Jeremy: [00:00:00] I've thought this for a long time, like, the... If I could give myself grace, the same grace that I give to my friends and the people around me, like, how much easier it would be on me. 'Cause I, like, I'm pretty brutal with myself ti- sometimes in, like, how I think about how I screw things up.
And I think that's useful in some ways, to be critical and to think of those things, but I tend to beat myself up too much, which probably a lot of us do,
Riley: , today we're back again with Jeremy "Jungle Cat" Corbin, White [00:01:00] House, Texas, Jungle Cat Jiu-Jitsu. Um, we did a part one on this episode, and the, in the part one, we got to know Jeremy, we got to know, um, about his, uh, business startup of starting a new martial arts school down there in, in White House and, and, uh, to get a glimpse of what it takes to really start a business.
It's, it's a challenge, and there's, there's some, some hurdles in that. And, and in part one, we discussed all that stuff and then. So part two is just a continuation. It's an update of what's happened since then. So we recorded that episode, uh, aired back in the middle of October last year. so we've got six, seven more months since then and, and, uh, gonna get an update from Jeremy.
So to the show again, Jeremy.
Jeremy: Awesome. Thanks for having me.
Riley: Yeah, man. Yeah. So give us the, fill in some gaps for us here. What's, what's been happening since last October?
Jeremy: Okay. So, man, I don't know if I had... I maybe had one student when we first talked. I'm not... I, I don't even know if I had one then. Um, [00:02:00] right now we're... I think we're up to 16 students, so we're, we're moving along. Things are progressing in the right way. Uh, we've started our kids program. Um, we got... I think we got five, five kids in our kids program, and, uh, the rest of the students are adults.
Um, working... One of my, one of my students is a, is a black belt in karate. He runs a, a karate ministry, um, through his church. And, uh, so yeah, like once a month, he'll bring his, his karate team down, and we'll do a jujitsu lesson together with, with his whole team. So that's been, that's been fun. Been, been cool and, like, just to see his...
Well, he's got adults and kids, but to see the, their reactions to the solution jujitsu have for a problem versus karate is... Well, like, like you'd imagine, it's quite a bit different, you know. Like, different strategies. So yeah, that's been fun. I... Those are... Those connections have been great. [00:03:00] Like, I've, I've, I've, uh...
The, the culture here has just been amazing. You know, like, the students are awesome. Um, that thing... That's been going really great. I still need a bunch more students, but, but, uh, we're, we're on the right track, yeah.
Riley: Where, uh, where have you found-- have you been finding clientele? 'Cause this is the problem that every business owner has, right, is trying to find out where do you go? Where's the-- Where, where do the people who need your service exist, you know? What, what have you found?
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting for me 'cause we've... W- like, when we first opened, we, we did a soft opening, and we were open for- couple months and essentially no one showed up. So me and my wife, who runs the gym with me, um, she just got her blue belt, by the way. Um, basically I was doing I was doing private lessons with my wife and, uh...
Which was awesome, but [00:04:00] not what we're trying to do here. And, uh, I did, I ran a, I did a, a free seminar for the, the jujitsu community here. Um, I did, like, an hour and a half on Kimura, Kimura trap, and, uh, brought some of the people in town, um, to just be aware. Um, and so my first students were a result of either the people that were at that or them telling someone else, like, "Hey, this guy's got a little bit different thing than what we're doing here."
And so, um, and then those students have started inviting more, more people. And so the bulk of my adults have been that way. Like, um, this person knows about somebody else that's interested in. And, uh, we've done, we've ran a self-defense seminar. Uh, Brittany and- My wife, Brittany, and I went around and we, like, introduced ourselves to a bunch of, of the local businesses, you know, nearby, handed [00:05:00] out flyers.
We went to some colleges and posted flyer. You know, y- like, we got f- flyers approved and, and did that. And, you know, most of that, most of that effort just didn't produce any results at all. So, like, it's been word of mouth from the people that went to, um, seminar. Or we also have... I got some sandwich board, um, signs that we put out at the highway every, every day we do class.
And I've had a few people see the signs and are interested in coming in. And then, um, my kids have been, um... They, the parents just Googled jujitsu nearby because the, the, my f- the f- the, my f- the first kid that came in, his dad was interested in, you know, he'd heard about it on, heard about jujitsu on, like, Jocko and Joe Rogan.
And, you know, those, those guys have, like, the best marketing for jujitsu out there. So people hear about it and they're and they're interested in. [00:06:00] And anyway, they got one of the, one of the dads, like, Googled it and came in and, um, his, his son brought a buddy. And then, um, and then it was kind of the same thing with my second couple kids.
And then, you know, and then the other kid was one of the, one of my adult students knew a guy that had his son try a, a jujitsu program. And yeah, so almost all of it's been word of mouth so far. Um, we've had some interest by, like, running some ads and putting out some flyers, but it just hasn't materialized into anything, so.
But I, I know, like, I, I
Riley: plays, aren't they?
Jeremy: Yeah. And I, I think that there's absolutely value in that, and like we just haven't quite got that figured out yet. So, and I wonder
Riley: Go ahead.
Jeremy: just gonna say, like I wonder, like 'cause I see, you know, like we're all on our phones probably way too [00:07:00] much and on the, on the internet. Like, we see ads constantly, and like I've never even considered them really until recently.
I'm like, "Okay, well, what, what stands out about a ad through all the hundreds of ads we see every day?" And,
Riley: Mm-hmm.
Jeremy: you know. So I've like, we haven't got that figured out yet, but that's, that's kind of where we're at now is trying to get that figured out.
Riley: That, um, you know, we, Lindsay and I
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: You know, we-- trying to crack that code, figure out what, what makes an ad stand out is incredibly challenging. You know, and every once in a while,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: out that I just don't understand why it did, but we get good response out of it, you know?
And like, "That one was dumb, but, uh, yeah, people really liked that one."
Jeremy: Yeah, we... So we, we run posts on our social media accounts all the time, you know? And, uh, y- you- usually we get a couple hundred views, and we'll get, you know, a handful of likes on pretty much everything from [00:08:00] friends and associates and... But we did one not too long ago where it was just like a bloopers reel of Brittany and I, you know, like just struggling in front of the camera.
And we got like, it's like 10 times more views than any other one we did. So yeah, it's kind of funny that that, that's the case.
Riley: There's something about that, um, yeah, when you show the r- the real person, right, who you really are, and people get a glimpse in
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: background, and I think that's comforting because they realize, "Oh, yeah, that's a struggle I also have." You know? When you get in front of a camera, and you try to say something, I've got about a, a one or two sentence, um, before I have to cut the scene and start over again, basically, 'cause I, I'm terrible with talking. Like if when I do the SALT ads on this podcast, it's super difficult to do. It takes me a long time.
Jeremy: No, I totally feel that. The other thing for me is not only am I not good at talking to the camera, but I'm [00:09:00] concentrating on what I have to say, and so I always look like I'm in a bad mood when I'm in front of the camera. And like, I'm figuring it out. We're, we're getting better, so.
Riley: Um, Jeremy, when we talked last, you still had not added the kids program to your school. Um, you did that... When, when did that actually
Jeremy: Uh, I wanna say f- February or March. Fe- I think February is when we s- when we launched the kids program.
Riley: Yeah.
Jeremy: Uh-
Riley: And so part of, part of your nervousness and when we, when we talked off air was You know, just to face you know, whether or not that would be enjoyable to you. But how,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: uh, materialized, man? Have you-- do, do you enjoy hanging with the kiddos?
Jeremy: Yes. Yeah. It, it is, it's fun, and it's fun for a lot of reasons I didn't [00:10:00] really expect. Um, one is I'm trying to, like, figure out games or ways to show kids how to move because people don't know how to move on the ground. Like, it's not ... A lot of it's not natural. So I'm trying to figure out ways to show kids how to move on the ground, and that really helps me explain the movement for a- my adults sometimes.
And then as I'm ... I u- what us- 'cause my wife helps me with those, with the kids class, and I usually will show her what I'm planning on ahead of time, and sometimes I see, like, light bulb moments for her too where she's like, "Oh, uh, it's so simple, and now I get it," you know? And so those have been, those have been pretty great too.
Um, we were ... This, this last week we did, uh ... So I have, um, different drills that I do for kids. So my drills typically are it'll be, [00:11:00] like, three to four moves from a certain position. So, like, I'll have side control bottom, you know, where I'm showing three escapes. Um, that's a, like, a typical drill. And I have multiple self-defense, um, um, drills, so we started one this week.
And it's a standard, like, grip break if someone grabs your, your arm. And I've taught this to adults quite a bit, and what happens is without someone pulling you, no one gets their base first, which is kind of the most important part of that grip break if someone ... You know, like, if someone's trying to take you, get your, get your feet out in front of you, get your weight backwards, don't let them pull you.
So the way I was showing the kids is we started off with tug of war. So got a rope out, and we just did tug of war. And then I made the kids, some of the kids stand up straight and try to, try to resist being pulled and ... So, like, it's an example of it's a fun way to explore those [00:12:00] ideas, which I ... Maybe the adults would be open to that too, but it's, it's so easy for kids, you know?
And, and they get it. And so, yeah, that's, that's been a lot more fun than I, than I expected. Um, there's times where the kids are ... They're just not wanting to be tough, or they're, you know, they're all em- and, and they're all emotional, and, uh ... Which, you know, which is normal. I, like, I have kids, you know? The kids are emotional, especially, like, like- Pre-adol- you know, pre-puberty, like, right, like, p- especially boys, they start getting real emotional.
And, uh, you know, they, they were sparring or were doing whatever kind of drill, and they all wanna be the best at it, and if we're sparring, only one, only one person can win, you know? So
Riley: Right.
Jeremy: upset and you know, but it's, it's, it's mostly, it's, it's fun, though. Uh, takes a lot of energy for [00:13:00] me, too, 'cause I'm not, I'm not a super, like, effervescent kind of...
Like, I crack jokes, and I'm, that's the kind of coach I am or teacher that I am, but with the kids, you gotta have m- a higher energy and which I think is probably helpful for me, too, you know, so. But yeah, it's been, it's been good.
Riley: This is cool that you're-- what you're saying there because it's, you know... I think sometimes can bring out the best in us and the worst in us, right? But it, it definitely draws that creativity out. You're talking about developing these games and come up with an idea to, to explain what, what base is by, by using tug of war, right? That is a-- it's a great analogy exactly how you, you have to do those grip breaks, right? You have to get your feet in front of you, and that's the, the way you phrase that. But the other thing is that, um, getting outside yourself, right? 'Cause you've got a way you do things
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: But man, you get in front of kids, now you gotta, bring out a different part of your personality that sometimes is uncomfortable when we haven't done that for a while.[00:14:00]
Jeremy: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I can remember, um, there was a lot of classes with Keith where Keith would teach a move, and he would say, "Go screw it up, and then come back, and then we'll fix it." And, uh, I, you know, I didn't really think much of it at the time, but what Keith knew, what I didn't know at the time, was there's so much detail in this particular movement or escape or whatever we're doing, that there's just no way you're gonna get it all the first time through.
So go work on part of it, get what you can get, and then we'll, we'll do it again. We'll, you know, and those... So now that I'm teaching, you know, full time, um, like, that has become so clear to me. And it's also helped me in that, like, I just break down into smaller chunks for kids. You know, like, I'm not, I won't teach a scissor sweep usually in one go.
I'll, I'll teach how to get into the [00:15:00] position. Let's go practice that. I'll teach, like, where's, where's the pressure need to go? Where do you need to push? Where do you need to pull? Um, that'll be the next, like, I'm breaking it into smaller chunks and, like, the expectations of, um, those moves has, has definitely changed in my mind.
Riley: Do you-- you're coming up with these, these ideas, um, how to teach kids, you know What does that study time look like? 'Cause I, I know with me, man, sometimes it'll happen when I'm just driving down the road and I'm just mulling these thoughts like, "Man, how can I get this idea across? What's, what's actually really happening?" Um, do you, do you take time, m-maybe drive time, or do you have a, a, a s- kind of way you set apart time to, to just study that and analyze it?
Jeremy: Yeah, it's interesting because my approach is drastically different for the kids than it is the adults. You know, like, I look at videos of moves and [00:16:00] different, you know, different instructors' approaches for adults, and, um, I spend a lot of time, like, just focusing on details and... But for the kids, it's not that.
It's, it's largely, like, visualization and, and just trying to think like, "Well, what is this like? If I... What's, what's a physical analogy of what we're doing that might be fun for kids?" And so it's like, it's just, like, this mind exercise. And then Brittany is always looking at Instagram and Facebook. She's...
You know, she has turned into a jujitsu nerd like the rest of us, and so she's, like, always looking at jujitsu stuff now . And, uh, so but sh- a lot of her feed has kids games and, and, you know, there's tons of information on what other people are doing. And she, usually she runs the warm-ups, and so she is doing, um, all, like, adding in games that she finds that she thinks fun.
So she's [00:17:00] always sending me things like that, and I don't, I don't usually use that stuff, but it, it can trigger other ideas. Um, like, "Oh, that's a cool way of doing this." So yeah, that happens for me a lot. Um, I also have, like... It's a 35-minute drive from my house to the gym, so I do have some time to th- think about it on the way too, but
Riley: Yeah.
Jeremy: yeah, so...
Riley: Yeah, I, I love that kind of, um, focus time in any- anything I'm working on, man, when I can really analyze how to do something better and, and understand the mechanics of it. And that'll happen in my mobile oil change business too, right? Where I remember, especially when I was on a truck, it would be those things of, okay, here's, here's where the tools exist in my box, and I'm sick of jumping up, clear up into the truck and walking to the back of it to get this tool that I use every time I get out of the truck. maybe I should put that one closer to the door, you know?
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah.
Riley: like that. And you're... [00:18:00] You know, martial arts is very different, but it's very the same when you've got these, these business problems that you're trying to figure out how to deal with and, you know,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: kids program or, you know, e-everything from what mat cleaners to use and what tools to use for that and, uh, all that stuff comes into play, right?
And so as, as the owner, your mind is on all these things, and so there's just constantly. think that's what we get paid to do is problems, right?
Jeremy: I totally agree. I also feel like it's all trial and error too, and I think that when the kids and the parents know that we're trying to make it better for them, they... There's a lot of grace with, like, what, what they're willing to try, and, like, if things don't go great, like, then we just shift gears, and it's okay with everybody, you know?
So, um, that's been, that's been cool and fun to see too, 'cause, like... Like, sometimes I'll show a [00:19:00] thing that I think is gonna be really easy for, you know, maybe a, a guard break or something like that, I think is gonna be really easy, and then none of my kids can do it. And,
Riley: Yeah.
Jeremy: and then I'm like, "Okay. Well, maybe this isn't a great great kids...
or maybe it's not a great beginner kids move," you know? Like, maybe we need to get more foundation before we build to that. So I do... Like, there is quite a bit of that too, and I'm, you know, this... My adults program is, my gi nights are strictly Team Rhino curriculum. I do exactly what Keith designed the program to be, and I think Keith was really brilliant in, in that, you know?
And so, like, I really believe in the curriculum that he, that he put out. And then the other half the time is no-gi. And so this is me being, like, half coach, half teacher, like, seeing what I think my students need and, like, filling in the [00:20:00] gaps. And so half the time we're doing curriculum, half the time we're doing the things I think my, my students need to fill in, fill in the gaps.
But the kids program is... I'm not using the Team Rhino kids program. I'm doing my own kids program. And, uh, so you know, some of it's awesome, and some of it's failing and you know, like, it's... we're growing and figuring it out as we go, so, um, which is fun.
Riley: So you had mentioned before kind of Keith's statement of, "Go screw it up and come back," and, and how you're, realizing that there was more to that statement than just making people laugh. It did
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: laugh, right? But
Jeremy: Right.
Riley: Is there, has there been other things where... How to phrase this? We've all have opinions about how a business should be run, right?
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: we don't always see the big picture, so we don't always [00:21:00] understand why certain decisions get made. there been things that have popped up that you've now as an owner look at and go, "Oh, that makes more sense why they did it that way now"?
[00:22:00]
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah. I, I, I know- Individual instances of that don't, don't come into my mind. But yeah, I mean, it does... You know, like, when you're training m- martial art, and I assume all martial arts are this way, and probably a lot of, like, just physical training where you have a lot of personal time with an instructor, like, it's a business, you're paying for a service, but it's also, like, you're investing time into each other, which is really personal.
And, uh, sometimes when you're paying for tuition for, you know, like [00:23:00] lessons, it's easy to lose sight of that person's pouring themself into me and they have my best interest in mind. And so it's personal in a way that, you know, when you first start doesn't really seem like... Like, when I first started going to Team Rhino, you know, I was...
Team Rhino was a big school even then, and, uh, Keith had a lot of students. And Keith was amazing at, like, identifying what everybody needed and, and I didn't realize that for, for quite a while. And I did before he passed away, but in retrospect, when I look back on that, like, it's, it's so impressive to me.
Like, you know, he could be, at any time, any student on the mat, he could tell, he could tell anybody like, "Yeah, you need to work on this," and, "This sucks at what you're doing here," and, "You should be doing this." And, [00:24:00] um, the amount of time and effort he, like, just poured into students was, was really impressive.
And the more that I do this, the more I see how much effort that takes and how much, like, just attention to whatever, everything that's going on. So, yeah.
Riley: Yeah, that, that part of leadership, right, where you recognize what the people who are working with you need is, is a big deal. 'Cause, you know, in the martial arts world, you have students, but you also, at some point, you'll grow to a place where you have employees also, right? And now all of a sudden you've got another, branch of that tree that needs your attention. And, uh, I think that's just part of good leadership is, it's good practice within the martial arts world of understanding how the team now needs attention, and it can be the, like in your, your employees or your, or your students. But have to, you have to do the same thing on both sides of that. And, you know, again, [00:25:00] learning how to teach, right?
Teaching's a different art form than the martial art itself.
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: differentiated teaching from coaching,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: uh kind of would like to hear your thoughts on that, 'cause I-- somebody else I talked to on the podcast did the same thing. They, they really differentiated between teaching and coaching, and, and that, that subject matter's fascinating to me.
But
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: that whole
Jeremy: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah
Riley: leadership, you're there to equip your team
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: no-- there's, there's almost... a nuts and bolts principle of what leadership is. That's what a leader's there to do, is to, to empower and equip their team.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: your thoughts?
Jeremy: Yeah, so, um, when I think of teaching, I think of, like, you're just conveying ideas. That can be, like, just explaining a thing. That could be showing a thing. Likely it's a combination of those things. Depending on your student, it might also be doing the thing to them or have them do it to you. But [00:26:00] in all of that sense, it's just like you're trying to convey an idea.
You're trying to put the idea that's in your brain in a clear way to their brain, and that's what I think teaching is. Um, coaching is identifying what individuals need and either giving them that thing or pushing them away from the thing that they wanna do. It's, it's more like you're guiding someone to what really will be helpful to them.
And, you know, I think those things are, like, hand in hand, but I don't think they're the same thing at all. I think that there's really great teachers that couldn't tell you anything about any of the people on the mats or, or in the gym or across... You know, like, anything, you know? Like, uh... But I think the other part is true too.
Like, I've seen, I've seen a lot of people that I thought were giving excellent pointers, excellent advice [00:27:00] during and after roles, or maybe they watch somebody else spar with somebody else, and they're giving great advice there. But then you watch them try to convey ideas in front of a group, and they're terrible at it.
And so, like, I... Those strike me as completely different skills. And I don't know how unique it is to be good at both, but it, it does strike me as it's probably more common than not to not be good at both. Um, and then I think as far as leadership, it's... You have to be the one, like, steering the ship, so you're providing, you're providing, like, the vision of what we're trying to do.
And then after that, it's how can I equip all of everyone underneath me to, to, to help them do that? Like, it's once, once they know what we're doing, then it's my job to help them be able to do it. [00:28:00] So, I mean, that's p- maybe overly broad, but that's kinda what I think
Riley: No, I, I think you're, you're right on the right track, man. And that's... Developing all those skills at the same time is the challenge. You s- you, you, you mentioned, you know, don't know how unique it is, but it really is a... It's not something everybody has. It's something we all have to develop, right? Because you're, you are all these different roles.
You know, you're a coach, but you're also a student. In, in the role you're playing now, you're now a, a business owner, you're a salesperson, you're a... There's, all these different aspects of the business that all these different hats you wear. And I've made the joke a lot of times, and maybe you've even heard me say it, but, um, you know, it's not original to me, but the, the term CEO means chief everything officer.
It's like you're, you're kind of in charge of... Especially in a small company, right?
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah.
Riley: You gotta wear all these different hats, and sometimes, sometimes that's hard to switch gears, right? If
Jeremy: [00:29:00] Yeah.
Riley: if you're in, uh, you know, social media posting mode, and then you've gotta stop that 'cause people are showing up for class and you gotta become teacher again, sometimes that's a hard little mindset to switch, uh, switch gears, you know?
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, m-matter of fact, I think it was last... not last, two weeks ago. Usually, usually on Fridays I'll come down to the gym. It's just me by myself and I'm recording stuff for our social media. I'm making videos, creating, like, scheduling posts. And, uh, I had the, a, a, a, a pair of grandparents walk in.
They had seen my sign and they, they... And they were wanting to know about jujitsu for their grandchild. And, uh, I was in the m- my mind was in the mode of the videos that I was working on, and I did a terrible job, like, about what we do. I, I barely talked about our [00:30:00] kids program. And, like, I did such a bad job.
And then, like, within the, like, for the next two weeks I'm, like, reflecting on how, how I just screwed that up and how I need to do it better and s- but just, just like, exactly like you're saying. Like, my mind was not in sales mode at all at that, at that particular time. And, uh, so I have some ideas to not screw it up so, so bad next time, but...
Riley: Yeah. I think that's an underestimated thing, right? 'Cause we, we always talk about the technician who wants to become the business owner, and he thinks because he knows the trade he's gonna automatically be good at running the business. And they're, and they're just, just different things. They're just so different that
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: they almost barely overlap, and that's exactly what I was talking about, was that it's hard to switch
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: man.
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's, it's been interesting for me. You know, I, I- I listen to a lot of podcasts. In my last job, I, I traveled a lot [00:31:00] for work, and, uh, so I spent a lot of time listening to podcasts and, and listening to books, and that kind of thing. And there's a thing that I heard from some, like, bigger entrepreneurs over and over again, is scratch your own itch, which I think is, like, a Tim Ferriss...
That's a- the thing he, he quoted. But, like, the point is, like, to build the thing that you want if it's not available. And, uh, I think it's a, a drastic overl- oversimplification of what needs to happen, but I c- I'm s- trying to stay focused on that too. Like, I want my gym to be the gym culture that I want, like the community that I want.
Um, I want the mats to look a certain way. I want the cleanliness to be a cer- Like, all of the things that I want in a gym, um, like I don't want a gym that takes itself too serious, but I also wanna [00:32:00] uphold traditions and honor who we came from. And, like, so I have, like, a lot of ideas of what I want this thing to be.
Um, and, you know, sometimes we're killing it and sometimes we're not . You know, like, this is the way it goes, but we're growing, you know, so...
Riley: So Jeremy, you had mentioned feeling like you've really screwed up with those, the grandparents that came in, right?
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: And, and how you kind of contemplated that for the next couple weeks, you know.
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: to me how, uh, it doesn't have to be... It doesn't sound like they said anything negative to you, but that was your own self-reflection, right?
Of,
Jeremy: Yes.
Riley: didn't handle that situation well." But then that, that's now in your head, right? Um,
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: it-- I mean, it's probably not the first time as a, as a person you've ever done something like that, but how long those negative things will just live there, man, and
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: off sometimes is a challenge.
Jeremy: Yeah. I think, yeah, I, I, I totally agree. And, and I think [00:33:00] this... I've thought this for a long time, like, the... If I could give myself grace, the same grace that I give to my friends and the people around me, like, how much easier it would be on me. 'Cause I, like, I'm pretty brutal with myself ti- sometimes in, like, how I think about how I screw things up.
And I think that's useful in some ways, you know, because I think that, like, this, this example of the grandparents, like, I did screw it. Like, I never heard from them again, and I, I don't expect I will. And, uh, but I'm like, okay, well, clearly they were looking for information for, about a, a jujitsu program for their kids, and they don't know what questions to ask.
And, like, what can I convey to these people that are looking for, what do you do here? What can my... What, like, what can we expect our grandchildren to learn? Why is that useful? Like- It's so obvious in retrospect, but, like, at the [00:34:00] time I'm just like, "Well, what do you wanna know?" Like, "What do you know about jujitsu?"
And they're like, "Uh, saw your sign." You know, like, it was such a... It was... And it was awkward and, you know, I... The signs are up. The signs... I don't even think my signs were... I got one, I got a sign that's permanent down by the highway, and so I'm, I'm assuming they, they drove by and saw that. But yeah, like, so I think it's useful to be critical and to think of those things, but I tend to beat myself up too much, which probably a lot of us do, but yeah.
Riley: I think that's, I think that's true, man. I-- It, and it's, it's that ability to reflect and learn from what you did, but then not overly abuse yourself with it, right? It's like there is a point where it's like, "Okay, that's what I did. This is where we're at, and this is the new starting point, and here's what I learned from it. Here's what I gotta put into practice now, and here's what I'm gonna do different next time."
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: that's, uh, [00:35:00] that's some k- of a, it's a great conversation, man, 'cause I know every business owner does that, right? If you had that interaction with an employee or a customer or a, you know... Every parent has that same thing where... I call it dad fails around my house when I, do something where I'm just, like, losing my crap, and I get mad and say
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: and I'm like, "Oops, shouldn't have done that. That was an over,"
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: "overreaction." Um,
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly, yeah.
Riley: as you're, as you're walking this through, Jeremy, we're, again, six months or so of having the, having the gym open.
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: how has mentorship or seeking advice, uh, came into, into the picture?
[00:36:00]
Jeremy: Yeah, so, um, I mean, I've, I've gotten some good advice from, from Team Ryno and, and Shirley Ngo, and, you know, she runs the, the association and, and she's given us some, some great marketing ideas, and she's talked about [00:37:00] some of the struggles that she and Keith had. And, uh, obviously if you and I have talked several things, um, about different ideas.
Um, I'm also in a lu- in, in a life group through my church, and, uh, there's some, some guys in there that have had success in business. And so, um, which is also super useful to me, you know, like hearing... 'Cause I am at a point in my life where I really wanna know, like, a Christian point of view of the things that I'm talking about.
And, uh, and so it's nice to have, like, elders in their, in, in their Christian journey that can, that can do that. Um, I've also reached out to several people and- Some have been great and some have just been too busy and, you know, I think that's part of it. And, um, you know, y- you recently, um, gave me the, the [00:38:00] information for, for Roger Perez, the guy that runs the, the Carlos Machado Association.
Um, he, uh, he set some time aside and we did, like, a Zoom call, and he went through a lot of my marketing stuff and, and it was amazing. And, um, I think that those kind of relationships are, are super useful for me. I don't really right now have a mentor for a jujitsu business and, uh, I've been thinking about that a lot lately.
Um, I think it would definitely be... Uh, you know, I've been reading books and, and, and, you know, about growing a business and, um, I don't know what that person is, you know, because... And I've been in contact with people that would absolutely be that role, but they don't really have the thing that I want. And so, and I have a lot of that.
I have, like you, I think you're an amazing businessman, and you're very knowledgeable and wise about a lot of these things, [00:39:00] but you haven't built a successful gym. That doesn't mean your advice isn't valuable to me. It absolutely is, but, like, I'm still kind of looking for this is a person that has built what I wanna build, and they can kinda help me through some of the pitfalls.
And,
Riley: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Jeremy: so that's kinda where I'm at with that.
Riley: Yeah, I think that happens a lot, and I'll-- I can, I can kind of echo that in my whole business life, right? Especially this mobile oil change company, right? Well, I don't, I don't even know of another mobile oil change company, so there is no one who's done what I want to build. And so then
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: "Okay, these, these little pieces of the pie, know somebody who's really good at this thing. How do I- How do I pick and choose guys who are good at the different aspects so that I can now have a complete kind of picture at the end of that? You know, it's like
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: good at, [00:40:00] at marketing his, his mechanic shop per se, so I'm gonna get some advice from him. there's some overlap there, so now we can, we can that in and then somebody else who's, who's really good at, uh, know, putting systems together as far as operating systems for a business, you know, finding mentorship there and, and yeah, I don't, I don't know if there's a person who can do-- be a total mentor is, is what I'm saying.
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense to me. Um, and I do think that people that are successful that are willing to, like, help you, like- 'Cause not everybody is, you know? And there's people that I've reached out to that weren't helpful. Um, like that seems really valuable to me, and I think that, you know, try to be appreciative.
I also worry that I'm asking something from someone, and oftentimes I have nothing to offer in [00:41:00] return. And, uh, it's a... It's one thing if it's like you and I are personal friends, you know? And, and, uh, so I don't mind asking for some of your time, and I'm happy to give my time. But, like, there's people that I'm asking time of that I don't know how I can help them at all.
And so... And I don't even know if they see it that way, but I do. Like, I'm asking something for you for nothing in return, and sometimes that, that feels kinda, I don't know, not awesome. But...
Riley: Do
Jeremy: So that's...
Riley: that? Just, just say that to people? 'Cause I, I can think of several times guys have come to me and, and questions, and I'm always-- I'm just happy to sit down with somebody 'cause I know what it's like, man.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: goes through my head on the other end of that, on the mentorships or the mentor side of that,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: me.
But I'll tell you what does bother me is when I give someone some advice on something they ask directly, and then they turn [00:42:00] around and don't do And I'm like,
Jeremy: Yep.
Riley: you asked. I just...
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: I spent all this time doing this, and now you just disregard it like you don't care." Um, I've had a couple instances of those and, you know, some of that's my own ego, but some of
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: why did we do that if you didn't really care what I had to say?
Jeremy: Yeah. Oh, that's interesting. So I, I tend to thank people for their time, and I, and I, I think that's so common. Maybe people don't, aren't sincere about it, but I'm sincere about it when, when someone gives me their time. I don't usually air that I feel bad that I, I don't have anything to return. You know, I don't do that.
But yeah, it's interesting to me. You know, like I've, in other aspects, I've given people advice just, just like you say, where they didn't take my advice. And I've wondered, 'cause I've been in that situation too where [00:43:00] mentors in my life have given me advice and I didn't follow their advice. But it could be that I was so concerned about something I asked five people, and the majority went this way.
And so I'm ignoring the, the minority, but, like, that could be. You know, like,
Riley: Sure.
Jeremy: people don't, uh, follow your advice and, and sometimes it backfires, and sometimes, I don't know. But yeah.
Riley: what's interesting is, is how much thrill I've gotten, though, when somebody does follow my advice comes
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: and says, "Hey, I did that thing, and here's what it turned into." You know? dude,
Jeremy: yeah, that's good.
Riley: down again 'cause that, that's fun. I love to hear those stories.
And so that in itself, if I was gonna say, you know, payment for my time, if you will,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: that's, that's some-- that's amazing.
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah, I, [00:44:00] and I do think that you lean that way where you, you wanna teach people and you want to mentor people. And like, I think that's one of your gifts, you know, but not everybody that's successful is that way, for sure. And, you know, like some people are way, just way more generous with that sort of thing than others.
But yeah, I can totally see that.
Riley: Sure. No, I d- I think I, I say all that to be encouraging to, like, don't hesitate to ask somebody or feel bad because you can't or don't know how to, compensate them for their time. 'Cause some-- there's, there's a lot of guys out there I know who, man, if you'll take their advice and run with it and do something good with it, then you can have more.
Have as much as you want, right?
Jeremy: Yeah. I will say that more often than not, if I ask someone for advice, um, most people are absolutely, like, willing to give you a little time. [00:45:00] Like, so we were ... Well, you and I were recently at the Carlos Machado, um, spring camp. Um, and Brittany and I went to a lot of the, the business and marketing classes there, and, uh, you know, there's some of those classes led to conversations with some
Some of those guys have gyms that are just enormous, you know, and it's got four or five different locations. And I think one guy said his main gym has got 18,000 square feet, and, like, it just blows my mind, like some of the success that, that these guys have. And then, you know, I catch them on a break and I'm like, "Hey, man, you know, you were talking about this, that or the other, and can I, can I talk to you about it?"
And everyone's like, "Yeah, absolutely." You know, like, so that's been ... Most of the time that's the way it's been. People have been so generous, um, in that way. So [00:46:00] that's cool, and I think events like that have been, been really useful for me. Like, we did, uh ... They, th- there was a lot of marketing material in this last camp for those business classes.
And so because of that, I've kind of been changing the way our social media looks. Um, and it's ... I think part of it is the social media changes So what used to work five or six years ago in classes I took in the past, um, were great for that time, but as, as the social media changes, then we need to change.
And so, like, if anybody's following my social media and they see that, um, it's looks different now than it did, you know, a half a year ago, that's why. We, we took some classes, and we're trying to, we're trying to hit the right people and get the right kind of messages out. And, uh, those efforts are from those, those [00:47:00] folks, and, and those folks are really approachable.
So that's been ... I don't know if I'm any good at it yet, but I'm trying, so.
Riley: Yeah. No, I think a lot of it is trial and error, but, um, would you talk about... There, there's this book I wrote, or, or read one time that was called "The Entrepreneur Rollercoaster," right? And basically
Jeremy: Mm-hmm.
Riley: the ups and the downs you feel in a given day or given week, or sometimes every ten minutes. um, just, just, man, you have a win, and then you have a loss, and you have a win, and you have a loss, and that, that up and the
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: you whiplash, right? As a, as an owner. Can you
Jeremy: Yeah, man.
Riley: some of that?
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah, this, this week was a roller coaster for us. You know, like, um, we live, um, in, in East Texas and in this area, and I'm, I'm, I'm sure it's probably common a lot of places right now, like, there's this cold or flu going around that's got a lot of people sick. [00:48:00] And so a lot of our students were out of the gym, and, uh, some of my students travel.
And so Monday, I think we had, um, we had eight people in the gym, and I had some visitors and, um, some advanced guys, and it was awesome. And we had a good class, the really great rolls. And then Tuesday, I had one person show up. And then, um, Wednesday, again, a room, you know, like, we were s- probably 10 or 11 folks on the mat.
And then yesterday it was just Brittany and I. And so I'm ... And I, like, I value that time where I can do, I can help her, um, like, zero in on the techniques that she's, she's working on right now, and, like, I love that time. But, like, as a business owner and as a teacher and a coach, like, it's super [00:49:00] deflating for me, you know?
Like, 'cause some nights we have 12 or 15 people on the mats, and some nights we don't. And, uh, it feels like when we don't, like, that we're doing something wrong. And, uh, you know, and sometimes there's truth in that, and sometimes there's, there's a lot that's at, with, totally not, outside of our control.
Riley: Yeah.
Jeremy: And, uh- And I'm also like, we're...
Brittany just redid our, our website and we're getting into doing Google ads, which is one of the advice that, that Roger gave us. Um, and so we're spending money and right now not getting any results, and like, we're talking about budgeting these things and, like, investing for the future. And so, like, we're spending all this time and money and we're not getting people calling us or coming in, and it's like, it can feel really dire sometimes.
[00:50:00] But then I have an amazing kids class, and like, we're just on top of the world, you know? So like... And those things can happen in the same day, you know? So yeah, I think, um, actually I think one of the things you and I talked about a while ago, 'cause I was asking, I, I was feeling a little bit of despair at the time, and your advice to me was, um, just have a plan, have a next thing to do, and as long as you have a plan to work, you have something to do.
And, uh, that's been really useful for me. And I... I mean, I always have things to do, but like just focusing on those sort of things in those valleys has been useful. And, uh, and sometimes I'll call a friend and, you know, like, um, "Hey, I need you to cheer me up," or sometimes it's just like... Sometimes it's just chatting with a friend I haven't chatted with in a few weeks, and, and I, like, I've been blessed in my life to have really amazing friends, and so [00:51:00] that's can be really useful for me, too.
And, uh, there are some conversations that tend to be, like, more of a drag on me, and so in those valleys I'll kind of avoid those things. And yeah. And so also, like, working out and preparing for class and, like, studying the Bible and, like, those things that improve me as a person. Like, if I do those things, that for sure helps a bunch, too.
Riley: Yeah.
Jeremy: And, uh, yeah, so those are things.
Riley: I think, I think that's something that is overlooked a lot, and I, I... You know, we, we always think when we are, are a business owner that it's all gonna be mountaintop experiences, right? And, but it is so not. You know, there's, there's just... Again, you, you mentioned that that can all happen in the same day.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: I can think of so many instances over the years where that happened in, in a 10-minute period, where I was top of the world and then I get a phone call, and all of a sudden now I'm in the, in the [00:52:00] trenches.
I'm just, I'm slogging through mud and everything's gon- you know,
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: and then five minutes later I get another phone call that's like, "Oh, you sold a new account and it's the biggest one you've ever sold." It's like, holy crap, man, I can't take it. I gotta breathe for a
Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah, man, I feel that a bunch. Yeah, right now especially. Yeah.
Riley: that's super exciting, man. Well, Jeremy, I um, I love that you came on for an update here, 'cause you know, this is, I think, helpful for people listening who are starting something or trying to grow something themselves, right? And sometimes as business owners, we just feel like we're all alone in that, like we're the only one really those battles.
And, and if you just look around, you can see anyone else who's, well, doing, doing life, right? Who's still breathing air, they're fighting those battles
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: other business owners, man. You know, it's, uh... So it's cool that you are willing to share that with, with this audience. Appreciate
Jeremy: [00:53:00] Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, it's been fun. It's been, uh... You know, the last time I was on your podcast, um, it w- I had a, I had a good time doing that, and then, uh... But I don't see any of your numbers, and I don't know who has listened to what, and then, like, I'll run into a friend or, uh, my... Actually, I was back home a couple months ago, and my uncle, um, he brought up the pod- the pod- your podcast.
Um, and, uh, I, in, I had forgotten in the first, uh, podcast I was talking about when I was a purple belt, that I used to call my shots when I was rolling with people. And, uh, he just thought that was the funniest thing, and I, and I had, like, forgotten about it by the time I talked to him. So yeah, it's been cool.
It's been, and, uh, I've met a couple of the people, um, that have been on your podcast since. And, uh, yeah, it's been great, man. This has been a, been a cool experience, so I'm happy to at least be a small part of it, for sure.[00:54:00]
Riley: Well, I'm, I'm excited, man. Like I said, I think this is really encouraging for other, other business owners and, I wanna do a part three here in, you know, maybe three, four, five more months and just update again. It'd be super cool. I liked this, um- It's, it's ve- very different format than what, I've done in most other episodes, but it goes
Jeremy: Yeah.
Riley: theme. it's just not often you could catch somebody at the beginning of a business and then talk your way through the, the, again, the, the ups and the downs of what really happens in a, in a business, so, uh.
Jeremy: Yeah, man, I'd love to. Um, yeah, I appreciate the support, and I appreciate you having me on, and, and, and as always, your friendship. So this is cool. If we can do it again, that'd be awesome.
Riley: Great, man. Jeremy, go and salt, my friend.
Jeremy: All right, man. Bye.
[00:55:00]