We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Chisenhall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Robert, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

As you build your career, your business, your family – what do you consider? Do you think about what your impact is? Do you focus on how your actions will change someone’s life trajectory?

In my view, my purpose is to help others. I am passionate about my two chosen professions- teaching Tae Kwon Do and recruiting patriots to the Missouri Army National Guard. In my view, these professions are the vehicle that I use to help others. My first job was a waiter. I served at several restaurants across the St. Charles County area before I started my career as a police officer in the City of Pagedale which is a small municipality just west of the St. Louis Metropolitan jurisdiction. While those jobs seem unrelated, I found them to center around, what I would later discover to be, my legacy. Those jobs taught me that people usually do not recall exactly what was said during an interaction, they may not remember what you were wearing or even what happened. They will remember how they felt when you left. As a server, I learned that if I listened and smiled people felt good, they left feeling happy and positive. As a police officer I learned that delivering bad news clearly, directly and respectfully resulted in people being cooperative and respectful in turn. While our interaction was not a good day, I had the ability to control how they felt when it was over, to be fair and respectful even on the worst days. My legacy is and remains the feeling that people have when they reflect on our interactions.

With each interaction you have with others, how do people feel when you leave? Did they leave inspired to be better, or did they leave cursing your name?

Doing hard things is something that Tae Kwon Do taught me to require of myself. Hard things build confidence, resiliency, and pride. Tae Kwon Do helped me to become a resilient person, capable of overcoming mental, emotional, and physical limitations. Today, I passionately teach Tae Kwon Do at Blue Wave Life in Brentwood because I want to share this legacy with others. Tae Kwon Do helped me understand myself and what I am capable of, I feel it is my duty to share this skill with those around me to improve themselves and the world around them. It is my hope that my interactions are positive, and people leave feeling empowered to change their sphere of influence.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Blue Wave Life Martial Arts was founded in 2016 by my friend Doug Flora. He invited me to teach with him in University City and did not ask me to engage in any business development. Doug knew that I wanted to bring an affordable martial arts program to the Mid County area near where I had served as a police officer. While I was serving as an Officer in Pagedale I saw kids that needed after school programs but were unable to afford them and/or could not get to them. I had a vision of providing for those residents a program that could benefit them for a lifetime. Our first location was at Delmar Blvd and North and South Road. We started with 2 students who were family members. Doug passed away and I continued operating Blue Wave Life. I never envisioned the program to have so many students, nor did I understand then the impact martial arts would have on so many people. Tae Kwon Do teaches you physical movements, but it also trains your mind and takes the practitioner on a journey of self-exploration. Students learn physically challenging techniques, self-defense and engage in fitness activities, but they develop confidence and the ability to focus. They become better versions of themselves through failures in a safe place. The program has grown and today we continue classes at the Brentwood Community Center, about 4 miles from where we started. We have around 40 students today and continue to grow.

I am most proud knowing that each student that I have been able to share Tae Kwon Do with has experienced their ability to overcome hard things. It gives me joy to know that Tae Kwon Do is a vehicle to impact people for their lifetime, not just mine.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

In the late spring 2016, I got a call from my friend Doug Flora. I had trained in Tae Kwon Do with Doug and his family since I was 7 years old and it was unusual to chat with him outside of classes. I answered and he asked me to sit down. I said, “Ok Doug, I’m sitting on my stairs, what’s up?” Doug said, “Great, I need you to come teach at Blue Wave Life Martial Arts in University City. My grandkids are gonna learn Tae Kwon Do and you are gonna help us teach em.” Just like that, I became a partner. Doug was a great mentor and friend and passed away about a year and a half later. Since then I have only been able to keep the doors of Blue Wave Life open by partnering with other instructors and friends. I have remained a National Guard Recruiter, Husband, Father, and student all 8 years that we have been in business. It would not have been possible without partners like Doug and Jane Flora, Mike Lester, Eleanor Kurtz, Jake West, Joe Hoeber, Kennedy Fitzgibbon and Julie Nowakowski. Blue Wave Life is apart of the Chung Do Association which has provided me with amazing business partners, honest feedback, mentors and friends. I would not be in the position I am in without their support.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

Every business struggles at the beginning and Blue Wave Life is no different. We spent the first several years making almost no money. At the start of 2020, I was feeling like we were in a positive position. March of 2020 my second child was born and COVID-19 struck the country. All business shut down and COVID provided me with numerous opportunities to fail. Tae Kwon Do teaches students how to overcome failure, and COVID checked in to see if I was paying attention. I tried dozens of methods to teach and provide training for students. I studied teaching methods and focused on how to improve my programs. I survived. I didn’t make much money in 2020 but I stayed afloat and the doors remain open because failures are opportunities to improve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bluewavelife.net
• Instagram: bluewavelife.tkd
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluewavelife
• Linkedin: Blue Wave Life Martial Arts