On this episode of the 7 Figure CEO Podcast, I got to speak with the very talented and highly accomplished - Chris Rappold. I had the pleasure of meeting up with him at the 2022 Martial Arts Super Show and the US Open where I got to watch his team perform incredible acts of athleticism.
Mr. Rappold is a 6th degree Black Belt in Taekwon-Do, Executive Director at Team Paul Mitchell Karate, creator of the Retention Based Sparing program (https://www.maiahub.com/retention-based-sparring), and owner of Personal Best Karate (with 4 locations in MA).
The Personal Best team is very close-knit, and despite operating out of multiple locations they cultivate the work environment of “4 classrooms”, rather than 4 separate schools.
Mr. Rappold expressed a deep enthusiasm for working with and training his team members. He built Personal Best with the philosophy that the best way to make an impact with Taekwon-Do is to ensure his team is trained to meet people where they’re at. Their aim is to help their members find the confidence to step into the uncomfortability needed for growth.
When asked about his role at the academy, he stressed the importance of implementing systems that allow for him to approach instruction with a mindset of: “I want to be on the floor” rather than “I have to.” He loves to support his team and feels a sense of obligation to contribute even when he’s not teaching.
Mr. Rappold continues to have tremendous success, but was not immune to the difficulties that many school owners faced during COVID. His takeaway is a sense of happiness and appreciation for what he learned through overcoming those obstacles.
Chris is such a stand-up guy and really made for a fun and insightful guest.
He has been a Grow Pro client since December of 2020. Among the many nuggets of wisdom shared: take control of your personal narrative, and stay true to yourself.