| "What's really disturbing to me is how many | | | | and by the age of 25 he was the head of a million |
| martial arts instructors somehow feel they must | | | | dollar operation. |
| "take a vow of poverty" to teach quality martial | | | | He is however, the first to admit that over a |
| arts. The reality is the better you do at | | | | thirty year career in the martial arts is hasn't |
| developing your students and creating a quality | | | | been all plain sailing. "I clearly encountered many |
| school the easier it becomes to make a living | | | | obstacles over the years. My biggest crisis was |
| comparable to professionals with similar levels of | | | | back in 1989 when I basically lost about 70% of |
| training in any field." - Grandmaster Stephen | | | | my staff and went through a protracted divorce |
| Oliver, 8th Dan | | | | at the same time. It all coincided with the biggest |
| This month Martial Arts School Owner interview | | | | economic collapse in the Colorado economy ever. |
| one of the martial arts most outstanding | | | | That took several years to dig out of - and, led |
| individuals, 8th degree black belt, president and | | | | to me going back to get my MBA which was |
| founder of Mile High Karate, Grand Master | | | | more for an emotional break than it was to really |
| Stephen Oliver. From the outset of our meeting I | | | | learn more stuff on how to run my business. |
| realize it is more than just a lifetime's | | | | Additionally, just the fortitude of character to pull |
| commitment to hard training and technical | | | | through all of that and become highly successful |
| excellence that has enabled Grand Master Oliver | | | | again was an incredibly valuable experience." Yet |
| to achieve so much in his career that has spanned | | | | through it all Grandmaster Oliver never lost sight |
| well over thirty years. Perhaps it is the real | | | | of the passion and the drive to be innovative in |
| passion that he has for providing high quality | | | | the martial arts with his Mile High Karate school |
| instruction to his students while providing an | | | | chain. "We have done several things that I believe |
| opportunity for his school owners and staff to | | | | are unusual. First, many of the organizations that |
| make an incredible living and even going as far in | | | | try to expand nationally and internationally focus |
| his marketing campaign to boldly state that 'that | | | | on one, sometimes two areas of the business but |
| each and every Black Belt ever developed at Mile | | | | fail to really combine all of them." Adding that; |
| High Karate has said the experience was not only | | | | "with my schools we've managed to support the |
| worth $1,000,000.00 but literally was priceless!' Or | | | | individual schools by getting their billing, their |
| is it his unwavering commitment to community | | | | accounting, and their payroll done for them by |
| projects such as Chuck Norris' 'Kick drugs out of | | | | someone else." |
| America'? The answer is that Grand Master | | | | Another key foundation of Mile High Karate is |
| Oliver's success cannot be attributed to one | | | | providing focused training programs on all three |
| particular factor in his career. He combines with | | | | critical success factors that each school must |
| ease all the savvy marketing and business | | | | focus on: |
| techniques available to any business person, at the | | | | 1.) Effective internal and external marketing |
| same time demonstrating the true attributes of a | | | | systems |
| traditional martial arts instructor. So whatever | | | | 2.) Structured pricing systems and presentation |
| stage you are at with your teaching there is | | | | processes to effectively enroll and upgrade |
| something to learn from Grand Master Oliver. He's | | | | students - much of it supported with automatic |
| become the leading consultant in the field through | | | | processes or incredibly effective sales tools |
| his school owner's coaching program and his Mile | | | | 3.) Effective instructor training systems combined |
| High Karate schools are busy expanding | | | | with scientifically and structured curriculum to |
| internationally through Regional Developer "Master' | | | | ensure the highest possible quality of students. At |
| franchises. | | | | the same time Grandmaster Oliver remains totally |
| After graduating from high school Master Oliver | | | | focused on instilling the core values and |
| moved to Washington D.C to take up further | | | | philosophies in the growing Mile High Karate chain, |
| studies at Georgetown University, and to help pay | | | | "the over-all culture of the organization is very |
| for his education began teaching at a branch of | | | | important. |
| the Jhoon Rhee Institute. However, it soon | | | | We really work to make sure that all of our staff |
| became clear that the way martial arts were | | | | and black belts are working interdependently. It's |
| being taught needed change. 'During the 1960's | | | | very important for everyone to always be "a |
| and 1970's in the United States the martial arts | | | | product of the product" focusing on both high |
| appealed most to a lower class of people who | | | | physical skill as well as achieving the highest level |
| were primarily focused on fighting more | | | | of mental and emotional mastery. We really focus |
| effectively. Back in Texas and Oklahoma the | | | | on having every instructor and member of the |
| contact rules in competition were really open to | | | | organization always exhibiting the highest levels of |
| flexible interpretation.' It was clear to | | | | integrity and success motivation." |
| Grandmaster Oliver that if he was to open up his | | | | During my time with Grandmaster Oliver, it was |
| knowledge of martial arts to a wider audience, | | | | clear that apart from being a very talented |
| and build a sustainable martial arts school business | | | | martial artist and instructor, he is an individual that |
| he needed to curtail the 'blood and guts' attitude | | | | believes the path to success is through constant |
| that had come to dominate the art in that early | | | | learning. Although fortunate to have had a |
| period. Over the years from his early teaching | | | | university education and the opportunity for |
| days at the university 'both the percentage of | | | | further formal training in various business |
| students graduating to Black Belt - and, their | | | | disciplines, he firmly believes that anyone with the |
| abilities when they get there have improved | | | | drive for further self improvement can achieve it; |
| dramatically and also our students tend to be | | | | adding that "most formal education is about |
| more highly educated as interested in the wider | | | | learning how to learn, not so much about learning |
| range of developmental benefits that the program | | | | anything specifically that is helpful as an |
| offers.' | | | | entrepreneur or as a teacher. Over the years I |
| It was during this early period at university that | | | | have been very focused on continuing to pick a |
| Grandmaster Oliver began looking into the idea | | | | subject matter and either formally or informally |
| that his passion for the arts really could become | | | | educating myself to a very high level in areas that |
| his living. "In the early 1980's I was finishing up my | | | | are practical and necessary for my continued |
| college degree at Georgetown University in | | | | success not just as a business person but as a |
| Washington, D.C. I was a branch manager for the | | | | martial arts school owner." Building one of the |
| Jhoon Rhee Institute (which had 9 locations in | | | | USA's most successful chains of martial arts |
| Washington, D.C.). I thought I was going to go on | | | | schools has not been easy, and it has required |
| to an MBA at Harvard or Stanford University then | | | | some tough decisions along the way combined |
| a career in a big corporation." When finishing up at | | | | with sharp business acumen and he is quick to |
| Georgetown Grandmaster Oliver courted several | | | | add that "I often get a reputation of focusing on |
| of the worlds most recognized businesses such as | | | | the money -but that is not accurate. |
| Proctor & Gamble, IBM, and several Big | | | | We've developed an incredible martial arts |
| Banks such as Chase Manhattan based in New | | | | organization with Jeff Smith and many other high |
| York City. However, after thinking about that | | | | quality Black Belts in the leadership hierarchy |
| path as a career and looking at what he could | | | | making sure we have the best possible Black |
| earn out of college- he decided to put together an | | | | Belts and provide a situation where school owners |
| extensive business plan and move to Denver, | | | | and their staff can equal or exceed their income |
| Colorado to open a chain of martial arts schools. | | | | opportunities from any other endeavor." Indeed |
| "My model was really the Jhoon Rhee Institute | | | | the reality for Grandmaster Oliver is that the |
| and when I moved I opened five schools in 18 | | | | better you do at developing your students and |
| months - with only about $10,000 in capital. I | | | | creating a quality school the easier it becomes to |
| knew I was ridiculously undercapitalized but just | | | | make a living comparable to professionals with |
| did it anyway." Following his passion for the arts | | | | similar levels of training in any field. |
| was something that would pay off in a big way | | | | |