Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: What's it feel like to have the highest rank student in your school a yellow belt? We'll find out.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: Let's get started.
[00:00:09] Speaker C: Sir, I will live with perseverance in the spirit of taekwondo, courtesy for fellow students, integrity within myself, and to become a black belt leader.
Welcome to the ATA Nation Podcast.
[00:00:29] Speaker A: Welcome back to the ATA Nation Podcast. This is episode 109. I am your host, senior master Zach Hayden. Thank you for tuning in. Please make sure you've subscribed. We'd also love a rating and review. I haven't really pushed that very much, but we'd take it. We'd be happy if you would subscribe, rate, review, all the things. Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, last year we did a series of episodes with some newer licensees, people who have taken over schools, purchased schools, started their own schools. And I ran across this young man on social media, seeing that he had opened his own school, and I thought it would just be a neat interview. I love to hear from new school owners about their adventure, their journey, where they came from, those kind of things. So that's what we have for you today. I think this is a super cool one. Let's get into it. But quick note, there may be some audio issues near the end. I had some issues on my end of the recording, and so I've gone in there to try to fix those, but hopefully it works out for you.
[00:01:35] Speaker B: Okay, let's get started.
[00:01:38] Speaker C: Special guest interview.
[00:01:42] Speaker A: Mr. Sklenar, how are you today, sir?
[00:01:45] Speaker B: I'm doing great today. Thank you for having me on. Excited to be here.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: Well, I've been seeing your journey a little on the social medias, being a new licensee or a relatively new licensee in the ATA. And I was like, I always find it interesting to talk to new licensees, people that are taking this as a career. But before we get there, let's start kind of like your origin story. You're a superhero. How did you become the person you are today in ATA? How do you start martial arts?
[00:02:20] Speaker B: Yeah. The way I started ATA is very different than a lot of other people. I was a nine year old kid, and I was on the school bus, and there was another friend of mine who was talking a lot of smack that they just got their yellow belt, and they are like the king of the world. And then I was like, it can't be that hard. It can't be that hard. Stop bragging. And he bet me $20 that I couldn't get my first belt. So I was like, I came home, I was like, I want to sign up and the rest is history. I started with the Juwan senior master. Juwan's in Westchester, Pennsylvania, and I'm still doing it to this day.
[00:03:05] Speaker A: So did you get your $20? Did you get my $20?
[00:03:10] Speaker B: I wish I earned it somewhere. I need to hang it up in my school.
[00:03:14] Speaker A: That would be amazing. That would be amazing.
Wow, what an interesting story. Nine years old. Did that kid that bet you, was he an ATA student as well? You went to that same school.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: He was not an.
It was the bet was your first belt testing. So whatever non ata school he was, yellow belt was the next belt, and orange would be after white for us. And then I know that he quit like, a week later, and now I'm a fifth degree black belt. There you go.
[00:03:45] Speaker A: That's fantastic. It'd be great to see what he's doing these days and be like, hey, thanks for the career that you've given me.
I made money, and now I am a martial arts instructor.
So through your time in Ata, before you became a school owner or whatnot, what have been some of your biggest challenges, would you say, as going through? You said you're a fifth degree black belt now.
This month in Ata, a lot of schools were talking about belief. What have been some things that have been challenged you that you've really had to use that yes, I can attitude for.
[00:04:23] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely.
People say that to become a school owner, you either have to be a big competitor or you teach a bunch. And I was the teach a bunch route. It was my job in high school, and the thing that I really had a difficult time with is it was always something I did in high school, and then it was, it's time to go to college and get a real person job. And when I went to college, I could not pick a major to save my life. And when I went home for the summer, I did a summer camp, and I worked to save a bunch of money. And it was kind of this whole, like, it's always been in front of me the whole time, what I want to do. And I needed to have that belief in myself to go the unprecedented route, because I never saw it. My family, I'm full of a family of scientists, not that many business minded people in my family. So I just went for it, and I was committed. School wasn't for me. I got it done in three years. I wanted the degree, so I overloaded my credits, did like 25 credits a semester, did winter classes, summer classes, just to make it happen.
[00:05:35] Speaker A: And what degree did you end up going with? Business no.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: I got a degree in psychology with a focus on autism and adhd education.
Special needs has a very special spot in my heart, and working with kids that are on the spectrum, I think is very important.
[00:05:57] Speaker A: I'm sure that education has been helpful because we all know as licensees, school owners, we get calls all the time, hey, my kid's got add. Hey, my kid might be on the spectrum. Can you do this still? And I'm always like, of course. Please come join us. So has that education really helped you in what you do now?
[00:06:16] Speaker B: 100%. I mean, as you mentioned, it's more times than not that a kid that walks in through the door is on the spectrum. And what I love about martial arts specifically is a lot of those kids can get pushed to the side for a team sport or something like that. In Ata, everyone can move at their own pace. And I have the privilege of being in the same region as senior master winters, who does so much for the special abilities in Ata. And she's helped me a lot because I have students who can't be in group classes, and I do one on one with them during the day. They're homeschooled. I'm like, their little gym class, and it's amazing because that's what I love to do.
[00:07:03] Speaker A: That's fantastic. Super cool. So you come from a family that doesn't have all these entrepreneurs.
What was it like when you were.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: Like, hey, I think I want to.
[00:07:16] Speaker A: Open a martial arts school?
How did they take that and kind of, how did that go from there?
[00:07:23] Speaker B: I think they thought I was joking at first.
It was something that like, oh, that's cute for now. Okay, you can do that. Maybe a good, just out of college job. And the longer that it kept going on and the more I was like, I'm serious, I'm serious, I'm serious. I'm going to do it.
The support was there, so it's great. My family has been incredibly supportive the entire way, and I couldn't be doing this without them.
[00:07:52] Speaker A: That's awesome. I think they probably felt a little better. The Juwans are a great school to have as an example of doing this as a full time career, supporting a family, those kind of things.
I'm sure that has been a good support for you and them as well.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I worked with the Duans, and then I had an amazing opportunity to help master Kendit Frank and Mrs. Frank open up one of their schools in Maryland. And they are also extremely heavy hitters in this industry. Yes. So seeing two very successful couples in the ATA kind of shut them.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: Mean those are good role models to be able to. If this is something that you want to do full time, if you want to make a career out of those two families are definitely people to be looking at.
A lot of people will really love the instruction. You got to work with some great school owners there.
What was the thing that made you go, hey, I don't want to just work for somebody else and do this as a career, kind of as an instructor. I want to go ahead and do my own location?
[00:09:11] Speaker B: I think it really came down to maybe you have to have a gigantic ego, in a way.
I am a very opinionated person. I look at things and I'm like, I know the way that I want it to be done, and I will speak my mind up. And there were a lot of things that I was just like, oh, I could do this. I could do this. I could rock this. I could rock this. I could make it happen. So I think it was just like letting that ego kind of take over whatever fear I had, and you just have to become confident and make the leap.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: I like how you phrased that. Did you ever find, like, I always think I worked for my parents, and then I worked for my instructor, and then I opened my own school? I'm not sure I'd be a great employee for somebody else because I'm like that. I have my own opinions. This is the way I want to do it. I'm going to do it this way.
Were you a troubled employee, or were you always a great employee?
[00:10:10] Speaker B: You're talking about my ego. I was the best employee, and you could ask any of the four of them, and they would tell me how great of an employee I was.
[00:10:19] Speaker A: But you probably were driven to be the best because of that ego.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: Yes, sir, 100%.
[00:10:25] Speaker A: Got it. That's awesome. So what advice would you give to, like, a future?
Well, let's go back five, eight years in the past.
What advice would you give yourself if you knew now that you were going to be a licensee? What would you go back and tell yourself?
[00:10:48] Speaker B: I think as much as working for the Duans and the Franks was such a privilege to work for these amazing school owners, it was scary, like, seeing these really successful people, especially working with a partner, and they're like, oh, I couldn't do without my husband, my wife, something like that. And I'm like, well, I want to do it by myself.
There's almost an element of imposter syndrome, like, oh, there's a lot of really great people in the ATA, and I'm going to start a school, and you're not going to open up day one and have world champs. I mean, next week I'm testing for yellow belts, so I couldn't even have a world champ if I wanted. Like, I am very early on into the process of opening my school. So I think the advice that I would give people is just be in the moment, be present in what is happening, and focus on the real short term goals. I think it's really easy. Like, people talk about, like, a five year plan, a ten year plan, but thinking about what's going to happen this week, this month, because especially in the early stages, you don't need to be thinking about team sparring and all of that crazy stuff. I mean, the stuff that you need to be really prioritizing is that first stage, how do you get people in the door? What are you going to do for a white belt? And once I started to really live in the moment, then it became a lot easier.
Very cool.
[00:12:16] Speaker A: Great advice.
You're new in the process. You said yellow belts or you're getting ready to have people.
[00:12:23] Speaker B: Started open in November.
Nice.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: That's fantastic. I was my instructor's second group. He had a group of students that were orange belts when I started with my instructor, so I was pretty early in that group. What have you found so far that's been, like, your biggest surprise? You've worked for some of these, like you said, heavy hitters, but doing it yourself now, what's one of the things.
[00:12:49] Speaker B: That you've been like, whoa, I didn't.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: Know I had to do this, or this was completely different than I expected.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: I think the biggest surprise that I had was I would say I was surprised at what having complete and utter control can do, because when I was working for somebody else, it was very much like, well, if I had the reins, I would do this, and I have the reins, I would do that. And then once you have control and you're like, I'm doing this, and then something might be off, it's all on you. And I have never really felt, like, complete and utter responsibility before. At this point, if the kid quits, I'm the only person who has ever taught that kid.
I got to really.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: It's your fault.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: It is my fault. I taught that kid the last class, and that was all on me. And just looking at myself in the mirror and being okay with, like, I'm confident in what I do. I've been doing this. I've been teaching since I was twelve and I'm 24 now, so over half my life.
So that element of just accepting responsibility for what's going on and moving on, that's great.
[00:14:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
So exciting.
What are you looking forward to most so far as a licensee? What are you thinking? Like this part? I can't wait till I get this with my school or whatnot.
[00:14:16] Speaker B: I'm looking forward to sparring. Yeah, I'm looking forward to just watching it grow. I think that it's really easy maybe in the beginning to become complacent of the fact that, oh, districts is coming up in what, like three months and I'm not going to have anybody eligible to compete just because I don't have anybody in leadership.
And it's like that comparing yourself to others thing and allowing. I'm looking forward to just getting my first black belts, getting my first camo belts, getting. Just experiencing the steps of the process. I think I'm really going to look back at this time of my life and really be happy about every single step along the way.
[00:15:03] Speaker A: I love that. Now, we've talked to a lot of other school owners and a lot of them have had opportunities to take over other locations, purchase other locations. And you started from scratch. Did you ever think about purchasing another school or something like that?
[00:15:21] Speaker B: I thought about it a lot because in my opinion, starting from scratch is really scary financially, especially doing by myself.
Where I landed is I think that what not enough people who open a school talk about is when you do it, you need to pick a location and a spot where you want to live the rest of your life. There were opportunities that presented themselves for me to own a school, but it wasn't a place where I wanted to live.
I was looking at a specific location because I am a city kid. I want to live in Philadelphia. It's a 15 minutes commute. That's a spot where I want to land up and that you really need to look at the community, not as. Is this a community who needs Ata and song taekwondo? It's also is this a community that you can see yourself being a part of? And that's the spot where it all worked out for me.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: I love that. So, one more question. How would you advise someone who is thinking about getting into your position? They're curious. They're like, hey, maybe I'm going to do this martial arts thing as a career. Maybe their family isn't the world's entrepreneurs and whatnot. What kind of advice would you give that person?
[00:16:45] Speaker B: I would give that person the advice to look at your own success. I think that a lot of times it's very easy to be like, oh, I just run a mat of 50 kids. There's nothing that's substantial about that.
I can sign people up. I sign up like ten new kids a day or whatever it might be. And then the scary part is getting the key. And I always said, once I have a key, watch out. So no matter what, getting the key is going to be hard, and you need to just be okay with asking other people for help. The ATA is so great, and I'm in such a great region that I have so many masters, chief masters, senior masters who are willing to step up and support me in helping with the real estate process, helping with the tax process, helping with it all. And if you're good at what you do, which I'm sure that there are a lot of people listening to this who know that they are good at what they do, then take the leap and just get the stinking key and open a school.
[00:17:56] Speaker A: I love it. Great advice.
We wish you continued success. Super excited to hear about your first black belts. We'll be watching you on social media and see how that all goes in a bit. You'll have a little bit of time before that happens. But congratulations, and we want to thank you for your time. And congratulations again on being a school owner. We'll keep an eye on you. Maybe we'll have you back in a year or so and see how things are going.
[00:18:23] Speaker B: No progress update?
[00:18:25] Speaker A: Yeah, that'd be awesome.
[00:18:27] Speaker B: Great.
[00:18:28] Speaker A: Well, thank you, sir.
[00:18:29] Speaker B: Thank you, sir.
[00:18:31] Speaker C: Here's what's going on in Ata Nation.
[00:18:38] Speaker A: Ata Nation. I hope you enjoyed that interview as much as I did. I wanted to let you know, if you haven't seen it yet already, there has been an announcement about Camp Jang Tsu, Camp Jiang Tsu. This is saying, forge your path to mastership. Camp Jang Tsu is engineered for instructors with the vision of a career and long life. That's what Jang Tsu means in the Ata song style of taekwondo, fifth degree black belts and below will train towards earning the title of master instructor under the new guidelines and updated requirements.
This is basically the leadership camps of the past. It's going to be in Little Rock, Arkansas, December 5 through the 7th at ATA headquarters. You definitely want to check this out. We're going to have somebody from ATA headquarters on to talk about this in the near future. But I wanted to make sure that you were able to check this out in advance. Make sure you talk to your instructors about maybe this being something that you should attend. It's going to be, I'm sure, an awesome time. I have not missed a leadership camp since I became a fourth degree, and I'm really debating on this one because it is over my anniversary. Ha. Just keeps doing that. My wife's birthdays is during spring nationals, and now this over my anniversary. So we'll see. I got to talk to headquarters.
We're going to have them on the podcast to see what this camp is all about. But I think it's going to be a great opportunity for a bunch of us out there in Ata Nation. So check out Camp Jengsu on ATA martial arts.com. And that's going to wrap it up for us today, ladies and gentlemen, until next time, get out there and take action.
[00:20:29] Speaker C: Thanks for listening to another episode of the ATA Nation podcast. Be sure to subscribe and share with your ATA family.
[00:20:44] Speaker A: Took a little bit of editing magic on that one because my software broke down, but we got it taken care of. Oh, man. All kinds of great interviews coming up, another overseas interview. We've got stuff about Atmax training.
Who else would you guys like to hear? Send me a message. Let's talk about.
