Donovan Ryder shares his journey from being an Olympic Taekwondo competitor to opening and expanding to 8+ martial arts schools in just a couple of years.

He discusses the challenges and successes of running after-school programs and the importance of training and role-playing with staff.

Donovan also highlights the benefits of being part of a mastermind and the ongoing learning process in the martial arts industry.

In this conversation, Matthew Brenner discusses various aspects of running a martial arts school and investing in real estate. He shares insights on creating offers for entrepreneurs, structuring ownership percentage, and how to sell equity in your business.

Matthew also highlights the power of revenue and profit, financing and loans, and the journey to success.

He emphasizes the reality of real estate as an investment and dispels the myth of passive investing.

Takeaways

Opening and expanding multiple martial arts schools requires careful planning and adaptation to changing circumstances.

After-school programs can be a significant source of revenue for martial arts schools, but they come with their own challenges and require dedicated staff.

Regular training and role-playing with staff members can improve their performance and create a high-energy environment in the martial arts school.

Being part of a mastermind or coaching group can provide valuable insights and support for martial arts school owners.

Running a martial arts school requires constant learning and adaptation to ensure continued success. Creating an offer for entrepreneurs requires understanding their individual perspectives on hard work and providing incentives that align with their goals.

When structuring ownership percentage, a common approach is to calculate it based on a multiple of the net profit, such as 3X net profit.

Buying into a location can be determined by reaching revenue benchmarks and multiplying the net profit by a certain factor.

Real estate can be a lucrative investment, especially when combined with other businesses in the same building, but it requires careful consideration and effort to fill vacancies.

Work-life balance is situational and seasonal, with different periods of intense work and downtime depending on the business's needs and goals.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:17 Martial Arts Background and Olympic Training

09:26 Transition to Teaching Martial Arts

12:45 Opening the First Martial Arts School

17:27 Expanding to Multiple Schools

20:35 Starting After-School Programs

23:22 Challenges of Running After-School Programs

28:28 Training and Role-Playing with Staff

32:46 Mastermind and Coaching

35:39 The Thorn in Running a Martial Arts School

40:00 Creating an Offer for Entrepreneurs

40:30 Structuring Ownership Percentage

41:23 Buying into a Location

42:06 Power of Revenue and Profit

42:35 Financing and Loans

43:27 Transition from Financing to Loans

44:17 Investing in Martial Arts School

45:13 The Journey to Success

46:07 Real Estate as an Investment

47:31 The Reality of Real Estate

48:00 The Myth of Passive Investing

49:27 The Book that Changed Everything

51:03 Feeling Most Alive

52:00 Teaching and Work-Life Balance

53:23 Effective Communication with Marco Polo

55:12 Achieving Childhood Dreams

55:40 The Seasonality of Work-Life Balance

57:28 Documenting the Process of Hiring from Overseas

58:53 The Challenges of Visa Processing

01:00:48 Connecting with Donovan Rider

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