Attn: Community & Rec Center Decision Makers and Leaders If you’ve ever tried to launch a new program at your Center, you know the pain: onboarding, training, lesson plans, troubleshooting, and lots  of hand-holding. You can barely keep up with your current classes, let alone add something new. That’s exactly why NinjaZone exists. Our program doesn’t just teach kids - it equips coaches. With video training, class plans, and support, your team is set up to win. We’ve spent years building not just a program, but a system. A system that comes with virtual staff training, done-for-you lesson plans, and ongoing support. You don’t need a team of ninjas to get started - you just need a couple of team members who love working with kids. We handle the rest. Our certification process walks your team through everything they need to know -how to teach movement safely, keep kids engaged, manage behavior, and create a class parents rave about. So if “we don’t have time to train staff” has ever stopped you from growing your programs… consider that problem solved. NinjaZone is already training your future favorite staff members. Book a n Infor Call Today >> Your Center just got even more fun! Be safe, have fun and ninja on!

Attn: Community & Rec Center Decision Makers and Leaders How many hours has your team spent building youth programs from scratch—writing curriculum, planning class flow, or just trying to keep a room full of 7-year-olds engaged for 45 minutes? Too many. That’s why NinjaZone exists. Our program doesn’t just teach kids—it equips coaches. With video training, class plans, and support, your team is set up to win. We’ve already done the heavy lifting: built a full curriculum, created a proven staff training system, and packaged it with marketing materials and ongoing support. The entire thing is built to plug directly into your Center. No brainstorming, no after-hours lesson planning, and no guessing. Instead, you launch a new, exciting program that: Blends movement, character-building, fun & community Attracts kids from ages 3–11 Works with your existing space and staff Boosts family memberships You don’t need to build the next big thing. You just need to plug it in. Book a discovery call today! >> Your Center just got even more fun! Be safe, have fun and ninja on!

Attn: Community & Rec Center Decision Makers and Leaders... this one's for you! Community Centers have long been a trusted community partner, granting opportunities for families all around the US and beyond to improve their health and well-being. BUT, that doesn't mean there hasn't been challenges along the way. At NinjaZone, we’ve partnered with hundreds of community centers, gyms and Community Centers (40+) around the country to launch and scale successful youth programs following our proven process. Through these ninja endeavors, we've spoken to A LOT of Community Center leaders and they've all expressed two common challenges. Can you guess what they are? Take a second. Think about it. Ok, let's go... Two of the biggest challenges they face: 1. Diversifying offerings to set themselves apart from the competition, and 2. Capitalizing on underutilized space. Yep, we thought these might have sounded familiar. Geesh, wouldn’t it be nice to provide a great experience for your community that engages them, doesn’t require a ton of effort, utilizes your square footage and has high-margin operations??? Oh boy, do we have a solution for youth programming that will TRULY be a game-changer for your community center. Que, NinjaZone. You might be wondering, so, what is NinjaZone? We’re so glad you asked! NinjaZone is a super-dynamic program that blends elements of gymnastics, parkour, tricking, and obstacle course racing. BUT… that’s not all! We’ve made it our mission to empower kiddos of all ages to push their limits, focus their energy, build confidence, and have a blast doing it! This mind/body connection is crucial for every child’s lifelong development.  OK, so why  NinjaZone? NinjaZone is training, educating, and teaching ninjas how to flip in over 250 gyms worldwide and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! We have committed ourselves to supporting centers like yours, families, athletes, and coaches by seeing the program through their eyes: what it means to them, what it looks like, and where it’s going.  Here’s what we mean by that: Parents:  Through unparalleled brand strength and top-notch marketing strategies, there’s zero question that their child is in capable hands. We understand parents' desires for their children to achieve their goals, gain confidence, and, most importantly, have fun! (Spoiler alert: If it’s not fun, it doesn’t stick!) Coaches:  Our sustainable training systems make staff transitions a breeze, ensuring continuity and excellence in coaching. Additionally, our supportive ninja coach community fosters collaboration, growth, and a shared passion for empowering ninjas to reach their full potential!  Decision Makers & Business Owners: We prioritize the individual needs of each center, offering tailored solutions to convert underutilized spaces into thriving opportunities. Programming that not only meets the demand for enrichment activities but also enhances the center's appeal, upping the coolness factor and attracting a broader audience. Kids:  All ninjas are celebrated–whether they're beginners just starting their movement journey or seasoned ninjas mastering advanced techniques. Kids get hooked on NinjaZone, in large part, due to gamified programming that turns physical activity into a real-life video game! How sweet is that?! We believe wholeheartedly that NinjaZone aligns perfectly with Community Centers' missions to promote health, wellness, and community by providing innovative and high-quality programming. We're excited about the impact it will have on your members, families, kiddos and beyond! Ready to learn even more ? Book a n info call today! >> 📍NinjaZone Racquetball Court @ Littleton YMCA, Denver, CO! Your Center just got even more fun! Be safe, have fun and ninja on!

Attn: Community & Rec Center Decision Makers and Leaders Is your Center making the most of every space in your facility? Hidden potential exists in every unused room, open corner, or overlooked area - just waiting to be transformed into high-energy youth programming!  With NinjaZone, you can turn underutilized spaces into engaging, movement-based experiences that challenge kids to build strength, agility, and confidence. Whether it’s a multi-purpose room, a racquetball court, or an open gym floor, there’s always an opportunity to infuse excitement, fitness, and skill-building into your community. NinjaZone space rendering for a racquetball court conversion! We can help you design and maximize your space! Here’s how you can bring ninja energy to every inch of your Center! 1. Identify & Repurpose Unused Spaces Facilities often have spaces that go unused for portions of the day. Look for: Empty racquetball courts Multi-purpose rooms between scheduled activities Underutilized sections of childcare zones Open corners of the gymnasium Old viewing areas  By rethinking these spaces, you can maximize your facility’s potential while offering exciting new programming for families. 2. Versatile Ninja Training Equipment One of the best parts of NinjaZone is its flexibility! Portable, easy-to-set-up equipment makes it possible to create ninja classes anywhere: Modular obstacle courses with slanted steps, barrier, bench, and wedge mats are some of our favorite essentials - super versatile and bring the ninja warrior vibes! Modular warped walls and low bars Roll-out padded flooring for safety Wobble beams These elements can be quickly set up and taken down, allowing for multi-purpose use of each space. 3. Turn Downtime into Active Ninja-time NinjaZone training doesn’t have to be confined to a single class. Incorporate ninja elements into: Before and after-school care to keep kids active. Open gym time with designated ninja challenges. Summer camps and special events for an exciting ninja twist. 4. Engage Families & Build Community By incorporating ninja training into your Center, you create a dynamic program that attracts and retains members. Parents love the energy and discipline their kiddos develop, and kids can’t wait to come back for more!  Bring Ninja Energy to Your Center Today! By creatively using underutilized spaces, your Center can offer an innovative program that builds strength, agility, confidence, and FUN! NinjaZone is the perfect way to energize your community and get kids moving in ways they’ve never experienced before! Ready to get started? Let’s bring NinjaZone to your Center and watch kids leap, climb, and soar to new levels! Book a n Info Call Today! >> Check out how some of our Community Center's have transformed their underutilized spaces! Your Center just got even more fun! Be safe, have fun and ninja on!

Attn: Community & Rec Center Decision Makers and Leaders Retention is one of the biggest challenges for any youth sports or fitness program. Kids today have endless options for activities, and if they’re not engaged, they’ll quickly move on to something else. That’s why NinjaZone  isn’t just another class - it’s a retention powerhouse . By combining gymnastics, parkour, tricking, and warrior-style training into a dynamic, progression-based system, NinjaZone keeps kids motivated, challenged, and excited  to return week after week. Here’s why it’s the perfect solution for keeping students engaged long-term. It’s Fun, Fast-Paced, and Always Changing One of the biggest reasons kids quit sports or activities is boredom - doing the same thing over and over. NinjaZone is designed to be high-energy, fast-moving, and packed with variety, so kids never feel like they’re stuck in a routine. Every class includes a mix of gymnastics, parkour, tricking, and warrior-style movement, giving kids new challenges every time they walk in the door. A Clear Progression System Keeps Kids Motivated Unlike open-play environments where skills aren’t measured, NinjaZone provides structured progressions that keep kids working toward the next goal. The headband & uniform system (similar to martial arts belts) gives kids a tangible sense of achievement, making them eager to level up. Parents also love seeing clear progress, reinforcing their commitment to keeping their child in the program. It’s the Perfect Fit for Kids Who Don’t Fit in with Traditional Sports Not every kid wants to play soccer, basketball, or baseball. Some prefer flipping, climbing, vaulting, and creative movement over structured team sports. NinjaZone fills a huge gap by providing an alternative athletic experience that feels more like an adventure than a structured sport. It's a sport with no benches. This makes it the perfect solution for kids who may have struggled to find their niche elsewhere. The Culture is Built on Confidence & Character Kids don’t just build physical skills in NinjaZone - they build confidence, discipline, and resilience. The program teaches them how to face challenges, fall and get back up, and believe in their abilities. This emotional and mental growth keeps kids (and their parents) committed to sticking with the program long-term. It’s a Community, Not Just a Class One of the biggest reasons students stay in any program is because they feel like they belong. NinjaZone fosters a supportive, high-energy environment where kids encourage each other and celebrate victories together. The sense of teamwork, camaraderie, and shared progress keeps students engaged and excited to return. It’s Always Relevant & Exciting With shows like American Ninja Warrior  and the rise of parkour and tricking on social media, kids already love this style of movement. NinjaZone taps into this trend, making it feel modern, exciting, and cool - something kids actually want to be part of. Because the program constantly evolves, it stays fresh and keeps up with what kids are excited about today. Bottom Line Retention isn’t about locking students into long contracts - it’s about creating a program they can’t wait to come back to over and over again. NinjaZone does exactly that by making movement fun, rewarding, and confidence-building, ensuring that students don’t just sign up - they stick with it. If you’re looking for the ultimate student retention solution, NinjaZone is the answer. Book a discovery call today! >> Your Community Center just got even more fun! Be safe, have fun and ninja on!

Last week, I saw a whole family on vacation wearing matching t-shirts that said: “Well THAT escalated quickly.” It was meant to be funny… and it was. But honestly? It hit me like a truth bomb. I’ve had to work very hard in both leadership and relationships to know when my passion (or ego) is escalating a situation in the wrong  direction.  Because in the gym world (and real life) drama is always going to exist at some level.  The trick? Knowing when you're the one escalating it. Escalate or De-Escalate? In the gym world, we’re making micro-decisions all day, every day: A parent’s upset. A coach rolls their eyes. A team member missed the mark (again). Someone’s frustrated, and now it’s contagious. And in those moments, we don’t just react. We lead the emotional tone. Several years ago, a trusted employee gave me some tough feedback: “The energy you bring to the meeting is palpable… and not in a good way.” Oof. But also? I’m so glad she told me. Gut-Checks I Use in the Moment: Am I bringing fire  or water ? Does my tone signal safety  or danger ? Is this a moment for empathy  or action ? Is my ego  running the show, or the mission? Would I handle this differently if I weren’t personally involved? Is now the right  moment to teach or challenge? Or should I wait? Here’s one that always helps: Do I want to be right… or get it right? (woah. 🤯) What Outcome Do I Actually Want? The answer isn’t always to calm things down. Sometimes things do  need to escalate - to drive urgency, accountability, or even enthusiasm. But the difference between drama  and leadership ? Intentionality.  When and how you use it. Try This at Your Gym: When emotions rise, pause . Ask yourself the questions.  (Yes, it’s hard. Worth it anyway.) Train your leads to spot when escalation is drifting away from the actual issue. Praise the team members who calm the storm without  ignoring the problem. Because let’s be real - Every gym has its “Well THAT escalated quickly” moments. But it doesn’t have to become your culture. Leadership is knowing when to be the spark…and when to be the calm. Escalation survivor,   - Casey (& The NinjaZone Team)  🎯 Real Talk -  If you’ve ever escalated a situation faster than a toddler who didn’t get the blue cup… Yep. Same. I’ve been there. More than once. Sometimes it feels really good in the moment to go full steam ahead with righteous energy. But here’s the thing: most “escalators” aren’t trying to stir up drama. They just have big energy, big passion, and big feels. (Hi, it’s me. I’m the problem, it’s me.) The key isn’t pretending to be calm all the time. It’s knowing when to channel that spark into something useful…like clarity, accountability, or progress. Because unfiltered passion might light a fire…but intentional passion builds momentum.

Sometimes the challenges we face in our gyms and businesses are just… too big for a Tuesday at 10am. They’re not urgent. They’re not forgotten. They just don’t fit neatly in the “fix-it-now” bucket. For us, those live in the parking lot . An ongoing list of sticky problems and wild ideas that literally  lives at the bottom of our meeting notes. They sit there patiently. Week after week. Waiting for someone (me) to have more than 12 uninterrupted minutes to think clearly. This week, I finally gave them what they’ve been waiting for. I checked myself into Thinking Camp. My kids are at sailing camp, so I packed up my brain clutter and headed off to a place with no meetings, no Slack pings, no “real quick” requests. Just me, a notebook, and some wide open mental runway. Here’s What I’m Working On: Reviewing the 2–3 year vision for every company and department. Is this still the right direction? What’s changed? Picking from the parking lot of ideas and expanding on them. What’s been sitting there that just needs a little space? Searching for "The ONE Thing" (shout out to the book) that, if we nailed it, would make everything else easier. Giving myself the gift of actual  thinking time. No guilt, no urgency, just white space. Why It Matters: The first time I did this, I felt bad. Leaving the team. Leaving my family. Leaving my to-do list in limbo. But when I came back? I was clearer. Energized. Way more useful to everyone around me. Turns out, taking time to think isn’t selfish. It’s strategy. Maybe This Is Your Sign: When’s the last time you stepped out  of the weeds and into vision mode? Could you… Revisit your long-term goals (without rewriting the whole plan)? Give your team a little breathing room while you zoom out? Find the first domino  that starts the chain reaction? Even just a few hours can work wonders. Doesn’t have to be a week. (Although, 10/10 recommend.) And yes, I already miss my people. But my husband’s joining me later this week for our anniversary. Because nothing says romance like deep thinking and strong coffee. 😉 Cheering you on, Casey & The NinjaZone Team   🎯 Real Talk -  If your brain feels like a browser with 37 tabs open…and one of them is playing music but you can’t find it…it might not be a productivity issue. It might be a thinking  issue. You don’t need another app, planner, or color-coded calendar. You need space. Like, actual quiet space. (The kind where no one’s pinging you or asking for string cheese) Because clarity doesn’t show up when you’re multitasking yourself into madness. It shows up when you finally close some tabs.

Read this first... A lot of people ask me how we do things -- how we solve problems, make decisions, lead teams. Sometimes they want to grab coffee, pick my brain, or just hear how we handle certain situations. And honestly? I’m flattered, but also still very much figuring it out myself. The truth is, most of what I’ve learned has come from messing up, getting it wrong, trying again, and talking it through with our team. So instead of pretending I have all the answers, I thought… why not just start sharing what’s actually happening behind the scenes? The real conversations. The real struggles. The stuff we’re sorting through each week as we grow and build. So this is that. I’m calling it The Weekly Fix - but it’s not about perfect solutions. It’s about real issues, the things we’re trying, and what we’re learning along the way. Kind of like pulling up a chair at our ops meeting. No polish. Just progress. Let's get into it! So, this week, one of our managers shared something I’ve heard (and felt) so many times before: “I just don’t think she’s cut out for this.” That hit home. I’ve been there. It’s that moment when a team member is overwhelmed, seems to be flailing, and your gut says, “Maybe this isn’t the right fit.” But before jumping to conclusions, I’ve learned (usually the hard way) to zoom out and ask a few better questions. So I thought I’d share what we talked about. Real conversation, real tension, real reminders. Here’s the thing: Most of the time, what looks like a people  problem is actually a system  problem. When someone’s struggling, it’s tempting to assume it’s about them. But we’ve had too many situations where a good person just needed better support. And when we took the time to slow down and look, we often found something we missed. So we walked through these 3 simple questions together -- what I now call The Overwhelm Audit : 1. Is it a capacity issue? Sometimes, people just need help prioritizing. Not everything matters equally. We’ve had success just sitting down, looking at someone’s calendar or task list, and reshuffling. → Could this be a calendar problem instead of a character problem? 2. Is the role clearly defined? This one gets me every time. If someone doesn’t know what “winning” looks like, how can they succeed? And sometimes we forget to update those definitions as things change (because they always do). → Does she even know what we expect right now? Have we talked about it recently? 3. Is there a training gap? We had to remind ourselves: Overwhelmed doesn’t mean incapable. It might just mean under-supported. Like a gymnast who’s not hitting a skill—it usually means they need it broken down into smaller steps. → What’s one skill we can focus on this week? What kind of reps would help build confidence? We realized that in this case, it wasn’t about the person being the “wrong fit.” She just needed a little more structure, a little more clarity, and a bit of support to get her footing again. And guess what? She’s still with us...and doing great. If you want to try this with someone on your team, here’s the little task audit template I use. You can totally make it your own: 📎 [Download the Time/Task Audit Template] Thanks for letting me share. These little behind-the-scenes conversations are helping me grow as a leader, and I hope they help you too. We’re all just figuring it out...together. Talk soon, Casey Wright Founder, Wright’s Gymnastics & NinjaZone 🎯 Real talk – “Why yes, I’m a bit stressed. Why do you ask?” -- probably your team member, right before we realized we never gave her a map, a compass, or directions.

This weeks issue: AI or no AI? How do we make this decision? We’ve been toying with the idea of using an AI web assistant (and eventually a voice assistant) to improve efficiency in our front office. It’s a big decision, with several pros and cons, so I’ll just share what we’ve been thinking. Here ’s what we know … We don’t want to miss leads, especially after hours or when our front office staff is tied up on other calls. We’d know we’d love to be available 24/7! We know that some people want a quick online experience, and others want to talk to someone. We know that a GREAT first impression with a REAL person, and one that can educate the customer on the benefits of our programs will lead to longer customer lifetimes. This is something AI just can't do. Where does that leave us? Well, I think the best decision for us right now is to take a hybrid approach: start with a web assistant and do our best to get it right. That’s going to take some work. And as we all know, great ideas are only as good as how well we execute them. So the real discussion becomes: “How do we NOT screw this up?”  - and -   “What could go wrong that we want to avoid?” Naturally, we ran it by AI 😉… Here’s what it told us: 1. Rushing Setup Without Mapping the Customer Journey First Mistake:  Just plugging in an AI assistant with a basic FAQ script or generic answers, without deeply thinking through how parents actually  use your website or call in. 🔴 Consequence: Parents get canned or unhelpful responses like “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that,” when asking real-life questions like: “Can I switch from Tuesday to Thursday Ninja after next week’s camp?” They drop off frustrated, or worse, decide your business is disorganized or hard to work with. 🟡 Why it happens: Owners underestimate how emotional and nuanced decisions are when it comes to their kids They want to “just get something live” to look modern. 🟢 Fix: Interview real customers or review call logs. Map out the top 10 most common parent scenarios, NOT just questions, and build flows for those. 2. Not Keeping the Info Current Mistake : A “set-it-and-forget-it” approach. The AI still thinks you’re running Spring Break camps in June or quotes the wrong birthday party pricing. 🔴 Consequence: Parents get confused, book the wrong thing, or feel misled. Staff wastes time fixing problems AI created, undoing any “efficiency” the AI was supposed to bring. 🟡 Why it happens: No one is officially “in charge” of keeping the AI content updated. Business owners are too busy running programs to maintain yet another tech tool. 🟢 Fix: Assign AI content updates to someone specific on your team. Use a shared doc or internal update calendar to note all program changes that affect customer communications. 3. Over-Automating and Removing the Human Touch Mistake: Forcing every customer into an AI loop with no escape. Calls go in circles, and chats can’t escalate to a real person. 🔴 Consequence: Parents panic when they can’t get a real person to talk to, especially when something goes wrong (payment issues, injured kid, etc.). Trust in your brand drops. You sound like a faceless company instead of the warm, local community you’ve built. 🟡 Why it happens: Businesses want to save time and money by deflecting as many calls as possible. They think automation = efficiency, but forget that customer satisfaction = retention. 🟢 Fix: Always offer an easy “Talk to a human” option. Use AI as a triage tool, not a wall between you and your customers. This will certainly take some work, but we know it’s the future and we don’t want to be left behind! Keep fixing, Casey Wright Founder, Wright’s Gymnastics & NinjaZone 🎯Real Talk - Let’s be honest,  adding AI sounds slick… until it starts calling your customers “valued users” and gives camp info from 2022. We’re not looking for a robot to run the front desk. We just want to stop missing leads when a parent calls at 9:45 PM asking if her son can switch to Thursday Ninja. So yes, we’re testing AI, but only the kind that knows it’s a sidekick, not the superhero.

This week, I want to talk about something that most of us don’t think about… until we have  to. Leases. More specifically, what to do when your building gets a new landlord. We recently found ourselves in a new situation: One of our building owners sold the property. That had never happened before, and it was a wake-up call. The new owners? Not so warm and fuzzy. They raised our rent...big time. We’d been paying below market, and they took us right up to (if not above) market rate. Ouch. Here’s the deal: if you’re leasing space, you need to keep ownership changes on your radar. Even if you’ve had a great landlord for years, staying in regular communication helps you spot changes before they impact your bottom line. Here are 5 key items to negotiate in a new lease or renewal: 1️⃣ Ask for Extension Options - Gives you flexibility and leverage if ownership changes unexpectedly. 2️⃣ First Right of Refusal - If there’s space next door and you may want to grow, lock in the option to expand. 3️⃣ Negotiate Repairs on Renewal - Lease renewal time = your chance to ask for updates or fixes. 4️⃣ Cap Major HVAC Costs - If you’re responsible for HVAC, cap your exposure by maintaining a service contract. 5️⃣ Clarify Parking + Competitor Clauses - Prevent messy tenant conflicts and ensure parking availability for your families. This list is just the start...there’s always more fine print.What’s worked for you? What’s caught you off guard? Send it my way - casey@theninjazone.com  We’ll compile the top responses and share in a future Fix. Talk soon, Casey Wright Founder, Wright’s Gymnastics & NinjaZone 🎯Real talk -  You know what’s not  fun? Negotiating a lease when you’re under pressure. New landlord. Higher rent. Zero leverage. 😬 It’s like trying to haggle with someone holding all  the cards… and the building. We’ve learned (the hard way): proactive beats reactive. Every single time. And yes, it’s a little boring to talk about lease terms, renewal clauses, and HVAC caps…But imagine sitting in a team meeting saying, “Wait, we didn’t put that in writing?” Yikes. Your lease will come up again.  Whether it’s next year or five years from now. Make a quick list of your needs, your nice-to-haves, and your never-agains. Future you will be doing a happy dance. 💃🕺🏽

Twelve days in Hawaii with my family.Three days home.Then off again for another two-week adventure. Total days “away”: 27. Bottlenecks: 0. How? I’m not a magician. I’m just married to someone who might  be motivated by a love of laziness. (His words, not mine.😉) Honestly, if it weren’t for him, I’d probably work every day until I turned into a very productive statue. But thanks to his travel-loving spirit, we’re out here LIVING the dream we dreamed up in our 20s: running thriving businesses while still having a life. Here’s the trick: Before I leave, my only job is to make sure I’m not the bottleneck . The Real Fix: Whether you’re running a gymnastics gym, kids sports program, or building the next NinjaZone Empire, if you can’t leave for 2–4 weeks without chaos… that’s a red flag 🚩. Here’s what makes it possible: My calendar is the boss.  What gets scheduled gets done. If I have to prep something 3 weeks in advance to protect my vacation time, that’s what happens. A strong chain of command.  Everyone knows who to go to when I’m gone, including who makes decisions. Clear communication systems. People don’t wait around for answers. They move forward because the system doesn’t stop. Meeting intentions,  rhythms, and accountability all stays the same. ⭐️ BONUS! When someone gets to practice solving something new ;) Ask Yourself: Could you leave for two weeks and have the business run without you? If not, what specifically would break? If yes, what systems or habits made that possible? Could they be stronger? I want every one of our NinjaZone partners to feel what I’m feeling right now: total peace knowing that the business doesn’t need you to survive every single day. Want help building that? We’ve got frameworks for that inside the NinjaZone License (yes, even for people just starting). Let’s build you a business that serves  your life, not the other way around. Casey Wright Founder, Wright’s Gymnastics & NinjaZone e P.S. Seriously, what’s one thing that would break if you took 2 weeks off? Hit reply and tell me…I want to hear it! 🎯Real talk - You don’t need to be a wizard 🧙‍♂️ or clone yourself to have a business that runs  without you. But you do  need systems that don’t break when you vanish for 2-4 weeks. Vacations aren’t just about beaches and umbrella drinks, they’re the ultimate stress test for your business. And guess what? If your systems pass the test, you come home recharged instead of  buried under a pile of chaos. Take the break. Be the bottleneck breaker.  Live the dream and  run the business. You can do both. TikTok - @joannajohnson102

You know those moments when a parent's question reveals a much deeper problem? This week, a facility leader asked if a child could attend the upcoming Move-Up Meet “just to participate,” even though she wasn’t due to level up. The ask from my team was to change the move-up meet policy.  At first glance, it seemed like a small, sweet request.But when we zoomed out, we realized: The Real Problem Wasn't the Meet. It was why  the child hadn’t been invited in the first place. So, we dug deeper...and here’s what we found... Layer 1: Progress Wasn’t Being Tracked We asked the question, “Why isn’t she moving up?” Is it a coaching issue? Or curriculum issue? The answer from the team was that the curriculum is getting updated soon, so some of them stopped tracking progress. Whoops.  No tracking = no evidence of progress = no invitation to move up. Layer 2: Curriculum Bottlenecks Leaders knew the curriculum needed updates to help kids progress more consistently. Meetings to address this were  scheduled… but got pushed back. Twice. While the meetings were delayed, progress in the gym was, too. (I think you may have read another email about moving meetings - lol. Welp, progress over perfection, always. Just because I’m writing these emails doesn’t mean we’re always firing on all cylinders.) The Lesson: The team tried to change the Move-Up Meet policy to accommodate the child…But what the parent was really  asking was: “Why isn’t my kid progressing?” The Fix: Audit the System:  We checked the tracking data for the student. Short-Term Curriculum Adjustments:  Instead of waiting for perfect fixes, we empowered coaches to make practical tweaks  so progress could still be celebrated.  Coach the Coaches:  We reminded team leads that surface-level complaints often have deeper roots. Look for the signal in the noise.  Additionally - we’re making sure that the coaches have the training they need. Even if it’s just a few 10 min “seshes” with a lead / master coach to give them some tips to avoid delays in a reasonable progression track.  Try This at Your Gym: Are your coaches logging progress consistently? Are you giving them tools to adapt the curriculum when kids get “stuck”? Is there communication around this?  Are you solving the root problem, or just patching symptoms? Our systems are only as strong as our follow-through. Delays in improvement can stall the experience for everyone, especially the kids. Let's keep putting in the work. 💪 Cheering you on, Casey & The NinjaZone Team P.S. When a parent is this  invested, it means your program matters. Let’s not waste the opportunity to make it even stronger. 🎯Real Talk - Sometimes, fixing the problem means actually  fixing the problem, not bending rules to keep people happy. It’s tempting to smooth things over with a quick yes… but the real win comes from tightening the systems so the yes is earned . Progress tracking isn’t flashy, but it is  foundational. And just like a cartwheel, if the form breaks down, the whole thing wobbles.