Today’s unique franchise concept comes from husband and wife duo Shiva and James Boecker. Shiva and James are the founders of Rockstar Martial Arts and they founded the brand when they realized there was a hole in the fitness market. They set out to create a luxury concept that fostered discipline and leadership skills in kids through martial arts and a connection with their families and community.

What started out as a one location business became a franchise with 6, soon to be 7, locations in Texas and a possibility of expansion into Florida and Georgia. The conversation we have today goes beyond what it is like to walk into a Rockstar Martial Arts location. Shiva and James share the ups and downs of beginning this process and what it is like to be in business with their spouse.

Key Takeaways:

[3:03] - Shiva and James are a husband and wife team. They share their background in martial arts and their desire to do more.

[4:37] - When she experienced more high end boutique fitness centers in Florida, Shiva realized that was what was missing from martial arts training.

[6:17] - In addition to martial arts training, leadership development is a top priority and a curriculum designed for kids.

[7:42] - The ideal location for Rockstar Martial Arts is a high end shopping center that is super clean and appealing.

[9:03] - Oftentimes after a child is signed up, the whole family gets involved.

[10:25] - Initially, the plan for Rockstar was just the one location.

[11:44] - The important piece of starting a franchise is to create a system and infrastructure that will run smoothly without you present. This is the hardest step.

[13:47] - Shiva recommends networking and finding others who have done this before. She has found several mentors that have helped them through the process.

[16:12] - James lists some of the things they had to consider through their growing pains, like real estate prices and team training.

[18:01] - What is it like to run a business and franchise with your spouse?

[19:41] - There were several changes made to their location as they decided to franchise.

[20:28] - Who is the ideal franchisee for Rockstar Martial Arts?

[22:26] - The franchisee is not the one that will be coaching. That won’t be their role and they will hire coaches and employees.

[23:47] - Rockstar Martial Arts started franchising pre-Covid but then halted the process for a while.

[25:18] - James describes the experience with broker networks to get Rockstar Martial Arts moving forward and expanding.

[28:13] - The best piece of advice James and Shiva have for those who are interested in franchising their business is to find someone who has done it already as a mentor.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Rockstar Martial Arts Website

Rockstar Martial Arts Franchise Website