| I first heard of the "leap frog theory" in Robert | | | | neighborhood (by the way a bunch of my |
| Ringer's best selling "To Be Or Not To Be | | | | childhood and teenage "friends" are dead) I asked |
| Intimidated." This book should be required reading | | | | myself "what do I know, what do I like, and what |
| for every school owner. | | | | can I do that is unique to me?" The answer came |
| The theory basically says that when you're ready | | | | back.. "I can teach martial arts." |
| to get to the next level you have a few choices. | | | | That answer was all I needed and the timing was |
| You can patiently wait for someone to anoint you. | | | | right...because I went around to my old martial |
| You can stand in line and with the rest of the | | | | arts school and began talking to my first |
| herd and wait your turn. Or, you can simply | | | | instructor and he helped me open a small school |
| "Leap" over the pack to the head of the line and | | | | that would be a spin off of his larger school |
| anoint yourself! | | | | (which by the way, at the time was actually going |
| I guess I can give you a bunch of examples, but | | | | down the tubes, I become aware of this later. It |
| for the sake of time I'll give you one that you | | | | was a good thing because it would play into my |
| may be familiar with and a couple from my own | | | | next leap) |
| life. You've all heard of Anthony Robins, the | | | | Anyway we opened a small karate school and in |
| famous motivational and self help guru, right? He's | | | | 6 months I "Leaped" from confused high school |
| a perfect example of the leap frog theory. I don't | | | | grad to business owner. The next "Leap" I took |
| know the exact details and time frames but I do | | | | would come a year latter when I "Leaped" from |
| know that he used to run his own small seminars | | | | small school owner to a space in a busy plaza and |
| in his local area and he used to open for a | | | | helped take the school from an average revenue |
| gentleman by the name of Jim Rohn. | | | | of under $10,000 per month to, only four months |
| And the "Leap!" Out of, what seemed like no | | | | later a gross of little over $24,000 in a single |
| where he's got infomercials on TV that make him | | | | month. Basically from July to November of 1999. |
| world famous pretty quickly and propel him right | | | | And most importantly the customers and clients |
| to the top. There were probably a bunch of other | | | | were happier than ever before! |
| "speakers" who said, I'm better than this guy." But | | | | The next "Leap" in the martial arts biz came |
| he went to the top, he got no one's permission | | | | recently... Along with my colleague and friend, |
| he just did it and he's still on top of that world. | | | | Brett Lechtenberg, we took our combined years |
| Usually after a few years of "the normal" routine | | | | of experience and formed the MA-Biz Secret |
| the "leap froger" just decides it's time to do things | | | | Society which is a business society for single |
| a little faster. How about you, have you decided | | | | independent school owners ONLY. We help our |
| yet? | | | | dominate their areas through innovative direct |
| Now the personal examples. The year was 1997 | | | | response and community based marketing. |
| and I was 18 years old, just out of high school | | | | Now don't miss the benefit here...I'm not bragging! |
| and starting my first semester at Community | | | | In fact, what I've done is No big deal in the grand |
| College of Philadelphia. I became depressed | | | | scheme of the universe. But please look at your |
| because I realized that the courses I chose were | | | | life and figure out where YOU want to "Leap" to. |
| of no interest to me and after just one week of | | | | Don't wait for anyone to anoint you or give you |
| school I dropped my classes and got a refund on | | | | the right, step up and "Leap!" Who knows. Maybe |
| my tuition. Feeling sorry for myself and really not | | | | you're ready to throw away the ladder and get |
| wanting to end up like the kids in my | | | | where you want to me a warp speed! |