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What does it take to walk away from a steady job at 23 with no real plan, two customers, and a vision that most people would have talked you out of? For Jamie Johannes, founder of Inspired Martial Arts in the UK, it took belief, consistency, and a willingness to do every single job in the business, including cleaning the toilets.

In this episode, Liz sits down with Jamie for a conversation that goes far beyond martial arts. Jamie's story is one that will resonate with any business owner who has ever had to build something from the ground up, make tough calls with limited resources, and figure out on the fly what kind of leader they actually want to be.

They talk about the extraordinary origin of the Inspired Martial Arts brand, including a logo born from a red t-shirt brought back from Vietnam and a family story involving his brother's recovery from a life changing spinal injury. They dig into how Jamie has built a team by nurturing people from the inside, with some of his best instructors having trained under him since they were eight years old. And they get honest about the tension between moving fast, trusting your gut, and knowing when to slow down and bring the right people in.

Jamie also shares how he built complementary income streams into his business, why he brought his sister on as Finance Director, and what it has meant to have a full time comic book artist on staff bringing the brand's values to life every single month.

This is a conversation about culture, confidence, leadership, and what it really looks like to build something with longevity in mind.

If you are growing a business and wondering whether you are doing it right, this one is for you.

Guest: Jamie Johannes, Founder of Inspired Martial Arts, UK
Find Jamie: LinkedIn