 200 students and looking to open a 3rd school soon.
I feel that there are 3 main things that helped us reach the level of success we are at today with OKS Martial Arts and Fitness. Hiring mentors/consultants, investing in different streams of income and creating an awesome team that we are lucky to have.
The #1 was definitely hiring mentors. It was an incredible time saver since they had already gone through a lot of the trials and tribulations that we would have had to go through if we didn’t listen to them. From pricing to class schedules, retail ideas to B2B, they made the biggest impact by far. It was a scary step and “expensive” in our heads at first, but we doubled our gross the first year we started with them. Then doubled again the 2nd year. We have been with the Martial Arts Industry Association for years now and they are like a family. We have found folks well ahead of us business wise and it is a great plus to be able to ask questions, watch what they do, etc. It has allowed us to have additional income, not to waste, but to reinvest… in us.
2nd was using some of the income from this first business to create more streams of income. Without Martial Arts, it would be unlikely that I would have started a movie “career,” became a best selling author of “Focus Ninja Secrets” (a book with 12 strategies on how to teach focus and control to kids for parents, coaches, grandparents, etc), a saltwater coral growing business… I’ve even owned a paintball field! When I do school talks and career days and middle and elementary schools, I always try to instill in the kids that they don’t just have to be ONE thing when they grow up.. but they can have multiple jobs/careers/businesses… if they can scale with a great team!
The 3rd thing that comes to mind that has helped us scale is having a great team. I love teaching. Could do it every day for hours and hours each week… but…. my instructor reminded me that I probably didn’t want to HAVE to do it when I’m 80. There is nothing wrong with getting down and dirty in your business, and no one will ever do it “as good as you do it” when you are the owner. But you can’t scale and can’t do it forever. We have gone through several employees and tried many things, but I really feel like we have a super strong team now, and ready to take over the world. A huge mistake I used to make all the time was trying to find another “me.” But really I should have been searching for a team that each excels at the things I struggle with, or don’t like doing, so I can work ON the business, not IN the business as much.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Again, focusing on the main business, OKS Martial Arts and Fitness, our mission statement is: We improve lives through Martial Arts and Fitness to promote a healthier community.
OKS Martial Arts and Fitness VISION Statement:
Our goal is to have multiple profitable 150+ member locations, excellent careers paths for all that earn them, motivate enhanced results for all our clients and serve the community around us.
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Cheryl and I bought the Forsyth, GA business in 2000 at 20 years old, opened a 2nd location in Macon, GA around 2009 and looking to open the 3rd by 2023.
I started Martial Arts at age 13 and knew it was a lifelong journey. Taking over when my Instructor had to move seemed like a good choice at the time even though was attending college, running a poultry farm, etc. Basically, I ran the school and taught most of the classes for years and the wife did all the paperwork. Once we smartened up and brought on more employees, things started opening up for us.
We teach traditional Okinawan karate, concentrate on realistic self defense and fitness, while ensuring that kids get more focused and controlled…. but we do it in a fun, positive way. We are Partners in Ed for all the schools in the area, give donuts to teachers for breakfasts, read to the kids as readers for the day, help the PE coaches, and give school supplies and donations regularly.
I’m proud of the lives we have changed for the better, careers that we are opening for our team, the lifestyle our family has and all the future opportunities that will be created due to hard work/perseverance!
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I had been on TV multiple times for performances, festivals, personal training ads at the gym I used to work at, etc. One day I got this call, that I thought was a scam lol, asking if I had any girls that took karate and they were looking for some for a movie being filmed near by. I of course said yes and we were lucky enough to have several girls in a movie called “Barely Lethal” with Jessica Alba and Samuel L Jackson. My daughter (age ~5 at that time) was one picked and when I brought her to set, they mentioned that I kinda looked like a mercenary (I guess a compliment??) and asked if I would be interested in a part? Of course I said yes, and my love of acting and being in movies was born! It has been a great experience, and while I have not STARRED in any blockbusters… yet… I have screen time in several and it has opened up a ton of extra, featured extra and even supporting roles in many projects including Diary of a Whimpy Kid – the Long Haul, The Boss, Hunger Games, Ant Man, Deathless, etc.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Can anyone say Covid? So this is probably the biggest pivot we have had even though it is relatively recent. We have always taught martial arts in person, but when covid first started, we had to pivot to be able to survive.
We had started to hear about it and actually had one of our quarterly meetings with our consultants right before it hit. They suggested starting/being ready with online Zoom classes in case it got worse/gov shut downs, etc. They were correct and the GA gov shut most businesses down. Luckily we were ready and didn’t lose a singe student the first month! We didn’t reduce and pay for our awesome team, didn’t decrease hours really, or any other major cons.
But then it continued. I think we were “only” shut down for 2 months, but more folks started quitting and we had eventually dropped 50% of our student base. We still didn’t take the first EIDL or PPP and had faith in our team that we could pull through. We started getting more folks to sign up and do online classes, even from out of state!
We were finally able to use some wiggle room and hold classes online AND in person at a nearby playground (still couldn’t be inside a business) until we were finally back in person at the dojo. If it wasn’t for the online classes, which we still do to add value and as a just in case, we probably wouldn’t have made it, like the unfortunate ~ 60% of martial arts schools that closed down for good during covid.
Now we have more students than ever and back in action 100%.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
It would be either a website or word of mouth.
Website… A good one.
We started, like most I imagine, with a home grown/done website.
We eventually invested in a great pro one and had fantastic results. Well beyond what we had been doing and definitely worth it. It was professional, had lead capture and looked different than any other schools around us. You have to have/do something different to get folks attention and can’t look like the other 100 same websites you see. It also has to be up to date with data and trends.
It costs more, but the value is great. But really it combines with advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc. Without one, you won’t get the same results as if they are all working together.
Word of mouth is huge as well. Folks love us, our Instructors and vibe. Passing the word gets the same thinking customers into our business so we can help them achieve their individual goals!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oksmacon.com , www.oksforsyth.com , www.okscampus.com , http://mpbart.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oksmacon/ , https://www.instagram.com/oksforsyth/ , https://www.instagram.com/senseibrewster/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/oksmacon , www.facebook.com/oksforsyth , www.facebook.com/michael.brewster.18
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/senseibrewster
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/oks-martial-arts-and-fitness-macon , https://www.yelp.com/biz/oks-martial-arts-and-fitness-forsyth
Image Credits
Century, Go Rogue Photography