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🧠 Strategic > Reactive

🧠 Strategic > Reactive

How to Lead With Intention and Stop Drowning in Chaos

Adam Kifer
August 26, 2025

Hello, kickers!

🎯 The Kick is Here: Be the Architect, Not the Janitor

This week’s issue is a call to stop reacting and start leading strategically. Most owners don’t need more hustle—they need better planning. From your events to your class plans to your follow-up, the chaos you’re drowning in usually came from a lack of prep—not bad luck.

In this issue, we’re breaking down how to shift from “winging it” to building it—with marketing that creates curiosity, leadership that earns trust, and systems that don’t fall apart when you step out of the room.

We’re also spotlighting big wins from Matt Rosalez and Diana Oldham, highlighting mindset drops from Dan Martell, Leila Hormozi, and Simon Sinek—and giving you a front-row seat to IMPAKT Scottsdale, where strategy and execution meet.

Let’s dive in.

📍 Next Stop: IMPAKT Mastermind Live – Scottsdale, AZ

Clarity. Strategy. Execution. November 7–8, 2025

This isn’t another seminar.
It’s a full-scale momentum reset.

IMPAKT Mastermind Live – Scottsdale is where school owners shift from chaos to clarity, from reactive to strategic—and finally start leading like operators, not just owners.

🗓 November 7–8, 2025

📍 Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains
16770 N Perimeter Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
🏨 Book Your Hotel Here

🎤 Featured Speakers:

Doug Payne – Founder & CEO of OHM Fitness, a pioneering EMS franchise revolutionizing wearable tech workouts
Brian Bogert – Human behavior & performance coach helping leaders embrace pain, avoid suffering, and unlock sustainable growth
Mike Arce – Founder & CEO of Loud Rumor, the leading agency for fitness studios and gyms ready to scale
Brady Edwards – Former MrBeast creative turned founder of The Biggest Agency, known for bold, scroll-stopping marketing that gets results
+ more powerhouse guests to be announced

🎟 Grab Your Ticket Here – $1497 includes:
✅ Two full days of strategy, systems, and execution
✅ One FREE month of CORE OS
✅ Tactical playbooks built to grow your business—without the chaos

🚨 First time attending?
Message Nicole on Circle, email [email protected] —she’ll hook you up with a code to save $1000 off your ticket.

If you're serious about building something that lasts—this is your room.

Get in, get clear, and build it right.

🧠 Strategic > Reactive: How to Lead With Intention and Stop Drowning in Chaos

Most owners don’t lack talent.
They lack strategy .

And no, strategy doesn’t mean overcomplicated flowcharts or fancy words.
Strategy = intentional action, taken before it’s urgent.

It means making moves ahead of the problem—not after you’re knee-deep in it.

Most school owners? They live like janitors—constantly cleaning up messes.
Strategic leaders? They live like architects —laying the foundation before the building even exists.

💥 “If you don’t plan ahead, you don’t just fall behind—you create the chaos you’re drowning in.”

😵 Why Most Owners Feel Behind (All. The. Time.)

It’s not because you’re unlucky.
It’s not because you need a bigger team.
It’s because you’re underplanned.

You throw events together last minute.
Your coaches “wing it.”
Your marketing is rushed.
And your lead follow-up? Forgotten.

The result:

Blind spots catch you off guard
Your team mirrors your disorganization
Opportunities slip through the cracks

🔥 “You can’t expect your team to be organized if all they see is you winging it.”

🔁 Leadership Is Contagious

Your team follows your tempo.

If you’re last-minute, distracted, or reactive—guess what?
So are they.

If you’re focused, consistent, and proactive—they’ll match it.

📣 “A coach who shows up late to practice will never have a team that’s early.”

🔍 Where the Strategy Gap Shows Up Most

Here’s where we see the cracks first:

Goal Setting: No targets → No progress → Constant guessing
Class Plans: Coaches improvise → Inconsistent student experiences
Event Planning: Last-minute flyers → Low turnout
Marketing: Always behind → No momentum
Revenue Goals: No forecasts → Can’t measure if you’re winning
Lead Follow-Up: No system → Leads rot in your CRM

But the biggest (and most dangerous) gap?

🔻 Mentoring + Training

Too many owners hope their team levels up… but never actually train them to do it.

Leadership isn’t absorbed. It’s built.

🧠 “If you don’t intentionally train leaders, you accidentally build the wrong ones.”
🧠 “Teams aren’t built by default. They’re built by design.”

🔧 How to Lead Strategically (Starting Now)

Here’s the framework to get ahead—and stay there:

✅ Step 1: Plan Ahead

Set clear quarterly goals. Reverse engineer them into weekly priorities.

✅ Step 2: Systemize Everything

SOPs for lead follow-up. Class plans on paper. Events mapped in advance.

✅ Step 3: Anticipate Blind Spots

Ask: “What could go wrong? How do we prepare?”

✅ Step 4: Build Leaders on Purpose

Mentor regularly. Document your expectations. Create feedback loops that teach, not just correct.

🎯 “Strategic leadership starts with you. If you’re not leading with intention, you’re leading by accident.
And accidents don’t build empires.”

🎙 NEW: Having It All — The Podcast for Women Who Want More

Hosted by Kelly Murray & Nicole Stratychuk

Building a business. Raising a family. Leading teams. Leading yourself.
Most people say “you can’t have it all.”
Kelly and Nicole are here to prove otherwise—with real conversations about what it actually takes.

Having It All is a new podcast for women who are balancing entrepreneurship, leadership, motherhood, marriage, and momentum—without pretending it’s easy.

💬 Expect episodes on:

What “balance” really looks like behind the scenes
The unspoken pressure of being everything to everyone
Systems, boundaries, and mindset shifts that make it sustainable
Leading boldly without burning out

🎧 Listen on YouTube: @having.it .all.podcast

Whether you’re building a business or holding one together, this podcast is a breath of fresh air for women who lead.

Subscribe. Share it. And send it to the woman in your life who needs to hear, “You’re not alone—and you’re not crazy.”

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

This week’s feed delivered sharp reminders on leadership, self-discipline, and what it really means to serve others—not just show up. Here’s what stood out:

Dave Kovar
Want more freedom?
It starts with discipline.
Set rules. Stick to them. Show yourself you can follow through—especially when it’s hard.
👉 Watch it here

Kelly Murray
Hiring a manager (or wondering if the one you’ve got is the right fit)?
This one’s for you.
The right manager doesn’t just “run things”—they multiply your leadership.
👉 Watch it here

Leila Hormozi
Hard conversations don’t have to be painful—if you know how to navigate them.
This post breaks down a simple mindset shift that makes tough talks easier and cleaner.
👉 Watch it here

Dan Martell
Sometimes you need permission.
Sometimes you need a reminder.
Sometimes you just need someone to say: “You’re doing better than you think.”
This one hits deep.
👉 Watch it here

Simon Sinek
“Service” isn’t doing what’s expected—it’s doing more than what’s expected.
That’s where trust is built. That’s where leadership lives.
👉 Watch it here

🧠 This week’s takeaway:
Lead with clarity. Correct with care. Serve with excellence.
The smallest actions—done with intention—still shape everything.

😂 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: The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Why most high performers feel behind—even when they’re winning.

If you’ve ever ended the day frustrated by how much you didn’t get done… even though you crushed it—this book is for you.

The Gap and The Gain reframes success through a powerful lens:
Most people measure progress against where they want to be (the gap).
But true momentum happens when you measure backwards—against where you started (the gain).

This book isn’t about slowing down—it’s about feeling progress in real time, staying motivated, and leading from a place of clarity instead of pressure.

💡 Key Takeaways for School Owners:
✅ The goalpost will always move—stop chasing it like it’s the finish line
✅ Leading from “gain” builds better culture, clearer feedback, and higher-performing teams
✅ Most burnout isn’t from doing too much—it’s from never feeling like it’s enough

📖 Grab your copy here: The Gap and The Gain on Amazon

If you want to feel better while building bigger—this is required reading.

📈 Relentless Results: Success Stories from RMA

🚀 Matt Rosalez Is Crushing It Across Two Locations!

Big shoutout to Matt Rosalez for stacking wins across the board.

Last week, Matt launched his Back-to-School + August promotions for both his kids and adult programs—and the results are already 🔥:
$11 Cost Per Lead and momentum that just keeps building.

But here’s the kicker:
🎯 He just launched ads for his second location… and leads are already rolling in.

This is what happens when strategy meets execution.
Two schools. One game plan. And zero wasted motion.

👏 Let’s keep it going, Matt—big things ahead.

👉 Want results like these across your locations?
Book your RMA 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!

✅ That’s a Wrap

This issue was a reminder that growth isn’t accidental—it’s architectural.
If you’re constantly cleaning up messes, chasing leads, or scrambling last-minute, it’s time to stop reacting and start building like a leader with a long game.

Whether you’re reworking your offer, dialing in your team, or just finally stepping into that next-level version of yourself—do it with intention.

Because strategic leadership doesn’t just prevent problems…
It creates predictable momentum.

Plan better. Execute sharper.
And as always—stay sharp, stay relentless, and keep kicking forward. 👊🔥