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🎃 How to Own October: The Martial Arts Lead Gen Game Plan That Actually Works

If you’re still treating Q4 like a “slow season,” you’re already behind.

Author

Adam Kifer
September 16, 2025

Hello, kickers!

🎯 The Kick is Here: October Isn’t Slow—You’re Just Not Leveraging It Right

This week’s edition is your full-on October domination playbook.
Forget what you've heard about Q4 being “slow”—it’s only slow if you’re unprepared. Adam just dropped the exact strategies that generated over 1,000 leads and 60+ appointments last October, and this week’s feature breaks it all down.

From Spirit Halloween partnerships to trunk-or-treat conversion systems, from referral bags to lead follow-up with a trained VA—this isn’t guesswork. It’s execution. At scale.

You’ll also find a big win from Nick Perdunn, a scroll-stopping What’s Kickin’ on Social, a leadership book every business owner needs to read, and a fresh invite to get the systems you need inside CORE OS.

Let’s stack the plays and build the momentum. October’s wide open. Let’s go.

📍 Scottsdale Is Where It Shifts

November 7–8, 2025 | Scottsdale, AZ

Let’s call it what it is:
You’re either leading with clarity
 or reacting in chaos.
You’re either scaling with systems
 or duct-taping your way to burnout.

IMPAKT Mastermind Live – Scottsdale isn’t about motivation.
It’s about execution.
You’ll walk in with questions and walk out with frameworks, confidence, and a team that knows how to move.

🎯 Here’s What You Get:

  • Two days of in-the-room strategy with real operators

  • Tools to fix your follow-up, clarify your offers, and lead your team like a pro

  • A marketing game plan that isn’t dependent on “more leads”—but built to convert the ones you already have

🗓 November 7–8, 2025

📍 Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains
📌 Book Your Hotel
🎟 Grab Your Seat

  • Doug Payne – Founder & CEO of OHM Fitness, leading the EMS fitness revolution

  • Brian Bogert – Human behavior and emotional intelligence strategist for high-performance leaders

  • Mike Arce – CEO of Loud Rumor, helping studios and gyms scale with elite ad strategies

  • Brady Edwards – Former MrBeast creative turned CEO of The Biggest Agency, known for viral content that drives results

  • + More surprises on deck

🚹 Haven’t been to an IMPAKT event before?
Email [email protected] or DM Nicole on Circle for a $1000 off code for first-time attendees.

This is the room where school owners stop surviving and start scaling.
Scottsdale is your next breakthrough. Get in the room.

🎃 How to Own October: The Martial Arts Lead Gen Game Plan That Actually Works

The exact blueprint Adam used to generate over 1,000 leads and 60+ appointments last October

If you’re still treating Q4 like a “slow season,” you’re already behind.

October is not slow.
It’s one of the easiest and most profitable times of the year to fill your school—if you know how to activate your community, run your calendar, and follow up like a pro.

We’re giving you the 5 plays Adam used last year to create nonstop momentum heading into the holidays. These aren’t ideas. These are field-tested systems that filled appointment calendars and converted new members fast.

Let’s break it down.

🏬 1. The Spirit Halloween Booth Play

What It Is:
Set up a booth outside a local Spirit Halloween store and reward shoppers with a free trial.

How It Works:

  • Walk into the store and speak directly to the manager (don’t call)

  • Offer to reward all their customers on a specific day with 2 weeks free + a free t-shirt

  • Set up a table outside with a board-breaking station and a simple pitch

Goal: Book 10+ appointments per day
💡 Bonus Tip: Make your booth offer better than your website. Create urgency.

This is one of the fastest and lowest-cost ways to get leads from foot traffic that’s already out in your town.

🚗 2. Run a Trunk-or-Treat Event at Your School

What It Is:
A community Halloween event where families decorate their cars, kids trick-or-treat, and you run high-energy preview classes during the event.

How It Works:

  • Create a Facebook event with an RSVP link (use your website or a tool like Spark)

  • Boost the event 3 weeks out with $10/day

  • At check-in, every family gets stamped for access to candy and your 15-minute preview classes inside the school

  • At the stamp table, pitch your offer: 21 days for $10 — today only

Why It Works:

  • You're building community on your turf

  • You control the experience and energy

  • Every family becomes a sales opportunity

🎯 Best Year: 28 trials sold
🎯 Worst Year: 11 (still profitable)

Pro Tip: Send a thank-you video to every RSVP. Personal touch = better show-up rate.

🩇 3. Partner With Existing Community Halloween Events

What It Is:
Leverage the events your city, chamber, or local businesses are already hosting. Don’t build—just show up and own the room.

How to Find Events:

  • Use Facebook’s Events tab → Search “Halloween” in your city

  • Check your city website and Chamber of Commerce page

  • Contact local churches and malls (especially large community-driven ones)

Booth Setup Tips:

  • Use re-breakable boards (less intimidating, more fun)

  • Handheld prize wheel = attention magnet

  • Always book on the spot — skip the QR code, skip the flyers. Conversations close.

Bonus Hack:
If your booth location sucks, partner with a food truck or coffee vendor. Buy $500 worth of coffee for attendees and send them your way. Yes, it works.

🍭 4. Distribute Kick-or-Treat Referral Bags

What It Is:
Referral system disguised as Halloween candy.

How It Works:

  • Create branded cards offering 2 weeks free + a t-shirt

  • Put 25 cards + 25 candies in a small bag

  • Give every student a few bags to hand out at school, Halloween parties, or on Halloween night

  • Offer a $100 reward for every referral who enrolls

Why It Works:

  • You’re turning students into brand ambassadors

  • Every student = 25 new households reached

  • It’s cheaper than mailers, more personal, and more fun

Result:
3–7 new students on average, just from this one tactic.

đŸ€– 5. Follow Up Fast With a VA (Game Changer)

What It Is:
A trained virtual assistant handles lead follow-up with lightning speed—so you never waste a lead again.

Adam’s Results:

  • Without VA: 41% lead conversion

  • With VA: 79% conversion

  • Cost: $1,100/month (pays for itself instantly)

Why It Works:

  • Calls leads within 5 minutes

  • Sends texts, gifs, and reactivates old leads

  • Every call is recorded for coaching and quality control

  • Your team focuses on what they do best—and your leads don’t get cold

đŸ”„ Relentless/Breakthrough offers this service to our clients!

🧠 Final Word: Stack the Plays, Stack the Wins

You don’t need more leads.
You need better systems—and better follow-up.

Stacking all five of these strategies is how Adam’s school generated over 1,000 leads and 60+ booked appointments in October alone.

October is not slow.
It’s a goldmine waiting for you to stop hoping and start executing.

đŸ’Œ Want All the Templates, Scripts, and SOPs?

Join CORE OS — Your All-in-One Business Operating System for Martial Arts Schools
We’ve built systems for all of it.


✅ Lead Nurturing Templates & Sales Scripts
✅ Instructor development systems
✅ Marketing calendars & campaign SOPs

And it’s all editable. Plug it in. Make it yours.
Train your team. Scale your school. Finally breathe.

You weren’t meant to build all this from scratch.
We already did it for you.

đŸ”„ What’s Kickin’ on Social

The Kick’s pick of the hottest headlines in social this week:

This week’s scroll delivered wisdom that hits deeper than surface-level motivation—truths about stillness, leadership, emotional discipline, and what it really takes to lead well in the chaos. Here’s what stood out:

Mike Arce
“Division is the Devil’s greatest trick.”
Whether it’s your team, your family, or your mindset—disunity is what destroys momentum. Protect alignment at all costs.
👉 See it here

Adam Kifer
Stillness isn’t the absence of movement—it’s the presence of awareness.
If you’re overwhelmed, scattered, or reactive, this post is your reset.
👉 See it here

Dave Kovar
When someone spews negativity, it’s rarely about you.
Quoting Longfellow: “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”
Lead with grace, even when it’s hard.
👉 See it here

Rob Kamranpoor
True leadership isn’t about how many follow you.
It’s about how many find their own way—because you believed in them when they didn’t yet believe in themselves.
👉 See it here

Kelly Murray
Stop assuming. Start asking.
Great managers don’t guess what their team needs—they ask, listen, and adjust.
👉 See it here

🧠 This week’s takeaway:
Presence, grace, curiosity, and conviction—they’re not soft skills.
They’re leadership tools. And they still matter.

😂 Martial Memes

These memes hit home for all of us martial artists and gave us a good chuckle. Click on the image to view the original account that posted each meme. Enjoy!

Have a MEME that you want featured? Send them to us at [email protected] or tag our instagram account @thekicknewsletter.

📚 What We’re Reading: Clockwork (Revised & Expanded) by Mike Michalowicz

Design your business to run itself—without running you into the ground.

If your business can’t breathe without you
 it’s not a business.
It’s a job you can’t quit.

Clockwork is the guidebook for business owners who want to scale without losing their sanity.
Mike Michalowicz (author of Profit First) walks you through how to build systems, delegate with clarity, and finally create a business that runs like... well, clockwork.

This isn’t theory—it’s practical, plug-and-play strategy.

💡 Key Takeaways for School Owners:
✅ If you’re the bottleneck, you’re also the burnout
✅ Your team doesn’t need more tasks—they need a clear outcome
✅ The goal isn’t freedom from the business. It’s control of it.

📖 Grab your copy here:
Clockwork (Revised & Expanded) on Amazon

If you’re ready to stop being the “everything” person—and start being the visionary your business actually needs—this book is the blueprint.

đŸ’„ Breakthrough Advertising Wins

Client Spotlight: Nick Perdunn

August came in strong—and @Nick Perdunn made the most of it.
Tons of trials. Tons of memberships. And a campaign that’s clearly converting.

He’s not just looking back at a win—he’s already gearing up for a strong fall season.

đŸ”„ Momentum isn’t a fluke—it’s built.
And this kind of consistency is what happens when smart ads meet fast follow-up and clear goals.

👉 Want to be the next win we shout out?
Book your Breakthrough Advertising Discovery Call here.

Let’s create your next win.

📬 Have Something That Is Kick Worthy?

We know our readers have great ideas, insights, and stories to share! If you’ve got something that’s "kick-worthy"—whether it’s a success story, a marketing tip, or something that’s helping your school thrive—submit it to us at [email protected]. Your content could be featured in an upcoming edition of The Kick and shared with martial arts school owners around the world!

đŸ”„ That’s a Wrap for This Week!

This issue was your reminder that growth isn’t about waiting for the right season—it’s about owning the one you’re in.
October isn’t slow. It’s strategic.
And the schools that win this quarter won’t be the ones who hustle harder
 they’ll be the ones who execute smarter.

Stack the plays. Train your team. Follow up like your business depends on it—because it does.
And if you want the tools, templates, and systems to run it all without reinventing the wheel, CORE OS is ready when you are.

Stay focused. Stay prepared.
And as always—stay sharp, stay relentless, and keep kicking forward. đŸ‘ŠđŸ”„