We recently wrapped up something that always leaves me energized and grateful… our biannual Vision Meeting. These meetings give us the chance to pause and take a deep breath together. To reflect on: Where we’ve been Where we are right now And where we’re headed next It’s also one of my favorite times to share some big announcements. And this week’s was a fun one. We just “adopted” TWO new gyms into the Wright’s family. 🎉 That’s a huge step forward. And it represents so much more than square footage. It means growth in people, opportunity, leadership, and impact. A Little Reflection I was thinking back to years ago when news like this honestly would have felt a little scary to share. Back then, big change sometimes made people nervous. I remember feeling like I had to hold things close because I didn’t want anyone to worry. But here’s what I’ve learned. The more you share the vision, the more people can grow into it with you. These Vision Meetings have become one of the most important tools we have to help our team feel connected, grounded, and excited about the future instead of surprised by it. When people understand what’s coming, why it matters, and how they fit into it, everything changes. Coming Back to Our Core Values 💛 Another thing I love about these meetings is that we always return to our foundation. We use the same vision template every time, and it intentionally brings us back to our core values. Because growth is exciting… but only when we grow in the right direction. Our values are the compass that keep Wright’s & NinjaZone, Wright’s & NinjaZone. Personal Growth = Career Growth = Business Growth We always make space for something beyond just business updates. Because we believe the best coaches, leaders, and teammates are the ones who are growing personally too. That’s why I love sharing a book recommendation or two. Something for anyone who wants something to chew on and keep leveling up in life, not just at work. 📚 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey 📚 Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins The Big Takeaway This Week This week reminded me of something simple but powerful. Vision builds trust. Clarity builds confidence. And growth becomes exciting when we grow together. Thank you for being part of this journey. More to come soon 👀 With (an insane amount of) gratitude, - Casey 🎯Real talk - Vision is like a GPS. If you don’t say where you’re going, you just keep driving… and eventually you’re like: “How did we end up here and why are we so stressed?” But when the destination is clear, even the detours make sense. You’re not lost. You’re just adjusting, or, "recalculating" if you will. 😉 That’s what vision does. It doesn’t remove the hard parts. It just gives them direction. And direction changes everything.

Last week, we talked about how “A” players want to be around other “A” players. This week, I want to go one layer deeper and talk about why removing low-performing players isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary. There’s a book I come back to often called Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud. It completely re-framed the way I think about leadership, teams, and letting people go. The big idea is simple: Not everything is meant to last forever. In nature, healthy things grow because dead or diseased parts are pruned. If they aren’t, they don’t just stay neutral, they drain resources from the rest of the system. Teams work the same way. One of the most helpful concepts from the book is this: Not all endings are failures. Some endings are required for growth. Dr. Cloud talks about three types of people or roles: Wise - people who learn, adapt, and respond to feedback Foolish - people who repeat the same behaviors despite feedback Evil - people who actively damage the culture (rarer, but very real) Most leaders spend way too much time trying to “fix” the foolish category. We coach them. We move them. We make exceptions. We lower expectations. And while we’re doing that, something else is happening.Our wise players are watching. They’re watching standards slide. They’re watching accountability get blurry. They’re watching effort and attitude go unaddressed. And slowly, they start to check out. This is why necessary endings matter so much. It’s not about being harsh.It’s not about being impatient. And it’s definitely not about perfection. It’s about recognizing when someone has been given clarity, support, and opportunity, and still isn’t willing or able to meet the standard. At that point, keeping them isn’t kind. It’s not fair to them. And it’s definitely not fair to your "A" players. One more important note here: sometimes the issue isn’t that someone is a “bad” employee, it’s that your organization simply doesn’t have a role where they can thrive. For example, small businesses require people to wear many hats. Some individuals may be talented, but not suited for the flexibility, pressure, or pace that kind of environment demands. A necessary ending can sometimes be less about performance and more about fit. One of the most important leadership shifts is this: Your job isn’t to carry everyone forever. Your job is to protect the health of the whole team. So here’s the question I want you to think about this week: Is there someone on your team who has clearly shown you who they are, and you’re hoping they’ll become someone else? Because growth requires endings. And strong teams require leaders who are willing to make them. In your corner, - Casey 🎯Real Talk - If you’re reading this and someone popped into your head immediately… that’s probably not a coincidence. 😏 Most leaders aren’t stuck because they don’t know what to do. They’re stuck because they care. But here’s the truth: Avoiding the ending doesn’t protect anyone. It just turns one hard conversation into six. That’s how “one more chance” turns into a subscription you never meant to sign up for.

A couple weeks ago, I talked about leadership and alignment, and how Indiana football changed quickly because everyone understood the goal and the standard. There’s another reason that success becomes sustainable, and it has nothing to do with schemes or talent alone: “A” players want to play with other "A" players. People who like challenge. People who want to improve. People who actually enjoy hard work. They want to be around others who raise the bar, not lower it. This is where leadership gets uncomfortable. Most teams don’t lose their best people because expectations are too high. They lose them because expectations are uneven .[That one stings a little.] When we keep team members who avoid challenge or discomfort… When we lower the bar to keep things “easy” or comfortable… When we protect "C" or "D" players at the expense of standards… Our "A "players notice.And over time, they disengage, or they leave. [First mentally. Then physically.] Not because they’re dramatic. But because they don’t want to spend their energy carrying people who don’t want to grow. This is one of the hardest leadership lessons: You don’t lose "A" players by pushing them too hard. You lose them by asking them to tolerate mediocrity. [Yeah… ouch.] Coach Cignetti didn’t build momentum by trying to make everyone happy. He built it by being clear about what the program requires, and letting people decide if they wanted to be part of it. That kind of clarity is actually respectful. It gives people a choice. And it protects the culture for those who want more. Let’s go, - Casey 🎯 Real Talk - Every gym has ‘em. The coach who shows up early, brings energy, wants to grow. And the coach who shows up… technically. And leadership is basically deciding which one you’re building the culture around. Because hard work doesn’t burn out your best people. It’s doing hard work while someone else is casually along for the ride. "A" players want teammates, not passengers.

This week’s fix comes from something very real and very normal when you’re growing. A couple months back, we tried something new: a Black Friday sale across multiple gyms. On paper, it made sense. In reality, we learned quickly that we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Different computer systems. Different markets. Different limitations. And because the rules weren’t fully known yet, they also weren’t fully communicated. The result? Frustration. Confusion. People feeling like they were out of the loop. Before anything else, it’s important to say this clearly. To the teammates who felt the brunt of that bump, we’re sorry. When things don’t land the way they should, the impact is real. Even when intentions are good, missed communication or unclear expectations can create stress for the people closest to the work. Owning that matters. And learning from it matters even more. Here’s the bigger picture, though. This is what growth actually looks like. When you’re integrating systems, expanding locations, or trying something for the first time, you are actively discovering the rules, not enforcing ones that already exist. Learning is the work. We often wish growth felt clean. Clear processes. Perfect communication. No bumps. But real growth is messier than that. It involves testing, missing things, adjusting, and sometimes realizing after the fact what should have been said upfront. That doesn’t mean it was a mistake to try. It means we were learning. The only way rules become clear is by discovering where they break. The only way systems improve is by seeing where they don’t align. The only way leaders grow is by being willing to try before everything is perfect. If you’re leading people, here’s the takeaway. When rules aren’t clear yet, expect bumps. When you try something new, assume you’ll miss something. When it doesn’t go smoothly, apologize, adjust, and keep moving forward. Growth isn’t proof that something is wrong. Sometimes it’s proof that you’re finally doing something new. One fix at a time, - Casey 🎯Real Talk - You know that moment when you say, “How hard could this be?” And the universe quietly replies, “Oh. You sweet, optimistic human.” Yeah. That. It looked simple. Push the button. Watch the magic happen. Turns out, that button had other ideas. Somewhere between “this will be easy” and “wait, why is this happening?” we found the gaps. The ones you don’t see until you’re standing in them. That’s not failure. That’s the work. So if you’ve ever thought, “Yep, nailed it,” right before realizing you didn’t, welcome. [No spreadsheets were harmed in the making of this lesson. A few assumptions were, though. 😉]

Today’s Weekly Fix was handed to me on a silver platter, courtesy of a Slack notification. One of our coaches fainted. A brand new assistant manager was on deck.And every leader within a five mile radius felt their stomach drop. First, our coach is okay. Second, if you’ve ever been responsible for someone navigating an unexpected situation, you know the mix of feelings that follow. Empathy. Worry. And a tiny voice whispering, “Maybe I shouldn’t have delegated that yet…” But here’s the truth I want to drive home today: The unexpected is a small part of the job, but it is  part of the job. And it doesn’t mean you should stop delegating. If anything, it’s why we must keep delegating. Because leadership isn’t just about preparing people to handle their to do list. It ’s about preparing them to handle the moments they didn’t sign up for. Learning to Lead During the “Oh Crap” Moments I want every manager, every coach, every human on our team to understand this: You don’t become capable before you encounter unexpected situations.You become capable through  them. So how do we prepare our people without becoming helicopter leaders? Here are a few simple practices: 1. Normalize that unexpected moments will happen. Say it out loud. Say it often. Expect the unexpected.When people know surprises are allowed in the job, they stop panicking when one arrives. 2. Walk through scenarios before you need them. Not in a doomsday way.In a “If X happens, here’s our first step” way.Small rehearsals create big confidence. 3. Create safe communication loops. People don’t need to know everything.But they do need to know exactly who to text, call, or send a Slack message to when something goes sideways. Even better, they need to know what actually constitutes a true emergency. 4. Celebrate how people handle hard moments. When that moment happened, you better believe our leadership team noticed.Not in a “gotcha” kind of way, but in a “this is how we identify leaders” way. And finally,  keep delegating. If you only delegate tasks that can’t possibly go wrong, you’re not delegating leadership. You’re delegating paperwork. We grow stronger teams the same way we grow muscles, by giving them weight. And sometimes, the weight shows up in the form of a fainting coach on a Tuesday afternoon. But you know what? Our people handled it. They leaned in. They responded. They cared. That tells me more about them than any normal day ever could. Delegate away, - Casey 🎯Real Talk - Delegation is easy when everything goes smoothly. It gets uncomfortable when the script goes out the window. That discomfort isn’t a warning sign. It’s proof you’re developing leaders, not protecting comfort.

I personally don’t have the cajones to say this out loud, but I LOVE that Coach Cignetti does. (Biased because I’m a born-and-raised Hoosier, and IU is my alma mater.) Watching the transformation of Indiana football over the last two years has shown me, in real time, a paradigm shift in what I thought was possible. This guy is making me a better leader, and I will do the same for others. We hear it all the time: “Programs take years.” “Culture takes time.” “You have to be patient.” And while there’s truth in that, Indiana is a good reminder that one person actually can  make a meaningful difference quickly if the leadership is clear and consistent. What stood out to me isn’t just wins or losses. It’s the mindset shift. Instead of trying to slowly bring everyone along, the message was clear from the start: This is where we’re going. This is how we’re doing it. And this is what it means to be part of it. It made me think of one of those kids’ toys with a bunch of gears. Some gears are big. Some gears are small. When all the gears are moving together, the machine moves fast. But when the big gears are dragging the smaller ones along, or worse, when some gears aren’t really moving at all, everything slows down. That’s how I see leadership on teams, and the key change that Coach Cignetti has made. It’s not always about needing bigger, stronger, more impressive players. Sometimes it’s about making sure everyone who’s already there is actually engaged, aligned, and working toward the same goal. Indiana didn’t wait years to decide who they wanted to be. They decided, and then acted accordingly. So here’s the question I’d encourage you to think about this week: On your team, do you really need bigger gears? Or do you need more gears operating at the same speed? Consistently. Because when leadership is consistent and expectations are clear, momentum shows up faster than we think. Go Hoosiers, - Casey 🎯 Real Talk -  It’s tempting to believe progress requires more experience, more time, or better people. But more often, it requires braver conversations. Clear standards. And the willingness to say, “This is how we’re doing it now.” That’s not harsh leadership. That’s kind leadership, because it removes the guesswork. People stop hesitating and start stepping up.

When I say building muscles, I’m not talking about biceps or abs. I’m talking about the invisible kind. The muscles of starting something new. Of showing up when it’s uncomfortable. Of doing something hard again. When I first started writing The Weekly Fix , it was hard. Not just because of the time it took, but because it meant putting myself out there. Sharing thoughts, stories, and lessons with all of you. I worried about whether it was helpful. Organized. Worth your time. And honestly, I almost didn’t start because of that fear. But here’s what I tell my kids all the time: The name of the road from hard to easy is more. Do it more. Write more. Practice more. Try more. Just like the first day in the gym. You pick up a 15-pound weight and it feels heavy. You do it a few times a week, and suddenly it doesn’t feel heavy anymore. To keep growing, you have to reach for the 20s. Leadership, communication, organization, consistency. These skills are built the same way. Through repetition and resistance. So if something feels hard right now, good. It means you’re building strength in an area that’s been underused. It means you’re on the road from hard to easy. And one day, that thing that feels impossible will feel like second nature. Keep showing up. Pick up the weight. Build the muscle. Because growth isn’t found in the easy reps. It ’s built in the hard ones. One rep at a time, - Casey 🎯Real talk -  Some days, building muscle looks like big progress. Other days, it looks like not quitting. It looks like doing the hard thing after a long day. The kind where the gym was loud, someone cried (maybe a kid, maybe you), and you’re still answering messages after bedtime. Or choosing patience when you’re already stretched thin. Like when a class goes sideways and you remind yourself this is character building… probably. Or taking one small step when you don’t have energy for a big one. It looks like showing up tired. Or distracted. Or unsure. ...and still choosing to do the thing. That counts. More than you think…

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough credit in leadership: boundaries. If you’re the kind of person who loves and is wired to help (🙋‍♀️ guilty), it’s easy to fall into the trap of saying “yes” to everything. Every idea, every request, every “can you just…?” But when you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being not enough for anyone, including yourself. And here’s the part that really stings a little… when you take on everything, you’re not just burning yourself out. You’re actually taking away opportunities for others to grow. When a leader always steps in, it can send the message (even unintentionally) that you don’t trust your team to figure things out or believe in their ability to learn. And that can quietly stunt their confidence and development. The irony is real . People start feeling unsure. They hesitate to ask for help or share ideas. They’re not sure if you really mean “yes” or if you’re just saying it because you can’t say “no.” That’s when frustration and passive aggressiveness can sneak in on both sides. Strong leaders have clear boundaries. It’s not selfish. It’s healthy. Boundaries make you more reliable, more consistent, and more available in the moments that matter. And when you say things like… “I can’t take that on right now, but let’s talk about how we can get it done” -OR- “That’s not in my lane, but I can help you find who’s best for it” …you’re not shutting people down. You’re empowering them. You’re teaching ownership and confidence. And boundaries aren’t just about work hours. They’re about the example you set. If you’re answering non-emergency calls during family time, you’re unintentionally teaching your team that you value work over family. That sets a tone, and not the one you want. It can lead to a lack of respect, both for your time and theirs. Boundaries aren’t walls; they’re guide rails. They keep you steady, help others learn to drive on their own, and make sure everyone is still on the road together at the end of the day. So this coming week, take a look at your calendar, your to do list, your “sure, I’ll help” pile, and give yourself permission to say no where it serves everyone better in the long run. Because your team doesn’t need you to do everything. They just need you to be honest, clear, and steady. That’s leadership. 💪 Here’s to clearer yeses and better nos, - Casey 🎯 Real Talk - Most gym owners don’t realize they’ve said yes too many times until they look at their calendar and wonder who the heck signed them up for all these things. Spoiler alert… it was you. Between staff questions, parent emails, birthday parties, new hires, class add ons, and that one meeting someone swears they told you about, your week fills up faster than a Taylor Swift themed Kids’ Night Out. There is no trophy for "Most Overcommitted Leader". No gold medal. No banner you can hang in the lobby. (Trust me, I've checked 😆) Just exhaustion. And maybe a cold cup of coffee you reheated three times... and still never finished.

A couple weeks ago, we talked about getting frugal with Amazon. This week is all about understanding the difference between an expense, a spend, and an investment. Every day we decide where to put our dollars. New equipment. New hires. Training. Marketing. Decorations. And snacks. So many snacks. 🍪 But the real conversation is about the type  of money going out the door and what we expect from it. I’m certainly not a financial guru, but this perspective has seemed to serve me well, so I’m sharing it with you. An expense is money that’s gone once it’s used. It keeps the lights on, but it doesn’t create new value. Office supplies, cleaning products, lightbulbs, and a chunk of our equipment fall in this category. Necessary. Not growth drivers. A spend (my definition) is money that goes out without the expectation of an immediate financial return. But it still creates future value if we do it with intention. Think staff celebrations, new equipment upgrades, continued education. Things that make us better, stronger, more connected. An investment  is meant to build future revenue and expand opportunities. When I was starting out, everything felt like an expense. I was trying to save every penny. Experience taught me that the more money I deploy well, the faster the company grows. And when the company grows, everyone gets to share in it. A Sweet Peas License or a NinjaZone License is a prime example. It’s an investment that builds future revenue by reaching new students, keeping them longer, strengthening our brand, and creating opportunities for staff and kids. The real skill is learning to spend well . That means knowing when to tighten up and when to go big. Here’s the balance: 💰Spend smart on maintenance. The things that keep us running. 💰Invest big in growth. The things that move us forward. 💰Skip the extremes. Being too loose wastes money. Being too frugal suffocates growth. When we get this right, we give ourselves the power to build better programs, pay our people well, and create real impact. Spend with intention. Ask yourself what the return is before you swipe. Spending well isn’t about being cheap. It’s about being strategic. Grow on purpose, - Casey 🎯 Real Talk -  If you’ve ever walked into Target for “just garbage bags” and walked out with a $300 receipt and a candle that smells like “Sweet Vanilla Winterberry Muffin,” you already know how easy it is to confuse wants with needs (we've all been there 😆). The same thing happens in our gyms. One day you’re buying replacement lightbulbs, the next you’re Googling giant custom neon LED signs of your gym’s slogan because “it would look cool above the front desk.” And look, I love a vibe just as much as anyone, but that’s how wallets cry. The trick is learning to catch yourself in the moment. Every purchase has a feeling attached to it. Stress spends. Convenience spends. Aspirational spends. But the decisions that move us forward are the intentional ones. The ones we make with clarity, not chaos. When we start getting honest about what actually fuels growth versus what just scratches an itch, we take back control of the whole operation.

Every year, NinjaCon somehow gets better, and this year was no exception. I’m walking away from this one with so much gratitude. Gratitude for my team. Gratitude for our NinjaZone community. Grateful for every single person who shows up, contributes, and pours their heart into this thing. What’s wild is that it’s actually getting more fun and easier to execute as it grows. I remember past years when we were totally wiped out at the end. But this year? We’re energized. The content felt so aligned to what each person needed.The education was immediately actionable.And the vibe was just electric. ⚡️ So why? What changed? I think it comes down to two of our core values: 1. We make FUN the priority. When you’re teaching and inspiring young people, whether they’re coaches or kids, fun isn’t optional. It’s essential. Learning sticks when it’s joyful, and our team never loses sight of that. 2. We innovate and constantly improve. The secret to NinjaCon’s growth each year isn’t luck. It’s the intentional process we follow after every event. While everything is still fresh, we sit in a circle. We celebrate the wins. We shout out the people who tried something new, stepped into a new role, or went above and beyond. Then, we debrief. We talk about what could be better, and we send out surveys to get real feedback from our people. Here’s the lightbulb moment this year: All that planning we did in December last year made everything smoother, calmer, and more creative this time around. Because we captured what worked and what didn’t while it was still fresh, we didn’t just repeat NinjaCon 2024… we leveled it up. That’s the magic of living our values. Fun + constant improvement = a community that just keeps getting better. So, to our team and our partners, thank you. You’re the reason NinjaCon is what it is. See you next year! - Casey 🎯 Real Talk. Even the best-run events have a lot happening behind the scenes. NinjaCon has checklists, timelines, reminders flying everywhere, caffeine at medically questionable levels, and at least one moment where someone asks, “Has anyone eaten real food today” 😆 Your everyday has its own version of that quiet hustle… adjusting groups, helping a coach read the room, or reworking a station so kids feel successful. And just like NinjaCon, things get better the same way: little by little. Great gyms are built from tiny fixes and quick huddles that make tomorrow easier than today. Those small moments are what families feel before they even know why. So here is the rhythm. After something big, take 15 minutes to celebrate wins, note what to change next time, and set a reminder with those notes for when you plan again. For the everyday stuff, do the 60-second version: “What worked” and “What is one thing we fix tomorrow.” Simple. Repeatable. Powerful. And best of all, fun starts sneaking back in because everyone is growing together.

This week we’ve got two themes: 1️⃣ How you do anything is how you do everything. 2️⃣ Trust, but verify. We’ve had a parking lot issue we’re finally ready to tackle: improving our budget clarity and process around Amazon orders (office supplies, camps, parties, you name it). We’ve held off because, honestly, 1) we trust our staff, and 2) we don’t want to make anyone feel micromanaged. But as we grow and more people make small purchasing decisions, we can’t afford to be naive either. Here’s the truth. Our teams notice everything. What we emphasize, what we check, and what we let slide. If they think we don’t care enough to compare prices, get quotes, or double-check the supply closet before ordering, they won’t either. When leaders pay attention, people follow suit. They get scrappy. They find deals. They borrow from another location instead of ordering again. They ask, “Do we actually need 300 Sharpies?” But when no one’s watching, the habits slip. And those small things, over time, become the difference between a good business and a great one. Our goal isn’t micromanagement. It’s modeling intentionality. Excellence isn’t about one big heroic act. It’s built through a hundred small, thoughtful decisions. So as we head into this week, remember: The way we do the small things sets the tone for the big things. When we care out loud, others will too. Consistency builds confidence in kids and in teams. Because how we do anything really is how we do everything. Here’s to the little things done right, - Casey 🎯 Real Talk -  Amazon is both our best friend and our budget’s worst nightmare. You go in for one thing…and suddenly your cart has 27 items and you’re emotionally attached to a pack of 100 rainbow gel pens. We tell ourselves, “It’s for the kids.” Or “We’ll use these eventually.” Or the classic, “It was on a lightning deal!” Then the boxes start rolling in like it’s Prime Day every day. Who ordered 6,000 plastic cups? Why do we have enough paperclips to build a small bridge? And who’s the mystery shopper behind the jumbo pack of googly eyes? (Creative, but why?) We’ve all done it. This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness. Those “little” choices add up fast. One click feels harmless, but multiply that across every well-meaning staff member, and suddenly we’re running a full-blown Amazon distribution center out of the breakroom. This isn’t about control. It’s about consistency. It’s the same lesson we teach our kids and athletes: how you do one thing is how you do everything. If we’re thoughtful and intentional in the small stuff, like ordering supplies, we’ll be that way in the big stuff too.

This week’s ops meeting looked a little different. No fires.No big “fixes"...Just wins. And honestly, that’s exactly the kind of problem we love to have. 👏🏽 At NinjaZone  & Wright’s, we always start our meetings with wins because they set the tone. But there’s a reason behind it. [Actually, three 😉] 1. Recognize the win. Celebrating success keeps us focused on what’s working. It’s easy to get caught up in what needs fixing, but recognizing progress builds motivation and  culture. 2. Ask “HOW did you do it?” A “good job” ends the conversation. “How did you do it?” starts a new one. That’s where the real growth happens. When one gym or teammate finds success, it’s not just their win, it’s an opportunity for all of us to learn what’s working and use it to level up. 3. Keep stacking the wins. When the energy’s high, that’s the time to build. This week, several gyms reported an increase in birthday party bookings compared to last November, which is a huge win! Instead of moving on, we dug in: How can we make the birthday experience even better? How can we turn more party families into class families? When things are going well, it’s not time to coast. It’s time to climb higher. Wins create momentum, and momentum multiplies when we use it intentionally. So let’s keep recognizing, asking, and maximizing. The little wins add up fast when we keep learning from them. Keep it rolling, - Casey 🎯 Real Talk - I know what some of you are thinking… a week with no fires? Too quiet. Like when your toddler’s been suspiciously quiet for five minutes and you just know  there’s crayon on something that shouldn’t have crayon on it. But this time, it’s the good kind of quiet. The kind that happens when things are actually working. Wins feel awesome, but they’re not the finish line. They’re the signal that we’ve got the traction to keep building. It’s like hitting every green light on the drive. You throw a fist pump, turn up the music, and keep rolling while the momentum’s good.